"I am who I am," Hiko said, his voice flat and final. "I belong to no faction. Everything I do is for the Uchiha, and for the men in the Police Department who are tired of being treated like criminals."
He knew the ANBU had been monitoring his every move for six months. He didn't care. As long as he didn't openly spit in the Hokage's face, Hiruzen would never allow Danzo to move against him. The village was a powder keg; the Third Hokage wouldn't risk an Uchiha backlash just to silence a captain's "rude" opinion.
Besides, assassinating a Jonin in the heart of the Uchiha compound was a suicide mission. Even for Danzo.
"If protecting my kin puts me in Danzo's sights," Hiko added, "then I accept the risk."
Shisui stood in the corridor for a long time, a lonely shadow against the moonlight, before sighing and vanishing into the night.
Shisui didn't go home. He went straight to the Hokage Tower.
In Hiko's view, Shisui wasn't a "double agent." He was a spy. Like his predecessor Uchiha Kagami, Shisui's heart had already defected to the village. By the time he finished his report, Hiruzen Sarutobi had canceled his plans for sleep. The "Uchiha Problem" was evolving, and the Hokage needed to decide how to handle a Patriarch who had suddenly found his spine.
The next morning, the Uchiha district was electric. News of Hiko's defiance at the clan meeting had spread through the compound like a wildfire.
"Hiko-san! Good morning!" "You gave it to them last night, Captain! About time someone spoke up!" "Bold words, Hiko! The Third Squad is behind you!"
Hiko walked through the streets, nodding casually to the clansmen who greeted him. Since the Ninja Academy was closed for the day, he didn't need to haunt the gates. When he couldn't "farm" Naruto or Sasuke, he used his daily copy on the powerhouses—Shisui or Fugaku. The "crit" bonuses were rare, but the quality of the fragments was always higher.
Prestige is more than just ego, Hiko thought. It's armor.
An unknown person shouting for change is a lunatic. A war hero and popular captain shouting for change is a Leader.
On his way to the headquarters, Hiko spotted a familiar pair: Itachi, leading a bouncing Sasuke toward the training grounds.
Perfect timing.
[Copy Successful: Obtained fragment of Sharingan Pupil Power. Fusion available?] "Fusion," Hiko commanded silently.
A surge of cold, mental energy flooded his brain. For six months, he had fused countless fragments of Indra and Asura chakra, alongside vast amounts of spiritual energy. He was building a reservoir. He didn't need the trauma of a loved one's death to evolve his eyes; he was pursuing evolution through sheer, relentless accumulation. One day, this "quantity" would trigger a "qualitative" change that would shock the world.
While Hiko felt his power grow, Fugaku stood in the Hokage's office, facing the man who held the village's leash.
He knew this trip might be in vain. But as Patriarch, he had to show the clan he was acting. If he promised them a voice and then stayed silent, his leadership would crumble within a week.
"Fugaku," Hiruzen began, exhaling a cloud of smoke. His tone was grandfatherly, but his eyes were sharp. "I've heard there is some... unrest regarding the administrative complaints. I understand the frustration, but you must realize that since that incident, the village is understaffed. We are powerless to handle the overflow."
The "Football" play. Hiruzen was acknowledging the problem but claiming his hands were tied, effectively kicking the burden back to the Uchiha.
Fugaku's expression soured. "That incident"—the Night of the Nine-Tails—was the ultimate gag order. Because the masked man had used a Sharingan to control the beast, the entire Uchiha clan was forced to bear the blame for the Fourth Hokage's death. It was a "pot" they couldn't wash clean.
In the past, Fugaku would have accepted this excuse and retreated. But today, he remembered the roar of approval in the ancestral hall. He remembered Hiko's cold gaze.
"Lord Hokage," Fugaku said, his voice dropping an octave. "Uchiha has carried that 'pot' for years. But my men are law enforcement, not scapegoats for your staffing issues. If the Hokage's office is powerless to handle paperwork, perhaps it is time to reassess the village's budget for the Police Force."
Hiruzen's pipe paused mid-air. The "playing dumb" strategy was no longer working. Hiko had flipped the table, and now, the Hokage had no choice but to actually play the game.