At around 9:45 in the evening, Kaze set out for Naka Shrine to attend the clan meeting.
It was worth noting—long before the Uchiha clan had been driven to the village's outskirts, Naka Shrine had already been their traditional gathering place for confidential discussions.
Hidden beneath the shrine was a stone tablet, supposedly inscribed by the Sage of Six Paths himself, containing secrets only visible through the evolution of the Sharingan—from the base form, to Mangekyō, and finally to the Rinnegan.
Not that it mattered much anymore.The entire thing had been tampered with long ago.
Poor Madara. The more he evolved, the deeper he fell into a carefully scripted lie.
As he walked toward the shrine, Kaze couldn't help but think of Black Zetsu's honeyed words—pretending to speak from the heart, all while quietly digging a grave.
Come to think of it, Konoha had never really changed.Naruto may have become the Seventh Hokage, but the ideology he pushed was still stuck in the Third's era.
And what did he get for it? Burnout.
The so-called "New Konoha Police Force" was just as brutal in its enforcement.
Hinata, who once swore to rise above her clan's fate and become a true shinobi, ended up as a full-time housewife.
So many died. So many ideals were shattered. In the end, it was still the conservatives who rebuilt the system in their own image.
To Kaze, Naruto was little more than a stronger, flashier Hashirama—a well-meaning pacifist with fists.
And under that kind of leadership, the day Naruto fell… might just be the day the Fifth Great Ninja War begins.
Ironically, Pain's tailed beast deterrence strategy made more logical sense.
Of course, that was just Kaze's personal take on it.
Before long, he arrived near the shrine.
Even though his main fighting strength came from the Thunder Fruit, he was still a Three Tomoe Sharingan user. When it came to sensing chakra, he wasn't clueless.
As soon as he stepped into the vicinity of the shrine, he detected faint ripples in the air—chakra signatures, subtle but present.
Activating his Sharingan, he observed the area in more detail.
"…So that's how it is."
About half a minute later, Kaze deactivated his Sharingan, his suspicions confirmed.
A special barrier had been set up around the shrine.
Not only could it block perception-based jutsu like the Telescope Technique, but it also instantly alerted the clan if any outsider breached the boundary.
An insurance policy, plain and simple.No wonder the Uchiha's two coup plans had only been exposed thanks to Shisui and Itachi.
With a location this secure, the clan could have blindsided Konoha's leadership—if not for those two traitors.
Still, even if the rebellion had started, Kaze doubted it would have ended in success without Shisui and Itachi on their side.
He had noticed before: those who attended these secret meetings were almost all Three Tomoe Sharingan holders.
There were maybe thirty or forty in total.
Without Shisui and Itachi, their strength compared to Konoha's elite was lacking.
And now, with Danzō wielding both Sharingan implants and Hashirama cells, the odds were even worse.
Coupled with the betrayal of two top-tier combatants, the Uchiha's chances had been slim at best.
Lost in thought, Kaze stepped into Naka Shrine.
Most of the clan had already arrived, seated cross-legged on floor cushions, quietly waiting for Fugaku to appear.
The moment Kaze entered, a dozen heads turned in unison.
"Kaze, you're here," Shisui nodded at him as he entered.
The others were still chatting amongst themselves when Fugaku entered, and with his arrival, the room fell into a quick silence.
"Now that everyone is here, we can begin the meeting," Fugaku said firmly.
He turned toward Kaze and gestured for him to sit next to him. "Today's meeting is about Kaze. Please, take the seat next to me."
Kaze nodded silently and made his way to the designated seat. As he settled down, the room remained tense, the Uchiha elders exchanging glances, murmuring amongst themselves.
One elder spoke up, his voice laden with dissatisfaction, "Yes, he has the Sharingan, and his Lightning Release talent is undeniable, but that doesn't give him the authority to sit next to you, Fugaku."
Fugaku's gaze sharpened as he calmly replied, "After this meeting, he will have every right to sit here."
He took a moment, allowing the tension to build before continuing, "I intend to announce that Kaze will be appointed as the vice-captain of the Konoha Military Police Force."
The room went silent for a moment before a collective shock rippled through the elders. Even Shisui and Itachi couldn't hide their surprise.
"What?!"
One elder stood, his voice rising in disbelief. "Fugaku, he's too young! He hasn't even had the experience needed for such a high-ranking position!"
Another elder added, "This is no trivial role! The vice-captain holds significant authority. Are we really prepared to hand that power over to someone so young?"
Several others murmured among themselves, their discontent growing.
Kaze, for his part, remained calm and composed as the storm of reactions unfolded around him.
Vice-captain of the Military Police Force? It wasn't just any position; it was a direct challenge to the elders' authority and an indication of Fugaku's bold leadership.
Fugaku, however, stood unwavering, his gaze cold and resolute.
"The decision is final," he said, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "Kaze will be vice-captain, and I trust you all will accept this move."
(T/N: I had to rework a few parts of this chapter since the OG decided to go first person all of a sudden. And some of the last parts due to the changes I made in the first few chapters. Anyway hope you all enjoyed the chapter.)