Spring of Year 31
Clan head residence.
The morning sun filtered through the lattice windows of the clan head's residence, lighting the polished floor with the golden sunshine accompanied by exquisitely patterned dark shadows. Inside the inner halls, the air was tense, thick with the weight of unspoken fears and rising tempers.
"Sosuke-sama, this! What is this!"
Uchiha Haka, the 6th elder and head of Judiciary and disciplinary affairs, burst out in indignation. His voice of indignation and disbelief echoed through the hall.
He had read the scroll and understood what it meant no better than anyone else in the room.
The Konoha Military Police Force mirrored the internal judiciary of the clan.
The Uchiha clan, due to its size and complexity, had ten elders – each overseeing a vital aspect of clan life. From treasury and combat logistics to intelligence, diplomacy, and education, each elder carried decades of experience and influence.
The Senju clan, due to its explosive growth after Konoha restructured their hierarchy once into three grand elders – Senju Genshiro, Ayame, and Borai – and handful of elders under them.
Back to Uchiha.
Haka knew better than anyone what it meant to be a judiciary executioner in a large clan. Within the Uchiha, the role was respected – but not beloved. It was a life of solitude, of impartiality, and of sacrifice. And that was with the clan's full support.
And now, In the village headed by Senju?
It would be an exile in plain sight. A lonely, thankless duty. Authority without protection. Power without popularity.
"Clan head! I must insist – this is an exile!" Haka roared. "No. This isn't just exile. It's the slow death of our clan's sharp edge and fighting spirit. Not to mention that we will be feared, not loved. And Hokage will be forever be beyond our reach."
"Exile?" Uchiha Heiwa, the 9th elder and head of foreign matters or diplomacy, retorted. "Your claims are too extreme! The Hokage clearly gave us this position as a sing of trust! Our Sharingan and combat prowess are perfect for maintaining order. Look at the scroll – the rights, the autonomy! We gave up our say in the Hokage's right hand. This must be our compensation!"
Heiwa had spent years repairing the relationship between the Uchiha and the village after Madara's death. To suggest a future of hostility was to dismiss his life's work.
Some elders exchanged glances in doubt. 'Is Heiwa truly one of us?'
"UCHIHA HEIWA, are you blind? Can you not see the obvious future if we accept this 'Military Police Force'!!!"
"SHUT UP HAKA!" Heiwa snapped. "Justice is not exile. It is the foundation of trust. If we uphold it, the village will see us as indispensable member of the village."
"Is that why our own judiciary forces are soooo loved by our own clansmen?" Haka sarcastically mocked Heiwa.
Uchiha Ryouma, the 2nd elder and commander of the clan's combat forces, slammed his hand down.
"Enough. This is both a blessing and a bane. But everything will change if we produce a Hokage."
"That's exactly the problem, Ryouma-sama!" Haka countered. "The Hokage is elected by the village. It's a popularity contest! As the village's police, how will we compete? It will be Madara-sama all over again!"
The room fell into heated debate.
Three factions began to form.
3rd, 5th, and 9th elders supported taking on the Military Police Force.
4th and 6th elders opposed it vehemently.
1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, and 10th elders remained undecided, waiting for Sosuke's decision.
"Enough."
Uchiha Sosuke stood, his voice low but commanding.
"What's done is done. Senju Tobirama didn't come here to ask our opinion. He came to pass on village's verdict."
"""???!!!!"""
"THE VILLAGE CANNOT DO THIS!" Haka roared.
"Is that why we sensed intense chakra fluctuation yesterday?" Ryouma asked, his fist clenched.
Sosuke nodded slowly.
"I have failed the clan as its leader. There is no way to resist the village's decision. But Tobirama promised us a chance at the next Hoakge. After all, Kagami, my son, is his disciple."
The room fell silent.
"Kagami… as Hokage?"
"He might not be a bad choice…"
"Hah! Kagami is already aligned with Tobirama! He's no different from the Senju!"
"UCHIHA HAKA!" Sosuke's voice thundered, his chakra flaring. "Do not overstep your boundaries. Kagami bears the Uchiha name. He is one of us. Don't forget that."
The pressure in the room was palpable.
'Sosuke-sama's chakra… so strong… yet he couldn't take on Tobirama…'
"I was wrong, Sosuke-sama…" Haka murmured.
The elders fell into deep contemplation.
They remembered the decision made decades ago – to retreat and to rebuild. The Senju had kept Hashirama and Tobirama. The Uchiha had lost Madara and Izuna. And now, the Senju still had Tobirama and held Uzuamki Mito and the Nine Tails. A power that can even injure the Ninja God. And no one dared to test to what extent she could control it.
"I wanted to retreat one step, so we could later advance further. But this… this forced us ten steps back. If we don't act now, our fate will be sealed."
"What are your plans, clan head?"
Sosuke looked around the room.
"If Tobirama gives us a leash, then we will turn it into a ladder. Tobirama said he would give his disciples a chance. Then we will support Kagami to climb this ladder. I don't believe anyone among his peers can match his talent. With the full support of the Uchiha, who among them can possibly compete?"
He paused and then fully laid out his plan.
"The war is coming. We will mobilize all our shinobi. We will gain prestige. We will earn merit. And we will make Kagami the Third Hokage."
The elders nodded.
It was the best solution.
With Kagami as Hokage, the Police Force would be protected. The villagers might fear their power – but it was better than serving under a hostile leader.
And so, the Uchiha clan began to move, believing they were advancing. But in truth, the path they chose was already narrowing into a corridor with no escape.
***
Uchiha clan elder council overview:
1st elder: Secretary and advisor to the clan head. Manages reports from other elders and oversees the clan treasury.
2nd elder: commander of the main combat forces. Oversees chunin and jonin ranks when the clan head is absent.
3rd elder: Intelligence and strategy commander. Designs covert operations and wartime tactics. Leads the clan's most intellectually gifted shinobi.
4th elder: In charge of Shinobi logistics. Maintains and improves weapons, armor, and explosive tools. Leads battlefield support and smithing teams.
5th elder: In charge of Civilian logistics. Manages clan industries, food, and domestic supplies unrelated to combat.
6th elder: Judiciary and disciplinary elder. Oversees internal law enforcement and report directly to the clan head in urgent cases.
7th elder: In charge of Youth Training. Educates orphaned or unmentored children, preparing the next generation of Uchiha Shinobi.
8th elder: In charge of Medical Division. Develops medicines and healing reagents. Recently began training medical ninjas using Senju's medical jutsu via Shinichi.
9th elder: In charge of Diplomacy. Formerly negotiated with nobles and clans; now focuses on maintaining positive relations with Konoha.
10th elder: In charge of archives and jutsu access. Guards the clan's library and records. Controls access to jutsu and historical documents.