Two weeks later, led by the Hawks elder Hachidai, numerous Hawks members jointly recommended Uchiha Shinsuke.
With the Hawks' wholehearted support, Shinsuke was promoted from squad leader to squadron leader.
Squadron leader was already a position of considerable power at the upper levels, with command authority over twelve squads, and combined with the original twenty members of the training camp plus some logistics personnel, Uchiha Shinsuke now had nearly a hundred men under his command.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on successfully being promoted to Squadron Leader of the Uchiha Guard!]
[Ding! Host's outstanding performance is rewarded with Clan Glory Points: 80,000 points!]
A series of system notification chimes rang out in Shinsuke's mind.
"Eighty thousand Glory Points!"
Shinsuke's eyes lit up.
Adding to the Glory Points accumulated before, the total Clan Glory Points had now reached an unprecedented height of two hundred and sixty thousand points.
[Clan Glory Points: 260,000 points]
[Ding! Detected that Host's prestige within the Uchiha Clan has reached a new peak!]
[Ding! The formidable strength, exceptional leadership, and absolute loyalty to the clan that Host has demonstrated have caused some previously neutral Uchiha clan members to show a marked increase in loyalty toward Host!]
[Uchiha Setsuna, loyalty increased from 40 (Neutral) to 75 (Admiration)!]
[Ding! Some previously radical Hawks faction members strongly identify with Host's ideology of "pragmatic firmness," causing a significant rise in loyalty!]
[Uchiha Hachidai, loyalty increased from 65 (Observing) to 88 (Supportive)!]
Strength and capability were indeed the best tools for winning people's hearts.
"System, filter out a list of clan members who currently have a loyalty rating of 85 or above and possess the potential to become jonin."
[Ding! Filtering complete. There are 8 clan members who meet the criteria.]
Looking at the names on the list, Shinsuke gave a nod.
He spent a portion of his Glory Points to precisely enhance those 8 clan members' chakra capacity, ninjutsu mastery, and Sharingan potential.
On the other side.
Uchiha Itachi.
As an Anbu squad leader and also the eldest son of Uchiha Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku, he bore a weight that most people could not imagine.
Shinsuke's rise, both in the speed of his growth and in his way of conducting himself, gave Itachi a faint sense of unease.
"Shinsuke's rise is a good thing for the Uchiha," his father Uchiha Fugaku had said to Itachi.
But Itachi did not see it that way.
A good thing? Uchiha Itachi's belief that "for the sake of the village's peace, it may be necessary to sacrifice part of the clan's interests" stood in complete opposition to Uchiha Shinsuke's undisguised "clan above all" ideology.
'If... if Shinsuke could find another way, one that both ensures the clan's survival and maintains the village's stability... would everything I am carrying still be necessary?'
Itachi had privately reported the situation regarding Uchiha Shinsuke to his father, Uchiha Fugaku.
"Itachi, keep observing him, but remember, do not interfere lightly."
On the training ground, Itachi sought out Shisui, hoping Shisui could help resolve his doubts.
"Shinsuke's ideology is too radical," Itachi said in a low voice, "once he completely falls out with the village's upper echelon, the Uchiha will face annihilation."
Shisui let out a soft sigh and said, "Itachi, we both know that the wariness the Konoha upper echelon harbors toward the Uchiha has never disappeared, and after the Nine-Tails incident, that wariness reached its peak, the clan was isolated, the Guard's authority was weakened, these are all facts."
"Peace cannot be achieved through one-sided compromise," Shisui said, his voice carrying a trace of weariness, "Shinsuke's path may be a dangerous road."
"If the final outcome is the destruction of the Uchiha?" Itachi's eyes were filled with anguish.
Shisui patted Itachi's shoulder and said, "We all hope to avoid the worst outcome, and if it truly comes to that, I will be the one to stop it from happening."
The Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, his pipe sending wisps of smoke curling upward.
He gazed at the night view of Konoha through the window, his eyes deep and distant.
"Itachi, you've come," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, his voice carrying the warmth of an elder.
Uchiha Itachi walked into the office and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Third."
"Have a seat," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
Itachi sat down and looked at the Third, knowing that every time the Third summoned him, it meant something important.
"Regarding the recent movements of the Uchiha Clan, what is your assessment?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, cutting straight to the point without beating around the bush.
Itachi's heart tensed inwardly, as he understood what the Third was referring to: Shinsuke's rise and the Hawks' growing activity had inevitably put the village's upper echelon on alert.
"Hawkish forces within the clan have been gaining momentum, and Uchiha Shinsuke's personal influence is rapidly expanding," Itachi reported what he had observed, "Shinsuke acts decisively, and the discontent toward the village's upper echelon that he embodies has struck a chord among the clan members."
Sarutobi Hiruzen drew lightly on his pipe and exhaled a faint stream of smoke.
"Shinsuke's growth has indeed been surprising," he paused, his tone taking on a meaningful weight, "however, the strength of the Uchiha Clan is ultimately a part of Konoha, and any attempt to break away from Konoha, or to threaten Konoha's stability, is something that cannot be tolerated."
The Third's words were a direct indictment of Uchiha Shinsuke's "clan above all" ideology.
"I know you have always been working toward peace between the village and the clan," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, his voice becoming even more gentle, "you possess the finest bloodline and wisdom of the Uchiha Clan, and a level of resolve that far surpasses your peers."
The Third paused, his gaze meeting Itachi's eyes directly.
"The peace of Konoha was not easily won, it was purchased with the lives and blood of countless predecessors, and the Uchiha Clan, as an essential part of Konoha, also rendered distinguished service in the village's founding."
The Third's voice grew low and carried a note of sorrow.
"However, as time passed, the rift between the Uchiha Clan and the village grew ever deeper, and after the Nine-Tails incident, that rift reached its peak."
The Third set down his pipe and leaned slightly forward.
"Itachi, do you understand? Once the Uchiha Clan launches a rebellion, all of Konoha will be plunged into chaos, and the Fourth Great Ninja War may even break out ahead of time because of it."
"Itachi."
"Among the Uchiha Clan, you are the only one who can see the larger picture and make the right choice, you possess the resolve to protect Konoha's peace and the determination to protect your little brother."
"For the sake of the village, for your little brother Sasuke, and for all innocent civilians, you must make a choice."
Protecting Konoha and protecting Sasuke had become an unshakeable conviction in Uchiha Itachi's life.
"I understand, Lord Third," Itachi said, his voice a little hoarse, but his eyes grew unusually resolute.
Walking out of the Hokage's Office, the night breeze swept past him, and Itachi's heart was filled with a cold emptiness.
'Then let me be the one to bear all of this!'
Itachi gazed at the vibrant, living Konoha, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.