But the Third Hokage was no simple fool. He showed goodwill to the Uchiha on the surface while making his own moves in the shadows. Danzo's influence was growing, making him difficult for the Third to control. Meanwhile, the Uchiha were drifting further from the village, a rift widened by the fact that their combat strength—bolstered by two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan—was something the Third Hokage could not match.
Therefore, whether Danzo or the Uchiha suffered a loss, it was a net positive for the Third Hokage.
Now, the Uchiha could afford to pay less attention to the movements within Konoha, so long as their development in the Land of Sound stayed on track. Even the Uchiha civilians would no longer need to rely on the village.
"Relay my orders. All Uchiha Police Force patrols are to be conducted by two squads operating in parallel."
"All clan members who have awakened their Sharingan are forbidden from going out alone. Suspend all Konoha missions and have them remain within the clan grounds."
Fugaku had entrusted Kawasaki with this authority, clearly grooming him as a successor.
Kawasaki rose and clapped Qiming on the shoulder. "Danzo is still after our Sharingan. If you're short on manpower, ask Fugaku for more. And hurry up with the Barrier Team's work."
"Yes, Captain!" Qiming's eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
I will protect this clan!
In the days that followed, the Third Hokage reopened peace talks with Kumogakure. The Cloud Village had previously taken a hard stance, repeatedly testing Konoha's limits. But with the powerful backing of the Uchiha clan, their bravado proved to be an empty front. They couldn't win in a fight and couldn't afford a prolonged conflict, leaving them at Konoha's mercy.
They had sent the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, to make a show of force, but he was beaten, hospitalized, and effectively taken hostage. The negotiations were a bitter pill for them to swallow. They were forced to pay three hundred million ryo in reparations and transfer some of their research and technology to Konoha. Though it wasn't their latest tech, it was still rarely seen by the outside world.
The Third didn't dare keep it all for himself. He had a copy of all the materials made and sent to Uchiha Kawasaki.
...
On Konoha's Eighth Street, the shopkeepers found things rather strange today. The Uchiha Police Force members were moving in groups of eight. Whether on patrol or enforcing the law, they were always eight strong, like an inseparable shadow. Fortunately, the Uchiha had long since brought the local merchants to heel, so troublemakers were few and far between. The Uchiha's new patrol formation only drew a few curious glances.
But for Danzo, it felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat. Before he could even make a move, his path was blocked.
"Don't any of those Uchiha ever go anywhere alone?!"
"Reporting, my lord. Currently, all Uchiha with an awakened Sharingan are moving in groups. We haven't seen any in groups smaller than four," his subordinate, Jitu, reported in a low voice.
Recently, besides implanting a Sharingan into his right eye, Danzo had used the remaining two for experiments. He wanted to figure out how the Mangekyo Sharingan was awakened. However, he had made no progress. If the secrets of the Mangekyo could be so easily deciphered, the Uchiha clan would never have found itself in its previous predicament.
Now, because of him, the Shimura clan was implicated, and their collaborations with other ninja clans had all been severed. With the Shimura clan unable to turn a profit, the funds for Root had become even tighter. On top of that, the Third Hokage had used recent events as a pretext to cut his budget, forcing many experiments to a halt.
The power of the Mangekyo Sharingan that Kawasaki had displayed at the Hyuga estate left Danzo consumed with envy. But now, his stockpile of Sharingan was completely depleted.
Danzo thus turned his attention to the Uchiha Police Force. But before he could act, the Uchiha had raised their guard as if they had predicted his intentions.
"Where did the information leak from?" Danzo's gaze was dark. After mulling it over, he was certain it had to be that old fox, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Only the Third Hokage could command such a large number of Anbu and have such a comprehensive grasp of every whisper in Konoha. 'When I was useful, he was all smiles. Now that my power is growing, he suppresses me at every turn.'
"Go scout the perimeter of the Uchiha compound. See if there are any opportunities."
Jitu voiced his concern. "Isn't that too risky? Not even the Hokage's Anbu can get inside the Uchiha compound these days."
Danzo smiled confidently. "That's only because the Third was intimidated by Kawasaki. The Uchiha compound is huge. Can Kawasaki guard it all by himself? A larger team would be less secure. Send Aburame Ryoma to scout for an opening."
Jitu's heart sank. "My lord, Aburame Ryoma is currently locked in the dungeons by order of the Third."
"Release him quietly. Tell him there's a cure for his... condition. The prerequisite is that he helps me capture an Uchiha."
Though he had no desire to see Aburame Ryoma again, Jitu steeled himself and agreed. "Yes, my lord!"
...
Deep within the dungeons.
A man in a black trench coat leaned silently in the shadows of a corner. His body was well-built, but his skin had a faint, grayish-blue tinge.
Thump, thump, thump. Footsteps drew near.
Jitu stopped before the cell door. "Ryoma."
Ryoma seemed dazed for a moment, then yawned as he ambled to the bars. "You are? Jitu?"
Jitu nodded. "Lord Danzo says your condition can be cured, but only if you help him capture an Uchiha with the Sharingan."
"The Sharingan?" He scoffed. "Are the Uchiha so hard to find?" Ryoma had been in the dungeon for too long; he was completely unaware of the changes in the outside world.
"No problem. When do we move?"
Jitu swallowed hard. For some reason, being near Ryoma sent a chill down his spine, making his thoughts sluggish. "The sooner, the better. Lord Danzo is growing impatient."
With that, Jitu stepped forward and unlocked the cell door.
Aburame Ryoma strolled casually out of the cell. "Jitu, do you know why I was locked up in here?"
Jitu's stomach was in knots, but he forced himself to remain calm. "I heard it was for killing your own teammates."
"Are you planning to make a move on me?" Jitu was both worried and tense.
Aburame Ryoma said flatly, "I won't lay a hand on you. But my 'darlings' haven't eaten in a long time, so... I'm afraid you'll have to do!"
"Wh-What!"
In an instant, Jitu found himself paralyzed. The chakra within his body felt as if it had frozen solid. His vision went black, and his presence vanished in a heartbeat.
Bzzzz... A swarm of microscopic kikaichu flew out from Jitu's body.
Jitu was left a shriveled corpse.
...
On the outskirts of the Uchiha territory, Uchiha Qiming was busy at work, all alone. He was laying down chakra-conducting materials on the ground, carving barrier seals onto them. His final task was to complete the barrier node in front of him.
Ever since Uchiha Kawasaki was promoted to vice-chief, the clan had been changing day by day. The Uchiha who remained in Konoha no longer faced any unfair treatment. In fact, the members of the Police Force had become exceptionally popular. The Eighth District, which they protected, had always been the most peaceful area in Konoha.
Witnessing the Uchiha clan's growing prosperity filled Qiming with sincere joy. He himself disliked conflict and only wished for his family to thrive. Recently, the clan head had mentioned that the Uchiha had suffered greatly from a loss of talent. As a proactive measure, he had begun to encourage childbirth. Families with two or more children would receive a subsidy of two hundred thousand ryo for each child born. The more children, the more support they received, along with other benefits. Gradually, more and more families were having a second or even a third child.
Qiming's hands moved without rest as he prepared to complete the barrier formula's node. He wanted to activate it as soon as possible, giving the Uchiha their own detection barrier.
He worked with his head down, completely oblivious to the danger lurking nearby, drawing closer with every second!
A swarm of black insects fanned out, slowly closing in on Qiming...