"A... girl from the clan?"
At the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, Uchiha Fugaku was handling the day's administrative duties when he heard Uchiha Inaho's report. His expression turned somewhat dazed.
"Yes, Captain."
"Today, I saw a girl from our clan walking very closely with Kakashi Hatake. This must be your arrangement, right?"
"As expected of you, Captain—arranging for a child of similar age from the clan to get close to Kakashi. This way, we can draw that genius from the Hokage's lineage over to our side. In the future, when we take the Hokage position, Kakashi will surely speak up in our support..."
Uchiha Inaho rambled on without pause, but Uchiha Fugaku didn't hear a single word.
He hadn't arranged any such thing.
Even if he had wanted to, the clan didn't have anyone of the right age who could interact with Kakashi as an equal.
The only one qualified and capable enough to speak with Kakashi on equal terms was Uchiha Shisui, but Shisui wasn't a girl, and lately, he'd been out on missions beyond the village.
Uchiha Fugaku's mind instinctively jumped to his earlier request to Kakashi, asking him to contact Hiruzen Sarutobi about opening the library to search for information on Uchiha Mumei.
At that thought, Uchiha Fugaku's heart skipped a beat, and his hand gripping the brush trembled slightly. The document he'd just approved was instantly marred by a large ink blot from the tip.
"Clan Head?"
Uchiha Inaho halted his endless chatter and looked at Uchiha Fugaku with some confusion.
"It's nothing..."
Uchiha Fugaku replied hoarsely.
He hoped he was just overthinking it... "Oh, Captain, I'll take my leave then. The guys downstairs are waiting for me."
In response to Uchiha Inaho's words, Uchiha Fugaku simply waved his hand, indicating for him to go ahead.
After Uchiha Inaho departed, Uchiha Fugaku gazed out at the deep night beyond the window.
If that really was Uchiha Mumei, how should the Uchiha Clan position itself? No, it couldn't be. Five hundred years had passed; Uchiha Mumei might have died long ago. Maybe Inaho had just glimpsed a passing girl who resembled an Uchiha in demeanor.
Uchiha Fugaku tried to reassure himself, but his racing heart wouldn't settle.
The suspicion in his mind only grew more unsettling with each passing moment.
The night grew deeper, and the veil of darkness seemed intent on engulfing Uchiha Fugaku.
Right now... Uchiha Fugaku wanted nothing more than to rush out and find Kakashi to confirm his suspicions. As he abruptly stood, the items on his desk scattered across the floor from the sudden movement.
Uchiha Fugaku bent down to pick them up, only to lock eyes with a pair of cold gaze staring in from outside the window!
"Who's there!"
In his anxiety, Uchiha Fugaku nearly shouted the words sharply!
At the sound, the door to the captain's office was flung open violently, and seven or eight Uchiha clansmen rushed in all at once!
"Captain!"
"Captain, is there an enemy?!"
"What happened?!"
In an instant, the entire office erupted into chaos.
"Uchiha Clan Head, the Hokage requests your presence."
With the arrival of his clansmen, Uchiha Fugaku's urgency eased slightly, allowing him to finally make out who was outside the window.
An Anbu.
"Who let you in?!"
"All of you, stand down!"
Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku felt much calmer and immediately reprimanded his subordinates.
"..."
Realizing it was a false alarm, the police force members could only slink out dejectedly.
How unlucky! They'd hoped to make a good impression on the captain, but instead, they got scolded... [Uchiha Fugaku's emotional fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
Kakashi, who had just seen off Yuhi, looked calm at the prompt in his mind.
So, they've learned of Hikari's existence, have they?
Not too surprising.
"What's wrong?"
Hikari looked at Kakashi standing in the doorway and stepped forward with some confusion.
"Nothing. I'm going to make your bed."
Kakashi shook his head.
What if they knew about Hikari's existence?
Given Uchiha Fugaku's personality, he would only accept it.
"Pakkun, for the next few days, you and Bruce will sleep around the courtyard."
Kakashi called out to Pakkun, who was gnawing on a bone in the hallway.
Bruce was the largest dog Kakashi owned. Under normal circumstances, even a Chunin wouldn't stand a chance against Bruce.
"Woof."
Pakkun naturally had no objections to Kakashi's arrangement.
"Has something happened?"
Hikari was a bit puzzled.
Ninja dogs had been human companions a thousand years ago. After the ninja profession emerged, many protective pets were domesticated into ninja beasts, with dogs being the first species to make the transition.
So Uchiha Hikari was well aware of ninja dogs' capabilities.
Beyond tracking, their primary roles were vigilance and detection.
To provide early warnings before danger arrived.
"Nothing."
"Just in case."
Kakashi shook his head. Hikari no longer wanted to get involved with the Uchiha Clan's affairs, so it was best to minimize contact between her and the Uchiha.
This was good for Hikari and good for the Uchiha.
If the two sides came into contact and Hikari couldn't control her killing intent toward the Uchiha, it would turn into a massive problem.
"How strange."
Hikari scratched her head, glancing at Kakashi, but didn't dwell on it. She simply followed behind him with steps that felt a little lighter.
Hikari's demands were very low—unimaginably so.
Having food to eat, a place to sleep, and someone who needed her was enough.
She had always seen herself as a weapon, and a weapon needed to be wielded.
Kakashi had no intention of correcting that view.
Was he supposed to teach Hikari about human rights and freedom in this baffling world?
And besides, Kakashi truly needed Hikari's power.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku had already arrived at the Hokage Building.
In the dark night, the Hokage Building was one of the few structures in Konoha still illuminated.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had just finished dealing with the matters at hand and had only now found time to summon Uchiha Fugaku.
This was to address the existence of Uchiha Hikari.
"Hokage-sama."
The door to the Hokage's office was slightly ajar. Uchiha Fugaku knocked briefly, and after receiving Hiruzen Sarutobi's response, he stepped into the office that the entire Uchiha Clan had coveted day and night.
"Fugaku."
"It's late to call you here—it must be tiring for you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi regarded the man before him, speaking with a relaxed, familiar smile.
"Hokage-sama is still working at this hour; you're the one who works the hardest."
Uchiha Fugaku replied respectfully.
Then Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a few casual words with him before steering the conversation to the main topic.
"Fugaku, do you still remember the Uchiha's strongest weapon that you asked Kakashi to inquire about earlier?"
It's here!
Uchiha Fugaku's heart tightened, and his fists clenched instinctively, causing Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes to narrow slightly.
"Don't be nervous. Although there were some unexpected developments, the outcome is still positive..."