Naruto: Unhinged Uchiha

[Note: Read up to Chapter - 64 on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]

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In the heart of Konoha Village, at the Hokage Building, Kanzou made his way to the office of the Third Hokage.

It wasn't Kanzou who had requested the meeting—Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent someone to summon him.

"Uchiha Kanzou, you've arrived." Hiruzen greeted him with a warm, fatherly smile.

To most of the village's youth, the Third Hokage was the image of a kind elder.

But Kanzou knew better. He understood exactly what kind of man Sarutobi Hiruzen truly was. If this old man had summoned him, it probably wasn't for anything good.

"The Police Force has its hands full. May I ask why the Third Hokage has called me?"

"Ah, yes. It's about Konoha's security. I must thank your Police Force for their hard work."

"It's all for the sake of Konoha. Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn. No matter how hard the work, if it's for the village, it's worth it. I, too, am an inheritor of the Will of Fire."

Kanzou spoke without a hint of shame, not even blinking as he delivered the words with perfect sincerity.

Hiruzen let out a soft chuckle. "Kanzou-kun, you truly understand the spirit of the Will of Fire."

"As long as the leaves continue to dance, the fire will keep burning. The shadow of the flame will protect the village, and new leaves will grow. That is the essence of Konoha."

He looked pleased, almost sentimental, as though watching the rise of another heir to his ideals.

"The youth are the future of our village. Kanzou-kun, I believe you'll become one of Konoha's great pillars someday."

His expression shifted slightly.

"I've heard there's been some unrest within your Uchiha clan recently."

"Yes," Kanzou replied, sighing. "It's been an unfortunate time. A traitor emerged from within the Clan... the assassination of two elders—what a disgrace. Thankfully, the culprit has been brought to justice."

As Kanzou spoke of the so-called traitor, his voice took on a tone of righteous fury.

"That bastard Uchiha Haruto… the two elders dedicated their lives to our clan, and he repaid them with betrayal. If I had my way, I'd cut him to pieces and feed him to the dogs."

"Was the murderer truly Uchiha Haruto? The affairs of the Uchiha clan are also the affairs of Konoha. I wouldn't want to see an innocent man wrongly accused," Hiruzen said, his expression laced with concern.

"It was definitely Uchiha Haruto," Kanzou replied firmly. "He committed Seppuku out of guilt. That alone speaks volumes, doesn't it?"

He paused for a moment before adding, "However, I suspect he had accomplices. He might just be the one to raise the knife… someone might even be behind him who ordered the assassination. But sadly, that's just a hunch—I have no solid evidence."

Hiruzen observed Kanzou quietly, the young man's appearance composed and polished. But inwardly, the Hokage felt a twinge of doubt.

When the news of the two elders' deaths first reached him, Hiruzen had also suspected Uchiha Kanzou. But the situation had progressed far too quickly—before he could step in, the case had already been "resolved," and Uchiha Haruto had conveniently taken his own life.

Whether it was a true suicide or something far more deliberate, he couldn't say. But the latter seemed increasingly likely.

"Hokage-sama," Kanzou said, breaking the silence. "I have something to report."

"Go ahead, Kanzou-kun," Hiruzen said, coming back to his senses, the usual amiable smile still on his face.

"Lately, the Konoha Police Force has been running low on funds," Kanzou began. "I was wondering if Hokage-sama could consider allocating additional resources. Frankly, we're struggling to keep the lights on."

"There's barely enough to go around. My subordinates are losing motivation, and as their captain, I feel powerless. If the Police Force can't operate properly, how can we guarantee the safety of the Village? Just thinking about it keeps me up at night."

Kanzou laid it on thick, playing the part of the underfunded, overworked employee who was being exploited.

It wasn't all an act either—Sarutobi Hiruzen had summoned him here to probe for answers, so Kanzou saw no reason not to ask for something in return.

Besides, he wasn't lying. The Police Force had always been underfunded. The budget Konoha allocated to them was embarrassingly small.

Back when Fugaku was captain, it was the Uchiha clan who privately funded the Police Force. But now that Kanzou was in charge, he had no intention of spending his own money to manage the police force.

Who did they think Uchiha Kanzou was?

Even if a bird flew past his door, it would have to leave two feathers as a toll—there was no way he was going to lose money.

"Ah… well, the village's finances are a bit tight at the moment," Hiruzen replied awkwardly. "But don't worry, Kanzou. I'll do my best to secure some funding for you soon."

"If the village is short on funds, I wouldn't dare trouble Hokage-sama," Kanzou said with a faint smile. "I'll just try my best to keep the Police Force in line during this difficult time."

'Playing games, are we?' Kanzou wasn't fooled by vague excuses.

Konoha claiming to have financial troubles? What a joke. Everyone knew Konoha, being the village in the Land of Fire, was the wealthiest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Why else would the Shinobi villages of other nations repeatedly start wars with them, if not to profit from their resources?

The Land of Fire was the wealthiest nation, and Konoha Village was the richest among the hidden villages. That was precisely why the ninja villages of other great nations often chose to go to war with the Land of Fire—to seize its wealth.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask, Hokagay-sama? If not, I'll take my leave. The Police Force can't run without its captain."

"Very well," Hiruzen nodded, but with a bit of a frown.

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"Uchiha Fugaku can't win against Uchiha Kanzou…"

After Kanzou left, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but shake his head. From their brief exchange, it had become clear—Uchiha Kanzou was a cunning fox.

Uchiha Fugaku would never be able to outmanoeuvre him.

"It looks like I'll need to give Fugaku a hand," Hiruzen murmured.

Rather than allowing the Uchiha clan to fall under Kanzou's control, it would be safer to support Uchiha Fugaku. Kanzou was too dangerous—he had already assassinated two elders and used the chaos to clip Fugaku's wings. The threat he posed was too great to ignore.

Ruthless and unscrupulous—if Kanzou became the Uchiha patriarch, he would be an undeniable destabilising force.

He dared to assassinate the elders of the Uchiha clan—what's to say he wouldn't one day set his sights on the Hokage?

At such a young age, Kanzou already possessed quasi-Kage-level strength, and it was highly likely he would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in the future.

Just thinking about the power of the Mangekyō made Hiruzen both shiver in fright and feel a flicker of envy.

If he knew Kanzou had already reached Kage-level and had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he might not have even summoned Kanzou. Even if he did summon him, his gay buddy would have definitely been there, accompanying him.

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Meanwhile, Kanzou—walking out of the Hokage building—was unaware that Sarutobi Hiruzen had decided to support Fugaku.

But even if he had known, Kanzou wouldn't have cared.

Even if Hiruzen wanted to back Fugaku, he couldn't openly interfere in the internal affairs of the Uchiha clan.

And if he tried, the entire Uchiha clan would push back.

Moreover, Kanzou wasn't afraid of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Even if things turned hostile, his Kage-level strength gave him all the confidence he needed.

And it wasn't just that—Kanzou had not only reached Kage-level, but also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and mastered the Shikai of Ryūjin Jakka.

At this point, as long as Uchiha Madara—who was still lurking in the shadows—didn't personally make a move, Kanzou had no reason to fear anyone.

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[Note: As the R-18 scene, I will post that part separately, one of these days, as Chapter 8.5]

Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!

[Note: Read up to Chapter - 64 on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]