Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

"Has Uchiha Fugaku been acting strangely again?" Tatsuya asked, reclining on a ninja husky he'd summoned, his head resting on Rin's knees in a display that practically exuded arrogance. After hearing Shisui's report, he sat up, more alert.

"Not exactly," Shisui replied, scratching his distinctive nose. "The patriarch was acting oddly for a while, but he seems to have returned to normal... though…"

"If you've got something to say, spit it out," Tatsuya demanded impatiently.

Shisui hesitated before continuing, "Recently, several Uchiha at the Chūnin level and above have been gathering often at the police department. When Itachi and I tried to enter, we were blocked from going inside."

He clenched his fists, frustration clear on his face. "I have no idea what they're discussing."

A thought flickered through Tatsuya's mind—Could they actually be planning a coup, just like in the original events?

In that timeline, he remembered, Konoha was at its weakest point in terms of leadership, with only Sarutobi Hiruzen remaining as Hokage—a vulnerable period for the village. Under those conditions, Uchiha's chances of a successful coup weren't guaranteed but were probably around 30%, especially if Fugaku managed to control the Nine Tails. That number might even rise to 50% if they succeeded.

Of course, whether Fugaku would be accepted as Hokage after a coup was another story.

However, things were different now. Even if Tatsuya didn't personally intervene, Konoha still had several Kage-level shinobi: Tsunade, Sakumo, and Namikaze Minato, not to mention Hiruzen. Tatsuya didn't even bother counting Hiruzen, who he considered practically a bystander at this point. Fugaku wasn't foolish—he wouldn't dare stage a coup under these circumstances.

"Could Obito be behind this, stirring up trouble in the shadows?" Tatsuya wondered aloud.

In the Uchiha massacre of the original timeline, Obito played a critical role. He massacred the entire Uchiha police department where the elites of Uchiha were working. Now that Itachi knew Obito's true identity, it wouldn't be surprising if Obito had shifted his manipulative focus from Itachi to Fugaku.

Rin looked startled beside him. "Obito?...!"

Shisui's expression hardened, and rare anger flashed across his face. "Him? Hasn't it been enough to unleash the Nine-Tails and leave the Uchiha clan wrongly blamed? Now he's trying to drag the entire Uchiha clan into ruin? That bastard!"

"For Obito, the fate of the world means nothing, and his clan probably even less," Tatsuya muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But what's he after by getting involved in this mess? Another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan? Though he already has both Mangekyō, doesn't he?"

Noticing Rin staring wide-eyed, Tatsuya gave a long sigh before reaching over and pinching her cheek. "Ahh, beauty truly is a curse, isn't it?"

Slap!

Rin swatted his hand away, her cheeks flushed red. Humph! She scowled, shooting him a look that said, He's insufferable!

Shisui, eager to shift the focus, interjected, "Tatsuya, are you saying Obito has been around Konoha recently? Does that mean there's a chance we could catch him?"

"If we could catch him before any coup, it'd be the best possible outcome," Tatsuya said, raising an eyebrow. "But whether he'll show himself again is hard to say."

He shifted his gaze slightly to the right, where a sword rested quietly. Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka.

Shisui followed his gaze, understanding.

"You know what I'll do if it comes to that, don't you?" Tatsuya asked, his tone quiet but firm.

"...Yes," Shisui replied, nodding stiffly, his expression solemn.

...

...

"Tatsuya-sama, lately I've felt like someone is watching me," whispered the small, sweet voice of Hyūga Hinata as they sat down for dinner.

"Spied on?" Tatsuya echoed. At these words, everyone at the table paused, lowering their bowls and chopsticks.

"Who else around here is such a pervert?" Tsunade teased, winking at Tatsuya.

Thwack! Tatsuya delivered a light slap to her under the table, reminding her to ease up on the teasing.

Given that Hinata had been training her sensory abilities to the Chūnin level, she probably wasn't mistaken. Tatsuya mentally ran through anyone from the original story who might have an unusual interest in Hinata. A secret admirer, maybe? But as he recalled each character, no one stood out as suspicious.

Honestly, he was beginning to question the taste of Naruto's generation. Sakura, with her fierce attitude, still managed to draw admirers like Naruto and Lee, while Hinata remained overlooked. True, her short hair didn't immediately draw attention, so Tatsuya encouraged her to grow it long. Now, her hair reached her waist, giving her a striking look that matched her charm—a perfect young beauty.

Could it be someone from the Cloud Village? They'd long coveted the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan. But would they dare try something like this again?

"I can't think of who it might be," Tatsuya said, stifling a yawn. "Just stay close to me over the next few days. If someone is lurking around, I'll spot them."

"Mm." Hinata nodded obediently.

Watching from across the table, Rin's expression grew complicated. This feels all too familiar, she thought. Wasn't I in the same situation when I first followed Tatsuya around?

The bittersweet memories of her own experiences flooded back, making her wince inwardly. Ah, those were the days…

...

...

Namikaze Minato had only been the Fifth Hokage for less than a week when tensions began to escalate. During this time, the Uchiha Police Department continued to enforce the law rigorously, arresting villagers daily. However, many detainments were viewed as excessive, and an increasing number of civilians were now held in the police department's cells due to overly harsh enforcement. Even the ordinary villagers began to notice the growing tension among many Uchiha officers.

"It was just a drunk causing trouble," someone muttered. "Did they need to be so rough with him?"

"Well, he did say something that hit a nerve," another replied. "It was about the Nine-Tails incident eight years ago…"

That evening, in front of a lively izakaya on one of Konoha's busiest streets, a confrontation took place. A Uchiha police officer, a Chūnin, had severely beaten a drunken man. The incident began as a routine scuffle, but when the man yelled, "You traitors who used the Nine-Tails to destroy our village!" the officer lost control, reacting with intense anger.

The Uchiha officer's reaction left bystanders stunned and murmuring, aware that old wounds and suspicions about the Uchiha clan had resurfaced.

---

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