More than ten minutes later, inside the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters—
A massive conference room had filled up.
Ren's gaze swept across the crowd.
Many of the Uchiha who'd just returned from the front were already seated. Most wore the familiar cat-faced Police masks, while others hid under dark cloaks. Nobody chatted. Nobody laughed.
But the air itself felt sharp—like steel drawn halfway from its sheath.
These weren't desk officers.
These were shinobi who'd survived real killing fields.
The Uchiha's true backbone.
Ren, Takeru, and Itsuki found seats near the back and sat down quietly.
On the way over, Ren had listened while Takeru and Itsuki filled him in on what had happened on their battlefield line against the Hidden Mist.
At first, the Uchiha had actually been pushed back.
Then, when things turned ugly—
Uchiha Shisui stepped in.
With terrifying genjutsu and that infamous Body Flicker, he crushed the Mist's montum and forced them into a full retreat. By the end, the na "Shisui of the Body Flicker" was echoing across the shinobi world.
There was one detail Tyler and Itsuki ntioned like it was a funny footnote:
Apparently, Fugaku had been prepared to enter the fight personally—
But Konoha's command had insisted Shisui take the field instead.
Shisui delivered exactly what they wanted: a clean victory… and a legend.
Tyler and Itsuki didn't seem to notice anything strange about that. Their voices were full of pride—Uchiha pride—and genuine respect for Shisui.
Which made sense.
Strength was respected anywhere, especially in a clan like theirs.
And Shisui had just proven himself in the loudest way possible.
Ren , however, rubbed his forehead like a man fighting off a headache.
Politics, he thought bitterly. Always politics.
He knew exactly what Konoha's higher-ups were doing.
They were using Shisui to steal credit that would've naturally flowed to Uchiha Fugaku.
And why?
Because Fugaku was a serious contender in the looming competition for Fourth Hokage.
Undercut his achievents, chip away at his standing, make him "realize his place."
A quiet shove off the stage—done with a smile.
What Ren hadn't expected was how completely Shisui had bought into the village narrative…
Or how easily Fugaku had agreed to it.
Maybe you still believe Shisui can bridge the gap, Ren thought, the bitterness fading into sothing calr. Maybe that's why you gave in.
In the end, Ren didn't dwell on it.
The Uchiha's disaster was still far off.
He had ti.
Ti to sign in, to grow, to stack strength until "plots" stopped mattering.
And when the night ca—when the clan's fate finally tried to close its hand around them—
He'd give the Uchiha, Konoha, and even Akatsuki a surprise so big it would rewrite the story.
Not long after—
Once most of the Police Force shinobi had arrived…
The doors opened.
Uchiha Fugaku walked in, face severe, presence heavy enough to quiet even the restless.
Behind him followed a child with delicate features—too young to belong in a room like this, yet carrying a faint scent of blood and battlefield fatigue.
Ren only needed a brief glance to know the kid had seen war.
"...Uchiha Itachi."
Ren's mouth twitched—not quite a smile.
More like disdain he didn't bother hiding.
He disliked Shisui.
But Itachi?
Itachi was worse.
Yes, the Uchiha were volatile—Sharingan emotions ran deep, sotis dangerously so.
But none of that excused slaughtering an entire clan for the sake of "protecting a little brother."
Not when the clan included children, elders, and civilians who had nothing to do with politics.
Still, Ren had no interest in "saving" Itachi with words.
If Itachi wanted to drown in the Will of Fire—
Fine.
Ren would drag him back to reality when the ti ca.
Because in the end, only one thing held weight in this world:
A fist strong enough that nobody dared speak nonsense in front of it.
When he could hit hard enough to level everything in his way, the people at the top would suddenly beco very polite.
Fugaku reached the front, took his place, and positioned Itachi just behind him. He inhaled slowly, then spoke in a low, steady voice.
"After this campaign, the Third Shinobi World War is essentially nearing its end."
The room stayed silent, listening.
"Our Military Police Force has completed its duties flawlessly," Fugaku continued. "The Mist's main force was decisively defeated."
A Uchiha officer raised a hand, confused.
"Captain Fugaku… where is Uchiha Shisui?"
That sparked it.
"Yeah—where's Shisui?"
"He's the reason we turned the tide!"
"He brought back the Uchiha's prestige!"
"'Shisui of the Body Flicker' is famous across the whole shinobi world now!"
Pride swelled through the room, visible on faces even behind masks. The Uchiha were born with the Sharingan—born with sharp edges, too—and Shisui's victory only honed them.
So Shisui's absence felt… wrong.
Fugaku hesitated.
Just for a mont.
Then he said, voice firm, "Shisui went to see the Third Hokage. He's likely securing rits for our clan."
The instant the words landed—
Ren couldn't help it.
He laughed.
A short, sharp sound that sliced right through the room's mood.
And he wasn't the only one laughing.
Most of the Uchiha elites smiled too—pleased, proud, satisfied.
But their laughter wasn't the sa as his.
Their laughter was triumph.
Ren's was pure mockery.
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