360. Don’t Argue with Fools

Konoha, Uchiha Clan Territory.

In an old house near the Naka Shrine, a grim-faced elderly man suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with fury.

"What did you say? Fugaku actually agreed to Danzo's proposal to allow outsiders into the Military Police Force?"

The man roaring these words was none other than Uchiha Setsuna, a prominent elder of the Uchiha clan.

As a staunch inheritor of Madara Uchiha's will, Setsuna was an absolute hawk.

He harbored deep resentment toward the policies of the Second Hokage and had even attempted to incite a rebellion among the Uchiha clan.

Unfortunately, Tobirama Senju had uncovered his plot in advance and led the ANBU to crush the conspiracy.

After decades in prison, Setsuna had finally been released and had been biding his time in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity.

But before that opportunity came, Danzo had made his move against the Uchiha-controlled Police Force.

Even worse, Fugaku, that fool, had agreed to it!

This was something Uchiha Setsuna, as a hawkish leader, could never tolerate.

After confirming the truth of the matter, he immediately issued an order:

"Call a clan meeting in my name as an elder of the Uchiha clan!"

"At the same time, spread the word about how Fugaku has capitulated to Danzo. Let every clansman know what a foolish thing their clan leader has done!"

"I want to see how many clansmen will still support this traitor!"

As he spoke, Uchiha Setsuna's eyes burned with rage.

No matter what, he would never allow those damned outsiders to tarnish the Uchiha clan's supreme glory!

Under the elder's vigorous push, the news of Fugaku's betrayal spread like wildfire throughout the Uchiha clan.

Even Itachi Uchiha heard about it.

Now eight years old, Itachi had grown into a deep thinker.

After reading countless books, he had developed a new understanding of the clan, the village, the nation, and even the entire shinobi world.

As such, he actually agreed with his father's decision this time.

His thoughts aligned with Fugaku's.

Holding onto the Police Force tightly didn't bring much benefit to the Uchiha.

On the contrary, as the village's population grew rapidly, the Uchiha's reputation continued to decline.

It was better to bring in outsiders to share the burden.

Unfortunately, Itachi also knew that many clansmen held a narrow-minded sense of clan supremacy.

They believed the Police Force was the Uchiha's "clan property" and that no outsider should ever be allowed to touch it.

So, when they learned of Fugaku's actions, they would undoubtedly react with fierce resistance.

This was what worried Itachi the most.

If his father couldn't withstand this wave of pressure, the doves' influence would greatly diminish, and the hawks would regain power.

This was something Itachi didn't want to see.

The problem was that he was just an eight-year-old child.

His voice carried little weight, and in such a complex situation, there seemed to be no effective way for him to help.

"Damn it, if only Shisui were here," Itachi couldn't help but miss his older brother.

If Shisui were in the village, he would surely have a solution to this problem.

As expected, when Itachi arrived at the Naka Shrine, the place was already in chaos.

The moment the clansmen saw Itachi, they briefly quieted down.

"Look, it's the traitor's son."

"Hey, Itachi's just a kid. Don't say things like that!"

"So what if he's a kid? If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll turn out just like his father, that traitor!"

Hearing these words, Itachi instinctively wanted to retort.

But seeing how easily they were dominated by anger and ignorance, he suddenly lost the urge to argue.

As Lord Danzo once wrote in his book: "Don't argue with fools!"

Itachi now understood the meaning of those words.

These clansmen were nothing more than pitiful creatures controlled by narrow-minded clan supremacy.

Arguing with them was pointless.

Having realized this, Itachi's face quickly regained its calm and composure.

His mature demeanor surprised the surrounding Uchiha clansmen.

They hadn't expected an eight-year-old to be so composed.

After all, most children his age were still playing make-believe games outside.

Yet here was Itachi, able to remain unshaken in the face of baseless accusations.

"This child will surely achieve great things," Uchiha Setsuna thought to himself as he witnessed the scene.

If given the chance, perhaps he could take this boy under his wing and make him his successor.

Fortunately, the criticism directed at Itachi didn't last long, as the main figure in this matter, Fugaku Uchiha, the clan leader, arrived.

The moment he appeared, the atmosphere became tense.

The opposing clansmen quickly gathered together, forming a human wall to block the clan leader.

Even some who had previously supported Fugaku chose to remain silent this time.

After all, what Fugaku had done was deeply unforgivable. It was pure betrayal!

Facing all of this, Fugaku didn't show anger.

Instead, he calmly said, "Everyone, are you planning to block your clan leader from entering the shrine?"

"Clan leader?" Uchiha Setsuna, hidden behind the crowd, let out a cold laugh.

"Fugaku, do you still remember that you're the Uchiha clan leader?"

In response to this question, Fugaku straightened his posture and declared, "From the day I took on the role of clan leader, I have never forgotten my identity or my responsibilities."

"Good! Very good!" Uchiha Setsuna's aged eyes bore into Fugaku as he demanded, "If you haven't forgotten your duties as clan leader, then tell me, why did you agree to Danzo's proposal? Allowing outsiders into the Police Force—isn't that a betrayal of the entire Uchiha clan?"

Fugaku looked at the elder and shook his head slightly.


"Elder Setsuna, I did this for the future of the Uchiha clan. By taking a step back and allowing more people to join the Police Force, we can change the villagers' perception of the Uchiha. Only then will our clan have a chance to gain recognition and truly integrate into the larger Konoha community!"

To Fugaku's reasoning, Uchiha Setsuna and the other clansmen could not accept it.

"You're spouting nonsense! Selling out the clan's interests to outsiders, and you still have the nerve to say it's for the clan's good?" Under the elder's influence, the other clansmen quickly grew agitated.

"If you don't dare to stand up to the higher-ups, Fugaku, then we can replace you as clan leader!"

"That's right! We don't need a weak clan leader!"

"The glory of the Uchiha clan must not be tarnished!"

Amid the clamor, Fugaku's expression grew increasingly grim.

Just as he was pondering how to resolve the crisis, a hoarse yet steady voice suddenly rang out.

"The reform of the Konoha Police Force was my idea. Why are you all giving Clan Leader Fugaku such a hard time?"

To everyone's surprise, the legendary "Darkness of the Shinobi," Danzo Shimura, appeared, leaning on his cane as he slowly made his entrance.