9:00 a.m.
Uchiha Mo arrived at the Third Squad office of the Police Force.
The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Captain Uchiha Yashiro bent over a stack of documents, brows tightly furrowed, irritation written all over his face.
Uchiha Mo didn't need to look twice to know why.
Complaints from Konoha's civilians.
Again.
"Good morning, Captain Yashiro."
Hearing the greeting, Uchiha Yashiro looked up, gave a brief nod, let out a low "Mm," then returned to his paperwork without another word.
Uchiha Mo didn't mind.
He continued greeting the others in the room.
Most responded with a nod.
A few smiled faintly. "Morning, Mo."
He was used to it.
This—
Was the life of a background nobody.
You greet people.
They don't quite remember who you are.
So they nod.
Polite. Distant. Forgettable.
But that was the past.
After all—
No one who grows up risking their life as an Uchiha can truly be without ambition.
And yet…
No one stands at the top from the very beginning.
Not you.
Not me.
Not even the gods.
But that empty throne at the peak—
That unbearable vacancy—
Was about to be filled.
From this day forward—
I will stand at the summit.
System… activate.
Deep within his consciousness—
The shattered platform trembled.
A cold stream of information surfaced once more.
[Low-energy coordinate signal detected—continuing to decay…]
[Estimated resolution window: ~71 hours]
[Warning: Signal source extremely unstable. Collapse possible at any moment. Once lost, coordinates will be permanently invalid]
So—
Time was running out.
For the Uchiha.
And for him.
Uchiha Mo walked to his seat, his gaze sweeping across the office.
Uchiha Yashiro—
An experienced jōnin. Calm, composed. A core figure of the hardline faction.
Uchiha Izumi—
Sitting quietly in the corner, wiping a kunai. Gentle by nature, close to Uchiha Itachi… yet firmly aligned with the hardliners.
Uchiha Tekka—
Silent. Reserved. Another hardliner.
Uchiha Yakumi—
A moderate.
Uchiha Hideki—
Wearing black-rimmed glasses. Refined, scholarly. A background figure—just like him. No clear faction.
And Uchiha Inabi—
Rarely present, away on long-term missions.
Seven members.
Four hardliners.
One moderate.
One fence-sitter.
One schemer.
A complicated mix.
From this alone—
It was obvious.
The hardliners had already taken control within the Uchiha clan.
But did it matter?
What did they actually have?
Nothing.
"Mo, what are you spacing out for?"
Uchiha Yashiro's voice snapped him back.
Uchiha Mo immediately looked up, putting on a slightly embarrassed smile at just the right moment.
"Sorry, Captain. Stayed up late organizing case files."
Damn it.
I was just thinking about rising up—
Why did I instantly retreat again?
This broken system really messed me up…
Look what it's turned me into.
Uchiha Yashiro didn't dwell on it. He picked up a mission ledger and tapped it lightly.
"Izumi. Hideki."
"You two team up with Mo. Patrol Area Seven today."
"Yes, Captain."
Uchiha Izumi stood immediately, voice crisp, showing no hesitation.
In the corner, Uchiha Hideki gave a quiet nod—just as unobtrusive as ever.
Uchiha Yashiro added, voice slightly heavier:
"The situation isn't what it used to be. If you encounter provocation—endure it."
"Don't act like before."
This was clearly directed at Uchiha Izumi—
And Uchiha Mo.
The former, as a hardliner, naturally responded to hostility with force.
As for the latter—
After some time observing, Uchiha Mo had realized something:
Most Uchiha in the Police Force didn't tolerate humiliation.
Even moderates would push back.
So he adapted.
Submissive inside the clan.
Ruthless outside.
A simple rule—
Pick on whoever was easier.
As for Uchiha Hideki…
A Police Force member who had never scolded, beaten, or detained a civilian—
Clearly…
Not a "qualified" Uchiha.
"Understood, Captain."
Uchiha Mo responded without hesitation.
When the boss speaks—
You listen.
Uchiha Izumi looked slightly dissatisfied, but ultimately said nothing.
"Dismissed."
"Yes!"
The three answered in unison and left the office.
—
Area Seven lay between the commercial district and residential zone.
Heavy traffic.
Frequent disputes.
A hotspot for friction.
Uchiha Izumi led the way, posture straight, the crimson fan crest on her back drawing constant attention.
Uchiha Mo walked in the middle, expression calm.
Uchiha Hideki trailed behind, as always.
On the streets—
Villagers cast undisguised looks of disgust.
Especially when they saw the Uchiha crest.
The hostility was almost tangible.
"Tch… Uchiha again."
"Keep your voice down."
"What's there to be afraid of? It's not like they can arrest people for no reason."
The whispers drifted like flies—annoying, persistent.
Uchiha Izumi's fists clenched slightly.
But remembering Yashiro's warning—
She said nothing.
Only quickened her pace.
Uchiha Mo remained completely indifferent.
As if none of it concerned him.
The patrol continued.
They checked shop entry records.
Resolved minor disputes caused by poorly stacked goods.
Everything went smoothly.
The civilians cooperated.
But—
The distance…
And the fear—
Were obvious.
Uchiha Izumi handled everything strictly by protocol, her tone inevitably stiff.
Uchiha Hideki was nearly invisible.
Even the paperwork—
Quietly fell onto Uchiha Mo's shoulders.
—
Noon.
The three sat on a bench near Ichiraku Ramen.
Uchiha Izumi bit into her rice ball, frustration clear on her face.
"They all look at us like criminals. What did we even do wrong?"
"Nothing."
Uchiha Mo opened his lunchbox calmly.
"Or maybe… everything."
Izumi frowned.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means once people decide you're guilty—"
"Even breathing becomes a crime."
"The clan's current approach is only making that wall thicker."
"It solves nothing."
Uchiha Izumi wanted to argue.
But—
For a moment—
She couldn't.
His words were sharp.
Too sharp.
Yet…
Not wrong.
She turned to Uchiha Hideki.
"Hideki, what do you think?"
Caught off guard, Hideki adjusted his glasses.
"I… think what Mo said… makes sense."
"But… the elders must have their reasons…"
A perfect fence-sitter answer.
Uchiha Mo fell silent.
His gaze lingered on Hideki.
Thinking.
Uchiha Hideki was one year older.
They had joined the Police Force together.
He was always the first to arrive.
Always the last to leave.
Never slacked off—
But never went beyond what was required.
His ninja tools were always polished.
His reports flawless.
At clan meetings—
He sat in the corner.
Head lowered.
Recording everything.
Never speaking.
Whether the hardliners shouted for resistance—
Or the moderates argued for reconciliation—
He simply listened.
Like an outsider.
And somehow—
That perfect mediocrity—
Within the proud, extreme Uchiha clan—
Felt…
Wrong.
Was that truly his nature?
A man detached from everything?
Or—
Something deeper?
A disguise?