Villagers Envy the Uchiha and Want to Join Them!

The massive, imposing procession moved step by step toward the Hokage Building.

The crowd of onlookers grew ever larger; street vendors even packed up their stalls, terrified of obstructing the path of the march.

At first, the villagers had been filled with trepidation upon seeing the Police Force gather, but now, their eyes were sparkling with admiration. Some civilian ninjas even harbored thoughts of joining the Police Force, though they quickly dismissed the notion.

After all, since the founding of the Police Force, no one outside the Uchiha clan had ever been permitted to join.

Hyuga Hiashi arrived from his clan compound, pulling Hinata along. As he looked at the Uchiha Police Force before him, a complex mixture of emotions surged in his heart.

As the two great ocular-jutsu clans of Konoha, why was it that the Uchiha possessed such cohesion, while his own clan felt so stifled? He saw only numbness and deep-seated resentment hidden within his clansmen; the main house and the branch house were like bitter enemies, all because of that damned Caged Bird...

Amidst the envy and shock of the bystanders, the Police Force formation continued its advance until it reached the Hokage Building.

"Halt!"

At Senya's command, everyone stopped in unison, sliding their ninja blades back into the sheaths at their waists.

"Adjust your bearing!"

Hands swept across left and right shoulders in sequence to smooth out wrinkles, then moved downward to flatten the fabric of their uniforms. The movements were perfectly synchronized, creating a rhythmic, collective sound of palms brushing against cloth.

Senya walked up to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Lord Hokage, how is the result of the Police Force's reorganization?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a toothache born of equal parts joy and envy. Why hadn't he thought of the Uchiha's method sooner? This move had allowed the Uchiha to shine brilliantly in the village, though, in a way, their performance was also a form of submission to him.

This was Hiruzen Sarutobi's current line of thought. He believed the Uchiha had finally softened their stance, which was a monumental success. It was something even his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, had failed to achieve, yet he had accomplished it during his own tenure. A sense of pride and superiority welled up within him.

"Excellent. I am very satisfied with the reorganization of the Police Force. The Uchiha's performance is stunningly impressive."

Senya smiled faintly. As expected, this old man Hiruzen could not see through his plan at all; he could now proceed with the next steps without worry.

"Lord Hokage, that is not all. The most important news is yet to come."

"Is that so? Then pray, present it."

Hiruzen was somewhat impatient. There was more? He had expected the Uchiha to cause trouble today, but the reality was the exact opposite—the Uchiha had brought him quite a few surprises!

Senya turned to face the villagers.

"Starting tomorrow, the Uchiha Police Force will no longer consist solely of Uchiha members."

"Any ninja of Chunin rank or higher who wishes to contribute to the village and maintain public order may apply to join!"

"As long as you pass the strength assessment, all positions are open to you—even my own position as Deputy Chief!"

"I believe that once you join, the villagers will be able to feel the changes in our Police Force!"

The villagers were silent for a moment, then erupted into an instant frenzy! It wasn't just the civilians; the eyes of the civilian ninjas were practically glowing with greed! The other ninja clans in the village were even more ecstatic.

This was the Police Force! The organization that could detain criminals, command an openly armed ninja unit, and even mobilize for war—who would have thought the Uchiha would be willing to relinquish such power!

Hiruzen was so agitated that he snapped his pipe in his right hand. After this maneuver by the Uchiha, the threat they posed to the village and to him was greatly diminished. He believed that before long, they would become like the Hyuga of today—a tiger stripped of its claws. In the future, he might even be remembered as the greatest Hokage of Konoha!

"The Uchiha's reorganization of the Police Force has been fully presented. We hope to receive Lord Hokage's approval."

Fugaku stepped forward to stand before Hiruzen. The finalization still required him to act as the clan head; after all, he was the leader in name, and they had to keep the secret that Senya was the true mastermind to prevent that old dog Danzo from biting blindly.

Although Fugaku had often acted weak in front of Hiruzen in the past, Hiruzen was exceptionally pleased with the Uchiha's performance today. Fugaku's respectful demeanor made him feel even more delighted, and he found Fugaku much more agreeable to look at.

"Very good. I am very satisfied with the reorganization of the Police Force. I hope Chief Fugaku will continue to work hard in the future."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged face crinkled into a smile like a chrysanthemum. He walked into the Hokage Building, full of joy, likely intending to take advantage of his good mood to continue admiring the scenery in his crystal ball.

The Police Force formation departed with Senya and Fugaku, leaving behind a crowd still lingering in place, praising and envying the Uchiha. Some wanted to join, and more absurdly, some were already thinking about how to marry into the Uchiha clan...

Itachi Uchiha watched everything silently from the shadows. Senya's plan was proceeding perfectly; in just one week, the relationship between the village and the clan had improved significantly, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi was satisfied.

However, it was time to report all of this to Danzo. After all, that old thief's hostility toward the Uchiha was far greater than Hiruzen's. He had to go and probe Danzo's reaction.

His figure gradually vanished into a corner alleyway.

Inside the Root base, Itachi Uchiha wore the white cat-faced mask of Root and knelt before Danzo, reporting everything that had transpired from the village gates to the Hokage Building.

Danzo stood before Itachi, leaning on his cane. A brand-new white bandage covered his right eye, and his head was tilted slightly upward, giving him the air of someone looking down his nose at others.

"Hmph, the Uchiha must have ulterior motives. They are definitely plotting something. This evil clan could not have become so obedient just because Shisui Uchiha died."

"Itachi, only you are different from the other Uchiha. You and Shisui are both ninjas who care for the village, the true successors of Kagami Uchiha."

"In the coming days, you must gather more intelligence on the Uchiha and report to me with priority! Hiruzen is old! He must have been deceived by the Uchiha's performance! His eyes have been blinded!"

"Yes!"

After receiving Danzo's orders, Itachi left as usual, but his inner thoughts had changed.

He now found Danzo's face sickeningly ugly. Although the Uchiha did have a plan and a purpose behind this reorganization, it was entirely intended to ease the conflict between the village and the clan.

This fellow Danzo had to comment on everything the Uchiha did, convinced they were harboring sinister intentions and meant to harm the village.

He even claimed to be the "Root" of Konoha, guarding the village from the shadows—how shameless. He was nothing but a parasite clinging to the trunk of the village, constantly satisfying his own selfish desires!

After leaving Root and returning to the clan, Itachi relayed Danzo's orders to Fugaku and Senya. Senya instructed Itachi to leak all superficial intelligence to Danzo from now on to confuse his vision.

Perhaps it would even allow those two old partners, Hiruzen and Danzo, to relive the passion of their younger days when they were at each other's throats...