The rooftop was wide open, with no places to hide. As long as you watched your step, there was no worry about eavesdroppers. In Sogen's opinion, it was a far better spot for a chat than those stuffy, sunless secret rooms.
"Oolong tea or natto flavor—which one you want?"
Sogen held up two popsicles.
It was only April, but Konoha's weather was already heating up. The old guy in the clan who made popsicles couldn't wait to roll out his exclusive creations, like oolong tea and natto-flavored ones. The former was fine, but the latter… natto-flavored popsicles? Honestly, it was a bit baffling.
"No other options?" Shisui asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope, just these two today. I remember you're a big natto fan, right? Here, natto flavor's all yours."
Sogen shoved the natto popsicle into Shisui's hand without waiting for a response.
"I don't *hate* natto, but did it have to be a popsicle flavor?" Shisui stared at the treat with a look that said words couldn't quite capture his feelings. If he'd known this was coming, he would've gone with Sogen to buy the popsicles himself. This sneaky jerk did it on purpose, didn't he?
Natto-flavored popsicle…
With mixed emotions, Shisui took a tentative bite. Huh… it wasn't *that* bad. At least it went down smoothly enough.
"Where were we?" Sogen asked, licking his own popsicle and finally getting back to business.
"The police force's reputation… it's pretty bad."
"Right, the police force's rep stinks," Sogen nodded. "So, Shisui, what do you think our clan's police force has done that's so unforgivable? Their name's so bad it's like a stench carries ten miles downwind. Even kids are mimicking adults, spitting behind their backs."
Shisui fell silent.
Had the clan's police force done anything truly heinous? No, not really. Sure, they had their flaws—arrogant, looking down on others, acting high and mighty. But that bone-deep pride meant they'd never stoop to outright criminal acts.
They followed the rules to the letter. At worst, you could say they were a bit rough in their enforcement. Even if the villagers didn't like them, it shouldn't have led to *this* level of disdain.
"Shisui, you're no gullible idiot, and I'm not dumb enough to think I can sweet-talk you. So I'll be straight: the police force's bad rep isn't an accident. Someone's stirring the pot, turning the villagers against the force—against the Uchiha."
"Our clan's fallen this far partly because of our own issues, but the root of it? I think it's the Third Hokage and his cronies pushing us into this corner."
"Honestly, who *wants* a coup? Killing our own people in a bloody mess—what's the point? But the way I see it, the village is forcing us down this path."
"Sogen, the Third isn't… it's Danzo who's targeting our clan…" Shisui tried to argue, but his voice lacked conviction.
He wasn't blind. Even with his faith in the Will of Fire, he could see the village's oppression of their clan. But his upbringing taught him to view things from the village's perspective, to think of the clan's place within it. He still cared deeply for his family, though—he hadn't fully sided with the village. He dreamed of a future where the clan and village could coexist as one, no divisions.
He believed the clan was part of the village, not something to be pitted against it. They should integrate, not fight. But he had no idea how to make that ideal future a reality.
Ideals alone couldn't solve problems.
Before he could weather more storms or find a solution, tensions had already boiled over. The clan, fed up with the village's oppression, gritted their teeth and started plotting a coup—a hopeless, dead-end path.
That was the source of Shisui's despair.
Even his *Kotoamatsukami* couldn't change the minds of so many people!
"This isn't about one person. The Third, the two elders, and that old creep Danzo… they inherited the Second Hokage's wariness of our clan but none of his boldness to take Uchiha as students."
Sogen didn't dwell on criticizing the Second. After all, Shisui's ancestor, Uchiha Kagami, was the Second's student, and ragging on a dead guy felt pointless.
He looked straight into Shisui's eyes. "Shisui, whatever you think, *they're* the ones who backed our clan into this corner."
"Sogen!" Shisui's popsicle was melting in his hand, his brow furrowing tightly.
"What are you getting at? Trying to convince me to back the clan's coup? That's a guaranteed dead end. Whether it succeeds or fails, our clan's done for."
"So we just swallow our pride and keep living like this? What did we do wrong to deserve this humiliation? Is it because of Madara? Or that unknown Uchiha powerhouse from the Nine-Tails attack? Because of *their* mistakes, we're supposed to suffer?"
Sogen's voice rose sharply.
The two friends locked eyes for a long moment. Sogen calmed himself, clearing his throat. "Like I said before, if I were Hokage, I'd probably be wary of the Uchiha too. But I'm not the Hokage—I'm an Uchiha. Before I worry about the village's big picture, I've gotta think about my parents, my little sister, even if not for myself."
The village saw the Uchiha as a ticking time bomb, liable to explode and harm the village at any moment, so they kept trying to defuse it. The Uchiha, feeling unfairly targeted, thought, *If the noose is tightening, why not strike first?*
That was the state of Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
"…Sogen, what's your point with all this?" Shisui let his popsicle melt away, forcing himself to stay calm. "Tell me, what do you want to do? You've clearly thought this through. The issues between the village and the clan can't be summed up in a few words. Just tell me what you're planning!"
As expected of an Uchiha genius, Shisui wasn't swayed by Sogen's words. He keenly picked up on something deeper.
Sogen bit off the last chunk of his popsicle, crunching it to bits before tossing the stick aside. "Shisui, I want you to help me change the Uchiha."
"What?"
Shisui's brow creased.
Change the Uchiha? How? He'd love to change the clan, but the problem was he had no clue where to start. He felt like a traveler lost in the dark, groping for a glimmer of hope in a directionless night.
"What do you think of Clan Leader Fugaku?"
"The clan leader?" Shisui blinked, thrown off. Wasn't this about changing the Uchiha? Why the sudden pivot to the clan leader?
"I want you to help me become the next Uchiha clan leader."
Talk about dropping a bombshell. Shisui's eyebrows shot up, the popsicle stick in his hand now bare as the ice chunk hit the ground.
"Sogen, you…"
Shisui's mind was reeling.
Weren't they talking about changing the Uchiha? How did this circle back to a coup—replacing Fugaku as clan leader? Was this a rehearsal for an internal clan takeover?
"To change the Uchiha, we need power. Otherwise, who's gonna listen to us just talking big?" Sogen said.
"But, but… we could convince the clan leader…"
"I don't trust him."
Sogen's lip curled. "Our clan leader, Fugaku? He's spineless. During the Nine-Tails attack, he followed the Third's orders to keep the clan grounded, even though the Fourth was the rightful Hokage. Supporting the Fourth was the obvious right move, but he…"
"And when the clan was forced to relocate, he didn't stand up for us. Instead, to 'preserve the bigger picture,' he helped the village squash our protests. Sure, he kept the peace, but the village doesn't give a damn about our feelings."
"Now, with the village's higher-ups getting bolder in their crackdowns, the radicals in the clan are gaining ground. And it looks like Fugaku's leaning toward backing their coup plans. He sways back and forth like a bobblehead—I can't even tell what he's thinking half the time."
*And when Uchiha Itachi goes on his killing spree in the future, Fugaku just sits there and lets it happen. By the end, the only Uchiha left is his youngest son!* Sogen didn't say this out loud, but the thought burned in his mind.
Right now, the people he despised most were Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Itachi, those two scumbags. Next was Fugaku, the clan leader. Even Danzo ranked lower. At least Danzo's stance was clear—he'd always been upfront about where he stood.
The Second Hokage's student, the Hokage's advisor, the leader of Root… and the Uchiha's enemy.
That was Danzo's position.
So no matter how ruthless his methods, you could hate him, curse him, dig up his ancestors' graves—but you couldn't complain. When dealing with a dangerous enemy, you use every tool at your disposal.
That's just how it works.
But the Uchiha clan leader? He'd never figured out where he stood, waffling between the village and the clan, utterly failing in his duties. In the end, he'd die cleanly, hands thrown up in surrender, while countless clan members perished with unresolved grudges.
Having a man like that as the Uchiha clan leader was the clan's greatest misfortune!
(Chapter End)