"No!"
Without hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his palm onto the table and rose to his feet.
As a seasoned politician, Hiruzen had long been aware that Konoha's legal framework was riddled with flaws. The village had grown, but the statutes had not. Disputes had multiplied.
He knew it.
But he had tolerated it.
Because so long as the friction distracted the Uchiha and kept them boxed within the Military Police, the "cost" was acceptable.
What he had not expected—
Was for the Uchiha to awaken to it first.
Revising the law was not inherently unacceptable.
But allowing the Uchiha to revise it alone?
Absolutely not.
If legislative power and enforcement power both fell into the hands of one clan, then what restrained them?
They could craft regulations that favored themselves.
They could criminalize dissent with ease.
They could reshape the entire balance of the village.
And the most frustrating part?
They already possessed the authority to do so.
For years, Hiruzen had deliberately avoided reminding them of it.
He had hoped the Uchiha would continue overlooking their own leverage.
Now that hope was gone.
Jin's lips curved faintly.
"Third-sama, you are no longer Hokage. Even if you still were, you would have no authority to interfere in the internal affairs of the Military Police."
"My visit today is a notification."
"Not a request."
The room fell silent again.
In Konoha's founding era, power had not yet fragmented among dozens of clans. The Senju and the Uchiha had been the two pillars. Founding shareholders.
Even Tobirama Senju, wary as he had been, could not deny the Uchiha a stake in governance.
And history had proven something inconvenient:
Despite decades of marginalization, the Uchiha had never abused that authority.
They believed in strength, not bureaucratic manipulation.
They were proud.
Direct.
Blunt.
They never even thought to exploit the legal lever they held.
Until now.
Hiruzen's face remained rigid, but his tone softened.
"By principle, I should not interfere in the internal affairs of the Uchiha or the Military Police."
"Very well. The village will not contest the change in clan leadership or the appointment of the new Police Chief."
"But revising the law affects the entire village."
"It is a matter of stability."
"And with the Fourth Hokage election underway, the Police must devote their full attention to maintaining order."
"Let us postpone legal reform until after the Fourth Hokage assumes office."
It was a retreat disguised as prudence.
He needed time.
Time to calculate.
Time to counter.
Jin smiled mildly.
"Please rest assured. Legal reform is not achieved overnight."
"It requires investigation, drafting, debate."
"Waiting until the Fourth Hokage takes office is only natural."
He did not press further.
Corner a man too tightly, and he might bite.
Some moves were better made after Minato ascended.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, forcing a thin smile.
"Good. Good."
"Then you have no further matters to raise?"
Jin pretended to ponder.
"…There is one more."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"And what might that be?"
Jin chuckled softly.
"We have discussed Fugaku stepping down."
"But we have not yet announced his successor."
A faint release of tension passed through the room.
"Indeed," Hiruzen replied, feigning casual interest. "And who has the Uchiha selected?"
Jin stepped forward, cupped his hands in polite salute to the assembly.
"Myself."
"I am Uchiha Jin."
"As of last night, I serve as both Head of the Uchiha Clan and Chief of the Konoha Military Police."
"I look forward to your guidance."
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Then polite voices erupted.
"Ah—of course, Clan Head Uchiha."
"Truly young and promising."
"Congratulations."
No one present dared underestimate him now.
They had just witnessed him clash head-on with the village's highest authorities.
And walk away standing.
From this moment onward—
Uchiha Jin's position was secured.
"Very well."
Hiruzen stood abruptly.
"If there is nothing further, this meeting is adjourned."
He left first.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane followed.
Department heads quickly excused themselves.
Soon, only Jin and Fugaku remained.
Fugaku let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Clan Head… wasn't that a little too much?"
"I was drenched in sweat."
He had spent years being respectful—careful—in Hiruzen's presence.
What Jin had done just now was something else entirely.
It was not a negotiation.
It was pressing his foot against the Hokage's face.
The fact that Hiruzen had not exploded was already astonishing.
Jin shook his head calmly.
"You cannot give someone like Hiruzen too much face."
"If you do, he'll take an inch and claim a mile."
"This is only the beginning."
"You'll get used to it."
He turned toward the exit.
"Let's return to the clan compound."
Outside—
The wind was shifting.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/warewolvesTL