Hiko stood at the door of the lounge, blinking. For a moment, he thought he had walked into the wrong building.
The Third Squad—a group of battle-hardened, foul-mouthed "thorns" who usually smelled of cigarettes and sweat—were standing like disciplined cadets. More than that, they were being... polite.
The cause of this miracle sat in the center of the room. A young girl, petite and bright-eyed, looking like a fresh flower in a field of weeds.
"A newcomer?" Hiko asked, his eyes narrowing. She looked familiar.
"Captain!" The girl scrambled to her feet, bowing so low her forehead almost hit her knees. "I am Uchiha Izumi! I've passed the personnel audit, but I am here for your final evaluation!"
Hiko silent for a beat. Izumi Uchiha. Aunt Hazuki's daughter. She wasn't a "pure" clan member; her mother had married out and only returned after her husband's death. In the old, rigid Uchiha, they were outsiders. But in Hiko's Uchiha? They were assets.
"My mother speaks of you often, Captain," Izumi said, her voice trembling slightly. "She said if I want to truly belong to the family, I should learn from the man who is giving the family its pride back."
Hiko felt a flicker of amusement. It seemed his "butterfly wings" were already flapping. "Work hard, Izumi. The clan accepts those who contribute. Follow me today; I lead the newcomers personally."
"YES, SIR!" the squad roared.
Zhiyan leaned over and whispered to Izumi as they geared up, "Don't sweat it, kid. The captain is actually a nice guy. Just don't be a 'rat' or a 'dove' and you'll survive."
The Shadow Enters the Light
The squad's departure was cut short. A heavy, suffocating presence entered the Police Headquarters lobby. The air turned cold, and the sound of a wooden cane hitting the floor—thump, clack, thump, clack—echoed like a funeral march.
Shimura Danzo stood in the center of the hall. His one visible eye, dark and predatory, swept over the Uchiha officers. "I am here for Uchiha Hiko," he said, his voice a dry rasp.
Hiko descended the stairs, his hands in his pockets. He didn't look intimidated. He looked... bored.
Around the hall, officers gripped their weapons. Someone had already slipped out the back to alert Fugaku. This wasn't just a visit; it was a provocation.
"I hear someone is looking for me?" Hiko asked, stopping ten feet from the old man. "I didn't realize the village elders had nothing better to do than wander into the lion's den without an escort."
"The old man does not care for sharp-tongued brats," Danzo said, his spiritual pressure flaring.
Hiko didn't flinch. He let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Funny. I don't care for old men who hide in the dark. You remind me of a gutter rat—always scuttling in the shadows, waiting for a chance to bite someone's heel. Tell me, Master Assistant, do you ever get tired of the smell of the sewers?"
The silence that followed was absolute. The Uchiha officers looked like they wanted to cheer and faint at the same time. No one talked to Danzo like that.
"Evil Uchiha brat," Danzo hissed, his knuckles whitening on his cane. "You are just as the history books describe your kin. Selfish. Destructive. Twisted."
"Thank you for the compliment," Hiko beamed, his eyes flashing with a dangerous red light. "But I have work to do. There's a sudden infestation of pests in the village—rats, snakes, and 'unknown' assailants. As Captain, it's my job to clear the trash. Now, why are you here? Did you lose something?"
The Widow's Sting
Danzo's eye twitched. He knew he was being baited, but the loss of two elite Root agents was a blow he couldn't ignore. "Where are my men, Hiko?"
"Your men?" Hiko tilted his head, the picture of confusion. "Master Assistant, why would your men be at the Police Department? Did you send them here to apply for a job? Or did you lose your way to the nursing home?"
He slapped his forehead suddenly, an exaggerated gesture of "realization."
"Ah! I'm so sorry! I forgot! You're an 'Elder' who serves the village with no family, no children... essentially a lonely widow with no one to go home to. I suppose losing a couple of 'dogs' must feel like losing your only friends. My deepest condolences."
"UCHIHA HIKO!!"
Danzo exploded. His cane cracked against the stone floor, the sound like a gunshot. His composure, built over decades of shadows, shattered under the weight of Hiko's casual, cutting insults.
Hiko's smile didn't fade, but his eyes turned cold as ice. "Careful, Master Assistant. You're in a Police Station. If you continue to scream and disturb the peace, I might have to charge you with public disorderly conduct. And I don't think even the Hokage wants to come down here to bail out a 'widow' for throwing a temper tantrum."