"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Fugaku has arrived."
"Let him in."
Ryuji's tone was steady, neither cold nor warm.
Outside the office, Uchiha Fugaku exhaled quietly. He had been bracing himself for hostility. Instead, what he heard was calm.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room felt heavy—not with tension, but with authority.
The man before him had seized the Hokage's seat with terrifying efficiency. He had crushed two powerful clans in a single night. And yet, here he sat, composed as ever.
Fugaku bowed slightly.
"Lord Hokage. If there is anything the Uchiha clan can do for Konoha, we will cooperate fully."
His words were careful. Loyal.
Measured.
Ryuji studied him in silence.
The Uchiha were proud—fiercely so. For decades they had longed for one of their own to ascend to the Hokage seat. Instead, they had been sidelined, isolated, mistrusted.
Under Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, the gap had only widened.
Ryuji understood this well.
"The Uchiha patriarch need not be so guarded," Ryuji said at last. "You are part of Konoha. And I have no interest in continuing the mistakes of the past."
Fugaku's eyes flickered.
Nice words.
But trust was not built on words alone.
Ryuji leaned back slightly.
"The era of Sarutobi Hiruzen is over," he said plainly. "If the Uchiha have ideas for change, now is the time to speak."
The air grew tense.
Fugaku weighed every possibility.
Could this be a trap?
A test?
The Third Hokage's shadow still lingered in the village. Anti-Uchiha sentiment had not disappeared overnight.
After a long pause, Fugaku chose caution.
"The Uchiha are doing well enough," he replied. "We will continue to serve as we always have."
Ryuji's gaze sharpened.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Ryuji waved his hand casually.
"If that is your decision," he said, "then maintain the status quo."
Several ANBU appeared at the edges of the room.
"Escort the Uchiha patriarch out."
Fugaku froze.
He understood immediately.
Status quo meant stagnation.
Stagnation meant marginalization.
Marginalization meant eventual elimination.
He stepped forward quickly.
"Lord Hokage—wait."
Ryuji did not interrupt him.
Fugaku lowered his head slightly—not in submission, but in concession.
"The Uchiha are willing to change."
Ryuji smiled faintly.
Good.
"Then listen carefully," Ryuji said.
A New Arrangement
"The Uchiha district will be relocated," Ryuji began. "Not to isolate you—but to restore balance. The previous arrangement placed unnecessary tension at Konoha's center."
Fugaku nodded slowly.
Ryuji continued.
"From this point on, the Konoha Military Police will be restructured."
"The Uchiha will no longer monopolize it."
"Instead, it will be divided."
"One division will handle civilian disputes and village security."
"The other will serve as a mobile enforcement unit under Hokage authority."
The implication was clear.
Integration.
Not isolation.
Responsibility.
Not suspicion.
Ryuji leaned forward slightly.
"Reputation is built through visibility. Service. Trust."
"The Uchiha must be seen protecting Konoha—not policing it."
Fugaku's mind raced.
This was not suppression.
It was repositioning.
And then—
Ryuji added something unexpected.
"In time, I may take an Uchiha as my direct disciple."
Fugaku's heart skipped.
He thought immediately of one person.
Itachi.
If his son stood at the Hokage's side—
If the village saw an Uchiha walking openly in the light—
Everything could change.
Fugaku's composure nearly cracked.
As clan head, he had struggled.
But as a father…
He felt something close to hope.
"I understand," Fugaku said firmly. "The Uchiha will support the Hokage without reservation."
Ryuji nodded.
"No need for theatrics. Just results."
Fugaku bowed once more and departed, mind blazing with plans.
Quiet Consolidation
When the door closed, Ryuji exhaled softly.
The Uchiha problem would not vanish overnight.
But it had shifted from inevitable rebellion…
to controlled reform.
One crisis removed.
One alliance stabilized.
Now, he needed to reinforce the foundation further.
Ryuji rose from his seat and left the Hokage Tower.
His next destination—
The Senju compound.
Three months remained before the next Hokage meeting.
And when the World Leaderboard unlocked—
His world would not stand second to anyone.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.