Fight!

No way around it—who asked for Uchiha Itachi to be Uchiha Fugaku's son now? Who knew if he had some scheme targeting the Uchiha Clan just like his father? Seeing him was like spotting a rabid dog with rabies; everyone just kept their distance.

Like hell he could dig up anything.

He'd thought more than once about making a move against the Uchiha Clan, but every time he remembered Uchiha Kazuto's eyes and the current attitude of Lord Hokage, he knew he couldn't do it anymore.

Damn it, the naturally evil Uchiha Clan!

"Uchiha Kazuto, I'll be watching you. I will uncover your conspiracy!"

Uchiha Itachi gritted his teeth. Right now, because Uchiha Shisui hadn't died, he had no trigger to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. If he had the Mangekyo, he wouldn't be so hamstrung like this.

Time began to pass. Over the next period, Uchiha Kazuto made no small moves at all. His daily routine was leading the ninjas under his command to train in the Death Forest, running laps around Konoha, constantly tempering their physiques. Throughout this process, their loyalty to him grew higher and higher. Though they said it was for Lord Hokage on the surface, in their hearts they had completely become Uchiha Kazuto's people.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very gratified by this scene. Truly a model citizen of the Uchiha Clan.

"Ah! Mercy, mercy! I won't do it again, I swear I won't! Ah, stop hitting me, stop! It hurts so much!"

On the street, several ninjas from the Military Police surrounded a Konoha villager, swinging their batons, landing blow after blow on his body, making him scream nonstop and beg frantically.

Hearing the villager's words, the ninjas slowed their strikes a little, about to stop.

"Hit him! Hit him hard! How dare he! This bastard actually slanders and insults the great Lord Hokage—where does he get the nerve? Lord Hokage has given so much to the village! Where do you get the face to say something like that? You're destroying the village's unity! You're disloyal to the village, disloyal to the great Lord Hokage! Hit him! Hit him hard!"

Uchiha Kazuto's voice rang out behind the ninjas.

Hearing Uchiha Kazuto's words, the Military Police ninjas' eyes showed understanding. That's right—this kind of person needed to be beaten!

Someone disloyal to the village, who insulted the great Lord Hokage, who destroyed village unity—they had to crack down hard!

If you really loved the village, why would you insult the great Lord Hokage? In the end, you're just disloyal to the village, dissatisfied with it!

Say, are you a spy?

Soon, the batons landed on the Konoha villager again.

At the same time, the people around took a step back, afraid of getting blood on themselves or being labeled as someone disloyal to the village and getting a thorough beating.

"Ah! Mercy! It hurts so much! Stop, please stop! I'll never insult Lord Hokage again, I beg you!"

With every baton strike, the Konoha villager screamed in agony again.

"Hmph! What are you looking at? Do you sympathize with this guy?"

Uchiha Kazuto looked solemnly at the surrounding crowd, brandishing his baton.

No one dared meet his eyes. Under his sweeping gaze, the villagers all lowered their heads and fled in terror.

Soon, the villager being beaten went silent, knocked unconscious.

"This is the price of insulting the great Lord Hokage. In Konoha, no one is allowed to insult the great Lord Hokage!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Kazuto had the ninjas pick up the villager and drag him back.

In Konoha, Lord Hokage was heaven, the one and only sun. No one, no faction, was permitted to insult the great Lord Hokage! Once such behavior was discovered, the Military Police would strike hard.

Konoha, Military Police, the cells.

The unconscious Konoha villager was tossed carelessly into a cell.

"Sigh, another one in..."

In one cell, a Konoha villager looked sadly at the villager lying in the cell not far away.

He wondered if this guy had been caught for badmouthing Lord Hokage in the village or for something else.

The Konoha Military Police now was a thousand times more terrifying than before.

In the old days, even if you said something bad about Lord Hokage in the village, nothing would happen. But now, just speak ill of Lord Hokage, and you'd be arrested and beaten black and blue.

He himself had been caught because he accidentally said something wrong about Lord Hokage, found by the Military Police, beaten savagely, and thrown in here.

"Damn it!"

He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, burning with rage and humiliation. He hadn't done anything major—just said one bad thing about Lord Hokage, and he got thrown in here. What kind of logic was that? The old Military Police wasn't like this!

Damn it!

But he could only fume in his heart. As an ordinary person, there was nothing he could do. Not being beaten to death was already lucky.

But this wasn't right! He wasn't a spy, he hadn't done anything wrong—just said one bad thing about Lord Hokage, and he got treated like this!

Damn it!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, the more furious, but there was nothing he could do.

He couldn't even go to Lord Hokage to seek justice.

How would he say it?

"Lord Hokage, because I insulted you, the Military Police caught me and beat me up." Listen—what kind of reason was that?

Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably just be pleased to hear it.

Then he'd say a few meaningless words and that would be the end of it.

Otherwise? Because you're protecting my image, so I have to punish you?

Come on, this isn't some modern society governed by law. This is a Ninja World built on feudalism, centralization, and treating ordinary people as nothing.

Without a true ruler, a genuine, reasonable legal system, there's no human rights in the Ninja World.

"Time's up. You can leave!"

Just then, a ninja walked over and opened his cell.

"Yes, yes!"

He shot up, his face full of caution, and stepped out carefully.

"Remember, don't spread any remarks that undermine unity in Konoha. Next time..."

The ninja clenched his fist, making a threatening gesture.

"Yes, I wouldn't dare again. Praise Lord Hokage! Loyalty!"

He immediately stood at attention and began shouting his allegiance.

In truth...