That's right, exactly

"Although everyone's pay won't be as high as we discussed before, I've decided to make it up to you. The Uchiha Clan will provide some of its funds as bonuses. As long as you train diligently and carry out your Military Police Force duties, you'll receive one. Between your salary from the Military Police Force and this bonus, the amount you take home each month won't be much different from what we discussed before!"

Uchiha Kazuto looked as if he'd just made some decision that went against his ancestors. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left.

"Sir!"

Watching Uchiha Kazuto's retreating figure, these ninjas felt as if they were looking at a walking, warm sun. The ninjas from other clans in Konoha were especially astonished.

The village was the village, and the clans were the clans.

Although these clans had joined the village, they still retained a great deal of autonomy. They generally wouldn't use their clan's resources to make up for the village's interests. The Uchiha Clan had been no different.

But now, everything seemed to have changed.

Uchiha Kazuto was the clan head of the Uchiha Clan, yet he was using his clan's resources to make up for the village's interests. This... This...

The ninjas from Konoha's various clans were stunned. At that moment, Uchiha Kazuto's image in their eyes had completely changed.

He was a fine superior with a sense of the bigger picture, a man who loved the village more than his clan!

Lord Kazuto!

Lord Kazuto possessed the purest Will of Fire!

Amid the crowd, some Anbu ninjas who had been assigned there by Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Uchiha Kazuto and resolved to report everything that had just happened to Lord Hokage. Lord Kazuto was so good, so kind, so gentle!

"Loyalty!"

"Loyalty!"

"Loyalty!"

The next moment, the ninjas raised their hands one after another and shouted their loyalty toward Uchiha Kazuto's retreating figure. Their cries seemed ready to lift the roof, echoing again and again.

That's right, exactly!

Feeling the loyalty rapidly increasing, Uchiha Kazuto thought, That's right, exactly. Before I fully activate this ability, if I want loyalty to rise quickly, I need these ninjas to approve of me, even admire me. The less wary they are of me, and the less they resist me, the faster they'll become loyal.

Once they reached absolute loyalty, he could ask them to hand over their own wives, and they wouldn't hesitate.

Even if they shouted "For Lord Hokage!" ten thousand times, when it came to taking action against the great Lord Hokage, they would still do it.

"Are you going to talk or not? Are you going to talk or not? Are you going to talk or not?"

In the Military Police Force's interrogation room, two Uchiha held batons and kept raining blows down on a figure.

"Mm... Mm..."

Fuu Yamanaka's eyes were filled with pain and despair. Talk? What could he say? He wanted to say something, but he couldn't!

"Stubborn, aren't you? Still won't talk after all that!"

Before long, Uchiha Inaho lowered his baton and shook his head. He picked up a piece of evidence from the side, took Fuu Yamanaka's finger, and pressed it onto the document.

I want to talk, but take the cloth off my mouth first!

Fuu Yamanaka stared at Uchiha Inaho, weak and in agony. He felt like he was about to die. He really was about to die.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

Ever since Shimura Danzō died and he was brought here, he'd initially held firm, acting as if he'd rather die than talk.

But these people had never intended to let him speak. They'd immediately severed the tendons in his hands and feet, then tied him up and beat him day after day, occasionally producing a forged document and pressing his fingerprints onto it.

The Uchiha Clan was plotting something—and it was a terrifying plot. Fuu Yamanaka was overwhelmed with fear, but there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, he desperately hoped Lord Hokage would discover the Uchiha Clan's plot. Otherwise...

"How's it going? Has he talked?"

Just then, someone walked in. Seeing him, Fuu Yamanaka's pupils contracted. Somehow, strength surged back into his exhausted body, and he began to struggle.

This madman, this monster—he'd nearly tortured him to death in the illusion.

"Tsk, don't move around, okay? If you don't talk, we won't do anything to you. We'll just give you a few more whacks, right? Heh heh, don't be scared!"

Uchiha Kazuto walked over to Fuu Yamanaka, grabbed his head, then knocked on it a few times.

Fuu Yamanaka stopped, terrified.

"Hmm, you've got plenty of energy. Looks like you're doing quite well here in the Military Police Force!"

Uchiha Kazuto nodded, then picked up a document and looked it over.

It contained evidence of Shimura Danzō's crimes, some genuine and some forged. Uchiha Kazuto didn't care whether the other man knew which parts were real and which were fake. After all, this evidence wasn't meant for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hmm, make sure he's well taken care of. I'm leaving."

Uchiha Kazuto put down the document and left.

"Not enough. It's nowhere near enough. I need more power."

Feeling the steady increase in his chakra, Uchiha Kazuto shook his head.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi... You're in my way!"

As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi remained Hokage, as long as Uchiha Kazuto hadn't reached the pinnacle of power in Konoha, his Dojutsu would never reach its full potential.

Meanwhile, after Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Uchiha Itachi to stop investigating Uchiha Kazuto, he didn't give up entirely.

"Lord Hokage, you've been deceived!"

Uchiha Itachi clenched his fists. He didn't believe for a second that Uchiha Kazuto was innocent. There was definitely a huge conspiracy behind him, and for the sake of the village, Uchiha Itachi had to uncover it.

Damn it, if only he had a Mangekyō Sharingan too...

Uchiha Itachi recalled Uchiha Kazuto's eyes. It was because of those eyes that he didn't dare act against the inherently evil Uchiha Clan, afraid that he might alert them and provoke Uchiha Kazuto into acting against him.

He'd gone to see Uchiha Shisui, but Uchiha Shisui had also advised him not to investigate recklessly, or he'd upset Lord Kazuto.

Just listen to those chants outside. How pleasant, how full of praise.

How could Lord Kazuto, a man like that, possibly be hiding a conspiracy? Lord Kazuto devoted himself wholeheartedly to Konoha. How could there be anything wrong with him?

Damn it, every last one of them! Uchiha Kazuto, you bastard!

Unfortunately, Uchiha Itachi hadn't uncovered a single thing so far.