Itachi opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat. He released a heavy, defeated sigh.
For years, Fugaku's passive leadership had allowed the Hokage to easily bypass the clan's chain of command, recruiting Itachi and Shisui directly into the Anbu. But now, with Fugaku asserting his absolute authority as Patriarch, the bureaucratic boundary had been rebuilt.
Hiruzen was politically paralyzed. The Third Hokage lacked the overwhelming, god-like strength of Hashirama Senju, and he lacked the ruthless, Machiavellian brilliance of Tobirama Senju. To maintain his power, Hiruzen relied entirely on balancing the political factions of the village. If he forcibly violated the Uchiha's autonomy today, the Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, and every other noble clan would revolt tomorrow, fearing they would be next.
Hiruzen's body trembled with suppressed killing intent, but he remained silent.
"Lord Hokage, I apologize for the inconvenience," Fugaku stated, his tone devoid of any actual regret. "Shisui and Itachi are hereby formally withdrawn from the Anbu Black Ops and removed from the village's active military roster. If the village requires manpower, the Uchiha Clan will supply two replacement shinobi to fulfill our quota."
Fugaku turned his back on the Hokage. "We have internal clan matters to attend to. Farewell."
Fugaku escorted the blind Shisui and the sealed Itachi out of the office.
Hiruzen did not order his hidden Anbu to stop them. It was a calculated, albeit bitter, concession. A blind Shisui was militarily useless. Itachi, possessing only a three-tomoe Sharingan, was no longer a critical asset without Shisui's guidance. Risking a village-wide civil war over two neutralized pawns was tactically unsound.
Once the door clicked shut, Hiruzen sagged into his chair. He draped his Hokage robes over his battle armor and lit his pipe, drawing in a long, shaky breath.
Hiruzen's Internal Monologue: The situation in the village is slipping from my grasp. Everything now hinges entirely on Danzo's ambush in the Forest of Death.
He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. 'Can Danzo fail? Unlikely. Even without Shisui and Itachi, Root possesses overwhelming numbers. Jin Uchiha is arrogant. He is willingly walking into a geographical trap. Even the legendary Third Raikage—a man whose physical durability rivaled tailed beasts—was eventually killed when the Hidden Stone Village threw ten thousand shinobi at him. Jin's Mangekyo chakra is finite. He will be drowned in blood.'
Reassured by the logic of tactical attrition, Hiruzen's confidence returned. He stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the Hokage Monument carved into the mountain. His eyes settled on the stern stone face of his teacher, the Second Hokage.
"Teacher," Hiruzen whispered to the cold stone. "I will protect your legacy. I will ensure the Uchiha never touch the Hokage's seat. Everything I do, I do for Konoha."
***
The Outer Perimeter: Jin's Threat Assessment
Miles away, at the desolate edge of the Uchiha Compound, Jin leaned against a flickering streetlamp. A murder of crows—the traditional summoning beasts of the clan—took flight from the treeline, signaling that the perimeter was secure.
Jin, however, was not looking toward the Forest of Death. His eyes were unfocused, his mind calculating variables far beyond Danzo Shimura or the Third Hokage.
Jin's Internal Monologue: Hiruzen and Danzo are localized threats. They operate on basic political logic. I can predict and outmaneuver them. My true concern lies with the planetary-level anomalies hidden within this world's architecture.
Jin began to mentally categorize the insurmountable entities of the ninja world that forced him to operate with extreme caution:
1. The Transmigrants and the Sage of Six Paths
Analysis: Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were not just children; they were the genetic reincarnations of Ashura and Indra, the sons of the Sage of Six Paths. As a pragmatist, Jin's first instinct was to assassinate both children immediately to prevent future, uncontrollable variables. However, historical data showed that Indra and Ashura transmigrants only ever died by each other's hands. If Jin attempted to break this cycle and kill them, would the spirit of Hagoromo Otsutsuki intervene from the Pure Land and erase Jin from existence? The risk was too high.
2. The Sage Regions (Mount Myoboku)
Analysis: The behavior of the giant toads was highly suspicious. Why did an entirely different, highly advanced species care about human politics? It was the equivalent of a human actively observing an ant colony, selecting a specific ant, teaching it magic, and guiding it to become the "Savior of the Ants." Humans did not care if ants went extinct. Therefore, the Toads must have a hidden, self-serving agenda. Furthermore, the Great Toad Sage possessed prophetic abilities. Could that entity foresee Jin's actions?
3. The Cosmic and the Occult
Analysis: The world was littered with incomprehensible powers. The Shinigami (Reaper Death Seal), the King of Hell, and the immortal entity worshipped by the cult of Jashin. None of these beings adhered to the standard laws of chakra.
4. The Geopolitical Paradox (The Daimyo)
Analysis: This was the most glaring logical flaw of the ninja world. Shinobi possessed the power to shatter mountains and level cities. Yet, Kage-level warriors bowed subserviently to the feudal lords (Daimyo)—normal humans whose only power was money. Why? Human history dictated that whoever holds the absolute monopoly on violence holds the power. The fact that the ninja villages submitted to the Daimyo suggested there was an invisible, systemic deterrent keeping the shinobi in check. Was there a higher power backing the feudal lords?
Jin sighed, the cool night air pulling him out of his thoughts.
Jin's Internal Monologue: The water in this world is unimaginably deep. If I act like a mindless butcher and simply slaughter the Konoha administration, I risk drawing the attention of these hidden gods. I am a mortal with a Mangekyo Sharingan, not a divine being. Until I possess absolute power, I must remain in the shadows, fighting through politics, loopholes, and proxy wars.
He pushed himself off the streetlamp. It was time. Danzo was waiting.