There was nothing he could do. Uchiha Itachi was Uchiha Fugaku's son now, and who knew whether he had some scheme against the Uchiha Clan, just like his father? Seeing him was like seeing a rabid dog, so people simply kept their distance.
There was no way he'd find anything out.
More than once, he'd thought about making a move against the Uchiha Clan. But when he thought of Uchiha Kazuto's eyes, and the way Lord Hokage was acting now, he knew he couldn't do that anymore.
Damn it, that naturally evil Uchiha Clan!
"Uchiha Kazuto, I'll be keeping an eye on you. I'll uncover your scheme!"
Uchiha Itachi gritted his teeth. Since Uchiha Shisui hadn't died, he hadn't had the opportunity to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. If he had the Mangekyō Sharingan, he wouldn't be so constrained.
Time passed. Over the next while, Uchiha Kazuto made no moves at all. Every day, he led his subordinates to train in the Death Forest, run laps around Konoha, and continually build up the ninjas' physiques. In the process, the ninjas grew more and more loyal to him. They said they were doing it for Lord Hokage, but in their hearts, they had completely come around to Uchiha Kazuto.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased to see this. As expected, the Uchiha Clan had some good, law-abiding citizens.
"Ah! Spare me, spare me! I won't do it again, I swear! Ah, stop hitting me! Please, it hurts!"
On the street, several Military Police Force ninjas surrounded a Konoha villager and swung their batons, raining blows down on him. The villager screamed in agony and frantically begged for mercy.
Hearing him, the ninjas slowed their blows, just about ready to stop.
"Hit him! Hit him hard! Damn it, you bastard! How dare you slander and insult the great Lord Hokage? What gives you the right? Lord Hokage has sacrificed so much for the village! What gives you the right to say such things? You're undermining the unity of the village! You're disloyal to the village, disloyal to the great Lord Hokage! Hit him! Hit him hard!"
Uchiha Kazuto's voice sounded from behind the ninjas.
Hearing him, the Military Police Force ninjas exchanged knowing looks. That was right—people like this needed a beating!
Anyone disloyal to the village, anyone who insulted the great Lord Hokage or undermined the village's unity, deserved to be dealt with harshly!
If you truly loved the village, why would you insult the great Lord Hokage? In the end, you were just disloyal and dissatisfied with the village!
Tell us, are you a spy?
The batons soon started falling on the Konoha villager again.
Meanwhile, the people nearby took a step back, afraid the blood might splatter on them—or that they might be branded disloyal to the village and get the same brutal treatment.
"Ah! Spare me! It hurts! Stop hitting me! I won't insult Lord Hokage again, I swear! Please!"
As the batons came down, the Konoha villager screamed in pain once more.
"Hmph! What are you looking at? Do you sympathize with this man?"
Uchiha Kazuto glared sternly at the crowd and brandished the baton in his hand.
No one dared meet his eyes. Under his gaze, the villagers all lowered their heads and hurried away in fear.
Before long, the villager being beaten fell silent. He'd been knocked unconscious.
"This is what happens when you insult the great Lord Hokage. In Konoha, no one is allowed to insult the great Lord Hokage!"
Seeing this, Uchiha Kazuto had the ninjas haul the villager away and lock him up.
In Konoha, Lord Hokage was the heavens, the one and only sun. No person or faction was allowed to insult the great Lord Hokage! The moment we discover anything like that, the Military Police Force will strike hard.
Konoha, Military Police Force, jail.
The unconscious Konoha villager was casually tossed into a cell.
"Ah, another one's come in..."
In one of the cells, a Konoha villager looked sadly at the man lying in a nearby cell.
Who knew whether this guy had been arrested for speaking ill of Lord Hokage in the village, or for something else.
The Konoha Military Police Force was many times more terrifying than it used to be.
In the past, even if you spoke ill of Lord Hokage in the village, nothing would happen. But now, the moment you said anything against him, you'd be arrested and beaten.
He'd been caught by the Military Police Force after accidentally saying something against Lord Hokage. They'd beaten him and thrown him in here.
"Damn it!"
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, furious and aggrieved. He hadn't done anything serious. He'd only said one bad thing about Lord Hokage, and for that he'd been locked up. What kind of sense did that make? The Military Police Force hadn't been like this before!
Damn it!
Unfortunately, all he could do was fume inwardly. He was an ordinary person; there was nothing he could do. He was lucky they hadn't beaten him to death.
But this was wrong! He wasn't a spy, and he hadn't done anything bad. He'd only said one bad thing about the Hokage, and this was how they treated him!
Damn it!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, but there was nothing he could do.
He couldn't even go to the Hokage and demand justice.
What could he say?
"Lord Hokage, the Military Police Force arrested me and beat me because I insulted you." Just listen to that. What kind of reason was that?
Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably be pleased to hear it.
Then he'd say a few empty words, and that would be that.
What else could he do? Punish them for defending my reputation?
Come on, this wasn't some modern, law-abiding society. This was the Ninja World: feudal, authoritarian, and treating ordinary people as less than human.
Until there was a true ruler and a genuine, reasonable system of law, there were no human rights in the Ninja World.
"Your time's up. You can leave!"
Just then, a ninja came over and opened his cell.
"Yes, yes!"
He sprang to his feet and cautiously walked out.
"Remember, don't spread anything that undermines unity in Konoha! If you do it again..."
The ninja clenched his fist and made a threatening gesture.
"Yes! I won't do it again. Praise the Hokage! Loyalty!"
He immediately stood at attention and began shouting his loyalty.
In truth...
Before you continue