Under Currents (End)

"Otherwise, why do you think Torifu retired?"

Those three sentences left Utatane Koharu speechless.

"What about Danzo?"

Mitokado Homura gazed out the window at the shadows of swaying leaves.

"He's different. He's Hiruzen's shadow..."

"Hiruzen, you've indulged those two far too much over the years!"

"Even rabbits know not to foul their own nest. Those two must have had a death wish!"

"They actually dared to embezzle money like this! You should've stripped them of their positions as Hokage Assistants immediately. Someone else could keep the Medical Department and Civil Affairs Department running just as well!"

As soon as Hiruzen returned to the Hokage Office, Danzo pointed at him and gave him a furious tongue-lashing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped the spittle from his face and held out the documents in his hand.

"Take a look."

"Why should I? What's there to look at? I already know what those two are like."

They'd simply grovel, admit their mistakes, and beg Hiruzen to let them off because of their past friendship, as if nothing had happened.

"Just take a look," Hiruzen said, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

Only then did Danzo take the documents. His expression grew more serious.

A moment later, he exploded.

"Utatane Koharu!"

"Does she think she can make a fool of me!?"

"Without her orders, could the Medical Department have brought a batch of fake medicine into the village and sold it so easily? Who else would've dared?"

"Every one of them needs to be sent to Root! Dying would be too good for them. I'll send them to Root's suicide squad. At least then they can still make some contribution to Konoha."

After reading the documents, Danzo was so furious his teeth ached.

There was even a hint of frustration that they hadn't lived up to his expectations.

Of all the things they could've embezzled, they had to steal from food and medicine. Those were both vital to raising shinobi!

If the children weren't healthy enough, how could they become capable shinobi? If shinobi couldn't get their injuries and illnesses treated, how could they keep carrying out missions?

Didn't those two know how much it cost to train a shinobi?

Fools. They were utter fools!

Danzo reacted far more fiercely than Hiruzen. His judgment was also far more severe.

"Enough. I told Koharu I'd send those people to Root, but no one's died. I'll have the Anbu Ninja handle it. I was only using Root's name to scare her."

"As for whether they should lose their positions, I'll decide that myself. Have Root capture them, and I'll have the Anbu Ninja take over afterward."

"If we want to fool them, we have to make the act convincing."

Danzo was being too extreme. Hiruzen had no intention of following his advice; he would stick to his original plan.

"Hiruzen, by doing this, you're just indulging those two again. You'll regret it sooner or later!"

"I'm not indulging them. This is a Police Department case. In the end, those people will be sent to the Police Department to be judged."

"The Police Department? You're handing them over to that bunch of lunatics? Hiruzen, have you lost your mind?" Danzo asked, incredulous.

"Ahem! Qingguang's in charge of the case."

At the mention of Qingguang, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice rose by two pitches, growing noticeably louder.

Danzo was left awkwardly speechless. He could only take a quiet sip of tea and pretend nothing had happened.

"Well, if Qingguang's in charge, then I'm relieved. He's different from the other Uchiha."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

"Take care. I won't see you out~" Hiruzen waved smugly, as if showing off his capable subordinate, Qingguang.

But Danzo felt even smugger.

Hiruzen, you'd never guess that Qingguang only pretends to follow your orders. The one he truly serves is me!

The Police Department's operation earned applause from villagers all over Konoha.

No one wanted their children taking fake medicine when they got sick, and no one wanted them eating poor-quality, stale ingredients.

While most villagers focused on the case, a few of the Ninja Clans noticed something unusual in the public announcement.

Their attention was fixed on Inuzuka Akiya and the Police Department reforms announced alongside her case.

Family members of Police Department personnel could take the department's examination ahead of others. To ordinary people, that was stating the obvious.

They were all Uchiha, and with the same level of ability, having family in the Police Department would naturally make it easier to get in. It was only common sense.

At the Kurama Clan compound.

After reading the announcement and hearing that Akiya had assisted the Police Department, the current clan head, Kurama Ryuuun, immediately sent clan shinobi to investigate.

The truth was surprising.

Inuzuka Akiya and Uchiha Yashiro of the Police Department were lovers.

What was more, during this operation, the two of them had worked alongside Qingguang—and had even raided a pharmacy belonging to the Shimura family.

"Saiyun, what do you make of this?" Kurama Ryuuun asked his wife.

The Kurama Clan was now only a minor Ninja Clan in Konoha. Because their Kekkei Genkai was so unusual, only he and his wife had inherited the ability. Not one of the younger generation had it—not even their daughter, Kurama Harume.

Although Kurama Ryuuun was the clan head in name, the one who truly held authority and had the greatest strength was his wife, Saiyun.

By befriending the village's other Ninja Clans and faithfully obeying the Hokage's orders, the Kurama Clan had managed to keep its own compound in the village despite the decline in its shinobi's strength.

Other minor clans, such as the Gekko and Shiranui, had already become little different from the Commoner Ninja.

"Our Genjutsu isn't suitable for Harume to keep studying. Qingguang once studied Genjutsu with me for a while."

"The anniversary of Kagami's death is in two days. I'll go then."

At Kagami's name, Saiyun's gaze grew distant, and her voice softened.

Kurama Ryuuun clenched his fist slightly.

Naturally, Saiyun noticed.

"He's been dead for years. What are you still thinking about?"

"Are you jealous just because I'm going to pay my respects to the dead?"

"Don't give me that pathetic, wronged-wife look. It makes my skin crawl."

"I understand," Kurama Ryuuun said, lowering his head like a child who'd done something wrong.

He loved Saiyun precisely because she was so unlike other women, but that was also what troubled him.

Still, at least Kagami was dead. Otherwise, he'd never have been lucky enough to marry such an extraordinary woman.

"Are you planning to have Harume study Genjutsu under Qingguang? But he's about the same age as Harume, so..."

Before Ryuuun could finish, a faint, illusory figure appeared behind Saiyun. Its eyes shifted from orange to a dull, muted shade.

"He's different. He's a more gifted genius than Kagami."