The crowded street.
"Shut up!"
At the sharp command, a figure with short black hair, a handsome, refined face, and a Konoha Military Police Force vest stepped out from the crowd.
When they saw the young man, more than a dozen Uchiha lit up and greeted him.
"Captain White Dove!"
"Captain White Dove!"
On seeing them, anyone who didn't know White Dove was only nominally the Logistics Squad Captain might have thought he was the big shot in the Konoha Military Police Force.
"Citizen, if you dare keep making a scene, the Konoha Military Police Force will arrest you for 'disturbing the peace'... Go inside and see if anyone's still trapped!"
White Dove first rebuked the department store manager sternly, then softened his tone and gave instructions to the dozen or so Uchiha.
"Yes!" N
The Uchiha rushed into the building, where smoke still lingered.
Meanwhile, Tekka and Inabi naturally blended in with the Uchiha.
Clearly, the evidence that turned up later would be "discovered" under their guidance.
See? This was Uchiha White Dove's plan for retaliation.
Simple and direct!
No beating around the bush.
Sure, if he really wanted to use covert methods, he could make sure the other side never knew he was responsible.
But that wouldn't have served as a deterrent.
Maybe he would've needed to play that way before, but after he'd come out last night to launch the "New Uchiha," there was no way to keep hiding. If he was going to be exposed, so be it.
"You..."
The woman from the Utatane Clan was just about to say something when she saw White Dove's half-smile and the chill in his eyes.
White Dove had little sympathy for these unruly Konoha civilians.
If she really wanted to make trouble for herself, he'd hit back hard and teach her what pain felt like.
He was a shinobi. Was he going to let an ordinary person push him around?
He wasn't like Uchiha Fugaku, who was "meek with outsiders, but heavy-handed with his own." He truly dared to use force against Konoha's unruly civilians.
That was precisely why he'd been transferred from the patrol squad to a nominal post in logistics.
Of course, given his relationship with the Uchiha in the Konoha Military Police Force, being in logistics didn't stop him from directing them with a single word.
The "bonds" forged by drinks, grilled meat, and benefits were far more useful than a job title.
Perhaps she recognized who White Dove was, because the woman from the Utatane Clan finally shut her mouth.
Uchiha White Dove!
Among the villagers, that name was famous—and feared.
After all, he'd been the first to openly propose the theory of "ninja supremacy," which naturally left the villagers displeased.
If Isshin Department Store hadn't been closed to ordinary villagers, they would've certainly made him understand who the "masters" of Konoha were.
So it was no surprise that the woman from the Utatane Clan recognized White Dove.
She was the manager of this department store, after all. They were "competitors," so it was only natural for her to learn everything she could about her rival.
Just then, an unwelcome visitor arrived.
"Uchiha White Dove!"
A voice tinged with anger made White Dove turn around.
From among the onlookers in the street, an old woman with narrowed eyes and a white shawl draped over one shoulder approached, surrounded by several shinobi. Her demeanor was gentle, yet carried a hint of severity.
Utatane Koharu!
One of the Konoha F4, whom he'd met just the night before, had arrived.
She might have seemed like little more than a background character in the anime.
But after White Dove had crossed over, he'd come to understand how formidable she was.
The Utatane Clan was a major clan in Konoha, too. As a Consultant Elder, she could influence Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage, and was also in charge of the finance and medical departments. She held immense power, and the extent of her influence was self-evident.
It was thanks to her that the Utatane Clan had grown from a minor shinobi clan decades ago into a major clan today.
She must have rushed over after hearing that her department store was on fire.
After all, it was very close to the Hokage Building, where she was usually stationed. That was why she'd been able to get here as soon as she saw the fire.
"Elder Utatane, what can I do for you?"
From her tone, White Dove understood at once.
She wasn't angry because of the fire. She was angry because of him.
She had no evidence, yet she'd immediately suspected him. Her ability to read the situation was impressive. No wonder she'd been Senju Tobirama's student.
In the anime, she'd been treated as a background character and an annoying presence. Only after meeting her in person had he realized that the real shinobi world was completely different from the anime.
Fortunately, White Dove had long since adjusted to that. He didn't base everything on the anime, or he'd have been screwed long ago.
"Whatever you do, you leave traces!"
Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes, and a sense of scrutiny fell over White Dove.
Apparently, she was a Sensor-type shinobi, and she wasn't weak. He could feel the threat she posed.
"Exactly. Whatever you do, you leave traces, don't you?"
White Dove shot back with her own words.
But he was referring to her use of the "bandits" trick.
If she dared come after him, there was no reason he couldn't do the same to her.
At most, he was just bolder, striking inside the village.
But the Konoha Military Police Force had the home-field advantage in the village. He wasn't about to give that up.
How could someone as perceptive as Utatane Koharu fail to understand his meaning? There was nothing she could do about it.
The truth was, she hadn't ordered it. Her clan members had decided to act on their own.
But she couldn't explain that.
Doing so would be tantamount to showing weakness to the Uchiha.
"Young man, don't be so arrogant!"
Utatane Koharu was displeased.
"If you're not arrogant, what kind of young man are you?"
White Dove retorted without giving her the slightest respect.
Unlike the other Uchiha, he didn't have some special "filter" that made him defer to the village leadership.
In his eyes, the village's leaders were just "village officials." He didn't take them seriously at all.
"Impudent! I'm a Consultant Elder of the village. You dare speak to me like that?"
Utatane Koharu had no interest in talking with White Dove any longer. She went straight to throwing her title around.
Consultant Elder!
In the village, they were second only to one and above ten thousand. Even clan heads like Uchiha Fugaku had to show them respect.
Too bad for her, today she'd run into White Dove, a transmigrator.
"Elder Utatane, if I remember correctly, the Consultant Elder position was created by the Third Hokage. It was never approved by the village, nor is it an official village position. In other words... your title is illegal!"
White Dove turned the tables on her.
The advantage of being a transmigrator was knowing quite a lot about how things worked.
It was true that shinobi clans generally had elders, but the village itself didn't.
The First Hokage and the Second Hokage hadn't had Consultant Elders by their sides.
So the position was something Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had created.
And the role of "consultant" was a personal appointment, not a village position. So their status really was questionable.
At the very least, there were serious procedural problems.
Of course, some clever people must have noticed.
The Nara Clan, for instance, had surely figured it out. They'd simply chosen to see without saying, and let their strategist keep doing his job.
Over time, everyone had forgotten that the title of Consultant Elder was problematic.
It was one of those things people didn't dare talk about or ask questions about.
Now White Dove had suddenly pointed it out, and countless people were stunned.
"No way...!"
"Are Consultant Elders not part of the village leadership?"
"That can't be right! Lord Hokage entrusts them with so many important matters!"
The villagers around them were filled with complicated feelings.
In their hearts, the Consultant Elders had always been untouchable. Now their aura of authority lay shattered on the ground.
Shattered beyond repair.
The people around them were reacting so strongly. Just imagine how Utatane Koharu felt, given how proud she'd always been of her status as a "Consultant Elder."
Just then, someone else arrived.
Before you continue