Konoha Commercial Street, [Ten-Ten-Ten] ninja tool shop.
After having nearly half their shop stolen a month ago, resulting in a loss of weapons worth thirty million Ryo, Tenten's parents had been constantly dealing with the Ninjas from Konoha Military Police Force.
"This is the current investigation result… this is about all we have." Uchiha Yashiro, a brown-haired Jonin with the standard flak jacket and perpetually narrowed eyes, along with two other Uchiha Clan's members, handed over the final investigation report to Tenten's parents.
Though the owners of [Ten-Ten-Ten] ninja tool shop weren't Ninja themselves, they belonged to a clan known for their expertise in ninja tool crafting.
This theft, involving thirty million Ryo worth of ninja tools, was no small matter. In wartime, such an amount could sustain a small-scale battle.
Even Asuma, the Konoha's Jonin who had served as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, only had a bounty of 35 million Ryo on the black market.
Thus, this ninja tool shop theft could be considered the largest burglary case since Konoha's founding, and the Military Police Force took it extremely seriously, dispatching an investigative team led by the Jonin, Uchiha Yashiro and several Chunin.
However, despite a month of thorough investigation, they still found no concrete leads on the thief.
The so-called 'investigation result' was essentially just a record of the process, with no actual conclusion.
Tenten's parents, their eyes red and swollen, stared intently at the report handed to them by Yashiro: "Is this really all?"
No suspects had been identified, let alone arrested. That meant they would have to bear the losses themselves.
Yashiro shook his head sympathetically: "For now, this is all we have. If any new leads emerge later, you can always come to the Military Police Force. Likewise, if we uncover anything further, we'll notify you immediately."
Losing thirty million Ryo worth of ninja tools was a devastating blow… even for most Ninja, it would be an astronomical sum.
Even for Tenten's family, the loss was deeply painful.
Aside from their main clan's forge, their Konoha's ninja tool shop had the largest stockpile. Now, with thirty million Ryo worth of tools stolen, it would take the clan a long time to recover.
"Mom..." Four-year-old Tenten, whose hair tied into two buns, watched helplessly as her parents hugged each other and sobbed, unsure of what to do.
She clutched the hem of her mother's clothes, not fully understanding why her parents were trembling over a few sheets of paper.
But the empty ninja tool boxes served as a stark reminder… where kunai and shuriken once hung, only dust-covered hooks remained.
Yashiro exchanged a glance with the two Uchiha Clan's members, and the three silently retreated from the weapons shop.
"Captain Yashiro." On the street, one of the Uchiha's Chunin questioned Yashiro, "That thief was far too cunning. If we close the case like this, it'll be hard to explain to the Chief."
Yashiro was a squad leader, so subordinates naturally referred to him as 'Captain', while 'the Chief' referred to the leader of the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku.
"We're not closing the case, it's just..." Yashiro sighed helplessly. The crime scene had left almost no traces, and after a month of investigation, they hadn't even found any solid suspects.
They had detained a few suspicious individuals for questioning, but none turned out to be the real culprit, so they were eventually released.
Though the Uchiha were prideful, and the Military Police Force was disliked by the villagers due to their strict, no-nonsense enforcement, often the target of rumors, the Uchiha would never frame an innocent person.
"There was one more suspicious individual, but..." Yashiro recalled his earlier discussion with Fugaku about the case.
Fugaku had mentioned that on the night of the theft, a mysterious Ninja had attacked the Hyuga Clan's compound, dumping the body of the Kumogakure's envoy there in an attempt to frame the Hyuga Clan. The two Hyuga brothers had been injured, with one severely injured and the other lightly injured.
Though the Uchiha were excluded from Konoha's higher echelons, as the head of a clan, Fugaku had plenty of ways to learn about what had happened that night.
Moreover, it was no secret that later, Kumogakure was attacked by a mysterious Ninja, leading to the ceasefire between Kumogakure and Konoha.
"Never mind. I'll report to the Chief personally." Yashiro shook his head and headed toward the Konoha Military Police's headquarters, his mind filled with unanswered questions.
When the villagers around saw that the Uchiha Clan's members from the Military Police Force, they instinctively tensed up… especially the merchants.
As the enforcers of Konoha's internal security, the Uchiha Clan had essentially turned the Military Police Force into their personal domain, and their cold, merciless approach to law enforcement had earned them a fearsome reputation.
In addition, the old bastard Danzo spread rumors, had been spreading rumors while the Third Hokage turned a blind eye, leading to widespread resentment among Konoha's villagers toward the Uchiha Clan and the Military Police Force.
Maintaining internal security was always a thankless job, and no matter how they handled things, someone would always be dissatisfied.
Back when the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, established the Konoha Military Police Force and entrusted it to the Uchiha Clan, there was undoubtedly some trust involved due to Uchiha Kagami's influence.
But at the same time, wasn't it also a deliberate way to keep the Uchiha Clan isolated from ordinary villagers and smaller Ninja Clans?
After returning to the Military Police Force's headquarters, Yashiro dismissed his two subordinates and headed straight to Fugaku's office.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Following the sound of knocking, Fugaku's voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Creak…
"Chief." Yashiro entered Fugaku's office and placed an investigation report on his desk.
"The theft case at the Ten-Ten-Ten ninja tool shop is at a standstill for now. We truly can't find the culprit, or rather…" Yashiro's distinctive facial markings twisted slightly as he frowned in frustration.
"Mm. Good work." Fugaku didn't blame Yashiro, merely nodding in acknowledgment.
"Since there are no other suspects left, we'll list Shura as the prime suspect and report it to the Hokage." Fugaku's expression darkened as he stared at the report.
"But… why would a Ninja of that caliber steal ninja tools?" Yashiro voiced his doubts.
Even though the stolen goods were worth thirty million Ryo, a Ninja of that level would have other, more efficient ways to obtain money if they needed it.
Moreover, only one ninja tool shop had been robbed… there were several others in Konoha, but they were all untouched.
Moreover, according to the investigation, the stolen items were mostly kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and sealing scrolls… with the most valuable being the dozen or so sealing scrolls, worth nearly ten million Ryo.
"Who knows?" Fugaku was equally puzzled.
Just as the two were discussing how to report this to the Hokage and issue a warrant for the arrest of this thief, another knock came at the door.
"Chief!" One of the Uchiha Clan's Chunin who had accompanied Yashiro to Ten-Ten-Ten earlier burst in.
He delivered a shocking update: "The owner of the Ten-Ten-Ten ninja tool shop just reported to us! They found a chest in their basement… filled with thirty million Ryo in cash!"
"What?!" Fugaku shot up from his seat.
Yashiro's perpetually narrowed eyes snapped wide open.
'A Ninja who could move through Konoha undetected, coming and going as they pleased!'
'That guy called Shura! Is he here again?!'