Uchiha Yong walked silently through the streets of Konoha, his eyes scanning the passersby with thinly veiled disdain. His gaze—sharp and cold like a lone wolf's—made civilians avert their eyes or bow their heads without realizing it. Their unease only seemed to amuse him.
He relished this silent fear.
In his mind, the Uchiha clan were not just protectors of the village—they were its rightful rulers. To Yong, the Uchiha were meant to stand above the rest. Yet, reality was bitter. The clan had grown weak, fractured. His elder brother was trying desperately to restore the clan's former strength and pride, but opposition within the Uchiha themselves made every step difficult.
Yong had no interest in politics, but he wasn't blind to the maneuverings within the clan. To him, those who opposed progress were cowards—leeches that should've been purged long ago.
"Fortunately," he thought, "more and more of us are waking up."
With the Third Shinobi World War raging, Uchiha shinobi had begun to distinguish themselves on the battlefield again—proof, in his eyes, that the clan's strength was undeniable when given a chance.
Still, their influence in the village remained minimal. The Uchiha Police Force held authority over law enforcement, but the clan was excluded from any true decision-making in the village council. The elders still spoke of the glory days—when Madara stood beside Hashirama as a founder—but that legacy had long since faded into resentment and lost pride.
Once a minority voice, their cause was gaining support.
But one thing continued to gnaw at him—Uchiha Kai.
His brother had taken a keen interest ina, and that irritated Yong to no end.
Kai's lineage was unimpressive: his father, Uchiha Keisuke, was only a Chūnin who'd suffered a debilitating injury, effectively ending his shinobi career. His mother, Ryoko, was reclusive and barely spoke of her past. No famed warriors filled their family tree.
To Yong, Kai was just another footnote in the clan's fading story—a nobody.
Yet on the battlefield, Kai had awakened his Sharingan... and not just the first tomoe. He'd manifested the fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan in a single moment.
That was almost unheard of.
Yong had spent years honing his dōjutsu, progressing one tomoe at a time through blood, sweat, and the fear of death. And this brat awakened all three in one go?
The reports claimed Kai had activated his Sharingan during a desperate moment under Namikaze Minato's command, narrowly dodging a fatal strike. A near-death trigger was understandable—many Sharingan users awakened their eyes that way—but the leap straight to three tomoe? It reeked of favoritism or exaggeration.
"Probably another move by Minato," Yong thought bitterly. "Trying to shield himself after losing Uchiha under his command. And Kakashi... he's already under the Hokage's wing."
And yet, Kai's combat record couldn't be denied. The mission report said he single-handedly took down a demolition unit from Iwagakure, including a chūnin squad under Ishizuhiro. It was a feat even seasoned jonin might struggle with.
Yong refused to believe it. There had to be more to the story. A trick. A cover-up. Something.
What truly infuriated him, though, was how Kai had openly defied his older brother—and gotten away with it. Kai had challenged Uchiha Hiroki's proposal during a clan meeting and won support. That disgrace was something Yong could never forgive.
His brother had always been the one to protect and guide him. To Yong, defying him was akin to defying the entire Uchiha legacy.
A few days ago, Kai had even humiliated Hiroki in a sparring match. It was then that Yong saw his chance—for revenge and for clarity. He needed to see for himself just what level Kai had reached.
"Naruto's report or not, there's no way someone like him could defeat trained Iwa demolition shinobi alone. Unless... he's hiding something."
As he walked, Yong's thoughts turned toward the clan's current leadership.
Uchiha Fugaku—his clan head—seemed indecisive, always aiming for diplomacy with the village. Yong found it frustrating. Fugaku was powerful, yes, but too measured. Too careful.
He had denied several proposals from Hiroki, including those about expanding the clan's influence. That hesitation only fueled Yong's discontent.
Still, as a subordinate, Yong held his tongue. Fugaku's strength and status as head of the Police Force couldn't be ignored. He wasn't foolish enough to speak ill of him openly.
"Forget it," he muttered under his breath. "Better to train and focus."
His pace quickened as he made his way toward the grove near the Konoha Military Police headquarters. He trained there daily, just over a kilometer out—a habit since he joined the Police Force.
Strength still ruled in the world of shinobi. Even if his brother had turned his focus to politics, Yong was determined to protect him—and, one day, surpass him.
As for patrol duty?
He couldn't be bothered. No one dared make trouble near the Uchiha. Everyone in the department, even the patriarch, knew about his private training time. No one said a word.
And so, why should he care?
"Hmph... if it weren't for that damn Deputy Minister position—"
He stepped into the quiet grove, the distant chirping of birds the only sound. The air was still. Calm.
Yong dropped his forehead protector and green flak jacket beside a tree, stretching his arms in a practiced motion as he began his warm-ups.
Unaware, a pair of eyes watched him from the shadows.
And as he bent forward into his first stretch, the observer moved.