Danzo's Root operatives were busy today, stirring up trouble all across the streets.
They created conflicts and chaos, yet no Uchiha Police Force members appeared to intervene.
The shopkeepers who suffered losses rushed to the Police Headquarters to complain.
But the Uchiha seemed completely unmoved.
The standard response was always the same: those officers had been suspended after complaints, leaving no extra manpower.
As for shops owned by the Uchiha themselves, Root operatives didn't even have a chance to cause trouble.
Several Uchiha patrol squads were constantly roaming near those areas, while they turned a blind eye to conflicts happening on other streets.
Many merchants went so far as to lodge complaints directly with the Third Hokage.
The Third looked at the thick stack of complaints before him.
Pressing his fingers against his temples, he muttered, "So the Uchiha suspended eighty percent of their squads in just one day?"
An ANBU below him replied, "Yes. This morning, the Uchiha dealt with all officers who had ever been complained about—every one of them suspended for reflection. Now the Police Force is understaffed, and incidents are happening everywhere in the streets with no one to manage them."
What on earth was Natsuki playing at? Or perhaps Fugaku?
The Third couldn't make sense of what the Uchiha were doing. These were just minor disturbances, hardly the kind of retaliation one would expect against Konoha.
After all, if things truly escalated, ANBU would step in.
Besides, Natsuki had already reached out beforehand, contacting the Hyūga clan to temporarily replace them.
The Third took a drag from his pipe. "How are negotiations between the Hyūga and Natsuki going?"
"Uchiha Natsuki handed over all Police deployment routes and patrol schedules to the Hyūga, without holding anything back."
"But the Hyūga still need about a week to fully deploy their people and get familiar with the routes."
Police Force deployment and patrol schedules had always been managed by the Uchiha. It made sense the Hyūga would need time.
The Third tapped his pipe. "Then have the ANBU keep watch for this week. If anything gets out of hand, step in directly. Once the Hyūga are in place, you can withdraw."
Inside the Uchiha compound, at the training grounds.
Ever since suspending most of the Police Force, the Fourth Elder had confined them all to the clan grounds.
With no duties to perform, most members went to the training grounds of their own accord.
"Hey! Yangshu!" Uchiha Yangshu, practicing shuriken, paused as his teammates Ōura and Riku called out to him.
"What is it?" He'd worked with them for a long time, and they were good friends.
Ōura grinned. "You didn't go out, so you probably don't know. Kiyomizu Izakaya got burned down today."
Yangshu raised an eyebrow. "That place on Third Street?"
"Yeah. The drunk came back after getting beaten up, and set the place on fire. The owner won't be able to open for days," Riku said with a hint of schadenfreude.
"No one stopped it?" Yangshu asked curiously.
Ōura shook his head. "There was no one. From First Street to Seventh Street, all our people have been suspended."
"Didn't they file complaints?"
Riku laughed. "Of course they did! But complaints are useless now. We have no one left in the Police Force."
"Those merchants used to mock us all the time—saying we were too lenient, or accusing us of brutality. Now that we're gone, they come begging. Serves them right."
"I heard the Fourth Elder was so happy today, he was humming songs while walking," Ōura added.
Yangshu chuckled. "After all the grievances we Uchiha have suffered, it's about time they got a taste of it."
Ōura lowered his voice. "But why did the Fourth Elder suspend us without giving us a mission? Do you know what the Deputy Clan Leader has in mind?"
Yangshu shook his head. "Not really. But the Deputy Clan Leader said we've worked hard long enough in the Police Force. He's giving us a week off, then tasks will come."
Meanwhile, Natsuki himself was training hard in the clan's grounds.
He had just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, giving him a qualitative leap in power.
His perception, genjutsu, and taijutsu had all improved dramatically.
But aside from unlocking Susanoo, his Mangekyō hadn't manifested any unique ocular abilities.
This puzzled him, though he wasn't in a rush—he didn't need it for now.
Still, he could clearly feel that his ocular power far surpassed the others.
Between training, he browsed through his "power system" template, checking which clan members had business talent.
Most Uchiha shinobi were naturally gifted in combat, but very few had skills in trade or management.
One stood out: a youth named Uchiha Kimyo. Though he had only awakened double tomoe at seventeen, his other talents were extraordinary—commerce, research, logistics.
He had even been Natsuki's former teammate. A true all-rounder, overlooked until now. Someone worth cultivating.
Beyond the shinobi, even ordinary Uchiha villagers appeared on the system's template.
Most of them ran small businesses in Konoha. A few showed potential.
Natsuki noted them down carefully—filling in the last missing piece of his plan.
Around him, other Uchiha trained in small groups. He overheard bits of gossip about the outside world.
After a break, Natsuki sat down for water, resting.
Meanwhile, Fugaku was listening to reports from the Third and Fourth Elders.
"Clan Leader, today I handed over all Police deployment and patrol routes to the Hyūga. It should take them about a week to fully replace us," said the Third Elder.
Fugaku nodded.
"Did any of the suspended members cause trouble?" he asked.
The Third Elder shook his head. "No. They just practiced at the training grounds or chatted. No incidents."
The Fourth Elder chuckled. "Of course not. They were too busy watching the villagers make fools of themselves."
"What fools?" the Third Elder asked, since he rarely paid attention to outside news.
The Fourth Elder smirked proudly. "Those shopkeepers. They used to complain endlessly—about us being too slow, too strict, or too violent. But today, every single one came asking where the Police Force had gone. You should've seen their faces, full of hope as they asked when we'd return."
He clicked his tongue smugly. "Now they finally realize our worth. But we Uchiha won't serve them so easily anymore."
For the first time, he understood Natsuki's true intention.
The Third Elder began to sense it as well, glancing at Fugaku.
Fugaku nodded. "Yes, I see it too. Natsuki is giving our clansmen a way to vent. And this is only the beginning. Soon, there will be even greater needs for the Uchiha."
The truth was, the Uchiha were the most suitable for policing.
They could subdue troublemakers instantly with genjutsu. With their keen eyes, they could detect problems before anyone else.
Their swift taijutsu and movement allowed them to reach scenes faster than anyone.
But because of history, the villagers of Konoha chose to ignore these strengths.
The Uchiha had always longed for recognition.
But in truth, the Uchiha never needed anyone's recognition.
Because the strong… don't need recognition!