Shikaku Nara's eyes were dark and calculating. Across the low table, Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi stared at him in profound shock.
The pieces of the puzzle finally snapped together.
"The Police Force," Inoichi breathed, the terrifying reality setting in. "That is the actual battlefield."
Shikaku nodded grimly. He laid out the tactical reality. "When Jin Uchiha legally paralyzed the Police Force by demanding absolute bureaucratic proof for every minor infraction, the village's daily infrastructure collapsed. The civilians naturally bypassed the Uchiha and filed complaints directly with the Hokage Administration to resolve the gridlock."
He tapped the table. "But the administration is currently fighting a massive, all-consuming information war. Hiruzen and Danzo are dedicating all their resources to suppressing the rumors about their legitimacy. Consequently, they are entirely ignoring the civilian complaints regarding the Police Force."
Inoichi's Internal Monologue: It is a layered trap. The longer the administration ignores the citizens' daily struggles to fight a political PR battle, the more the public's resentment toward the Hokage grows. Jin's information war was never meant to overthrow Hiruzen immediately—it is merely a stalling tactic to let the civilian anger reach a boiling point.
"Jin is a terrifying opponent," Inoichi admitted, his voice laced with dread. "If you had not pointed this out, Shikaku, I would still be entirely blind to his true objective."
Choza, who had finally stopped eating, broke his silence. "So, what is our move? Do we mobilize our forces to assist the Hokage?"
"I will follow your lead, Shikaku," Inoichi added solemnly. "The Ino-Shika-Cho formation acts as one."
Shikaku closed his eyes, his brilliant mind processing dozens of geopolitical outcomes. When he opened them, his decision was absolute.
"We do nothing. We maintain strict neutrality and let them bleed each other."
He explained his rationale. "The Hokage's faction is corrupt, but we cannot support the Uchiha either. If a supreme bloodline clan like the Uchiha seizes absolute executive power, specialized 'secret jutsu' clans like ours will be permanently marginalized. However, if we openly oppose the Uchiha and they win, they will exterminate us."
"But Shikaku," Inoichi argued, "if an Uchiha regime is detrimental to our clans, shouldn't we side with the Hokage to ensure Jin loses? Hiruzen is terrible, but he is the lesser evil."
Shikaku shook his head, looking at his two oldest friends with a heavy sigh.
"You are prioritizing political development over biological survival," Shikaku warned coldly. "Never forget who we are dealing with. Jin Uchiha is not just a politician playing a bureaucratic game. He is a Mangekyo Sharingan wielder—an anomaly possessing catastrophic, apocalyptic-level physical power. He commands a fully unified clan of elite combatants."
Shikaku's Internal Monologue: Jin is playing within the legal rules of the village right now because he is pragmatic. He wants to inherit a functional, prosperous Konoha. He does not want to rule over a graveyard.
"If the major clans ally with the Hokage and corner the Uchiha," Shikaku continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Jin will abandon politics and resort to absolute violence. A cornered Uchiha clan will fight to the death. Even if our combined forces somehow manage to kill Jin and eradicate his clan, the collateral damage would be total. Konoha would be reduced to ash. We would be defenseless against the other Hidden Villages. It is a Pyrrhic victory we cannot afford."
Inoichi and Choza paled. The logic was undeniable. The Uchiha could not be allowed to win easily, but forcing them into a desperate, apocalyptic last stand was equally suicidal.
Inoichi's Internal Monologue: Decades ago, our clans secretly stood by and allowed the powerful Senju Clan to be politically and physically dismantled by Hiruzen's faction. We did it to prevent any single bloodline from dominating the village. We assumed the politically inept Uchiha would eventually suffer the same fate. We never calculated for an anomaly like Jin—a genius who possesses both absolute physical power and supreme political intellect.
Shikaku leaned forward, his expression hardening into pure, ruthless pragmatism. It was time to secure the future of their bloodlines.
"Danzo will inevitably attempt an assassination on Jin soon," Shikaku stated, outlining the immediate future. "If Jin survives that assassination, it will prove the Hokage's faction lacks the military capacity to stop him. At that exact moment, the Ino-Shika-Cho formation will execute a 'Divided Investment' protocol."
Choza frowned. "Divided investment? You mean we split the clans?"
"Exactly," Shikaku confirmed. "We will manufacture a fake internal political dispute. I will select a group of our finest shinobi and publicly 'banish' them, claiming they rebelled against my leadership over resource distribution. This splinter faction will immediately defect to Jin Uchiha's camp."
Shikaku locked eyes with Inoichi. "We will send them with a substantial portion of our clans' wealth and secret resources as a 'tribute' to buy Jin's trust. By hedging our bets, we ensure our survival. If the Hokage wins, our main houses remain in power. If Jin Uchiha wins, our defector faction will be in his inner circle, ensuring the continued existence of the Ino-Shika-Cho lineages."