Konoha's Kitahara Sake Bar.
Unlike the large restaurants near Konoha Main Street, the drinks here were strong and affordable—making it popular among middle- and lower-ranked Genin with limited income.
Shin Uchiha stepped inside and made his way to his usual spot near the wall.
Before Shin could even speak, the bar attendant asked, "Same as always?"
Shin simply nodded, then sat silently at the table, his gaze drifting toward the seat diagonally across from him.
His family wasn't poor, nor was he a heavy drinker, but lately, only alcohol could numb the pain deep within his heart.
Though born into the Uchiha clan, he had only average ninja talent—going through school unremarkably, graduating unremarkably, and completing missions without distinction.
His abilities weren't exceptional, so he didn't join the Police Force. Instead, he formed a team with two close friends from school, Katsurato Ogura and Masahiro Tsuchibashi, taking on ordinary missions together.
Daily grunt work like chasing stray cats and dogs, delivering letters, or planting crops was dull but somehow satisfying.
After every mission, the three would secretly meet up for drinks at Kitahara Sake Bar—a rare and treasured moment among them.
He had thought his life would continue peacefully like this—with some regrets, but no remorse.
However, fate played a cruel joke on him. Last week during a mission, their team encountered a powerful Rogue Ninja.
Outmatched, all three were pushed back relentlessly.
In the critical moment, the youngest among them, Masahiro, overwhelmed by fear, chose to flee alone.
Neither Shin nor Katsurato Ogura blamed Masahiro. In silent agreement, they both blocked the enemy to cover his escape.
Already at a disadvantage, once Masahiro fled, the team quickly fell into dire straits, and Katsurato Ogura was killed.
Fueled by desperation and hatred, Shin's eyes suddenly turned crimson red—the sign of an awakening Sharingan—unleashing power far beyond his usual limits, killing the arrogant rogue ninja.
Masahiro arrived soon after with Konoha reinforcements, looking at the dead Katsurato Ogura and accusingly asked, "You had the strength—why did you let Katsurato Ogura die before your very eyes?"
Shin shook his head bitterly, then downed another gulp of sake.
How could that be?
Suddenly, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old ninja pushed through the door curtain and immediately scanned the room until his eyes landed on Shin.
Masahiro Tsuchibashi approached coldly and said, "Shin Uchiha, Katsurato Ogura is dead, yet you still have the nerve to sit here drinking?"
Seeing Masahiro, Shin's face tightened with grief. He replied, "Masahiro, I'm just sitting here remembering Katsurato."
"Remembering? Don't pretend!" snapped Masahiro. "Now I understand—the Uchiha can only awaken the Sharingan after losing someone close. You sacrificed Katsurato Ogura just to activate your Sharingan, didn't you?"
"That's not true!"
Shin stared at Masahiro in shock, desperately trying to explain, "Masahiro, we've known each other for so many years—you know who I truly am. How can you doubt the bond between us?"
"Bond?"
Masahiro Tsuchibashi shouted angrily, "You Uchiha are devils! Trading the lives of friends for power—it's disgusting!!"
"How can you say that?"
"..."
Their argument gradually drew attention from the crowd, and onlookers near the shops began to gather around.
As Masahiro Tsuchibashi exposed the "truth" behind the Uchiha kekkei genkai awakening, passersby and ignorant ninja couldn't help whispering among themselves.
"Like I said—those eyes can't be human! All bloodshot!"
"I've heard before that the Uchiha are demons reincarnated. They gain power whenever they do evil..."
"Don't talk nonsense! That's a kekkei genkai. The Uchiha are protecting us at the front line against Iwagakure's invasion!"
"But how do you explain that all Uchiha awaken their Sharingan after witnessing the death of a close friend?"
"Uh..."
"Can't explain it, right? I think this young man is correct. They sacrifice their teammates to awaken the Sharingan!"
"..."
Shin heard the slanderous remarks about the Uchiha clan and, filled with rage, unconsciously activated his single-tomoe Sharingan, his eyes growing increasingly crimson.
Staring fiercely at Masahiro Tsuchibashi, Shin said, "Masahiro, stop this now!"
Looking at the angry crowd and Shin's fury, Masahiro Tsuchibashi replied, "Why should I stay silent? Today, I will expose your Uchiha clan's evil nature and let the villagers see your true face!"
Shin angrily unsheathed his sword, shouting, "Be quiet!"
"I won't be quiet!" Masahiro Tsuchibashi shot back.
Pointing at Shin, he continued, "Everyone look! This is an Uchiha for you. See how enraged he gets when his family secret is revealed!"
Seeing Masahiro Tsuchibashi stirring up the villagers, Shin flew into a rage.
Chakra flared beneath his feet, propelling him forward like an explosion, and the long sword in his hand slashed through the air like a silver crescent moon.
Seeing Shin lunging toward him with his blade, Masahiro Tsuchibashi showed no panic—in his eyes was relief.
Shin already regretted swinging his blade slightly, because the person standing before him had been a close friend for nearly ten years. Even if the other had forgotten their bond, he hadn't.
Looking at the defenseless Masahiro Tsuchibashi, Shin softened inside and prepared to divert the sword's path.
But just as he tried to shift its direction, suddenly he found his body no longer responding to his will.
The blade fell, aimed directly at Masahiro Tsuchibashi's neck. Helpless, Masahiro appeared on the verge of death by Shin's sword.
Bang!
A flash of white light suddenly cut across the space, slicing Shin's long sword into two pieces mid-swing. Only half the blade remained, passing narrowly before Masahiro Tsuchibashi without injuring him at all.
Beside them, Aozora abruptly appeared between the two.
Upon hearing that deafening roar, Aozora and his companions Kyudai and Mukashi dashed out of Ichiraku Ramen toward the scene.
Just in time, Aozora stopped what would have become a conspiracy against the Uchiha clan.
He immediately noticed something was off. Most strikingly, the crowd had gathered in dense layers around them, which was highly unusual. Although the neighborhood was lively, such heavy foot traffic wasn't normal. Moreover, the crowd shouldn't have arrived faster than the three of them did.
Casting a cold glance at both men, Aozora declared, "Police Force investigation in progress. Drop your weapon, raise your hands, and surrender immediately!"
Kyudai and Mukashi emerged simultaneously, revealing bulletproof vests marked clearly with Police Force insignia.
Shin immediately dropped the Long Sword and raised his hands.
Although Masahiro Tsuchibashi felt the overwhelming pressure from Aozora and the other two, he refused to raise his hands. Instead, he snapped resentfully, "He was the one trying to kill me. Why should *I* be arrested?"
From the crowd, a few defiant voices quickly rose in protest.
"Who do they think he is? What did he even do?"
"I get it now—the Police Force is under Uchiha's control. Is this new Uchiha working with the previous attacker?"
"If he couldn't kill him, does that mean he wants to lock him up in the Police Force's jail to torture him?"
"Nobody should let the Police Force run wild!"
"..."
As those few spoke, the crowd began to stir, each person ready to play judge and jury, determined to stop the Police Force from taking him.
Aozora stopped Mukashi and Kyudai from moving forward.
He could clearly sense more and more people gathering outside the Sake Bar—ninja lined every rooftop nearby.
Could this really be a conspiracy against the Uchiha clan?
Had Aozora not stopped Shin in time from killing Masahiro Tsuchibashi, the situation would surely have spiraled out of control by now.
Gazing coldly at the crowd, Aozora burned the faces of those who had spoken into his memory before finally speaking. "This man has been slandering meritorious officials and inciting discord among the villagers. The Police Force has every right to arrest him. What's the problem with that?"
Aozora's sharp voice cut through the noise, momentarily cooling the growing fury in the crowd.
Someone in the crowd shouted back, "What do you mean by 'slandering meritorious officials' or 'inciting discord among the villagers'? We didn't hear any of that!"
At his words, many villagers nodded in agreement one after another.
Aozora swept his gaze across the crowd and declared firmly, "The Uchiha clan not only helped establish Konoha but remains an inseparable part of it. How can someone slander and vilify them without consequence? When I say this person has been slandering meritorious officials and inciting discord among the villagers, am I wrong?"
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