Stirring Up Trouble

"Now that you mention it, that does sound right. Where did those two come from? They've been acting weird from the start, accusing people of skipping out on their bill without a shred of evidence."

"I knew something was off. So these two are just here to stir up trouble."

"Exactly! I knew members of a major clan wouldn't be greedy over such a petty little thing."

"I said it earlier—the two members of the Guard Squad are usually pretty easygoing. There are plenty of unlicensed street vendors around here, and they've always turned a blind eye to them. Why would they give that shopkeeper a hard time?"

The crowd of onlookers shifted its stance once again. After all, that was just how people were. All it took was a little guidance and a limited set of information.

And they could be sent charging mindlessly toward a target. They didn't much care whether the outcome was right or wrong. Most people simply followed the crowd. A few were just there for the spectacle, and the tiny handful left—heh—were the culprits who'd set the whole thing up.

"You... You're talking crap! You're just a brat who hasn't even grown his first whiskers. What would you know?" Seeing the crowd's attention shift, the middle-aged man panicked and shouted at the boy.

"Huh? Wait a minute. Weren't you two just here to watch? Why are you so invested in this shopkeeper's business? So full of civic spirit, are you?"

The boy rubbed his chin, looking utterly puzzled.

"Or maybe the two of you are in cahoots with the owner! You planned this in advance, smeared the Guard Squad, and framed public servants!" The boy's tone shifted, turning righteous and unyielding.

"Speak! What are your intentions? Are you trying to sow discord between the merchants and the authorities?"

The boy's voice turned cold as he slapped a serious accusation on them.

"Bullshit! We just can't stand by when we see injustice! We can't stand how your Guard Squad throws its weight around!" the short-haired man stammered in protest.

"Can't stand by when you see injustice? Fine, what a noble thing to say. So you saw those two eating without paying with your own eyes, did you?" Uchiha Kai said slowly, the corner of his mouth curling up.

"Uh... Well... I guess I didn't..."

"You didn't? Then how dare you run your mouth and make things up! Slandering law enforcement and stirring up trouble among the public—as a member of the Uchiha clan, your actions are an insult to the Will of Fire. What are your intentions?!"

"What?! No, I didn't! I never said that!" Hearing the boy's words, the two troublemakers sensed something was wrong. They exchanged a glance and began edging backward.

"Sir, you said these two Guard Squad members ate two skewers of dango but only paid for one, is that right?" the boy asked solemnly.

"Y-yes, I suppose..." The shopkeeper turned his head, not daring to meet the boy's gaze.

"Haha, looks like the shopkeeper can't remember. That's all right, that's all right. Even if you can't remember, surely you can check the ledger?" The boy changed his tone, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought.

"If I'm not mistaken, every business on this commercial street, big or small, is required to keep an official ledger recording all its income and expenses. There should be a record of how many skewers these two ate and what they paid afterward, right? Why don't we check the ledger?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the dango shopkeeper's face changed. He hurriedly spoke up.

"Well, I don't think we need to look at the ledger. There may have been some misunderstanding... Could we settle this privately, somewhere out of the way?"

"What? Is there some difficulty you're facing? Why settle it in private? That won't do at all. If someone wants fairness, then we have to give them fairness!" The boy raised his voice several notches and fixed a sharp gaze on the two men, who were trying to slip away.

The next second, Uchiha Liu and Uchiha Huohuo exchanged a glance and nodded. They vanished from the spot in an instant.

"Gentlemen, this matter isn't settled yet. Where do you think you're going?" Uchiha Liu appeared behind them like a phantom, pressing one hand on each man's shoulder.

The next moment, crimson spread across Uchiha Liu's pupils, and two round Tomoe spun into view. Chilling Chakra gathered in his eyes, poised to strike.

"Ugh!" The two troublemakers stiffened. Instinctively, they reached for something at their waists, only to find nothing there.

Then came the undisguised hostility. Feeling the danger of Uchiha's Chakra locking onto them, the two had no choice but to give up on any ideas they'd had.

"W-we wouldn't dare," the short-haired man said with a sycophantic smile.

Watching the two Uchiha take action, the boy nodded slightly, then turned to the shopkeeper, who was already at a loss, and continued.

"Shopkeeper, you... don't have a ledger, do you?!" The boy looked genuinely shocked.

"Oh dear, operating without a license would make this a serious matter." As he spoke, the boy turned to face the large crowd of villagers. Quite a few of them were local shopkeepers.

"Everyone, tell me what you think. These two law enforcement officers work tirelessly every day, looking after your safety, your business environment, even your living conditions." Uchiha Kai pursed his lips, his tone turning somber.

"And then one day they come across a dango shop with incomplete paperwork and a terrible environment. Instead of taking action, they support the business—and now they're being repaid with accusations that they tried to eat without paying?"

"That's outrageous, isn't it? Is that fair? Of course it isn't." The boy shook his head, his voice full of regret.

"If this really goes through, then all the local shops with a few flaws in their paperwork might..." Uchiha Kai trailed off, his voice turning dark.

"Damn it! I could tell those guys were up to no good the moment I saw them. They were sneaking around, so they must've been plotting together just now to frame the good people in the Guard Squad!"

"Exactly! I saw it myself. Just a moment ago, those two dragged the shopkeeper aside and were whispering something to him!"

The moment their own interests were at stake, the crowd that had just been watching for fun couldn't sit still anymore. They all started talking at once, nearly ready to chop those two troublemakers' heads off.

"Heh, don't rush, everyone. Take your time. I believe the public has sharp eyes. I'll confirm the details with the shopkeeper again, and then we can decide what to do. There's no need to hurry."

"Shopkeeper, you can see for yourself—there are plenty of people here who can testify. Think it over carefully." Uchiha Kai paused.

"Is it worth slandering two young Guard Squad members and risking your own shop closing and getting flagged, all to get a million ryo from these two?" As the boy spoke, his eyes seemed to tremble. The next instant, an invisible wave swept toward the shopkeeper.

"Damn, that timid-looking guy seems so honest, but he'd actually frame members of the Guard Squad for a million ryo? He must be itching for a beating!"

"A million ryo?! Those two troublemakers have that kind of money?"

"You rotten apple! You've spoiled the whole barrel. You've dragged the rest of us merchants into this—aren't you afraid you'll get what's coming to you?" The onlookers cried out, some shocked and others furious.

The shopkeeper was startled. Then, for some reason, a surge of anger rose within him, instantly breaking through his defenses.

"You're lying! What million ryo?! They only gave me a hundred thousand! They said all I had to do was give the Guard Squad members a hard time when they came to buy something. What kind of nonsense is this? I don't want the hundred thousand anymore, all right?!"

At that, the boy's lips curled up.