Konoha Commercial Street: 'Tenten's' Ninja Tool Shop.
Because half the shop's inventory had mysteriously vanished a month ago—a loss of tools valued at thirty million ryo—Tenten's parents had spent the last several weeks constantly dealing with the shinobi of the Konoha Military Police Force.
"This is the current state of the investigation. It's... essentially where we stand."
Uchiha Yashiro—an elite Jōnin with short brown hair, a standard flak jacket, and perpetual squinting eyes—handed the final report to Tenten's parents. Behind him stood two other Uchiha members, their expressions grim.
Though the owners of the shop weren't shinobi themselves, their family was renowned for their expertise in smithing ninja tools. A loss of thirty million ryo was no small sum; in times of war, such an arsenal could sustain an entire localized conflict. Even Asuma Sarutobi, a former member of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, only commanded a bounty of thirty-five million ryo on the black market.
Consequently, this heist was being treated as the largest theft in Konoha's history since the village's founding. The Police Force had taken it incredibly seriously, deploying an investigative team led by Yashiro himself.
Yet, after a month of meticulous work, they hadn't found a single shred of evidence. The "report" was really just a summary of a failed process. There were no conclusions. No suspects.
Tenten's mother stared at the papers with bloodshot eyes, her hands trembling. "Is this... is this all?"
With no suspect and no arrest, the crushing financial loss fell entirely on their shoulders.
Yashiro shook his head with a trace of pity. "For now, we have to suspend the active search. If any new leads surface, contact the Police Force immediately. We will inform you the moment we have a breakthrough."
Thirty million ryo was an astronomical figure to most shinobi. Even for a prominent crafting family, this was a crippling blow. Aside from their main forge, this shop held their largest reserve. It would take years for the family to recover.
"Mama..."
Four-year-old Tenten, her hair styled in her signature twin buns, clutched the hem of her mother's shirt. She didn't fully understand why her parents were shaking over a few pieces of paper, but the empty display cases told their own story. Where kunai and shuriken once hung, there was only dust.
Yashiro caught the eye of his subordinates, and the three of them quietly exited the shop.
"Captain Yashiro," a Uchiha Chūnin whispered once they were on the street. "That thief is far too cunning. If we close the case like this, how are we supposed to explain it to the Chief?"
The "Chief" referred to Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the entire Police Force.
"We aren't closing it, it's just..." Yashiro sighed. The crime scene had been pristine. In a month of searching, they hadn't found a single viable suspect. They had detained a few shady characters for interrogation, but none of them were the culprit.
Despite the Uchiha's reputation for arrogance and the growing resentment the villagers felt toward them—fueled by the whispers of that old fox Danzo and the silence of the Third—the Uchiha were too proud to frame an innocent person just to close a file.
"There is one person of interest, but..." Yashiro recalled a conversation with Fugaku.
On the night of the incident, a mysterious shinobi had attacked the Hyuga compound, dumping the body of the Cloud Envoy's leader there to frame them. The Hyuga brothers had been left battered. While the Uchiha were sidelined from the high-level council, Fugaku still had ways of knowing what happened in the dark. It was no secret that the Land of Lightning had also been attacked by a mystery ninja, leading to the current ceasefire.
"Never mind. I'll report to the Chief personally," Yashiro said, heading toward the Police Force Headquarters.
As they walked, villagers—especially the street vendors—shrank back with fearful, wary expressions. The Uchiha had essentially turned the Police Force into a family business, and their cold, uncompromising style of law enforcement had made them pariahs.
It was a thankless job. No matter what they did, someone was unhappy. When the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had first placed the Uchiha in charge of the police, he might have done it out of trust for Uchiha Kagami—but it was also a calculated move to drive a wedge between the Uchiha and the rest of the village.
Back at the headquarters, Yashiro dismissed his men and headed to the Chief's office.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in," Fugaku's voice called out.
Creak—
"Chief." Yashiro placed the report on the desk. "The investigation into the tool shop heist is stalled. We simply cannot find the culprit. Or rather..." He frowned, the distinct lines around his eyes deepening.
"I see. Good work regardless," Fugaku said, not bothering to scold him.
"Since there are no other leads, we will list 'Shura' as the prime suspect and report it to the Hokage," Fugaku said, his expression darkening as he scanned the files.
"But Chief... why would a powerhouse like that steal tools?" Yashiro asked.
Thirty million was a lot, but a shinobi of that caliber had a dozen faster ways to get money. Furthermore, only one shop was targeted. Several other shops in Konoha remained untouched. According to the inventory, the thief had mostly taken kunai, shuriken, paper bombs, and scrolls. The most expensive items were a dozen sealing scrolls worth nearly ten million ryo.
"Who knows?" Fugaku admitted, equally baffled.
Just as they were discussing how to word the bounty for this "Greatest Thief," another frantic knock came at the door.
The Chūnin who had been with Yashiro earlier burst in, looking utterly bewildered.
"Chief! The owner of the tool shop just came in to report! They found a crate in their basement... it contains thirty million ryo in cash!"
"What?!" Fugaku bolted upright.
Yashiro's squinted eyes snapped wide open.
A shinobi who could move through Konoha like a ghost, coming and going as they pleased...
That man called 'Shura'—had he returned again?!