[Ding! Indirectly caused the death of Uchiha Clan Head. Reward: Evil Points +1000]
Uchiha Gen was dead—and to Ichiro's surprise, the system even rewarded him for it. That confirmed Gen's death wasn't some elaborate hoax or fake-out.
"Go release Uchiha Fugaku."
Now that Gen was truly dead, Ichiro decided to uphold his word and let Fugaku go. The man still had value.
Two tigers cannot share the same mountain. That's exactly what the Konoha higher-ups wanted to see.
To put Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind at ease, Ichiro had to release Fugaku. Until he possessed overwhelming power, Ichiro had no interest in becoming a target of the Third Hokage's suspicion.
He had only just awakened the system—he still needed to lay low. Once he reached Kage-level strength or awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, then he could go all out.
Once he hit Kage-level, he could also activate the Shikai of Ryūjin Jakka.
Though the Shikai's power couldn't compare to the terrifying Bankai—Zanka no Tachi—Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai alone was strong enough to be a trump card. It would be more than enough to kill an average Kage-level opponent.
And if he awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, his combat power would leap dramatically—possibly pushing him straight into the Kage tier.
But for now, it wasn't time to be arrogant. Ichiro knew that well.
So, he needed to fabricate a rival. Someone who would reassure the old fox Hiruzen and keep attention off himself.
"The clan head is dead. As a fellow Uchiha, it would be improper if I didn't stop by to pay respects."
Ichiro made his way to Gen's residence, where a somber atmosphere loomed.
As soon as he stepped in, several sharp glares locked onto him.
Uchiha Rin, Uchiha Takeshi, and Uchiha Daita all stood at the front, their eyes cold. Daita even drew his blade on sight.
"You bastard! You dare show your face after killing the clan head?"
Ichiro frowned at the accusation.
"You can talk crap, but at least watch your mouth. The clan head was someone I respected greatly. How could I ever harm him? What exactly are you implying?"
He ignored Daita completely and strode toward Gen's body.
"Not here," said Uchiha Takeshi, holding back Daita's arm. "Don't fight here."
Starting a battle here would disturb the clan head's remains, and besides, it was pointless to pick a fight with Ichiro now.
Ichiro wasn't surprised. These men were enemies for sure—but not today. They wouldn't start anything here, not yet.
Just then, the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder stepped forward and stood beside Ichiro.
"Ichiro, with the clan head gone, don't you think it's time to release Fugaku?"
Ichiro gave him a calm glance and nodded. "Don't worry, Great Elder. Fugaku will be back shortly."
"That's good. You and Fugaku are both geniuses of the Uchiha Clan. I hope you can work together, not against each other."
From the clan's perspective, a united front between Ichiro and Fugaku was ideal.
The elder personally favored Fugaku as the next clan head—not because Ichiro lacked ability, but because the elder's granddaughter, Uchiha Mikoto, was Fugaku's fiancée.
That made Fugaku his future grandson-in-law. Naturally, he backed him.
"Work together? That's possible," Ichiro said with a smile. "As long as Fugaku is willing to make a small… sacrifice."
The elder frowned slightly, assuming Ichiro was referring to the clan head position. Fugaku would never step aside, so any kind of 'sacrifice' was impossible.
But what the elder didn't know was that Ichiro wasn't talking about leadership—he was talking about Mikoto.
"I wonder how many Evil Points I'd earn for stealing Fugaku's fiancée..." Ichiro mused.
He had seen Uchiha Mikoto before—she really was stunning.
Good thing the elder couldn't read Ichiro's thoughts. If he had, he might've struck him right then and there.
Before long, Fugaku returned in a disheveled state.
He'd heard about his father's death on the way back. Rage burning in his eyes, he stormed into the compound like a madman.
"Ichiro! I'll kill you!"
"Don't be reckless!" Rin and Takeshi quickly restrained him.
Last time Fugaku attacked Ichiro, it had given Ichiro the perfect excuse to arrest him. Now that he'd just been released, they couldn't afford a repeat.
"Tch. What a shame," Ichiro muttered.
If Fugaku had charged at him again, Ichiro wouldn't have minded roughing him up and tossing him back in prison. And now that he was officially the captain of the Konoha Police Force, arresting Fugaku would be perfectly legitimate.
"Fugaku, I truly mourn the loss of our clan head. But it seems your grief isn't all that deep," Ichiro said, voice laced with meaning.
Fugaku definitely had the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. In the original timeline, it was heavily implied that he already had.
If his bond with his father had been strong enough, this would've been the perfect emotional trigger.
But thankfully—for him—it didn't happen. If Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō, Ichiro wouldn't have hesitated to eliminate the threat.
He'd either kill him on the spot or rip out his eyes.
Until Ichiro awakened his own Mangekyō, he couldn't allow anyone else to have it.
"You can't beat him yet," Rin whispered into Fugaku's ear. "Wait."
Even at full strength, Fugaku was no match for Ichiro—especially not now, after being tortured in custody.
Though Ichiro hadn't ordered any rough treatment, Ken had 'taken good care' of Fugaku during his stay. It was something Fugaku would never forget.
Maybe this torment would forge him into someone stronger.
And maybe that's why, this time, he held back his fury.
"Ichiro... I'll make you pay for this. One day, I swear," Fugaku vowed inwardly.
Even though he had just been released, he already understood that Ichiro's actions had directly led to his father's death.
If not for Ichiro, his father might've lived another six months.
Glaring at Ichiro with his blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan, Fugaku radiated hatred.
Ichiro met the gaze without fear.
He could feel the hatred—but he knew it would only deepen over time. And that was exactly what he wanted.