Minato watched that upright figure depart, his gaze reflecting clear trust.
Standing alone in the center of the empty office, a hint of exhaustion quietly crept onto his brow.
He knew he might be the "busiest" Hokage in Konoha's history; Lord First had the Second to strategize, the Second had capable confidants to assist in all matters, and the Third Lord had the stalwart support of the advisor group consisting of Danzo, Koharu, and Homura.
But he, Minato, was supposed to inherit the Third's support; unfortunately, after that incident, the Third Lord had completely retired, and Kakashi's wings were not yet full enough to stand alone.
This heavy burden had to be carried almost entirely on his own shoulders.
Fortunately! In these difficult times, there was still Takuno, a reliable senior who stood firmly by his side, sharing the heavy administrative duties and hidden worries like a pillar in midstream.
However, after a brief moment of solace, his thoughts were again occupied by a mountain of problems.
Minato's brow furrowed once more, a trace of sorrow appearing on his face.
The Uchiha problem could never be settled by relying on forceful suppression alone.
A path must be found to truly resolve the contradictions and touch the root cause!
Sometime after Takuno had left, another figure arrived: Fugaku.
He was not called to the Anbu side by Minato immediately; instead, he remained for a period before leaving the Hokage's office, following the Anbu toward the Commander-in-Chief's office.
Naturally, this was the office used for public appearances, not the one inside the Anbu base.
...
"Commander-in-Chief, excuse the intrusion," Fugaku's voice was low and steady, displaying the dignity of the Uchiha Clan Head.
Takuno looked up; he and this Uchiha patriarch had only crossed paths a few times during formal meetings with the Hokage and shared little personal acquaintance.
"Clan Head Fugaku, there's no need for formalities. Please, speak of the business at hand."
"Fine." Without any unnecessary gestures, Fugaku straightforwardly pulled a sealing scroll from his robes and handed it over.
"This is the list of Uchiha clansmen who are... emotionally unstable and likely to trigger incidents, along with their specific duty stations. I must trouble the Commander-in-Chief to send more personnel to keep an eye on their movements."
Takuno silently unfurled the scroll, his gaze quickly scanning the dense writing within.
The records were far more detailed than he expected; stations, names, and potential inclinations were all listed.
He closed the scroll, looked directly at Fugaku, and threw out a key question: "The list is very thorough. However, I assume the 'restless ones' who have no fixed posts and roam about are also within your considerations?"
"Naturally." Fugaku's tone carried a hint of unquestionable control. "This segment of people I will personally restrict within the clan compound, making it impossible for them to leave. Furthermore, I have reported to the Hokage that I will specifically assign certain tasks to keep them 'busy' so they have no time for other matters."
"Mhm, that is a proper way to handle it." Takuno nodded, placing the first scroll on the desk, yet his gaze did not shift away; instead, he stared at Fugaku with deep meaning.
The atmosphere fell quiet again. Was this merely to submit a list of duty stations?
Such a minor matter was certainly not enough to warrant the highest authority of the Uchiha clan coming here in person.
Fugaku felt the pressure of that silent inquiry; his gaze subconsciously swept the four corners of the secret room with a trace of imperceptible vigilance.
"Rest assured," Takuno's voice was low, echoing in the quiet space, "this place is absolutely secret and isolated from the outside. Aside from you and me, there are no third pair of ears."
Fugaku's tensed shoulder line seemed to relax for an imperceptible instant.
He took a deep breath as if gathering strength; for a split second, a trace of struggle flashed in the depths of his eyes, but that hesitation was instantly replaced by a certain decisiveness.
He reached into his robes again, his movements this time seeming a bit heavier than before.
"Commander-in-Chief," Fugaku's voice dropped even lower, carrying a tone of burning one's bridges, "besides that... there are several Elders within the clan whose movements... likely require extra attention as well."
"Oh?" Takuno's brow shot up sharply, genuine surprise finally surfacing—a shock born from the breaking of traditional perceptions regarding the internal workings of the Uchiha clan.
"Are you saying you need the Anbu's assistance... to monitor the Uchiha Elders?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "Anbu" and "Uchiha Elders." This was almost equivalent to asking Konoha's most elite secret force to extend its feelers into the heart of the Uchiha clan. In the past, at least on the surface, this was never permitted!
"Yes." Fugaku's answer held no hesitation, carrying a nearly heavy determination.
He handed out a second scroll, his movements slow and firm.
Takuno took it and opened it. The content on this scroll was a hundred times clearer than the vague records in Konoha's archives.
The Elders' names, authorities, assigned duties, daily activity ranges, and even some secret networks were faintly presented.
Information this detailed could never be obtained unless it came from the hands of the Clan Head.
Takuno's gaze shifted back and forth between the two scrolls spread out on the desk.
If the first scroll was strictly business—the Uchiha Clan Head fulfilling his duty to maintain order—then this second scroll and the accompanying invitation were like a poisoned kunai aimed straight at the clan's heart.
Was this a simple request for monitoring? This was clearly the Uchiha Clan Head personally opening the gates of the compound and actively inviting the shadows of the Anbu to step inside!
This was nothing short of... betrayal?
Takuno could almost imagine how those Uchiha clansmen who viewed honor as life itself would look at their patriarch with furious eyes if this were leaked.
On a deeper level, Takuno understood that monitoring these high-ranking Elders had a symbolic significance far greater than its practical effect.
It meant that from this moment on, the Uchiha clan—which had once been ostensibly isolated from Anbu oversight—would have its core territory brought under the vision of Konoha's highest secret force.
This was a major turning point in the relationship between the Uchiha and the village, a signal of immense political significance.
Fugaku... has he completely made his choice? To stand on the side of the village?
Takuno's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the hard desk, creating a dull sound.
The weight of this choice was as heavy as a thousand pounds.
He then shook his head, as if to toss aside these heavy thoughts.
The authority of decision-making ultimately had to be placed in the hands of the Hokage, Minato; as the Anbu Commander-in-Chief, his primary duty was execution and implementation.
But thinking of execution, a new problem immediately surfaced in his mind.
At a time when the tension between Konoha and the Uchiha was like a tightly drawn bowstring, sending Anbu deep into the Uchiha compound to perform a near-"spy" mission?
This was no different from sending elite subordinates into a tiger's den. After all, monitoring the Uchiha clan with their Sharingan was no easy feat.
A name—a figure not yet in the Anbu but perfectly suited for this mission—involuntarily surfaced in Takuno's mind: Uchiha Itachi.
That young genius had incredible insight and his identity provided natural cover... unfortunately, he was not yet serving the Anbu.
A trace of imperceptible regret passed through Takuno's heart; if he were here, this matter might be much easier.
Takuno's evaluation of Uchiha Itachi was merciless, using only three words to define him: "White-eyed wolf." (Ungrateful/Treacherous)
However, even Takuno could not deny Itachi's nearly absurd combat intelligence and talent; his capabilities were beyond question.
Only, at this point in time, Itachi's strength had far from reached the peak seen in the original work.
The key missing element was that iconic Mangekyō Sharingan.
The catalyst for Itachi to awaken the Mangekyō was supposed to be tied to the tragic death of Shisui.
But in this life, due to Takuno's intervention, Danzo's hand of conspiracy had failed to touch Shisui.
With Shisui alive and well, the "bizarre death" that catalyzed Itachi's awakening naturally could not occur.
Without that cruelest of keys, Itachi's path to the Mangekyō would be delayed for at least a while.
Taking a step back, even if Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō by some coincidence, his strength at that time was by no means enough to slaughter the Uchiha clan alone.
Without Obito's secret assistance, he could never have wiped out the entire Uchiha clan by his power alone—and that was assuming the Clan Head, Fugaku, offered no resistance at all.
Itachi's greatness was forged more during his time in the "Akatsuki" organization, through countless brutal trials and life-and-death battles, eventually reaching a peak that turned him into a sickly man due to overusing the Mangekyō.
Thinking of Itachi's experiences, Takuno even felt a sense of the absurd.
In certain contexts, Itachi was almost like the author's handpicked "favorite son."
To highlight his resourcefulness and presence, the plot went so far as to forcibly grant him the ultimate genjutsu "Izanami" without any foreshadowing when he was summoned via "Edo Tensei" after having already died.
Even more bafflingly, to contrast Itachi's ability, the plot made Sasuke—who had just obtained the Eternal Mangekyō and should have been incredibly powerful—into a stepping stone.
This not only greatly diminished the power performance Sasuke should have had but also caused his reputation at this stage to fall into the awkward position of "Gatekeeper for the Transcendental-Kage rank"...
In Takuno's view, this was purely a forced excuse to make way for Itachi, claiming that Sasuke was not adapted to the Eternal Mangekyō.
In short, Takuno's evaluation of Itachi was divided.
He absolutely recognized Itachi's stunning ability and combat literacy; but regarding his conduct—especially his choice concerning his family—Takuno chose silence, making no positive evaluation.
However, one thing Takuno was certain of at this moment: with his best friend Shisui still around and exerting a positive influence, Itachi's loyalty to the village was currently beyond doubt.
As for his complex inner world and where he would eventually go... Takuno felt that, ultimately, it had little to do with himself.
After a long silence, Takuno broke the quiet of the room, turning his gaze toward the Uchiha Clan Head opposite him.
"Clan Head Fugaku," his voice was steady and clear, "have you considered letting your son, Uchiha Itachi... join the Anbu?"
"Join the Anbu?" Fugaku's pupils suddenly constricted, his sharp gaze instantly focusing on Takuno's mask, asking back with shock and a trace of imperceptible hope, "Is this... really feasible?"
Before this, the Konoha Anbu—a secret force almost synonymous with the Hokage's direct confidants—had never had a precedent for recruiting Uchiha clansmen.
Even Shisui, who in the original work was the figure closest to the Anbu and seen as the link between the village and the Uchiha, had never been officially confirmed as an Anbu member.
This proposal was itself a signal to break historical barriers.
"It would, of course, require the Hokage's approval." Takuno's tone carried a sense of certainty. "However, I think... the possibility of success exists. It is better to have members of the Uchiha clan as the main body responsible for monitoring the Uchiha clan."
In his view, since the Itachi of the original work could be exceptionally recruited by the Third.
Under the new situation where Fugaku had actively proposed Anbu intervention in clan oversight and the relationship between both sides had softened, letting an Uchiha join the Anbu as a sort of exchange and symbol of trust seemed natural and reasonable.
"Understood!" Fugaku's expression turned solemn, and he nodded gravely to Takuno. "Regardless of whether this matter succeeds or fails, I, Fugaku, will keep this intention in mind and will certainly visit to express my thanks later."
"Clan Head Fugaku overstates it." Takuno shook his head slightly, his tone peaceful yet contained strength. "The starting point for everything we do is consistent: it is for the stability and prosperity of Konoha."
Fugaku stared into Takuno's eyes, and after a moment, he nodded just as firmly, repeating that heavy consensus:
"Yes, it is all for... Konoha."
Fugaku knew well that his choice at this moment affected the fate of the entire clan.
Collaborating with the Hokage and allowing the Anbu to officially intervene in the oversight of the Uchiha compound was undoubtedly the most correct path if the continuation of the clan's bloodline was the highest goal.
However, a heavy reality pressed upon his heart: the vast majority of people in the clan already viewed that glory belonging to the Uchiha as more important than the survival of the bloodline itself, even willing to die for it.
Once the truth of his compromise was revealed—allowing the Anbu, symbolizing the village's will, to step into this sacred clan land—it would never be met with understanding, but with mountain-shaking questions and surging fury.
This "humiliation" was, in their eyes, an intolerable betrayal.
And how could he not want to maintain the glory of the Uchiha? But as the Clan Head, he had to consider the survival of the Uchiha clan.
Although Shisui had indeed awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and mastered legendary power... could relying solely on the Mangekyō truly be enough to deal with the village?
Toward this, Fugaku held a skeptical attitude.