Chapter 60: Chapter 58 – Fugaku Uchiha (Part 1)

It had been dark for several hours when Fugaku Uchiha left the Hokage building and returned home. Since mid-afternoon, he had been inside with the Sandaime and a whole bunch of high-ranking ninjas, fiercely defending the police against those bloodsuckers who thought the clan deserved to lose its privileges. He shook his head in disgust. What a mess. Everything was spiraling out of control. The situation was already far from ideal, but now…

The Hokage was talking about dismantling the Police force, the only power of the Uchiha clan. And the village was going to take it away from them. A function they had held since the time of the Nidaime, the second Hokage! Admittedly, in the beginning, the Uchiha had only commanded the police, and a good third of the force was made up of ninjas from other clans. The Nidaime had this ridiculous idea that the Uchiha shouldn't have a monopoly.

But over time, the police had become theirs, exclusively. It was their source of pride and power. They were the last line of defense of the village, its protectors, the guarantors of order! It was them and no one else! It was a fundamental part of the identity of the Uchiha clan… And now, the village was going to tear it away!

A few weeks earlier, even a few days earlier, it would have been inconceivable. Hiruzen Sarutobi, even under pressure from disgruntled people, would never have dared to suggest such a thing. He respected the Uchihas. He was open to dialogue. One of the main reasons the coup hadn't happened yet was that Fugaku was reluctant to kill the Sandaime.

His death would be necessary to seize power, but… Hiruzen was someone he valued and respected. Even now that the Sandaime had proposed the inconceivable, Fugaku couldn't hate and despise him. He had enough hindsight to see that the Uchiha deserved punishment. He would do the same if he was in the Hokage’s shoes.

He was the chief of the police. The dishonor of his troops reflected on him. And what greater disgrace than an officer causing the death of an innocent? Worse, an innocent from their clan? Hazuki Uchiha had been kicked out of their home. But even though she was a black sheep, she still had their blood.

If Taizo hadn't been killed in the fight, he would probably have been executed for his crime. The Uchiha had committed a serious blunder. It was undeniable. Even though Fugaku's blood boiled with indignation at the idea of ​​having to admit it, he was going to take responsibility. A fault deserved a sanction. And now that Konoha had isolated and ostracized them, the clan was at the village’s mercy.

What a mess. It was an outrage, but the whole village would think their punishment was justified. Perhaps even the majority of the clan… The murder of one of their own should not go unpunished. The fault of a single police officer, when it was so dramatic, meant that the entire clan would suffer the consequences. That's why Fugaku demanded perfect obedience from his men! To prevent such events from happening. The clan had messed up big time on this occasion. The village’s hostility had only been latent for the past few years, but the outcry over this incident would add oil to the fire to an unlikely degree.

Shikaku Nara of the Division, the jonin commander and a very good friend of the head of the Intelligence Section, had been in the room and cast icy glances at Fugaku. His personal opinion would weigh heavily in the balance. And there was Danzo! Danzo had been in that room too, quiet but coldly attentive. He was the leader of the Root and one of Itachi’s superiors. Was he going to turn the ANBU against the Uchihas? Was he going to fire Itachi? It would be more than a disgrace. It would be an affront, an insult impossible to ignore. A proof of disdain, of lack of confidence, of contempt for the skills of the Uchiha heir. The whole village would know about it.

Fugaku suppressed the absurd urge to run his hands over his face in a weary gesture. He was in public; he couldn't afford it. Rather than thinking about his anguish and discouragement, he focused on his anger. It was easier. Discontent had been perpetually rumbling in the back of his head for years now.

It all started with the Kyubi assault. The rumors about the Uchiha's responsibility had arisen only later. However, immediately after the disaster, Danzo forced the Uchihas to relocate to the edge of the village. The Police Headquarters had also been moved. Therefore, the response time of members of the police had been affected. They also needed more personnel.

One thing followed another, bad luck, reproaches, discontent. It had barely taken a year for someone to suggest a coup. At the time, the suggestion wasn’t taken seriously. But the more time passed, the more the relations with the village deteriorated, and the more the Uchihas thought about it seriously. Six months earlier, they had decided on that suggestion. The coup was not yet fully planned, but it was a certainty. And now, it became a necessity.

If they didn't act decisively soon, they would find themselves in a weak position and forever lose the chance to seize power.

The Uchihas were at fault on this one. But taking away their functions and responsibility was still an insult. The culprit had been punished. And the way the Sandaime had asked this boy Jun for his opinion… Ridiculous! It was not justice; it was just a way to let him exact revenge on the clan! When he heard the Hokage talking about retribution, Fugaku turned green with rage. It was really by an incredible stroke of luck that the teenager decided not to go for revenge. He probably preferred to go and whine in his corner than to satisfy his thirst for revenge. He was only half-Uchiha after all. He didn’t have what it took to go through such decisions. He lacked the Uchiha’s fire in him. A true Uchiha would have chosen revenge.

However, Fugaku thought back to Jun. The boy had activated his Sharingan. His fury had invaded the room. The way he had stared at him, the way he had moved, the way he was ready to kill him right there and then…

Would he have killed him? Would he have been able to? Fugaku wanted to say no, by instinct, with a touch of disdain. But Jun was a jonin trained by Shisui. He was powerful, a real killing machine. Ninjutsu specialists were monsters of endurance who were sent to slaughter regiments during a war.

But above all, Fugaku thought back to that moment when he had advanced toward him intending to kill him. His face was ravaged by hatred, and his chakra was hard and cold as a blade. It was oppressive. He had felt like prey against a predator, and it was a feeling he hadn't faced since the end of the war. Could the teenager have killed him? He wanted to think not, but his heart was telling him otherwise.

He revised his opinion. Jun was an Uchiha after all. He had their fire, their rage, their hatred, their thirst for revenge. Maybe he really thought that once Taizo was dead, looking for another culprit wasn't important. It seemed unlikely to Fugaku. Who wouldn't seek a target for his anger? But in any case, Jun had given up revenge against the Uchiha clan, his clan…

And it had certainly not been weakness or a lack of determination that drove his decision. It was still fresh in Fugaku's memory. The latent power of his chakra… His Sharingan that had three tomoe… And he was a jonin. So no, he wouldn't underestimate Jun Uchiha. Just because he had given up revenge on the clan didn't mean his hatred had vanished. When the coup would come… he would have to be eliminated as well. He would never accept the legitimacy of their rule.

Fugaku sighed, walking through the streets of the village without paying attention.

All because of a simple accident.

A simple accident that had resulted in three deaths, which would soon be four given the state of Nao Uchiha. But it was still an accident, damn it. Nobody could have foreseen that it would degenerate so quickly.

Fugaku had been one of the first people on the scene. But he had arrived too late to prevent the first blow from being delivered, that famous blow that had killed Hazuki… He was just in time to see Nao throw himself at Taizo with an almost animal howl of fury and despair. The howl of a mother who has just seen her child murdered. Taizo had been too busy staring stupidly at Hazuki's body, barely realizing he had just killed her.

He hadn't raised his kunai in time to parry the enraged grandmother's knife. She had ripped him open from navel to sternum, piercing his protective jacket. He was gutted like a fish. Taizo had no chance of surviving that. Then, Ichiro and another officer rushed on Nao. Seichi had intervened to protect his wife… By the time Fugaku rushed to separate them, it was too late.

Ichiro had his throat slit. But the third officer had only landed a few kunai hits. Seichi had a sword stuck in his stomach and was choking on his blood. He might have been able to survive, but the audience had been so horrified by what had just happened to react in time. It was, after all, Uchihas killing each other. The scene was too shocking that even veterans were left stunned. Seichi was old and frail, and his body couldn’t handle such an injury. Just thinking about it made Fugaku clench his jaw angrily.

He hadn't had any particular affection for Seichi, but he was an Uchiha. A great ninja, in his time. A strict and dedicated police officer. A loyal member of the clan. A friend of his father. A dignified and proud man. And he had been killed by his people… His own clan! It was a shame. A tragedy. A disgrace. He regretted Seichi's death almost more than Taizo and Ichiro's.

Ichiro had been a man devoted to his family and an efficient and loyal police officer… But he had also been disrespectful, insolent, and opposed to the coup. He had several times stood against other members of the clan when he should have been silent. He didn't know his place. He and Fugaku had never liked each other.

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As for Taizo Uchiha, Fugaku barely knew him. From the little he knew, Taizo was a zealous police officer, but he was also a fool. Maybe it was due to his young age. Taizo was only a nineteen-year-old chunin. He was apparently very dedicated to his duties in the police. Too devoted, perhaps. Taizo had always been exuberant. If only he had been gifted, like Shisui… But no, he was just clumsy and noisy. Quick to yell reasons for arrest, to tackle suspects with such force that he hurt himself as much as his target.

It was embarrassing. He was supposed to be more dignified, more serious. Fugaku had already scolded him about it, but that only made the idiot more zealous. He thought turning his excitement into shows of force, clumsy as they were, would prove his abilities. This is what happened when you mixed Uchiha blood with another bloodline! It either led to enemies like Jun, or failures like this officer.

Taizo's mother had only been half-Uchiha, from an arranged marriage with a kunoichi from the Kurama clan. At the time, this union was supposed to produce children gifted in Genjutsu, but the two young spouses had only had a daughter of mediocre talent, before dying in battle. The half-Uchiha then got married and had four boys.

Taizo was dead and it was unfortunate, but it would motivate his three brothers to act. Their hatred could be useful. The clan shouldn't dwell on this tragedy. They must use their anger to move forward. The Uchihas had always been more powerful when driven forward by their rage and hatred.

And there would be plenty of hatred after this incident. This mistake. This blunder. This disaster. This dishonor.

So many deaths. Such a waste.

Nao’s chances of making out alive were minuscule. She was old. Fugaku wouldn’t lose any sleep over her passing away. He had never liked the old harpy. Too authoritarian. She had shamefully abused her kinship with Shisui Uchiha to order him around once. Her arrogance knew no bounds. Fugaku was certain it was her who had reconnected with his daughter, although she had officially been banished from the clan.

Seichi was far too respectful of his duty. Nao, on the other hand, claimed family love to justify her eccentricities. She was the one who had asked to reinstate Hazuki to the clan the first time. And now... Well, it was undoubtedly her who had initiated this visit which had degenerated into an argument, which had then turned into a disaster. Hazuki probably got his rebellious side from his mother.

Hazuki Uchiha. Of all the disasters, her death was the biggest. Fugaku took a deep breath to keep from cringing. Irritated, he quickened his pace.

Hazuki had been insignificant all her life. But now in death, she delivered a fatal blow to the Uchiha clan. Their reputation would never recover. Public opinion would see things in one of two ways. The Uchiha clan killed one of their own, which painted them as fratricides … Or the Uchiha clan killed a Konoha kunoichi, which would blow up the village's animosity towards the police and the clan.

The dissolution of the Police force seemed inevitable. And the worst part was that no one would object. Not even most clan members. The picture painted by the events made them ashamed. A member of the police had brutally killed an unarmed woman who barely had as much chakra as an Academy student. It was appalling. They would never recover from it. At least when the Uchihas had been suspected of unleashing the Kyubi, it had only been suspicion and whispering. There was no proof. But now, the killing of Hazuki was a fact. A proven fact, horribly incriminating, and indisputable. Whatever punishment the Sandaime chose would be considered justified.

Who would have thought that this woman could have any impact? Hazuki had been a rebellious young woman, who had run away from her family to marry a stranger and have two children. Then her husband died, leaving her a widow. When, in their great generosity, the Uchiha clan accepted Seichi and Nao's request to raise their only descendants, Hazuki should have thanked them on her knees. But no, not even. Ungrateful! She had returned to active duty, not caring that it may not be the best choice for a mother or a widow.

And the icing on the cake… she got pregnant by a stranger a few years later, outside the bonds of marriage. It wasn’t even someone from the clan. She had even refused to reveal his identity. Fugaku had only a little knowledge of the story, as gossip didn't interest him much… But even he knew what a scandal it had been. Seichi and Nao had been forced to chase her away, and Hazuki had taken her children with her. Good riddance. The Uchiha clan didn’t need them.

In hindsight, they should have kept Jun. Of course, at the time, they had no way of knowing he would awaken the Sharingan. Letting someone with potential slip through their fingers was not their style.

Now that he thought about it, there had been a decision from the Uchiha council. Hazuki was a disgrace, but his children had been gifted. Itachi had formed a friendship with the girl, and the eldest was trained by Shisui himself. Their unborn brother would no doubt be of the same caliber. And they were all half-Uchihas. It would have been irresponsible to let them disappear into the wild. They belonged to the clan, and the latter had a duty towards them. Especially if they awakened the Sharingan one day. The Uchiha council had therefore decided that when Hazuki died, her unborn son would be integrated into the clan. Her two oldest had never been officially kicked out, so the clan would get all three back at once.

The clan's decision had been recorded, much like a will that would only be opened upon Hazuki's death. Except that now, none of her children would ever agree to join the clan that had killed their mother.

Damn it. All because of a stupid accident. Taizo was an idiot. Granted, Hazuki had been wearing a chunin jacket, but everyone knew she was a cripple, unable to do more than a desk job. Why had Taizo used so much force? What an imbecile!

Maybe he thought there was betrayal, Fugaku thought suddenly, slowing his pace. Yes, it was not impossible… Nao and Seichi supported the coup, but they were worried about their daughter and never hid it. And they had never left the Uchiha district before. The fact that they went to a restaurant outside the clan's territory, a restaurant with private rooms… It was suspicious.

Maybe there had been a reason. Maybe they had met their daughter to fix their relationship, as they claimed… Or maybe they wanted to tell her what the clan was up to. But for what reason? To warn her? To rope her in? There was no way to know now. But if that had been the case, no wonder Taizo had panicked.

Hazuki, yelling at her parents outside the Uchiha district… Maybe he had heard some alarming words, maybe he was afraid that she would spill the beans. Maybe he wanted to scare her or knock her out to take her into custody, which would buy them time… Or maybe he just saw someone in a chunin jacket shouting at two old people of the Uchiha clan and rushed to their rescue... This was the official version of the event because it was better to justify Taizo's violence with his desire to protect two weak old people.

Fugaku thought about that for two seconds, then snorted disdainfully. No, Taizo would never have thought of that. Neither to potential betrayal nor to a surge of heroism. He had seen someone standing out. He had wanted to show off, and he had tried to stop Hazuki with the same clumsy brutality he applied times and times again to recalcitrant chunin. Nothing more.

What a moron, Fugaku thought contemptuously.

That being said, the idea was not stupid. Maybe Seichi and Nao had indeed come close to betrayal. Or maybe they had even committed treason… Hazuki had left the restaurant furious, to the point that their argument had attracted the attention of the police. What could have been said to provoke such a reaction? Hazuki's first husband? Her children? The unknown father of her youngest child? Her place in the village? Her job? Her weak abilities? Hazuki was a disgrace, but she was a pure Uchiha. Her temper was bound to be volatile.

However, betrayal remained possible. After the coup, Nao would have to be judged to be sure. If she survived, of course. And that seemed unlikely.

Soon, Jun would be the sole survivor of this bloodline. Finally, Jun, his sister, and his brother. All three were full of potential… And fiercely opposed to the Uchiha clan now. What a pain. Fugaku had no choice. They would have to be assassinated immediately after the coup. Otherwise, they were going to be fierce opponents. It was sad, but it was necessary. For the good of the Uchiha clan.

What a waste, though!

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