Chapter 5: Uchiha Fugaku
"Yes, sir."
With a crisp, clean reply, a handsome young man in his early twenties walked into the room.
He stopped just inside the doorway, his feet together, and stood at attention without even glancing at Kyosuke. He simply waited for the Second Elder's further instructions.
"Relax, Fugaku. As I've said before, you should treat this place as your own home." The Second Elder shook his head with a resigned smile, seeing that Fugaku was as formal as ever.
Fugaku? Uchiha Fugaku? Kyosuke's attention snapped into focus. This was the second character from the original story he had met.
The first, of course, was Obito, who was about as useless as his own predecessor had been. In fact, Obito was a year older than him but still hadn't shown any remarkable skill.
Lost in his thoughts, Kyosuke came back to himself to find both Fugaku and the Second Elder staring intently at him.
Kyosuke blinked, unsure of what had happened, and decided to remain silent. Although he had a guess, he couldn't let it show.
"Fugaku, look at this child," the Second Elder suddenly laughed, gesturing toward Kyosuke. "He has everything: talent, courage, a sense of unity with the clan... but this habit of his, getting lost in thought, is really something else..."
Kyosuke sat there, feigning perfect innocence, as if the elder were talking about someone else entirely.
The Second Elder's laughter continued. "Well... I suppose I can't blame him. After all, he's only five... hahaha, only five!"
Fugaku: "..."
Kyosuke: "..."
"Ahem." Finally noticing their strange looks, the Second Elder, feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly changed the subject. "From now on, Fugaku, you will be responsible for his training. If there's nothing else, you two can be on your way."
The old man was shooing them out.
Hearing this, Fugaku and Kyosuke quickly bowed and excused themselves, leaving the estate one after the other.
After the two had left, the smile on the Second Elder's face slowly faded. He took a sip of tea and then spoke into the empty room. "What do you think of him?"
"Very impressive. He has both courage and cunning," a dark figure suddenly materialized from the shadows, speaking respectfully to the Second Elder.
"Have you found out how he awakened his Sharingan?" the Second Elder asked coolly, downing the rest of his tea.
"I... do not know," the shadow's voice trembled slightly.
"Useless!"
The teacup vanished from the Second Elder's hand and reappeared a moment later, shattering against the shadow's head.
Blood trickled down from the shadow's scalp, but he remained in his original position, not daring to move a muscle.
The Second Elder watched him silently for a moment before turning and walking slowly toward the inner hall.
His deep voice echoed back. "Remember, monitor him at all times. Do not let your guard down for a single moment. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
Blood, mixed with sweat, dripped rapidly from his head.
Within the Uchiha compound, Fugaku and Kyosuke walked along the path, one behind the other, neither speaking first.
As they neared Kyosuke's home, Fugaku finally stopped.
A long, silent gaze followed.
After a moment, Fugaku managed a slight, forced smile. "Starting tomorrow, report to the Military Police Force headquarters."
"Yes, sir," Kyosuke replied, suppressing his excitement.
With that, Fugaku left.
Back in his room, Kyosuke washed up before lying down on his bed and pulling the curtains shut, blocking any potential prying eyes. He knew without a doubt that the seemingly benevolent elders would have someone watching him. It was partly for his protection, and partly... for surveillance.
After all, with the title of "greatest talent," no amount of attention was too much.
Lying in bed, Kyosuke first reviewed the dungeons he might be able to clear with his current strength, then reflected on the day's events.
Overall, he was satisfied with the outcome. However, it wasn't without its downsides. He was sure his crude little trick hadn't fooled those cunning old men. But the problem wasn't too serious. It was natural for a young prodigy to want to show off. Even if his methods were a bit aggressive, he believed they would accept it.
Looks like I'll have to show more sincerity and virtue from now on. Having read the "original story," he knew better than anyone what the Uchiha clan craved at this moment, and what they feared most. The "sincerity and virtue" he needed to display was loyalty—not to the clan head or the village, but to the elders.
As long as he did that, he believed the elders would overlook his occasional transgressions, no matter how many he committed.
"In the end, it all comes down to a lack of strength," Kyosuke muttered with a self-deprecating smile, then closed his eyes. After such an eventful day, he desperately needed to rest.
The next morning, Kyosuke got ready and made his way to the entrance of the Military Police Force headquarters.
Being so small, he had to tilt his head way back to see the magnificent, gilded sign above the door.
The Konoha Military Police Force. The department responsible for establishing the village's laws and maintaining order and security in Konohagakure.
This privileged position had elevated the Uchiha's prestige to its peak, but it had also planted the seeds of their downfall. Constant contact with all sorts of criminals had made the Uchiha accustomed to treating outsiders with arrogance.
Theoretically, aside from the Hokage's personal Anbu Black Ops, they had the authority to arrest anyone who broke the law or even showed criminal intent. It was this very privilege that caused the other clans to resent the Uchiha, leading to frequent conflicts.
Although the Uchiha elders were aware of this, it was impossible for them to relinquish this power. They stubbornly believed that as the strongest clan during the Warring States Period, they were entitled to it. The more they felt the animosity from others, the more they enforced their strict laws, hoping to completely suppress the other clans in the village.
In their stubbornness, they naively believed it was still the Warring States Period. With the Senju clan in decline, they thought they could act as they pleased. They were oblivious to the fact that Konoha could probably annihilate them using less than a third of its full strength.
The only reason the village hadn't acted was because the Uchiha hadn't yet crossed the line. But if they made any move toward rebellion, the clan massacre from the original story would be inevitable.
Of course, besides the obstinate elders, there were others in the clan who had noticed this.
For example, the man now sitting across from Kyosuke: Fugaku.
He likely spent every waking moment wanting to overthrow the elders' rule. A man as intelligent as him had probably already recognized the clan's precarious situation.
But as a mere Captain of the Military Police, there was nothing he could do yet.
If he wanted to bring about change, he would have to wait until he became the head of the clan.