Interestingly, his younger brother was Uchiha Akihira. One was boisterous and carefree, the other sharp and clever. It was hard to imagine two individuals with such vastly different personalities could be siblings. The Third Elder had simply assigned him to Kawasaki, and he had come this time to report the news of the attack on the Military Police.
"That's the situation," he explained. "The strange thing is, a Hyuga was involved, and he almost failed to send the warning signal in time."
"Just as I thought. The Hyuga are no match for us Uchiha. The moment there's no Uchiha stationed with the Police Force, they get attacked," Yotsuki declared.
Kawasaki paid no mind to Yotsuki's boast. He understood why they would be attacked even with a Byakugan user present. Although the Byakugan possessed incredible long-range vision, it was not omnidirectional. The effective distance varied significantly between focusing on a single direction and maintaining a full 360-degree view.
Members of the Hyuga Branch Family habitually rotated their bodies to survey distant areas with their Byakugan. This was because of a one-degree blind spot extending backward from their first thoracic vertebra. When scouting from afar, they subconsciously favored their forward field of vision. If an enemy's visual range could surpass theirs, they could spot the Hyuga's telltale turning motion.
The range of a Byakugan was determined by the purity of the eyes and the user's skill. The only one capable of overpowering Hyuga Moritsuke in this regard would be a Jonin-level Main Family member. Given the signs of Kirigakure's involvement, the culprit was almost certainly Ao. The Hyuga clan had lost only one Main Family Byakugan, and that was during the Third Great Ninja War. Ao had previously attempted to cause trouble in Konoha, only to be scared off by a single Genjutsu from Shisui. He was known to be an extremely cautious individual.
"Hyuga Hizashi has already gone to report to the Third Hokage. Vice-Head, do you think the Hyuga will ask for our help?"
Kawasaki looked at Yotsuki with a hint of amusement. Though Yotsuki was a Jonin with a three-tomoe Sharingan, a rank that would place him in a command position in any other clan, he was a simple thinker. He had been promoted to Jonin for his performance during the war, earning it through sheer combat prowess rather than strategic command. In his view, if other clans couldn't handle a task as well as the Uchiha, they would naturally come begging for assistance. To Yotsuki, the Uchiha were simply the strongest.
"They'll definitely come, but we won't be getting involved in this mess again," Kawasaki stated. "Yotsuki, go and ask the Clan Head to meet me in the conference room. Tell him I'll be waiting."
"Yes, Vice-Head!" Yotsuki, guessing that the Vice-Head might have a plan of action, hurried away with excitement.
Watching Yotsuki's retreating back, Kawasaki waved a hand. "Shisui, get ready. We might need you in a few days."
Shisui touched his own eye and nodded with a resolute expression.
...
By the time Kawasaki arrived at the conference room, Fugaku was already there waiting.
"Kawasaki, what are your thoughts on this?" It was Fugaku who had sent the initial message.
"The Hyuga clan is competent enough to guard the outer perimeter of the Military Police's jurisdiction. This attack was an anomaly," Kawasaki began. "It happened because their Branch Family's Byakugan has a flaw, a flaw that leads to a problematic habit in its usage."
Kawasaki then explained to Fugaku the visual blind spot created by the Caged Bird Curse Seal, as well as how the purity of the Byakugan and the user's skill affected its reconnaissance range and visual distance. He also presented his theory about the attacker.
Understanding dawned on Fugaku's face. No wonder even the Hyuga had been ambushed; so this was the weakness of the Branch Family's Byakugan. Could a pair of eyes that foresee the future truly be so powerful? Fugaku automatically attributed Kawasaki's knowledge to his Mangekyo Sharingan's ability, believing no outsider could possibly know such a secret otherwise.
"Kawasaki..." Fugaku said in a solemn, meaningful tone, "the powers of the Mangekyo Sharingan must not be overused. Otherwise, your eyes will soon lose their light."
Kawasaki nodded, realizing that Fugaku truly trusted him now. "Rest assured, Clan Head. I know my limits. Thank you for your concern."
Seeing that Kawasaki had the situation under control, Fugaku nodded in relief. "How do you think the Hyuga will handle this?"
"The Hyuga could completely solve this problem by dispatching two additional Branch Family squads," Kawasaki explained. "But they have a fatal weakness: a lack of manpower."
The Uchiha clan had fewer shinobi than the Hyuga. This was because every Hyuga member could awaken the Byakugan, making nearly their entire population combat-ready. Naturally, their numbers were significant. However, the Main Family never left the clan compound, and their protectors were also from the Branch Family. This alone cut their available forces in half.
Furthermore, patrols required shinobi of at least Chunin level. With a large portion of their personnel already dispersed throughout the village maintaining public order, the Hyuga were inevitably stretched thin when it came to external patrols.
"As you are still the Captain of the Military Police Force, the Hyuga will certainly come to you for consultation," Kawasaki concluded. "When they do, we can..."
...
Facing the Third Hokage's questions, Hyuga Hizashi insisted that the attacker was undoubtedly Ao of Kirigakure. As for why the Byakugan had failed, he was vague and evasive. The Third Hokage didn't press the matter, as this was not the first time Kirigakure had caused trouble. He simply instructed Hizashi to strengthen their defenses and prevent any similar incidents from happening again. The Third was preoccupied with peace negotiations with Kumogakure, a back-and-forth process that had drained much of his energy, leaving little for this matter.
After returning to the clan compound and conferring with Hiashi, Hizashi, just as predicted, arrived at the Uchiha territory that evening to request a meeting with Fugaku.
"Captain Fugaku, we're currently a bit short-staffed in our deployment for the Military Police," Hizashi began. "Do you think it might be possible to have some of the suspended Uchiha members return to duty?"
Fugaku waved him off. "My clansmen don't take orders well. Getting them to return now won't be easy. Besides, mobilizing clan members is not a simple affair." Fugaku clearly had no intention of getting involved.
Hizashi gave a bitter smile. "Captain Fugaku, I'm only now beginning to understand the grievances you and the Police Force have had to endure. I face complaints from my own clan members every day. Even when we do our jobs properly, we're still criticized."
"Captain Fugaku, you really must help with this," he pleaded. "Otherwise, we Hyuga won't be able to hold our position in the Military Police either."
Fugaku took a sip of tea. "Hizashi, you don't understand. The people are criticizing you because of comparison."
"Comparison?" Hizashi asked, confused.
"Yes. Because you aren't doing as good a job as we Uchiha did, the villagers are dissatisfied with you."
Hizashi fell into deep thought. He had to admit that Fugaku had a point. As one of the most distinguished clans in the shinobi world, the Uchiha naturally possessed a certain pride. They handled what needed to be handled and enforced what needed to be enforced, regardless of who was involved.
The Hyuga were not lacking in strength, but the Branch Family's position was awkward. They were forced to walk on eggshells around the Main Family, and everyone knew what kind of people the Main Family consisted of. As a result, the Branch Family was always hesitant and constrained in their actions.
Now, this incident with the outer patrol team had occurred. The Main Family was furious, demanding that the Branch Family resolve the issue at any cost. Hizashi had considered a strategy of teaming up two Branch Family squads, but he simply didn't have the personnel. If he reinforced the patrol teams, he would have to weaken the public order squads. That was why he had come to Fugaku for help.