Hokage's Office.
After hearing Kakashi's report, the Third Hokage frowned. "Call Hizashi over."
That the Byakugan—with its famed scouting ability—could be ambushed was truly unbelievable.
In the past, Konoha's perimeter was always guarded by the Uchiha, and such a major loss had never occurred. Who would have thought that as soon as the Hyuga took over, Kirigakure would strike?
Fortunately, the distress flare had been launched. Otherwise, if the Kirigakure ninjas had slipped into the village, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
After Kakashi left, the sound of a cane striking the floor echoed.
"Hiruzen, I've told you many times: Konoha's defenses are of the utmost importance. These clans can't be relied on. You should let my Root forces join the Police Force."
The speaker was none other than Shimura Danzō, who had already been stripped of his position.
The Third Hokage wasn't surprised. Even without his title as Hokage's assistant, Danzō was still one of the Elder Advisors.
That title was little more than a name. After all, there were many matters the Hokage couldn't handle personally—he still had to rely on Danzō.
The Third Hokage took a long drag from his pipe.
"Danzō, the recent security problems—those were your doing, weren't they?"
"Hmph, I don't know what you're talking about."
"The Uchiha have already withdrawn completely from the Police Force. The few who remain are only guarding their own shops. Cut your nonsense."
It was true—Danzō had stirred up trouble for two days, but once he realized the Uchiha weren't even engaging with him, all his efforts turned into a joke.
Ignoring that subject, Danzō pressed on with his earlier proposal. "Every member of Root is utterly loyal. They're the perfect candidates for the Police Force."
The Third Hokage knew full well what Danzō was scheming. Feeling irritated, he waved a hand. "We'll talk about this later. For now, I need to question Hizashi."
"Hiruzen, think it over carefully."
But Danzō didn't push the matter further. He knew the Hokage would never allow Root to sink its claws into the Police Force. Slowly, leaning on his cane, he left.
Meanwhile, news of the Police Force being ambushed and of a Hyuga squad's death had already reached the Uchiha clan.
At that moment, Natsuki was visiting Shisui. His eyes had been successfully transplanted. Indeed, the Sharingan's plug-and-play nature was incredibly convenient.
Even without a special physique, an eye transplant was considered minor surgery in this world. Remember how Nohara Rin had transplanted a Sharingan into Kakashi right on the battlefield—that showed just how widespread such medical techniques were.
Of course, the true pioneer was Tsunade. With the medical ninjutsu she developed, wounds could be healed rapidly, greatly reducing mortality rates.
If Shisui hadn't sustained other injuries, he wouldn't have needed to lie in bed for an entire week just for an eye transplant.
"Senpai, my eyes are fine now. Why are you still making me stay home this long?"
Originally, Shisui wanted to call him "Vice Clan Head," but Natsuki stopped him. To close the distance between them, he asked Shisui to just call him by name.
"Konoha is in a turbulent time right now. Many people have their eyes on the Uchiha. I want you fully recovered, and I also want to let the situation simmer for a while."
In his heart, Natsuki knew that while Shisui's mentality wasn't the strongest, his abilities truly were. He was still young, with vast room to grow.
The Sharingan was a heavy burden for him now—Susanoo shouldn't be used carelessly. But if Kotoamatsukami was used properly, it could become an invaluable asset.
"Vice Clan Head! So you're here! Shisui, how's your recovery?"
The one who arrived was Uchiha Yōya, one of the more obedient members of the hawkish faction.
Ever since Natsuki humiliated the Hokage's faction a week ago, Yōya's admiration for him had only grown.
Interestingly, his younger brother was Uchiha Keimei. One was brash and careless, the other clever and sharp—how they were siblings was a mystery.
The Third Elder had simply left Yōya under Natsuki's command. This time, he came to deliver news of the Police Force's ambush.
"That's how it is. The strange part is, even with a Hyuga present, they nearly failed to launch the distress flare."
"As expected, the Hyuga can't compare to us Uchiha. Once we withdrew from the Police Force, they were attacked right away."
Natsuki ignored Yōya's boasting. He, however, understood why even the Byakugan could be caught off guard.
The Branch House Byakugan carried a flaw. The Caged Bird Seal, while preventing their eyes from being stolen, also created a blind spot.
The lower the Byakugan's purity, the larger the blind spot became. This was a secret only known within the Hyuga Branch House.
Since Kirigakure's involvement was clear, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance this was Ao's doing.
After all, it was only during the Third Shinobi World War that the Hyuga lost a Byakugan from their Main House.
Last time Ao had come to Konoha looking for trouble, but Shisui scared him off with a single genjutsu. The man was extremely cautious.
"Hizashi has already gone to report to the Hokage. Vice Clan Head, do you think the Hyuga will come asking us Uchiha for help?"
Natsuki chuckled at Yōya. Sure, he was already a jonin with three tomoe—enough to be considered high-ranking in other clans.
But Yōya's thinking was simple. He had risen to jonin purely on his own strength, with little experience commanding teams.
In his mind, if the Uchiha could do something well, then no other clan could. Which meant, of course, the others would come begging for help.
Because the Uchiha were simply the strongest.
"They'll definitely come. But we won't meddle in this mess anymore."
"Yōya, go invite the Clan Head to the meeting room. Tell him I'll be waiting there."
"Yes, Vice Clan Head!" Yōya's excitement grew—he thought the Vice Clan Head was about to make a big move.
Watching Yōya dash off, Natsuki waved his hand. "Shisui, get ready. In a few days, I'll need you."
Shisui touched his eyes, then nodded firmly.
When Natsuki arrived at the meeting room, Fugaku was already waiting.
"Natsuki, what's your take on this matter?"
Indeed, it had been Fugaku who sent word to Natsuki.
"The Hyuga are decent enough for guarding the Police Force's perimeter. This attack was an accident—because their Branch House Byakugan has a flaw."
Natsuki then explained the Caged Bird Seal, the blind spot it created, how the purity of the Byakugan affected its vision range, and who he suspected the attackers were.
Fugaku suddenly understood. No wonder the Hyuga had been caught off guard—the Branch House Byakugan really did have such a weakness.
"So the eyes that can glimpse the future are that powerful, huh?"
Fugaku automatically assumed it was Natsuki's Mangekyō ability at work. Otherwise, how could an outsider know such a secret?
"Natsuki…"
With a meaningful tone, Fugaku said, "Don't overuse the Mangekyō. If you push too far, you'll go blind."
Natsuki nodded, realizing Fugaku truly trusted him. "Don't worry, Clan Head. I know my limits. Thank you for your concern."
Seeing that Natsuki was confident, Fugaku finally relaxed and nodded.
"So then, how do you think the Hyuga will handle this?"
"If they deploy two Branch House squads together, that should cover the problem. But the Hyuga have a fatal weakness—they don't have enough people!"
In truth, their numbers were about the same as the Uchiha. But the Hyuga Main House never left their compound. That meant their usable manpower was instantly halved.
And external patrols required at least chunin-level strength.
With many Hyuga already spread thin maintaining village security, they were clearly short-staffed for outside patrols.
"Right now, you're still the Police Force Captain. The Hyuga will definitely come to consult with you."
"And when they do, we can…"