Trap!

"Still, he had quite a few fanatical followers..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up slightly.

"Then we'll start with those followers."

"Lord Hokage, you mean..."

"The Police Force, after all. It's perfectly normal for something to happen to them, for them to encounter some danger..."

Shinnosuke Sarutobi immediately understood.

"I understand."

Qianyu temporarily handed over his duties in the Police Force.

Under the complicated gazes of the others, he left the Police Force.

When he returned home, he felt neither sorrow nor much indignation. He simply resumed his training at once.

Killing Sarutobi Hiogo had earned him one hundred merit points, the highest amount he had ever received.

He added all of them to the Eye Power of his Sharingan.

His Eye Power had now reached 473 points. He was already halfway to awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Of course, even with Three Tomoe, his Eye Power far surpassed that of ordinary ninja.

The Uchiha clan's Sharingan was driven by extreme emotions.

Although Qianyu claimed to be cold and emotionless, his extreme sense of justice was itself an emotion.

Fighting in the name of absolute justice, he could unleash unimaginably terrifying Eye Power.

The Sharingan possessed three fundamental abilities: perception, copying, and genjutsu.

Qianyu naturally possessed them all.

However, every Uchiha clan member's Sharingan differed, each with its own strengths.

For example, Qianyu's greatest strength lay in perception.

Especially in battle, he could completely perceive every one of his enemy's attacks and, to a certain extent, even predict their movements in advance!

In contrast, his copying ability was merely average.

He was not particularly skilled in genjutsu, but when it came to breaking genjutsu, he was exceptionally proficient.

Of course, his so-called lack of talent in genjutsu was only relative to his peerless ability of "perception."

The Sharingan was still the Sharingan.

He still possessed formidable genjutsu abilities.

At that moment, Qianyu trained quietly while reviewing the previous battle in his mind.

Sarutobi Hiogo had definitely not been that simple.

The reason Qianyu had been able to kill him in such a short time was, on one hand, because the Sharingan's perception was astonishing. It allowed him to precisely evade his opponent's attacks, predict his responses, and catch him off guard.

On the other hand, it was because of the Lightning Release: False Darkness technique, which had exceeded Qianyu's expectations. It had caught his opponent unprepared, and its power had been terrifyingly immense.

Lastly, it had still depended on the swordsmanship he was best at!

"The Sharingan's perception, which I specialize in most, and my refined swordsmanship—those are the foundations I currently rely on."

"If I want to improve further..."

"Besides Eye Power, Chakra, and ninjutsu itself, there is another direction I have been eagerly anticipating..."

What Qianyu wanted was...

To infuse Lightning Style Ninjutsu into a katana, creating a truly powerful Lightning Style Body Technique!

Or rather...

Lightning Style Sword Technique!

Uchiha Sasuke's Chidori Blade and Shimura Danzō's Wind Style: Vacuum Blade both operated on this principle.

Fire Style could originally be attached to swords as well. For example, Uchiha Shisui possessed Sword Dance Flame, an ability that combined Fire Style with swordsmanship.

However, that seemed to hold little meaning for Qianyu. He believed Lightning Style suited him better.

"Since I've been temporarily removed from duty, I'll use this time to develop Lightning Style Sword Technique..."

"Justice without the support of strength..."

"Is worthless."

During the days when Uchiha Qianyu had been suspended.

The entire village seemed to have grown much calmer.

However, while Hiruzen Sarutobi could strip Qianyu of his position in the Police Force...

He ultimately could not stop public opinion.

To many villagers and ninja, Uchiha Qianyu was no longer an extreme, twisted devil. Instead, he had become an "anti-hero" who would stop at nothing for justice!

Within the Uchiha clan, his fanatical followers grew more numerous, and their emotions became increasingly fervent...

This undercurrent of black flames made Hiruzen Sarutobi deeply uneasy.

Thus...

A conspiracy against Qianyu erupted.

Trap!

After a seemingly peaceful stretch of days.

On this day.

Uchiha Aoki and Uchiha Yamikaze were carrying out their routine patrol.

"With the captain gone, it's really boring..."

Aoki could not help sighing.

Yamikaze shot him a look. "Weren't you always saying the captain was too extreme?"

"You said he couldn't consider the bigger picture and was always causing trouble for the Uchiha clan and the Police Force."

Cold sweat poured down Aoki's back as he hurriedly covered Yamikaze's mouth.

"Shh!"

"Don't talk nonsense. If the captain finds out, I'm done for!"

"Besides, I wasn't the only one who said that. Didn't you complain too?"

Yamikaze pried his fingers away and snorted. "That was because I was too naive."

"Now I completely understand the captain. What he does is the right choice!"

Aoki nodded as well. "Sigh, I wonder when the captain will be able to come back..."

"Over at Lord Hokage's place..."

At that, the two fell silent in tacit understanding.

Just then.

A commotion suddenly erupted ahead, as though a fierce battle had broken out.

The two exchanged a glance.

"Go!"

Though they were still young, they had followed Qianyu for many years. They possessed sharp judgment and decisiveness.

The sight before them shocked them both.

A full five or six Konoha ninja were frenziedly abusing and beating a female ninja!

Their fists struck flesh again and again, raining down like a violent storm.

The female ninja's screams were hysterical and unbearable to hear.

What was more, Aoki and Yamikaze had never seen these five or six ninja before. Though they wore Konoha forehead protectors, neither knew who they were.

"Stop!"

Aoki could not help roaring as he immediately rushed forward, intending to stop the tragedy.

Though Yamikaze had some doubts, seeing Aoki charge ahead, he could only sigh and hurry forward to support him.

"Who are you people?"

"What are you doing?!"

One of the ninja looked up and said coldly, "Police Force?"

"This has nothing to do with you!"

"Mind your own business!"

"Get lost!"

After saying that, he continued mercilessly beating the female ninja.

"H-help me..."

The female ninja's desperate plea tore at their hearts.

Aoki's blood boiled. With a roar, he sent wave after wave of shuriken shooting out.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ninja were startled and hurriedly dodged aside. Seizing the chance, Aoki darted forward, arriving beside the female ninja and shielding her behind him.

"Are you all right?"