Joining the Military Police Force

After the three had introduced themselves, they began their patrol for the day.

Uchiha Lin, Uchiha Yashiro, and Uchiha Tekka walked together along their assigned route. When they reached an intersection in Konoha's shopping district, a loud argument cut through the surrounding bustle.

A shrewd-looking, scrawny man and a burly man with a face full of coarse flesh were arguing furiously over a fine leather wallet on the ground, drawing a large crowd of onlookers.

The Uchiha Ling, Tekka, and Yashiro patrol squad happened upon the chaotic scene, but almost at the same time, another group arrived.

It was an elite squad of the Military Police Force, led by Uchiha Fugaku, son of clan head Uchiha Chishin and a rising star among the younger generation.

Uchiha Fugaku's expression was calm, his eyes carrying an innate authority and a hint of barely concealed superiority.

As the clan head's son, he had long been regarded as the heir apparent. No one among the younger generation could match his strength or prestige.

Seeing the dispute, Uchiha Fugaku furrowed his brow. Such a petty street quarrel seemed beneath him, but since he had encountered it, it offered a chance to demonstrate his ability to handle affairs and reinforce his standing among both clan members and villagers.

He motioned for his subordinates to maintain order, then stepped forward with measured strides.

"What's going on here? Making a scene and grabbing at each other in front of the Military Police Force—what kind of behavior is that?" Uchiha Fugaku's voice carried an unquestionable force that instantly quieted the crowd.

The two men saw the officers and immediately turned to Fugaku to air their grievances. Each stuck to his own version of events, which were unchanged from before:

The scrawny man claimed to be the wallet's owner and could state roughly how much money was inside. The burly man insisted he had found it and countered that the other man had tried to snatch it.

Uchiha Fugaku listened calmly, trying to find a flaw in their expressions or words.

His usual approach was to apply pressure and psychological intimidation. First, he fixed the scrawny man with a sharp gaze. "You say this is your wallet. Besides the amount of money, what proof do you have? Were there any documents inside?"

The scrawny man searched frantically, but all he could produce was a yellowed photograph. He said it was the most important thing in the wallet, but it couldn't immediately prove that the wallet belonged to him.

Fugaku turned to the burly man, his voice colder. "You say you found it? Where did you find it? Was anyone else nearby?"

The burly man had clearly prepared his story. He made up a seemingly plausible location and swore there had been no one else around.

The situation reached a stalemate. Fugaku tried several standard questioning techniques, but both men seemed determined to hold their ground and were surprisingly "resolute." The burly man in particular had sweat on his forehead, yet he wouldn't budge from his story.

As the minutes passed, the crowd's murmuring grew louder. Many began to question the Military Police Force's efficiency.

"It seems we have no choice but to take both of them back to the station for a thorough interrogation," Uchiha Fugaku finally decided.

It was the safest approach, but also the most time-consuming. It would inevitably leave people thinking the Military Police Force was incompetent and could only solve problems by locking people up.

His expression darkened. This was far from the swift, decisive resolution he had envisioned.

Standing off to the side, Uchiha Yashiro silently watched Fugaku handle the situation.

Uchiha Yashiro had always been a staunch supporter of Fugaku. He believed that Fugaku's strength, composure, and background made him the best person to lead the Uchiha Clan into the future.

But now, seeing Fugaku at a loss over such an apparently simple dispute and resorting to a clumsy, passive solution, Yashiro couldn't help feeling a faint trace of disappointment.

Could the future clan head handle only clashes of steel, but not situations that required insight and intelligence?

At that moment, Uchiha Ling, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward.

He first gave Uchiha Fugaku a slight nod, then spoke calmly. "These two seem quite stubborn. I have a simple idea we could try."

Fugaku was at a loss, and although he had mixed feelings about this fellow clan member, who had recently risen to prominence and had a complicated relationship with the village leadership, he was glad to have someone break the deadlock.

He nodded. "Ling, go ahead and give your idea a try."

Everyone turned their attention to Uchiha Ling. Even Uchiha Tekka, who had been growing impatient, watched with curiosity.

Uchiha Ling walked to the center of the scene and calmly picked up the wallet. He opened it, took out all the money, and neatly arranged it on a clean stone slab beside him.

Then he looked at the two men and said something that left everyone dumbfounded:

"Since you both insist that the wallet belongs to you, and neither of you can provide evidence the Military Police Force will accept, continuing to argue or taking you back for questioning will only waste everyone's time.

"I have a suggestion. In the name of 'fairness,' we'll divide the money evenly, and you can each take half.

"That would be better than endlessly arguing here or going to the Military Police Force for a cup of tea. What do you say?"

"Ridiculous!" "What kind of solution is that?"

"How can an Uchiha officer handle things like this?"

The crowd erupted in protest, objections coming from every direction. Uchiha Fugaku furrowed his brow even more deeply. He couldn't understand Uchiha Ling's seemingly "fence-sitting" move at all. It was practically damaging the Uchiha's authority!

But the two men's reactions next brought every objection to an abrupt halt.

A flash of delight crossed the burly man's face. Though he tried hard to hide it, his eagerness was impossible to miss. He almost shouted his answer:

"Fine! I agree! Split the money! Let's do it now!" He sounded as if he were afraid the other man might change his mind.

The scrawny man, by contrast, looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. His face turned deathly pale, and his body trembled with anger and distress. Pointing at Uchiha Ling, he cried out in anguish:

"No! Absolutely not! That's my money! I worked hard to earn it! Why should I give half of it to this thief?! Is this how the Uchiha Military Police Force resolves cases?! I won't accept it!"

His desperation and outrage stood in stark contrast to the burly man's "reasonableness."

The difference was plain as day!

Uchiha Ling ignored the scrawny man's impassioned protest and turned to the burly man, who had eagerly agreed to split the money. His gaze suddenly turned cold and keen, as if he could see straight through him.

"You just kept saying that you found the wallet and hadn't had a chance to check what was inside, right?"

The burly man was startled by the sudden icy gaze and question. He stammered, "Y-yeah..."

"Then," Uchiha Ling said, picking up the empty wallet. His voice was quiet, but carried immense pressure.

"Why were you so eager to agree to my proposal to 'split' the money inside, when you had no idea how much there was?

"It must be because, to you, this is free money, not money you painstakingly saved yourself. That's why this wallet isn't yours!"

The burly man was completely stunned. Cold sweat ran down his face, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. Uchiha Ling's simple yet devastating strike had shattered his psychological defenses.

The truth was out!

Uchiha Ling solemnly returned the wallet and money to the scrawny man, who was so moved that tears welled in his eyes. "Sorry for putting you through this. Please count it and make sure it's all there."

The rightful owner thanked him profusely. Compared to the stalemate during Fugaku's attempt to handle the case, the outcome this time was close to perfect.

The crowd broke into sincere praise and applause, lauding Uchiha Ling's cleverness and fairness. Their opinion of the Uchiha Military Police Force improved as well.

Uchiha Fugaku stood where he was, his face turning pale and then red.

He had spent so long getting nowhere, while Uchiha Ling had solved the problem in an instant with a seemingly absurd suggestion—and won so much praise.

The stark contrast felt like a silent slap across his face.

He could feel the clan members around him looking at him differently, some even questioning his ability.

Uchiha Fugaku clenched his fists so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms. But in the end, he said nothing. He simply gave Uchiha Ling a long look, then silently left the scene with his squad.

Uchiha Tekka looked at Uchiha Ling. His earlier confusion and slight contempt had vanished, replaced by genuine admiration.

Tekka clapped Uchiha Ling hard on the shoulder and said in his deep, rumbling voice, "Ling, that was incredible! What a brilliant idea!"

The waves stirring in Uchiha Yashiro's heart were far greater than Tekka's.

He had witnessed Fugaku's helplessness and Uchiha Ling's effortless command of the situation from start to finish.

He had believed Fugaku's composure and traditional background were what the clan needed most. But now he saw another possibility—someone more flexible, more perceptive, and better able to handle complicated situations.

Uchiha Ling had not only ability, but also deep insight and a precise understanding of human nature.

That kind of ability was far more important than strength alone.

For the first time, Yashiro's faith in Uchiha Ling wavered at its very foundations. The thought that "perhaps he's the more suitable candidate" took root in his mind like a seed.