"I don't have a good solution either."
Fugaku's refusal was direct. Just as Hizashi felt a pang of disappointment, Fugaku changed his tune.
"However, you could ask Kawasaki. He's full of ideas."
"Oh?"
Hizashi glanced at Fugaku, who maintained his usual poker face. Hizashi suspected that Fugaku did have a solution but couldn't state it directly due to his position, instead choosing to speak through Kawasaki.
"Understood. Where might I find Vice-Chief Kawasaki? I will pay him a visit."
Fugaku stood up. "We fought together on the battlefield; there's no need for such formalities. I'll just call him over. Wait here a moment."
With that, Fugaku left the meeting room. Shortly after he departed, Kawasaki entered.
Just as I thought. Seeing Kawasaki arrive so promptly, Hizashi grew even more certain of his suspicion.
Kawasaki was exceptionally warm upon entering. "You must be Lord Hizashi. I am Uchiha Kawasaki. I've heard much about you. We must find time to talk more in the future."
He had a good impression of Hyuga Hizashi. Although Hizashi's loyalty was misguided, he was a product of his era, unable to break free from its constraints. His willingness to die in his brother's place was a feat few could match.
Moreover, he was Neji's father, and among ordinary people, Neji's talent was a rarity. It would be good to build a connection with him if the opportunity arose. Besides, the Third Great Ninja War had just ended, and the incident with the Hidden Cloud involving Hinata had not yet occurred. Kawasaki wanted to give Hizashi a lifeline; it would be a shame for him to die like that.
Hizashi was slightly taken aback by Kawasaki's enthusiasm, but he knew better than to be rude to someone so friendly. He was happy to see that Kawasaki was so approachable.
"Vice-Chief Kawasaki, you're too kind. I am not worthy of being called 'Lord'."
"Haha, let's drop the formalities then. You can call me Kawasaki, and I'll call you Hizashi."
Hizashi couldn't help but smile. This Kawasaki was quite a character. His impression of the man was favorable, so he readily agreed.
He then repeated to Kawasaki everything he had told Fugaku.
As expected, Kawasaki already had a plan. "Hizashi, this is simple. Since the villagers love to make comparisons, you just need to find someone who does a worse job than you to act as a scapegoat."
Worse than the Hyuga? Hizashi pondered for a moment but couldn't think of a suitable clan.
"I can't think of any clan off the top of my head," Hizashi said, shaking his head.
Seeing this, Kawasaki decided to be blunt. "You can ask Danzo for men, can't you? Hasn't he always wanted to place his people in the Police Force?"
Hizashi was shocked. Danzo's men? Weren't they from Root?
"How could that work? Those hardened killers from Root are not suitable for this!"
"Ah, but that's what makes them perfect." Kawasaki's expression was full of meaning. "That's exactly it. You need men who are accustomed to killing to handle law enforcement. That way, you'll be free to join the patrol teams."
"Hmm..."
Comprehension dawned on Hizashi. Even if Root's members were hardened killers, they wouldn't dare murder civilians. A man like Danzo would never let go of power once he got his hands on it. And as for whether Root could maintain public order... well, that didn't seem to require much thought. In any case, the Hyuga clan and Danzo were not on good terms.
Hizashi quickly left the Uchiha compound and returned to his clan to discuss the matter with his elder brother, Hyuga Hiashi. Hiashi was also full of praise for the idea.
He patted Hizashi's shoulder and said, "This Uchiha Kawasaki is an interesting man. Perhaps Fugaku sent him to deal with you as a way to train him. It was Kawasaki's proposal to Fugaku that allowed us to join the Police Force in the first place. You should interact with him more in the future. There may be other opportunities for cooperation."
Hizashi nodded in agreement.
He promptly sent a formal request for a meeting to Danzo Shimura. Everyone knew about Danzo's Root, but he rarely allowed outsiders into its headquarters. He typically received guests at the Shimura clan compound.
Danzo was somewhat surprised to receive the request from Hizashi. The Hyuga clan had always been insular, with little interaction with the outside world. They had no private dealings. However, Hizashi was the head of the Hyuga branch family, and Danzo couldn't refuse him such a small courtesy. He quickly granted the audience.
After a few pleasantries, Hizashi got straight to the point. "Elder Danzo, you know that our Hyuga clan has recently taken over many of the Uchiha's duties in the Police Force."
"Mm..."
"But yesterday, a patrol team on the outskirts of Konoha was attacked, and I realized we are short on manpower. I've heard that Root has plenty of personnel. I was hoping to borrow some of your men to supplement the Police Force. I wonder..."
"Oh?..."
Danzo was secretly overjoyed. He had always wanted to infiltrate the Police Force, but the Third Hokage had consistently blocked him. Now, Hizashi had come to him on his own initiative. This couldn't be blamed on him. Hmph, a bunch of incompetents, can't even handle patrol duty.
"No problem, Hizashi. Root has more than enough men. How many do you need?"
Hizashi thought for a moment. "How about thirty? Lord Danzo, we must agree on one thing beforehand... Your men will have to follow my command once they join the Police Force. Otherwise, Fugaku will never agree to it."
Danzo readily consented. "Of course. Since they are being loaned to you, they will naturally follow your orders."
The two quickly reached an agreement, and Hizashi took his leave. As Danzo watched Hizashi's retreating back, he chuckled to himself. Once my Root agents are inside, you'll no longer be in control.
Hizashi's Byakugan naturally detected Danzo staring at him from behind. He scoffed inwardly. Danzo, you can't escape what's coming.
Danzo quickly returned to the Root headquarters and gathered his subordinates. After selecting the personnel, he spoke to their leader, Nakamura Kazuya. "Kazuya, your mission is to infiltrate the Police Force and seize control as quickly as possible. Remember, do not create conflict with anyone at the beginning. Especially not with Uchiha Fugaku. Don't give him any excuse to send you back. Understood?"
"Understood!"
...
At the Hyuga clan compound, Hizashi was busy reorganizing his teams.
"Tokuma, withdraw everyone from sectors one through four and reassign them to the outer patrol teams. Each squad must have two of our clan members using their Byakugan to watch each other."
Hyuga Tokuma was an exceptionally calm and steady clan member, and Hizashi often entrusted him with important tasks.
"Elder Danzo will be sending some people over tomorrow. The newcomers will be assigned to sectors one through four. Your teams will maintain their positions in sectors five through seven."
"Lord Hizashi, why are we letting Elder Danzo's men get involved? Aren't they all from Root?"
Hizashi smiled and patted Tokuma's shoulder. "You'll understand in due time."
...
The next day, at the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, the routine morning assembly was underway. Nakamura Kazuya and his team of Root operatives had arrived early.
Kazuya was still contemplating how to deal with Hyuga Hizashi when he saw a familiar face he hadn't seen in a long time: Uchiha Fugaku himself was present. Hizashi stood directly behind Fugaku, clearly indicating that Fugaku would be orchestrating everything.
Kazuya's expression darkened. He had a feeling that events were unfolding in a way he hadn't anticipated.
Soon, everyone had assembled.