Chapter 32 — Internal Affairs: A Family Problem
Uchiha Fugaku had once again thrown himself into running between the Police Force and the Hokage Tower, living a busy, "fulfilled" life.
Yujiro, however, kept himself out of it. He only observed from the sidelines.
After all, with his influence, neither Fugaku nor Minato would dare shortchange him when it came to dividends.
But in watching, Yujiro confirmed a frustrating truth: the Uchiha lacked numbers.
Top-tier fighters? The clan had plenty. Elites, jōnin, even multiple kage-level shinobi.
But logistics required something else entirely—not a few specialists, but sheer volume. Delivery runners, porters, cart drivers, and guards in bulk.
Konoha could supply those easily enough, even recruit from Fire Country's vast population. The Third Great Ninja War had just ended—refugees with nothing to lose filled the world. If not for the lethal Forest of Death, Konoha's outskirts would already be swarming with displaced masses, hammering at the gates for a taste of "freedom and democracy."
But the Uchiha clan? They couldn't.
Yes, there were a handful of non-shinobi civilians among them—the pancake seller, the tavern owner, the tea egg vendor. But their numbers were nowhere near enough to staff a full-scale logistics company.
And under Uchiha protection, those civilians lived comfortably. Why would they volunteer to sweat as wagon drivers?
In the end, the clan contributed only a squad of ninja for security and a bit of startup capital. Nothing more. Yujiro could only sigh. Even when given an opportunity, they don't know how to seize it.
"Population… population," he muttered. "A ninja clan's mobilization power really is pitiful compared to a ninja village.
Even with Minato pulling strings for me, Uchiha doesn't have the manpower to commit fully. So what's the solution? Is the answer still… becoming Hokage?"
---
Clans and villages could coexist, but not without conditions. For a clan as powerful as the Uchiha—or once, the Senju—there was only one way: produce the Hokage.
The mid-tier clans like the Ino-Shika-Chō were easy. Just blindly support whoever wore the hat. Eternal loyalty to the Hokage.
But the Uchiha and Senju? Too powerful. Too dangerous to ignore. Every leader who wasn't one of them instinctively moved to suppress and contain them. It was less policy than insecurity. Isn't that right, Third Hokage?
Yujiro thought grimly: "It's not just Konoha that needs reform. The Uchiha do too. And the Senju of the future… perhaps even the Uzumaki. At the very least, this habit of 'internal digestion' must end."
The problem was obvious: ninja clans were closed, insular, and shrinking.
For fear of leaking kekkei genkai and secret arts, they clung to inbreeding. It bound them tightly, yes—but at the cost of their genetic health.
The result? Daughters of daughters birthing daughters… until the bloodline collapsed into hereditary defects. A clan destined for madness, deformity, and Habsburg jaws, drooling even when cured.
Yujiro smirked. "We need large-scale marriages outside the clan. Fresh blood for alliances, fresh blood to stop us from degenerating into drooling weaklings. Otherwise… well, there's always another option."
In his mind, the shadow of Orochimaru flickered.
---
Of course, Yujiro's ruminations weren't purely strategic. Recently, he'd been under siege from something far deadlier than enemy shinobi: the matchmaking campaign.
After he'd demonstrated overwhelming power, not only had he won the admiration of his peers, but the full attention of every meddling auntie in the clan.
Led by Mikoto herself, they came in waves—introductions, arranged meetings, blind dates—until Yujiro was exhausted. Fugaku and the other old men of the clan looked on, openly amused at his torment.
Clans prized their bloodlines above all. With Yujiro's "prime genetic stock," of course they wanted him breeding ten children before thirty.
"...Ten kids? What do they think I am, a stud boar?" Yujiro groused. Then paused. "…Well. Not entirely impossible."
Perhaps it was time to accelerate that plan: resurrecting that legend, his ancestor, to bolster his "harem expansion."
"Now where was that body buried again? I'll have to check the clan archives."
---
Meanwhile, Fugaku felt doubly blessed.
First, relations with the Hokage were warming. The Uchiha had finally stepped beyond the Police Force into other sectors of the village. To show good faith, Fugaku even volunteered their brightest star, Shisui, to join the newly founded Konoha Transport Company.
Second, on a personal note—Mikoto was pregnant again. Three months along. Whether boy or girl, it meant another branch to his bloodline.
Both pieces of good fortune, Fugaku believed, traced back to Yujiro.
So when Yujiro asked for unrestricted access to the clan's jutsu library, Fugaku didn't hesitate. "Study whatever you like. You're family, don't stand on ceremony."
His generosity was so uncharacteristic, it left Yujiro uneasy. The Uchiha archives might not rival Konoha's—packed with Senju heritage and the Second Hokage's inventions—but they were still a treasure trove. To hand them over so freely…
Really? No strings attached?
And what did Fugaku mean by, "Both good fortunes are thanks to you"? His relationship with Mikoto was perfectly innocent. Don't you dare smear me, Clan Head!
"Ahem," Fugaku coughed, covering the awkward moment. "I was referring to Kakashi. That arrangement of yours… assigning him a student."
"Alright, if it's that Kakashi, then no problem."
Yujiro exhaled in relief. For a moment, he thought Fugaku was hinting at something else. With that settled, he headed straight into the clan library to immerse himself in ninjutsu research.
His priorities were clear:
1. Chakra Threads — to upgrade his kunai manipulation technique.
2. Useful ninjutsu — to expand his arsenal.
3. And of course, constant practice of hand speed...ahem..hand seal speed and jutsu casting.
With the system's permanent double-speed training buff, Yujiro's power skyrocketed. Three months passed in a blur: he mastered chakra threads, polished his Fire Release techniques, and even studied a fair share of Lightning Release jutsu.
Sure, he couldn't use them yet—he didn't have the lightning affinity. But that was fine. Once the system handed it over, he'd be ready to jump straight into Kumogakure's brutal taijutsu.
Then it'd be buff-stacking heaven: Eight Gates + Lightning Armor + Sage Mode.
Might Guy nearly kicked Madara into the Pure Land. But Uchiha Yujiro? One kick, and not just Madara—even Kaguya would find her panties split open along the seam.
After hitting that bottleneck where new progress slowed, Yujiro finally dragged himself out of semi-shut-in mode.
Unfortunately, Fugaku had already sent Shisui off to run wagons for the transport company. Otherwise, with Shisui training at his side, Yujiro's growth would've been even faster.
Behind him, eight kunai wrapped in chakra threads hovered like rattlesnakes, circling protectively. His greatest harvest from these months of seclusion.
Yujiro was confident: if he fought Obito again now, the result would be very different. Sending that fool off to join Rin in the Pure Land early? That'd be a good deed.
---
Stretching after training, he murmured to himself, feeling the rhythm of his chakra:
"So, what next? Should I track down Jiraiya, maybe snag a ticket to Mount Myōboku? Or perhaps… Orochimaru?"
He'd long coveted Sage Mode. Conveniently, each of the Legendary Sannin had ties to a secret land of training.
The problem? Tsunade and Jiraiya were both off the grid.
Jiraiya at least popped into the village once in a while—Minato could help him make contact.
But Tsunade? Vanished. Fugaku had promised to help locate her, but three months had passed, and not a single trace—no Tsunade, not even a strand of her hair.
Yujiro was thoroughly displeased. Maybe it was time to crank up the pressure on Fugaku.
"Can't slack off, Clan Head. If you can't find Tsunade, maybe you need a little… motivation."