Uchiha Kairen returned to his room and took a deep breath.
This feeling—was truly wonderful.
After washing up, he sat down by the window and gazed at the moonlight.
His thoughts were a whirlwind. So much had happened today.
He had just gotten home, and his family had already arranged a wife for him.
What a nice feeling.
In his previous life, finding a girlfriend had been so difficult—yet in this one, he was already married before he even realized it.
Talking with Meimei had also helped him accept his fiancée—a girl with such a troubled past.
Was it wrong for her to want to marry a good man? Was it wrong to wish for a stable life?
Of course not. Wanting to find a decent household was perfectly reasonable.
And as for himself—no matter from what angle—he was the ideal choice.
She had no other options, really. Hahaha!
He sat by the window and started laughing out loud.
He was simply too outstanding—his brilliance couldn't be hidden even if he tried.
He chuckled to himself, "Ah, my charm just can't be contained anywhere~ Hehehe."
Sigh~
If not for those few disgusting pests that came to cause trouble today, it would've been a perfect day.
Danzō had clearly shifted his focus onto the Uchiha now.
Fine then, you old fossil—keep your eyes on us all you want. The Third Shinobi War is about to begin. When the time comes, let's see who outplays whom.
Shameless old man!
You want to gouge out my son's eyes, deceive my nephew, and annihilate my entire clan?
Hmph. Using the Sharingan's forbidden jutsu, Izanagi, as a substitute for your own life? I won't give you that chance. Your countdown has begun, Danzō.
Today, he'd overheard that the tension between the Uchiha and Root had become explosive—
which wasn't surprising at all.
Even without the events at the memorial service, the Uchiha and Danzō were already mortal enemies.
But there was one man whose reaction seemed… off.
That man was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Now that the intermediary was gone, was he planning to let the Uchiha fight Danzō directly in the open?
Danzō's reputation was already rotten, but honestly—Hiruzen's wasn't that much better.
The Third Hokage's current stance was difficult to read.
Was he just going to let Danzō run wild, jumping around as he pleased?
What was this—releasing a rabid dog to scare the villagers?
Danzō's movements had become far more frequent and blatant than before.
If this wasn't a direct order, then it only meant one thing—Danzō no longer wanted to hide in the shadows.
Root might sound noble—"silently sacrificing for Konoha"—but in truth, it was all for power, all for the Hokage's seat.
So, the Third wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, huh?
Heh, nice try.
Let me give you some entertainment, old man—otherwise, you'll just grow bored.
And as for young Fugaku, Kairen thought, it's time he came back home too.
Always running around outside—how would he ever become a clan leader like that?
If they wouldn't let the Uchiha step out into the world—
then he would bring the world to the Uchiha.
Yes. That plan needed a name.
A good one.
He smiled to himself.
"The Fertile Soil Project."
The Police Force would become the fertile ground upon which the Uchiha's influence would grow.
Reform the Police Force, break free of the Second Hokage's restrictive policies.
Sacrifice first, gain later; retreat to advance.
Tomorrow, he would meet with his uncle. There was no time to lose.
He had noticed Minato's outfit yesterday—he had already been promoted to jōnin.
That could only mean one thing—the Third Great Ninja War was about to begin.
---
The next morning, when Uchiha Kairen woke up, he found Meimei in the kitchen, making breakfast.
He didn't disturb her.
Instead, he simply leaned against the wall and watched her for a long while, until his father called him out of his daze.
"What are you staring at?" Kairen looked at his father, speechless.
Why was the old man even awake this early?
"Nothing," his father joked, "just making sure your soul hasn't wandered off somewhere."
"Mom! You awake yet? Dad doesn't want you holding your grandson anymore!" Kairen shouted toward the inner room as he walked, looking ready to fight to the death.
His father quickly covered his mouth.
This little brat has no shame! he thought. He just met the girl, already hugging and holding her. Now he's talking about giving me a grandchild?!
Uchiha Ran opened the bedroom door and saw the two of them struggling.
"What's going on? What are you two doing?" she asked.
"Hahaha, nothing," her husband replied awkwardly, "our son wanted to wake you for breakfast, and I told him to let you rest a bit more. Hahaha…"
"Mom, come eat. Meimei's been cooking all morning—she's made so much food. You should try it."
Kairen ignored his father, not wanting to argue any further.
Breakfast went smoothly, calm and harmonious.
After eating, Kairen helped Meimei wash the dishes, then hurried off toward the Police Force headquarters.
Standing before the familiar gates, he drew in a deep breath and stepped inside.
All the way through—no one stopped him—
until he reached Uchiha Nobunaga's office.
He opened the door, and inside—besides his uncle—there was another person.
That person turned around; their eyes met, and both smiled.
So it was Fugaku-chan!
"Yo! If it isn't little Fugaku! Long time no see. How come you had time to drop by today? I thought you'd be out on a date!"
Kairen walked over, slinging an arm around his younger brother's shoulders.
It had been years since the two had last seen each other, but there was not the slightest awkwardness between them.
Fugaku, teased by his older brother, didn't get angry at all.
He scratched his head and replied, a little embarrassed:
"Ah, well, I just dropped Mikoto off at work. She's assisting Tsuru-senpai now.
Big brother, I heard you came back yesterday and nearly captured Root's men along the way!"
He clearly didn't want to be teased about his relationship, so he countered instead.
"Where'd you hear that? It was all thanks to you stepping in and smoothing things over. Otherwise, I might've sent old Danzō a little 'gift package' myself.
Anyway, your whole squad's full of elite jōnin now, right? You should start coming back more often—get used to being around the clan again."
"I've been thinking the same," Fugaku said hesitantly, "but recently there's been more friction between the village and our clan. Maybe I should talk to Hokage-sama first, just to be safe."
"No need to discuss it with the Hokage," Kairen said firmly.
"You're the young clan head. Of course you should return to the Police Force for training. Otherwise, how will you ever command subordinates in the future?
People will start thinking our next clan head doesn't even want to be among his own people. Tell me—how would that help unity, either for the clan or the village?"
"If you feel awkward about it, just let your teacher Jiraiya know. Remember—you're informing him, not asking for permission. You're a jōnin now, one of the village's main pillars.
Children ask for permission about everything—grown men make decisions. You graduated from the academy a long time ago, didn't you, little brother?"
Kairen's words seemed to awaken Fugaku.
He was supposed to be building a relationship with the Hokage, not playing the role of a servant.
He was the young clan head—the future patriarch.
He couldn't act like someone's subordinate.
The Police Force was his foundation.
He'd been away too long, wasting time in a team where a Kage-level teacher led three jōnin—
seriously, how much longer did he plan to play student?
"Big brother, you're right," Fugaku said solemnly.
"I was being foolish. I'll talk to my sensei about leaving the team tomorrow."
"Relax, it's not like you're cutting ties. You're just going home, like any shinobi who's completed his mission. Besides, Jiraiya and your teammates are good people. You can still meet up whenever you want."
Kairen added that last part just in case—he knew his little brother's mind could be rigid.
After all, judging by his future children—one so brilliant yet manipulated into killing his whole family, the other so naïve he'd believe anything—
it was clear Fugaku's emotional intelligence was still stuck in kindergarten.
Uchiha Nobunaga, watching his nephew being guided so naturally, felt relieved.
He'd always worried about saying too much and triggering Fugaku's rebellious streak.
Sometimes, the boy seemed torn inside.
Thankfully, Kairen had returned—otherwise the next generation might truly have been swayed by the Hokage faction.
"Fugaku, take these documents to Aunt Tsuru," Nobunaga said suddenly, realizing Kairen must have come for business.
Fugaku was still too young—too straightforward.
Some matters had to be taught gradually.
"Oh… okay." Fugaku took the papers, his expression falling slightly.
He understood—he was being dismissed.
Maybe he wasn't capable enough yet. Maybe his father still didn't trust him.
His face darkened.
"When you're done, come right back. Don't spend all your time with that girlfriend of yours," Kairen said, reading his brother's expression.
"You'll marry her sooner or later, but right now there's real business to handle. Don't dawdle."
His uncle's intentions were good—he simply didn't want Fugaku dragged into politics too soon.
After all, not every sixteen-year-old had the ability to deal with high-level matters.
But what they hadn't considered—was Fugaku's feelings.
He'd never been part of the Police Force before.
Even among his own people, he felt like an outsider.
When his father dismissed him during an important discussion, it felt like distrust—a kind of rejection.
Normally, it wouldn't matter. But he was the next clan head.
How could they let him feel alienated in his own home?
If this went on too long, he might one day side with the Hokage faction—just like his future son would.
Fugaku looked at his father with hopeful eyes, silently asking for reassurance.
Nobunaga caught on immediately.
"Hurry up already," he said sharply. "What, do you expect me to deliver it myself? Didn't your brother just tell you not to ask about every little thing? You're not a child anymore.
Can't you see for yourself that I've got something important to discuss with him?"
Fugaku's face turned red from embarrassment—but the gloom in his heart cleared.
So that's how it is, he thought, I really misunderstood them.
Kairen burst out laughing, not holding back in the slightest.
Fugaku felt so mortified he practically fled the room, slamming the door behind him—
his mind replaying the whole scene, cringing harder the more he thought about it.
At least only his big brother had seen it.