"What does he mean, 'Nii-san's on important business? If it's just training, Dad or Mom could go with me'."
After Itachi and Izumi left, Sasuke—still smarting from the serious lecture he'd just gotten—stormed out of the house in a sulk.
"I don't need nii-san. I don't need Mom or Dad. I can train on my own."
That was what he told himself. But as he wandered near the house, he suddenly noticed someone he hadn't seen in a long time.
Sasuke stopped and watched from a distance as the visitor walked straight toward their home.
'Nii-san's not even here—why's he coming…?'
Puzzled, Sasuke saw his father personally greet the man and invite him inside. Instead of using the front door, Sasuke vaulted over the wall and crept toward the parlour.
—
Roshi sat down. Fugaku's brows knit together.
"Hiashi can't even handle a verbal reprimand?"
Aside from the recent friction between HQ and the Police Force branch, Fugaku couldn't think of another reason Roshi would come in person.
"I've done my best to calm our people," Fugaku said. "Nothing like the uproar when the branch was first created has happened again."
"But that issue—"
The man sitting opposite raised a hand to cut him off.
"Not that. This is unrelated."
"The village hardly cares about such trifles."
Fugaku's gaze sharpened. "Then does the village intend to 'reform' the police force again?"
"No."
That answer brought him no comfort. Roshi only came himself when there was real trouble.
"I'm just here to inform you," Roshi said calmly. "Next month, the Five Kage Summit will convene outside the village. Both HQ and the Police Force branch will be mobilized."
Fugaku nodded once. "I'll warn my clansmen."
"As for the other matter… think of it as a bonus for your continued cooperation—an extra reminder."
"Does the Uchiha clan wish to raise a Hokage?"
A faint sound came from beyond the door. Fugaku's eyes narrowed, and he drew breath to speak, but he caught Roshi's subtle hand signal.
He stayed silent.
"Of course, I don't mean now," Roshi went on, "or even within the next dozen years."
Fugaku focused fully on the man before him. Ever since Roshi had revealed Wood Release, he'd understood: right now, no one in the village could match this man.
Especially now, when the authority Roshi wielded was little different from a Kage's.
Within the clan, aside from himself, the one most suited to compete for that seat was his eldest son, Itachi.
But to set Itachi against Roshi… Fugaku's expression hardened.
"I have no interest in becoming Hokage," he said. "By the time the Fifth steps down, I'll likely retire as well."
Fugaku's eyes widened.
"What must the Uchiha offer?" he asked at once.
It was the clan's long-cherished dream; he couldn't afford pride here.
"Mm… it's less about what the Uchiha have to pay," Roshi replied, "and more about what they're willing to show for that position."
"And whether you have someone who can actually bear that title."
"Until then, the Village's first choice is Kakashi."
Fugaku objected immediately. "Kakashi Hatake? Forgive me, but the Uchiha will find it hard to accept him as Hokage."
"Then show results," Roshi said. "Fortunately, Kakashi isn't keen on the job either. Even if he takes the seat, he'll step down the moment someone truly fit appears."
Fugaku inhaled, ready to put a name forward. "In that case—"
"Ah, one more thing," Roshi cut in. "Don't put yourself up for it. You're unsuitable—and insufficient."
Fugaku's hands tightened in his lap. He'd been about to recommend Itachi, yet being dismissed so bluntly still stung.
Without giving him a chance to respond, Roshi rose to his feet.
"That's all I came to say."
"We'll leave it at that for today. But before you start dreaming about the distant future, fix your relationship with the branch first."
"Otherwise, if you can't even manage a couple of departments, it's hard to believe the Uchiha could produce anyone fit to be Hokage, Clan Head Fugaku."
Fugaku sat alone in the reception room.
Roshi had been gone for some time, yet Fugaku remained there, still kneeling.
From the corridor, Sasuke peeked in, worry etched across his face as he watched his father.
That guy actually dared to talk to Father like that. Even if he's Nii-san's captain, that was too much.
And speaking so casually about the Hokage candidacy… what is that even supposed to mean?
He so rarely saw his father in this state that Sasuke couldn't help but step into the room.
"Father."
Fugaku's gaze shifted, settling on his youngest son.
'Sasuke has talent. If he works hard, he can surpass others, just like Itachi.
But right now… he's still just a child.
Why did Roshi let him overhear our conversation?'
"Sasuke."
"Father?"
The confusion and concern on Sasuke's face did nothing to clear up Fugaku's doubts.
He closed his eyes. "Weren't you out training?"
"Uh… yeah, I just… I was training."
Sasuke slunk away, looking dejected.
He hurled a kunai at the wooden post outside; the image of that man sliding the door shut with that indifferent look—and the loneliness on his father's face—still vivid in his mind.
The sky slowly darkened. Only when it was time for dinner did Sasuke drag his feet back home.
Seeing Izumi already seated at the table only worsened his mood—his mother fussed over Izumi the entire meal, and his father even joined in from time to time.
After dinner, Itachi was asked to walk Izumi home, leaving Sasuke alone in the yard, glaring up at the moon with puffed cheeks.
"What's wrong?" came his brother's voice.
"Nothing!"
Itachi sat down beside him, silently keeping him company.
With his brother there, Sasuke's anger slowly melted away. He lowered his head.
"Nii-san."
"Ready to talk now?"
"That man—your captain—came to the house this afternoon."
"Mm."
"He… what exactly is he? The way he talked to Father… it was like…" Sasuke couldn't find the word—or didn't want to say it.
"That's between the Captain and Father," Itachi replied calmly.
Sasuke let out a frustrated breath. "You're the one acting like you don't care!"
Itachi only smiled faintly.
"Right now you're already working in the Anbu, aren't you?"
"Why…"
Itachi fell silent.
"That man isn't your captain anymore, is he?"
"Sasuke."
"Wh-what…"
"Captain Roshi is more than just a captain to me."
Sasuke didn't understand, but the look on Itachi's face stopped any further questions.
The doubts in his heart only grew heavier.
——
After the Joint Combat Exercise began, Roshi rarely came to watch the matches.
But today the old Team 5 had arranged a small reunion, and Itachi had brought some specialties from the Uchiha compound.
The stands were packed, but a section had been set aside for Konoha shinobi on patrol—a good vantage point and plenty of room.
Roshi picked up a cracker. "Uchiha rice crackers, huh—not bad."
"Old Man Tebayaki's skills have always been solid."
Anko bumped Itachi with her elbow and winked. "Izumi's on fire out there. Must've cost you a lot of effort, huh?"
Itachi's tone stayed analytical. "Even without genjutsu, the Sharingan's dynamic vision gives Izumi an advantage against other genin."
"You just need to make good use of ninja tools…"
"That's not what I meant." Anko smacked him on the back. "I'm saying you should put effort into other areas too. Roshi gave you a long vacation, remember?"
"I haven't wasted the captain's vacation," Itachi replied. "As for you, after passing the Special Jōnin test, you left the Anbu and still haven't taken up a new post."
"I worked my butt off! I barely rested at all after joining Anbu." Anko scooted away, pouting. "Now that I finally passed and there's a festival going on, who'd want to work?"
"On a day like this, sampling every stall in the venue district is my duty."
"And I've been training properly, right, Captain?"
Roshi crunched on his cracker, nodding absently as he watched the match below.
Following his gaze, Anko spotted Izumi trading blows with an Iwagakure Genin who specialized in Earth Release—mainly the Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu, the village's most basic earth-style ninjutsu.
The walls were thin—too weak to stop a Grand Fireball—but they still broke line of sight and cluttered the field with obstacles, giving Izumi plenty of trouble.
"Those Iwa guys—even their genin are a pain."
"No less annoying than the Hidden Mist crew," Anko muttered, eyes never leaving the arena.
Kumogakure, once dominant in these joint events, had lost its edge after Iwagakure and Kirigakure joined the rotation.
Backed by forbidden secret arts and tricky genjutsu, those two villages now held the advantage—
Iwagakure through overwhelming ninjutsu,
Kirigakure, through the Hiding in Mist Technique and its bloody mist doctrine, had battle fanatics that could rival even Kumo's specialists.
As for Sunagakure, puppets were allowed, but poisons were banned; within three years of graduation, the average Suna Genin could only handle chakra strings on kunai and similar tools.
Their results were middling at best.
"These joint training rules really put our village at a disadvantage," Anko said.
"The Joint Chunin Exams won't have so many limits," Roshi replied casually. "The whole point of those is promotion—showing off real strength."
From here on, the gap between the two events would only grow.
One leaned toward spectacle, the other toward professionalism.
There was just one problem: the Chunin Exams were officially for Genin promotion, which made them sound less prestigious, especially now that the Joint Training included Chunin bouts.
Maybe the Chunin Exams needed a higher status. But adding a Jonin Exam was impossible—each village's Jonin were too important to be chosen through a public tournament.
So a name change might be better.
Introduce ranks within the Chunin to boost morale. Right now, once a shinobi made Chunin, they either pushed for Special Jonin or settled into some village post; otherwise, it was just mission after mission until retirement.
Rank One through Nine? Or something like First Tier, Second Tier, Third Tier—
"Roshi, you're deep in thought—what's on your mind?"
"Nothing—just trivial matters." Roshi turned to her. "Speaking of which, Itachi, you haven't applied for Jonin promotion yet?"
"No. I haven't felt the need, given my age."
"Focus on the Special Jonin exam over the next two years, then."
"Yes, Captain."
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