"The transfer of authority over the Military Police Force?"
For a brief second, the room fell into stunned silence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others stared at Sarutobi Shinnosuke as if they had misheard him.
The Konoha Military Police Force had always been firmly in the hands of the Uchiha clan. It was their largest and most tangible source of authority within the village.
The head of the Police Force was, without exception, the acting head of the Uchiha clan.
If the leadership of the Police was changing—
Then the leadership of the Uchiha clan had changed.
But last night's meeting had supposedly been a struggle between the radicals and the conservatives.
Fugaku Uchiha had been a neutral figure—someone both factions needed.
Why would this upheaval reach him?
Hiruzen had always considered Fugaku a reasonable and measured clan head. This sudden turn caught him off guard.
Koharu reacted first.
Koharu Utatane said sharply, "Now isn't the time to speculate. Summon the department heads. Let's hear what the Uchiha intend."
She was right.
The Military Police was not some minor office. It was one of the Six Major Departments of Konoha. Even if in practice it operated almost as an Uchiha private force, any formal transfer of authority required acknowledgment from the Hokage and other department heads.
Hiruzen nodded.
"Shinnosuke. Inform all department heads currently in the village. Ten minutes. Conference room."
He paused.
"And summon Danzo and Minato as well."
Until he understood what had happened in that clan meeting, he could only respond step by step.
Shinnosuke vanished.
Ten Minutes Later — Hokage Tower
A smaller conference chamber.
At the raised platform sat the so-called "Konoha F4":
Hiruzen Sarutobi
Koharu Utatane
Homura Mitokado
Danzo Shimura
Below them stood dozens of figures—department heads and influential administrators.
Though smaller than a full jōnin assembly, the weight of this meeting was no less significant.
The Six Major Departments were fully represented:
Hokage & Education Department (Hiruzen himself)
Administration Department (Homura)
Medical Department (Koharu)
ANBU (Sarutobi Shinnosuke)
Torture & Interrogation Division (Morino Dainin)
Military Police Force (Uchiha leadership)
Danzo, as head of Root, stood apart—technically outside the six divisions, yet deeply entangled with all of them.
Other key figures were present as well:
Shikaku Nara — Jōnin Commander
Inoichi Yamanaka — Intelligence Division
Heads of the Barrier Team, Mission Office, Prison, and more.
At the center of the room stood two men:
Uchiha Jin.
Fugaku Uchiha.
Jin's gaze swept calmly across the room, silently mapping the distribution of power.
And what he saw confirmed something clear:
The true power of Konoha had long since been divided and consumed by those seated above.
The core organs—ANBU, Education, Mission Assignment, Barrier Teams—were tightly controlled by the Sarutobi network.
Administration and Medical—the two most resource-rich departments—rested in the hands of the Koharu and Homura factions.
Danzo's clan did not visibly dominate departments—but through commerce and Root's shadow apparatus, his influence was vast and largely unregulated.
The "clean" and profitable offices were monopolized.
The "dirty" and thankless divisions—interrogation, corpse disposal, beast rehabilitation—were left to lesser-aligned families.
Civilian shinobi?
Lucky to hold a desk.
Jin's thoughts were blunt:
The so-called Konoha elders were nothing short of institutionalized power brokers.
The door opened.
"Apologies for the delay."
Minato Namikaze entered, composed but clearly having moved quickly.
Even the Yellow Flash needed time to settle over a thousand shinobi before attending.
Hiruzen gestured.
"Minato. Stand here."
Minato took position beside Orochimaru.
Neither held official administrative titles, yet no one questioned their presence.
When the room settled, Hiruzen spoke.
"This meeting was requested by the head of the Military Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku. It concerns a transfer of authority within the Police."
The chamber went quiet.
Eyes turned to the center.
Why would Fugaku step down now?
And if he had—
Did that mean Jin was the new clan head?
He was young. Too young.
Could he truly command the Uchiha?
Jin met the scrutiny without flinching.
His voice was calm.
"By unanimous decision of the Uchiha clan assembly, Fugaku Uchiha was relieved last night of his position as clan head and Chief of the Military Police."
A ripple passed through the chamber.
Jin continued.
"The reason is dereliction of duty."
The word landed like a stone in still water.
Dereliction.
The implication was clear.
This was not a quiet succession.
This was a public statement.
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