Konoha Military Police Force

At the headquarters of the Konoha Military Police Force in Konoha, sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating dust motes dancing slowly in the air. Fugaku sat at his desk, processing a personnel roster; today was the day he would hand over the authority of the Konoha Military Police Force.

Just then, a knock at the door broke the silence. Fugaku did not look up, remaining focused on the documents in his hand as he said casually, "Come in."

The door was pushed open and a group of people walked in. Most were members of the Konoha Military Police Force, led by the deputy captain, Uchiha Fu.

"Captain, are we really going to hand over the authority? If we give up the power of the police force, our Uchiha Clan will truly have no power left to speak of. Our lives will only become even harder!" Uchiha Fu said, his brow furrowed and his voice tinged with reluctance.

Several members behind him nodded in unison, echoing his sentiments. Their eyes were filled with expectation, hoping Fugaku would reconsider.

Fugaku sighed softly, looked up, and swept his gaze over the group before asking slowly, "What makes you think that handing over the police force's authority will make our lives worse?"

Fu stepped forward and said to Fugaku, "Isn't it obvious, Captain? If we don't have the authority of the police force, who in the village will fear the Uchiha Clan?"

Fugaku crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and after a moment of contemplation, asked, "They only fear us; they do not accept us from the bottom of their hearts. There is not a single member of the Uchiha Clan among the high-ranking officials in all of Konoha. Have you ever thought about the reason for that?"

At this, a member of the police force couldn't help but speak up: "Isn't it because the village is targeting us! Danzo even moved against our clansmen the night before last; that is a fact, isn't it? Now we have to hand over the police force's authority—who knows how the higher-ups will treat us?"

His words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples. Others began to chime in, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.

Uchiha Fugaku shook his head slowly, looked at everyone, and said calmly, "In the end, it is because the Hokage does not feel close to our Uchiha Clan. If our Uchiha children could enter the Hokage's direct circle, the situation would ease significantly."

Hearing Fugaku say this, the group fell silent. Upon careful consideration, it seemed to make sense. Then, Fu suddenly realized something and said, "Currently, the Hokage's direct circle only consists of the Third Hokage's three disciples—the legendary Sannin. It doesn't seem realistic for them to take on students. Aside from them, I suppose there is only the Fourth's disciple, Kakashi."

The group suddenly had a moment of realization. Then, someone else spoke up: "I remember that the clan leader's two sons have a good relationship with the Fourth Hokage's two sons, right? Could it be..."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone seemed to understand something. Their gazes shifted in unison to Fugaku, as if seeking confirmation.

Seeing this, Fugaku nodded. When the group saw him nod, smiles immediately appeared on their faces, and the heavy expressions from before vanished without a trace.

Uchiha Fu said to Fugaku with a smile, "Captain, you should have said so earlier! If you had said that, we would have agreed immediately. Does anyone else disagree?"

Hearing this, everyone shook their heads, indicating they had no further objections. Seeing this, Uchiha Fu looked at Fugaku and said, "Then, Clan Leader, you go ahead with your work. Just call us if you have any arrangements. We won't disturb you any further!"

With that, Fu led the other members out. Fugaku watched their retreating backs and shook his head helplessly. Now, Fugaku pinned all his hopes on the next generation of the Uchiha and Menma.

The scene shifts to the Uchiha compound. In a dimly lit room, only a faint sliver of sunlight managed to filter through a small window. A woman was holding a two- or three-year-old girl, sobbing softly, while a teenage boy stood nearby, trying his best to comfort them.

"Shisui, you say your uncle was killed by Danzo just like that... what are Xingli and I supposed to do now..." The woman sobbed, looking at Shisui with eyes full of helplessness.

"Aunt, please rest assured. I will treat Xingli as my own sister! I will take good care of her!" Shisui looked at the woman firmly, trying to offer some solace.

"Shisui, my health is already poor. If I were to pass away, Xingli is still so young—what would she do!" The woman's crying did not cease; instead, it became even more sorrowful as she held the little girl tightly.

Seeing this, Shisui felt as if his heart had been struck a heavy blow; he was in immense pain. He dared not tell the truth, fearing his aunt would be overwhelmed by grief.

"Your uncle and I only have this one daughter. If I am also gone, I entrust Xingli to your care." The woman looked at Shisui with pleading eyes.

"Aunt, what are you saying? Don't worry, your illness will get better. You will definitely be able to watch Xingli grow up. Besides, I have always treated Xingli like my own sister." Shisui forced a smile to comfort her, then looked at Xingli.

At this moment, Xingli was staring at Shisui without blinking. Seeing her mother crying, she began to wail as well, seemingly sensing the sorrow.

Seeing Xingli cry, the woman hurriedly tried to soothe her. Shisui watched this scene, a strong sense of guilt welling up in his heart; he couldn't help but feel that he was the reason Xingli had lost her father at such a young age.

"Aunt, I have to go on a mission now. I won't be in the compound for the next few days. If you need anything, you can look for Uncle Fugaku; they will arrange for someone to take care of you." Shisui said as he stood up, preparing to leave.

Seeing this, Shisui's aunt did not stop him, only instructing, "Shisui, take care of yourself. Xingli and I will be waiting for you to return to the compound."

Hearing this, Shisui flashed a warm smile and said, "Don't worry! Everything will be fine." With that, Shisui walked out quickly.

Inside the Anbu prison of Konoha, it was dark, damp, and reeked of decay. Ever since the incident the previous day, Danzo had been locked up here. Despite his predicament, he refused to accept his fate, his mind solely focused on escaping.

At this moment, the cell door opened with a dull thud. Hearing the sound, Danzo looked up, and upon seeing that the visitor was Hiruzen Sarutobi, he immediately rushed forward. "Hiruzen! You cannot lock me here! I am the Hokage's advisor! The Hokage's advisor!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head helplessly, looked at Danzo, and said slowly, "Danzo, logically I should execute you, but considering the contributions you have made to Konoha over these many years, I have decided not to kill you."

Hearing this, a look of joy clearly appeared on Danzo's face. Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and continued, "Sigh, in any case, you can no longer stay in the village. I will send you out of the village, and after that, you can just find a small village to spend the rest of your life in."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Danzo's expression darkened instantly. He glared with rage, beginning to lose his composure: "Hiruzen Sarutobi! You cannot do this to me! Everything I did was for Konoha! You are too indecisive as Hokage; in my opinion, you should step down immediately and let someone else take over!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo and shook his head helplessly. Without waiting for Danzo to finish, he turned and walked toward the cell door. Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi about to leave, Danzo hurriedly blocked his path and said, "Hiruzen Sarutobi! You... you... you will regret this!"

After saying this, Danzo sat down on the stool in the cell, sulking by himself. Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head once more in resignation and walked out quickly.

Meanwhile, at Naruto and Menma's house, sunlight spilled through the windows, forming patches of light. Kushina placed a hand on Menma's forehead, both of them with their eyes closed. Naruto watched curiously from the side; he didn't know what was happening, assuming Menma was unwell and Kushina was checking his condition.

At the same time, inside the Sealing Space of the Nine-Tails, the surroundings were dim and yellow. Overhead, dense pipes ran across the ceiling, some dripping water rhythmically. There was a shallow layer of water on the ground, making a soft "splash" sound with every step. It was like a massive, intricate labyrinth, but Menma was very familiar with it. Once Kushina entered the Sealing Space, Menma led her to Kurama.

Seeing them, Kurama felt nothing but disdain and had no intention of acknowledging Kushina. It simply looked at Menma and asked, "Menma brat, why did you bring Kushina in here? Tell her to leave; I don't want to see her."

Menma was about to speak when Kushina stopped him. Kushina looked at Kurama and said respectfully, "Kurama, first of all, as Menma's mother, I want to express my gratitude to you for taking care of Menma over these past few years." Having said that, Kushina bowed deeply to Kurama.

Seeing this, the corners of Kurama's mouth curled up slightly, but it did not open its eyes or speak.

Menma walked over to Kurama, climbed onto it, and whispered a few words into its ear. Kurama suddenly opened its eyes and sat up. This sudden movement caught Menma off guard, and he lost his grip and fell.

Fortunately, Kurama reacted quickly and caught Menma with its hand. Kurama looked at Menma, placed him on the ground, and feigned anger: "You brat, can't you even stand still?"

Kushina smiled with relief at this sight. Seeing Kushina smile, Kurama said to her, "You and Minato really do have a good son."

Kushina smiled even more happily, as this was, after all, praise for her child.

Seeing this, Menma walked up to Kushina and asked with eyes full of expectation, "Mom, is there any way to break this seal?"

Kushina glanced at the seal and said helplessly, "This seal is indeed a seal of our Uzumaki Clan, but only the one who cast it can undo it. I am powerless to help."

Hearing this, Menma instantly became dejected. Seeing this, Kushina reached out and patted Menma's head, comforting him. Kurama watched this scene, a subtle, imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of its mouth.

"Since it can't be opened, then forget it. I don't even want to open this door; it's quite comfortable in here." Kurama said, lying back down.

Menma was immediately displeased upon hearing Kurama's words, stubbornly retorting, "That won't do. The more you try to stop me from opening it, the more I'm going to." At that moment, Menma's stubborn streak flared up.

"You brat, I already told you I don't want to open this gate!" Kurama said, lifting his head to look at Menma. He appeared genuinely unwilling, though in reality, he was secretly overjoyed.

"That won't work. This is inside my body, so if I say it's opening, it's opening," Menma insisted firmly.

"Hmph! Get out of here, you stubborn brat!" With that, Kurama unleashed a blast of air that shoved the two of them out.

When Menma and Kushina emerged from the Nine-Tails Sealing Space, they slowly opened their eyes. Seeing them wake, Naruto immediately asked, "Mom, what just happened with you and Menma?"

Kushina looked at Naruto and smiled, saying, "It's nothing, don't worry about it." Having said that, she reached out and patted Naruto on the head.