Uchiha Itachi realized he had lost his composure. Under the restraining gaze of Uchiha Shisui, he forcibly swallowed his anger and stepped silently to the side.
At this moment, the hawk faction was already boiling with excitement.
Their leader had taken first blood.
Ran paid them no mind. Instead, he smiled faintly at Shisui and said, "I know it's hard for you to believe. Actually, there's a simple way to verify it."
"Tell the Hyūga Clan about Grandpa Kagami's chakra nature and color, and have them keep an eye on Danzo Shimura. Then you'll know whether what I said is true."
Shisui didn't agree with Ran's seemingly groundless speculation, but he quietly memorized the method.
He remembered his grandfather's chakra clearly—warm, green, and brimming with vitality, right up until the day he died.
People were like that. When coincidences piled up, doubt inevitably crept in.
Coupled with Ran's firm tone, suspicion began to take root in Shisui's heart.
"Back to the main point," Ran said as he returned to his seat. "Your core argument earlier was that the Second Hokage wanted the Uchiha to integrate into Konoha, and that's why he gave the clan control of the Military Police Force. Correct?"
A subordinate immediately brought over a new table and set it in front of him, eyes burning with excitement.
Ran leaned back in his chair, propped his feet on the table, and clasped his hands behind his head as he looked at Shisui.
Shisui nodded. "So? What brilliant insight do you have?"
His expression was serious. Although he leaned toward Konoha, he was no fool—he thought for himself.
Ran sneered. "Then let me ask you—what exactly does the Konoha Military Police Force do?"
"Investigation, arrests, and interrogation," Shisui replied without hesitation.
"And you think that's glorious?" Ran narrowed his eyes. "Protecting peace and maintaining order in Konoha?"
Shisui nodded again. It seemed to him that Ran at least understood common sense.
What answered him were several cold laughs.
"Heh. And then what?"
"The Police Force is made up entirely of Uchiha. That already cuts us off from the masses. Whenever the Police handle disputes, people question their fairness. Even random nobodies dare to accuse us of abusing authority."
"In reality, do we do that? No. But do others believe it? Also no."
"That's isolation. That's suspicion."
"And finally—why give such a powerful department exclusively to the Uchiha and not to anyone else?"
"Why…?" Shisui froze.
He had a bad feeling. What Ran was about to say might completely overturn everything he believed.
"Because the Uchiha are too arrogant," Ran said coldly.
"Everyone's still intoxicated by the glory of the Warring States Period. When questioned, they disdain to explain themselves. When wronged, they endure it in silence—thinking that makes them noble."
"But don't forget—how did that so-called glory come about?"
"It was beaten out, punch by punch, by Uchiha Madara!"
"It wasn't meant for you to sit here swallowing humiliation, holding your heads high and pretending you're superior while being completely detached from the masses!"
As he spoke, Ran kicked the table forward.
The table shot straight toward Uchiha Zongyi.
Zongyi's face went pale. With his aging body, he couldn't react in time—but Shisui instantly formed hand seals.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
He flickered in front of Zongyi, drew a kunai, and sliced the table cleanly in half.
"Ran! What are you doing? This is a debate—why resort to violence?" Shisui frowned, feeling that Ran's emotions were becoming unstable.
Ran sneered. "I'm annoyed just looking at him. Got a problem?"
Zongyi collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale.
Members of the dove faction hurried over to support him. After recovering slightly, Zongyi looked at Ran, then at Fugaku.
"Clan Head," he said coldly, "Uchiha Ran attacks fellow clansmen without restraint and has an extremely violent temperament. I suggest revoking his qualification to attend this meeting."
Before Fugaku could respond, the hawk faction exploded.
"Fuck you, Zongyi! So what if he hit you? I want to kill you too!"
"You bastard—the clan raised you, and now you're thinking about the Village? Everything you eat, wear, and use—what wasn't given to you by the Uchiha?!"
"If you're so capable, gouge out your own eyes and go serve the Konoha higher-ups! Go on!"
"Isn't what Ran said right? Was Uchiha glory achieved by your dove faction constantly retreating? Wasn't it all fought for with blood?!"
The hawk faction had fierce tempers, but their stance was crystal clear.
Everything they did was for the clan.
If Ran were wrong, fine—but now that he was right, back down?
Over their dead bodies.
Zongyi's face turned ashen.
He hadn't expected the hawk faction to be this extreme.
When he looked back at the dove faction, although many frowned in displeasure, not a single person dared to argue back.
His teeth clenched.
In that moment, he felt the hawks were lunatics—and the doves were cowards.
Naturally, he never considered that he himself might be the problem.
The corners of Fugaku's mouth lifted slightly, though his tone remained stern.
"Enough! Stop arguing! Continue listening to Ran's analysis!"
Ran glanced at Fugaku and noticed the admiration shining in his father's eyes.
He smirked.
"Shisui, think carefully. Did the Second Hokage deliberately trap the Uchiha in a dead cycle—cut off from the villagers, isolated from the masses, and slowly alienated?"
"There's an old saying: share the meat, share the wealth."
"The Police Force is a fat piece of meat. If only our clan gets to eat it, won't others grow red-eyed with envy? Won't jealousy take root?"
"Have you ever considered that?"
Ran stared at Shisui.
Sweat was already forming on Shisui's brow.
He had once believed the Second Hokage gave the Uchiha an important role.
But now…
All he could feel was that the Second Hokage might have been a narrow-minded, despicable man.
"I…" Shisui opened his mouth, throat dry. No words came out.
Uchiha Itachi, however, spoke coldly.
"All of this is nothing but your speculation. Everyone knows the Second Hokage was fair and selfless. He passed the position of Hokage to Lord Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and not even to his own Senju Clan."
Ran looked at him like he was staring at an idiot.
"Is there a hole in your brain?"
"How old were the next generation of the Senju back then—Nawaki and Tsunade? Seven? Eight?"
"Would you hand supreme command to a seven- or eight-year-old child?"
"And how do you know Senju Tobirama was truly fair and without selfish motives?"
"What, did you ask him personally?"
"Isn't all of this just hearsay too?"
"Can you please think for yourself for once, my foolish big brother?"
Ran sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"You—!" Itachi's eyes burned with fury as he glared at him.
"Itachi," Shisui said quietly.
Itachi immediately restrained himself and fell silent.