People of the Old Era

The night was as dark as ink, yet the Konoha Police Force building blazed with light.

This was the heart of Konoha's public security, and a symbol of the Uchiha's power.

In the past, it had been a forbidden place that ordinary shinobi and villagers dared not approach.

Tonight, the air was thick with a murderous chill.

Third Squad Office.

This was a department directly controlled by the hardline Elder Setsuna. It was the most overbearing in its conduct, and Uchiha Ryo, who had caused trouble earlier that day, belonged to it.

"Bang!"

The heavy wooden door was shoved open.

A dozen Uchiha police officers were inside, smoking and chatting—and even complaining that Fugaku was "turning his back on his own people." They looked up in surprise.

The person standing in the doorway wasn't one of their clansmen. He was a boy with dazzling blond hair and a gentle smile.

Namikaze Minato.

"Good evening, seniors."

Minato held an order bearing the captain's seal. His clear voice rang out, startlingly loud in the quiet office:

"On the orders of Captain Uchiha Fugaku, and in light of the Third Squad's repeated violations during enforcement and the serious conflicts they've caused with the public, the entire squad is hereby suspended pending an internal review."

"Please hand over your swords, Forehead Protectors, and Police Force armbands, then return home and await further instructions."

A deathly silence lasted for two seconds.

Then a burst of mocking laughter broke out.

"Huh? Did I hear that right?"

A burly Uchiha Chunin stood up, his face full of scorn. "A civilian brat with a scrap of paper thinks he can make us disarm? Has Fugaku lost his mind?"

"Don't think you can throw your weight around here just because you made a name for yourself on the battlefield. This is the Police Force! Get out!"

Another man drew a Kunai at once, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning as killing intent filled his eyes.

Minato looked at the elites, who wouldn't even deign to look him in the eye. His smile didn't change, but a hint of helplessness and sharpness entered his bright blue gaze.

"Looks like Tetsu was right."

Minato sighed and set the order gently on the nearby table. "Sometimes, there's no point trying to reason with people."

"You're asking for it!"

The Chunin roared in anger and thrust his Kunai toward Minato's face, the blade cutting through the air.

But the instant he moved—

"Whoosh!"

The golden figure vanished.

It wasn't a Ninjutsu. It was simply the Body Flicker Technique performed at breathtaking speed.

The next second, the Chunin felt a numbness in his wrist. His Kunai had already changed hands. Then a sharp pain struck his abdomen, and he doubled over like a shrimp, flying backward and slamming into the filing cabinets.

"What?!"

The dozen or so Uchiha around him paled and activated their Sharingan, trying to pin down their opponent.

But in the cramped office, that streak of golden light was an unstoppable phantom.

"Too slow."

"Over here."

"You haven't finished that Hand Seal yet."

Amid the dull thuds of blows and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor, less than thirty seconds passed.

When the last officer, who had tried to finish his Hand Seals and use Fire Release, was knocked unconscious by a chop to the back of his neck, the office fell silent once more.

Namikaze Minato stood in the center of the room. His blond hair stirred faintly, his breathing steady, and his clothes remained immaculate.

He bent down, picked up the scattered Police Force armbands, and stacked them neatly on the table.

"I said, please cooperate with the review."

Meanwhile, deep within the Uchiha Clan Compound, at the elders' residence.

Uchiha Setsuna sat in the tea room, listening to his subordinate's report. His deeply wrinkled face was frighteningly grim.

"Fugaku... How dare he?!"

The teacup in Setsuna's hand crumbled under his grip. Scalding tea ran between his fingers, but he didn't even notice. "He's declaring war on the clan! For the sake of those lowly civilians, he's actually turned on his own people?"

"Elder, this is bad!"

A trusted subordinate stumbled into the room. "The Third Squad... has been wiped out! Namikaze Minato took them all down by himself! Fugaku's people have taken control of the Police Force!"

"Outrageous! Outrageous!"

Setsuna shot to his feet and grabbed the cane beside him. "Gather the men! I'm calling a clan meeting! I'll have that traitor to his own people removed!"

"No need for all that trouble, Elder Setsuna."

A cold voice came from the courtyard.

The paper door to the tea room slid open.

Uchiha Fugaku stood alone in the moonlight, dressed in formal black.

Nishikawa Tetsu hadn't come with him. This was family business, and Fugaku had to deal with it himself if he wanted to establish his authority.

"Fugaku!"

Setsuna glared at the Young Clan Leader as he entered, fury burning in his eyes. "You dare show your face here? Do you know what you're doing? You're destroying the Uchiha's foundation!"

"I'm saving the Uchiha."

Fugaku walked into the tea room and tossed a stack of documents onto the tatami in front of Setsuna.

They were records Tetsu had compiled overnight: evidence of the Third Squad's violent enforcement, bribery, and infiltration by Danzo.

"Take a look. This is the foundation you're so proud of."

Fugaku's voice was as cold as ice. "Root used them as pawns. They couldn't even tell when someone drugged them and deliberately provoked them, and they walked right into the trap like fools. If I hadn't dealt with things quickly today, the villagers would be denouncing the Police Force tomorrow, and the higher-ups would use it as an excuse to cut our power."

"So what!"

Setsuna didn't even look at the documents. He slammed his cane against the floor. "The Uchiha don't need to care what others think! As long as we have strength—"

"Strength?"

Fugaku suddenly laughed.

"Are you talking about these eyes?"

Before he finished speaking, Fugaku abruptly raised his head.

His once-black eyes transformed in an instant. Three Tomoe spun wildly, then connected to form a bizarre, terrifying blade-like pattern.

Mangekyō Sharingan!

"Boom!"

A chilling Chakra, almost tangible, filled the entire tea room.

Elder Setsuna's vision went black. It felt as though an invisible hand had clamped around his throat.

Under the Mangekyō's pressure, the murky Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes trembled instinctively, as though trying to shut themselves.

It was a suppression that came from deep within their bloodline.

"Th-this is..."

Setsuna's pupils shrank in shock, and his body slumped helplessly into the chair. These were the "Eyes of the Asura" mentioned in Hanzō's announcement.

Seeing them in person was even more despairing than the rumors had suggested.

For a moment, it was as if he were looking at Madara Uchiha from years ago.

"The era has changed, Elder Setsuna."

Fugaku slowly withdrew his Dojutsu, and his eyes returned to black. Yet the suffocating aftershock still lingered in the air.

He looked down at the once-arrogant leader of the hardliners.

"Madara Uchiha's era is over. The Uchiha don't need mindless mad dogs anymore. We need people who can see the situation clearly."

"From today on, you're 'unwell' and need to rest."

Fugaku turned and walked out, leaving Setsuna with a resolute back.

"You won't need to worry about the Police Force anymore."

Uchiha Setsuna sat frozen in the tea room, cold sweat soaking through his back.

As he watched Fugaku's retreating figure, he seemed to glimpse the man who had once made the entire Shinobi World tremble.

But he knew Fugaku was walking a completely different path from Madara.

"This is... more like a clan leader... I really am old!"

The next morning.

Once again, a crowd gathered in front of the noticeboard by the entrance to the Konoha Police Force.

This time, however, it wasn't a crowd of protesters. The onlookers were simply astonished.

A large notice, written in black ink on red paper, had been posted in the most prominent spot.

[Notice on Police Force Disciplinary Review and Personnel Changes]

[An investigation has found that the former Third Squad committed serious misconduct while enforcing the law... All members are hereby dismissed.]

[Namikaze Minato is appointed Special Operations Advisor to the Police Force, responsible for overseeing proper law enforcement.]

[Effective immediately, the Police Force is establishing a complaints desk. Villagers are welcome to provide oversight...]

"Oh my god, they really dealt with them? They got rid of the whole squad?"

"Namikaze Minato? Is that the blond guy? He actually joined the Police Force?"

"Someone who isn't an Uchiha can join the Police Force?"

"Looks like the Uchiha are serious this time."

In the crowd, Nishikawa Tetsu listened to the chatter around him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

He held a freshly printed copy of Konoha Weekly. The front-page headline was a moving story he had written the night before.

The accompanying photo had been taken in a hurry: Fugaku, seen from behind in the rain, watching as his clansmen were escorted away. His silhouette looked heartbreakingly lonely yet resolute. In reality, he'd simply been too exhausted to stand up straight.

"Tetsu!"

Nara Shikahisa walked over from nearby, yawning, with a document bearing the Hokage's seal in his hand.

"You people move way too fast. My old man had only just submitted the proposal, and you'd already rounded everyone up."

Shikahisa handed the document to Nishikawa Tetsu. "Here, it's the Hokage-sama's reply. In principle, he approves the Police Force reform pilot program and has assigned the Nara Clan to help draft the new regulations."

Tetsu took the document and glanced at the bright red character for "Approved."

"Thanks, Shikaku."

"Don't thank me. If anyone deserves thanks, it's Danzo." Shikahisa glanced meaningfully toward the Hokage Building. "I heard quite a few things got smashed at Root's base last night."

A glint flashed in Tetsu's eyes.

"This is only the beginning."

"Next, we'll let the people who can actually get things done step in."

He looked toward Namikaze Minato, who was giving instructions to several newly hired Uchiha recruits nearby.

Golden sunlight fell on Minato, and against the dark blue Uchiha uniforms, it created a strangely harmonious sight.

At last, the Konoha Police Force was no longer stagnant.