Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was right.
Now was not the time to deal with the Uchiha Clan. If they rashly launched an attack against them, the slightest misstep could plunge Konoha into ruin.
As members of Konoha's High Command, they had long enjoyed the power Konoha afforded them. They didn't want the village to fall, either.
Still, they were extremely unwilling to let the Uchiha Clan off just like that.
More importantly, the Security Force had sealed their family businesses, and their clansmen were still being held by the Security Force.
"Hey, Sarutobi, what are we going to do about our businesses?!"
"Yeah! My clansmen are still with the Security Force..."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura hurriedly asked.
Danzo's purpose in going to the Uchiha Clan this time had been to teach them a lesson, make them release their shops, and free their people.
But they had never expected things to turn out this way.
Danzo had failed to rescue anyone and had gotten beaten up instead.
Even Danzo himself had been left with only one eye and had lost an arm.
He'd gone to catch a chicken and come back with a handful of rice.
He'd tried to show off, only to get beaten up.
But they couldn't just give up on those businesses, either.
They were the foundations they'd built over the years through corruption and the power they wielded.
They absolutely couldn't abandon them.
Losing those businesses would be a major blow to their families.
They'd worked hard to build their clans up.
They didn't want to return to their former lives, when their small clans were barely scraping by.
"Mm... We'll just have to pay protection money..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought it over, then sighed.
"Damn that evil Uchiha Clan..."
"Damn Uchiha Byakuya..."
Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, the two of them felt utterly helpless.
Other than paying protection money, there was nothing else they could do.
All they could do was keep cursing Byakuya in their hearts.
And all that anger turned into Negative Energy and went straight to Byakuya.
[ Ding! Detected Hiruzen Sarutobi's anger: +200 Negative Energy, Ninjutsu +21...] [ Ding! Detected Utatane Koharu's anger: +300 Negative Energy, Taijutsu +25...] [ Ding! Detected Mitokado Homura's anger: +400 Negative Energy, Genjutsu +32...] [ Ding! Detected Shimura Danzō's anger: +500 Negative Energy, Chakra +35...] [...]
Byakuya was sunbathing among the Uchiha Clan when he felt the Negative Energy steadily increasing. A smile crept across his lips.
"Heh, these old schemers really are a great crop of leeks... They keep producing Negative Energy for me..."
Byakuya thought excitedly.
Byakuya had dealt a huge blow to Konoha's High Command this time.
Shimura Danzō in particular had been blinded in one eye and had an arm cut off by Byakuya.
It was safe to say that Konoha's High Command hated Byakuya now. Every day, they cursed him again and again in their hearts.
That was exactly what Byakuya wanted.
Go ahead and curse him! The harder they cursed, the more Negative Energy Byakuya would gain.
And the faster his strength would grow.
"Lord Byakuya, here's your tea..."
Just then, Mikoto brought a cup of tea over to Byakuya.
"Mm! Mikoto, it's great having you around..."
Byakuya smiled at Mikoto.
In the past, Byakuya had been constantly training to grow stronger. The pressure of surviving had left him no time to find a woman.
Now that Byakuya had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and could protect himself, he'd realized that having a woman by his side wasn't bad at all.
Especially a beauty like Mikoto.
"Lord Byakuya, I was wondering what you're going to do about my father..."
"I'm asking you, please don't hurt him..."
Mikoto looked at Byakuya with concern.
Mikoto knew very well that throughout the Uchiha Clan, many people now wanted Byakuya to become clan head.
And for Byakuya to become clan head, Mikoto's father, Uchiha Gen, was the biggest obstacle.
Mikoto really was afraid Byakuya would go after her father.
"Don't worry. As long as your father stays here and behaves..."
"He'll remain the Uchiha Clan's head. No one will dare hurt him..."
Byakuya saw Mikoto's concern and reassured her at once.
Byakuya didn't care at all about the so-called position of clan head.
Would not being clan head really affect what Byakuya could do?
Obviously not.
Even now, though Byakuya wasn't the clan head, the entire Uchiha Clan was still under his control.
Besides, if Byakuya remembered correctly, Uchiha Gen didn't have many days left to live anyway.
Rather than killing him, Byakuya might as well keep him around to produce more Negative Energy.
"Then I'm relieved. Thank you, Lord Byakuya..."
Hearing Byakuya's assurance, Uchiha Mikoto relaxed.
Aside from worrying that Byakuya might go after her father, Mikoto also admired Byakuya very much.
After all, Byakuya was the first person to suppress the Hokage, allowing the Uchiha Clan to hold their heads high in front of him.
Byakuya was now the hero of the Uchiha Clan.
It was only natural for a young woman like Mikoto to fall for a hero like him.
Seeing that even the Sarutobi Clan, the Hokage's own clan, had begun paying the Uchiha Clan protection money, the other clans of Konoha followed suit, paying to get their businesses and clansmen back.
Even the Hokage had backed down. What else could they say? They might as well pay up.
For a time, the Uchiha Clan's Security Force was swamped with work.
"Lord Byakuya, all the shops have paid the protection money..."
"Our Uchiha Clan has plenty of funds now..."
Uchiha En looked at Byakuya with deep admiration.
Just think about how the Uchiha Clan had lived before, then look at how they lived now.
All anyone could say was, Lord Byakuya truly was something else.
With Lord Byakuya leading us, our Uchiha Clan is sure to rise again.
"It's just that we don't have enough people to manage all the shops in Konoha..."
Uchiha En continued.
"Mm... Not enough people..."
"Then recruit more!"
Byakuya said without hesitation.
"But... we can't find anyone even if we keep recruiting..."
"Some stubborn people in the clan definitely won't join the Security Force..."
Uchiha En said indignantly.
There was no doubt who these stubborn types were: the doves who had chosen to support Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Gen.
Although Uchiha Gen, the clan head, was now imprisoned by Byakuya, and Uchiha Fugaku was locked in a cell, those people were still stubbornly refusing to join the Security Force.
Byakuya couldn't be bothered with them.
"If we can't find people within the Uchiha Clan, then recruit from the other clans..."
Byakuya thought for a moment.
"Recruit people from other clans?! Would that really work?!"
"The Security Force has always been made up of Uchiha Clan members..."
Uchiha En said.
Before you continue