Uchiha Must Have Presence!

A week passed.

Under Senya's arrangements, every squad got two days off each week and a month-long vacation every two months. They could use the time to take outside missions or train on their own to improve their strength. All the Police Force members were satisfied with their current work assignments.

The squad training routines had been taught to all the squad leaders, so Senya could finally make time for his next plan.

Meanwhile, a week after he had placed the order, the custom uniforms and Ninja Blades he had prepared for the Police Force members arrived from the ninja tool shop.

Eagles circled above the training ground. Anyone who could have looked down from the sky would have been stunned by the scene below.

Senya stood before the Police Force ninja in his own dark blue uniform. Fugaku wore the same uniform, though his ninja tools differed from Senya's. A katana that gleamed with a silvery-white sheen was strapped to his back.

Before them stood more than four hundred Police Force ninja, all in matching gray-black uniforms cut in the same style as Senya's, though made of less expensive material that offered only basic waterproofing. They stood one meter apart, both across and down the ranks, with black katanas strapped to their backs.

"Snap."

Senya snapped his fingers again, using genjutsu to show everyone what their formation looked like.

The scene shifted. The Police Force ninja could all see themselves: legs slightly apart, arms folded, gazes fixed straight ahead, backs upright. Every one of them looked imposing.

The view pulled back. Only the faces in the first row could be seen; the rows behind them were completely obscured, perfectly aligned. The perspective rose. More than four hundred ninja stood in gray-black uniforms, Uchiha Gunbai and black Ninja Blades on their backs. The formation was immaculate. The ninja in the leftmost column wore dark blue armbands on their left sleeves, each bearing the Uchiha crest.

The sense of pressure, intimidation, and purpose was overwhelming.

When the genjutsu ended, the ninja wore proud, delighted expressions. They understood why the Vice Clan Head had made them practice all week. They had thought it was pointless before, but now there was only one way to sum it up: "So cool!"

That was Senya's first plan. The Uchiha were all strikingly attractive, handsome men and beautiful women alike. A good appearance, after all, was the first thing that drew people's attention.

Senya remembered this especially well from his previous life.

A handsome man with a sharp tongue was called a cool, aloof heartthrob. If his looks were average, people called him an overconfident loser or a creep.

What was more, in his previous life's history, various civilian groups had risen in countries around the world during the twentieth century. The gangs of Longguo, the Mafia of Italy, and the Razor Gang of the British Empire had all attracted young people with their stylish uniforms.

Military parades were also how great powers displayed their armed strength.

That was Senya's goal: to demonstrate the Uchiha's strength and discipline through their upcoming actions, and make the villagers feel safe.

With their sharp, uniform outfits and the Uchiha's good looks, they would utterly outclass everyone else and win the villagers' favor, making them yearn to be part of it.

Watching the Police Force beside Senya, Fugaku saw how they had changed in just one week. They were like a completely different force, renewed from head to toe. Only then did he realize how effective Senya's plan was sure to be.

Now it was time to show the results.

Inside the Hokage Building, in the office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was leering at the women's bathhouse through a crystal ball. His old face was flushed, and his nostrils kept flaring.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The sudden knocking interrupted his enjoyment.

He hurriedly put the crystal ball away and composed himself.

"Come in."

"Lord Hokage! The Police Force has suddenly gathered at the village entrance. We don't know what they're planning!"

"What!"

At the Anbu's report, Hiruzen could no longer sit still.

"Summon the Anbu squads! We're leaving at once!"

"Yes!"

He immediately headed for the Konoha Gate. There, Fugaku and Senya stood at the front of more than four hundred Police Force ninja, leading them. The ninja behind them gripped their Ninja Blades in their right hands, holding them upright before themselves.

Looking at the well-equipped Uchiha, Hiruzen had no idea what they were planning. Shisui's death should have made the Uchiha temporarily afraid to stage a coup. Besides, no one would launch a coup so openly. The Uchiha had more than just the four hundred ninja in the Police Force; they had over a thousand ninja in total.

And why was Uchiha Senya standing beside Fugaku? He was only a somewhat talented Uchiha Jonin, nowhere near the genius of Shisui or Itachi.

Before Hiruzen could speak, Senya seized the initiative and called out:

"Lord Hokage, we recently received numerous complaints from villagers accusing the Police Force of enforcing the law too violently and without compassion. Fugaku and I have already reformed the Police Force and disciplined its members."

"We're now ready to present a renewed Police Force. Would Lord Hokage be willing to join the villagers in inspecting the results of our reforms?"

Hiruzen was taken aback. What sort of stunt were the Uchiha pulling? Had they changed their ways? Had Shisui's death really had that much of an effect?

"If the Police Force is taking the villagers' suggestions to heart, then that's naturally a good thing. Go ahead, then. The villagers have already gathered, too."

Senya had been so courteous that Hiruzen couldn't very well reject his proposal. He was also curious about what had changed in the Police Force, so he might as well see for himself.

Senya gave the order:

"Move out! Destination: the Hokage Building!"

"Yes!"

Their unified response rang out and carried swiftly through the air, drawing even more villagers. The ninja with free time in the village were drawn over as well, gathering on nearby buildings to watch.

"Forward, march!"

The Police Force ninja moved as if they had been cast from a single mold, their steps perfectly synchronized. Every footfall landed heavily on the ground.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The heavy footsteps shook the onlookers to their core.

The sight was so stunning that some people were left speechless.

The male Police Force ninja all looked handsome and upright, while the women carried themselves with a fierce, confident air. Each held a Ninja Blade in their right hand, elbow bent, the blade steady before them at exactly the same height.

Senya and Fugaku at the head of the formation added the perfect finishing touch, like a dragon's head leading the ninja behind them.

Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi stood together on a rooftop of red tiles.

Shikaku was the most stunned, because those were the uniforms Senya had asked him to have made. He had even made a tidy profit from the job, giving his savings a nice boost.

"Choza, Inoichi, the Uchiha have changed. Konoha's about to change."

Inoichi considered Shikaku's words. He could vaguely understand what Shikaku meant, though not entirely. Choza, meanwhile, looked completely baffled. He only thought the scene before him was impressive and cool; he didn't understand why Shikaku would say that.

Shikaku's expression was grave.

"The Uchiha are changing the villagers' stereotypical impression of them. Look at the villagers' expressions now. Where's the fear, disgust, and dread they used to feel? Now they're looking at the Uchiha with admiration and longing."

Just as Shikaku said, that was exactly what Senya intended. He would change the villagers' stereotypical impressions through the most direct means, crushing the bad image the Uchiha had left them with through sheer visual impact.

Even the other ninja were discussing the spectacle with their squadmates from the eaves nearby.

"Look! That's Squad Leader Inabi! The one at the far left of the first row!"

"Is Squad Leader Inabi really that handsome? I don't remember him being this handsome before..."

"Don't be ridiculous. Squad Leader Inabi has always been handsome. Now he's even more handsome! I really wish I could marry him someday~"

These three kids were the genin team Inabi was currently leading. The fourteen-year-old girl was Kiba's older sister, Inuzuka Hana. The other two were Aburame Sakamoto and Gekko Jiro.

Inuzuka Hana didn't even consider the fact that Uchiha Inabi was twenty-five, eleven years older than her. Her wild, beautiful face showed nothing but a lovestruck expression.

Not far from the three kids, Mitarashi Anko and Yuhi Kurenai stood together, watching Senya at the head of the formation.

"Hey, Kurenai, I haven't seen Chiba in over a year. Has he really gotten this handsome?"

"Ahem, how should I know? I haven't been on a mission with Senya in over half a year either."

The two women chatted, but both kept their eyes on Senya. Their cheeks gradually warmed and flushed. They both knew how the other felt: they both wanted to win Senya over.

When Kurenai had just been promoted to Special Jonin at sixteen, she had led Senya's team. He had graduated early at ten. Later, after Senya became a Chunin, she often teamed up with him for missions and confided her troubles to him, from Asuma's relentless pursuit to problems in her daily life. After a year together, Kurenai had fallen for the boy six years younger than her without even realizing it.

After Senya became a Chunin and left her team, Kurenai had felt reluctant to part with him, as if a piece of her heart had been torn away. The dull ache was when she realized she had long since fallen for the thoughtful, caring student.

Anko was even more ridiculous. The moment Senya entered the Ninja Academy, his cute, delicate face had made her heart race. At nine, Anko had already developed a crush on the six-year-old Senya! She went to tease him after class every day and sometimes brought him lunches. When she learned that, like her, Senya had lost both his parents in the Third Shinobi World War, their similar childhoods had made her feel even more sympathy for the little boy.

If Orochimaru hadn't taken an interest in Anko when she was ten and made her his disciple, forcing her to leave the Ninja Academy, she probably would have deliberately stayed behind for three years, waiting to graduate alongside Senya! That was exactly the sort of thing she could do.