Chapter 12

The offices and prisons of the Uchiha Military Police Force are located within the Uchiha clan grounds. In the anime, as the clan grounds shifted during the Nine-Tails' Rebellion, the administrative offices of the Military Police Force relocated accordingly.

The Military Police Force maintains three offices in Konoha, as the village expands in a fan shape from the Hokage Building out toward the village gates.

The Military Police Force building serves as the headquarters and also functions as one of the offices, where the First Division is based. There are smaller police stations located deep on the left and right sides of the village entrance, housing the Second Division and Third Division, respectively.

Each division consists of seventy men, divided into four squads of seventeen. Each squad is further divided into four teams of four, plus the squad leader, totaling seventeen members.

Four squads total sixty-eight men; with the division captain and vice-captain, each division reaches seventy members.

The First Division is comprised entirely of Uchiha elites, all of whom have awakened the bloodline limit, the Sharingan. They oversee the top third of the fan-shaped area of Konoha Village.

The Second and Third Divisions oversee the lower-left and lower-right sections of the fan.

A force of just over two hundred is woefully insufficient for a ninja village with tens of thousands of residents, most of whom are ninjas or members of ninja clans of various ranks.

Some small ninja clans, though modest in size with only a dozen or so members, are still ninja clans with bloodline ties or inherited abilities.

As for mid-sized ninja clans with hundreds of members—mostly ninjas—relying solely on the Military Police Force to suppress them is feasible but would drain far too much energy.

If it were a ninja clan alliance like the Ino-Shika-Cho, the Military Police Force's personnel would be completely outmatched, requiring the mobilization of the Uchiha clan's own ninjas to be considered sufficient.

Inside the Uchiha Military Police Force building, in the First Division office on the second floor.

Eighteen people sat in the office. Uchiha Nara sat in the main seat, with the elites of the First Division's First Squad below him.

The First Squad of the First Division consists of seventeen men, all possessing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. These seventeen jonin represent half of the Uchiha clan's total jonin strength.

The entire Uchiha clan has nearly a thousand ninjas, most of whom are chunin or genin; there are only a little over thirty jonin. While this is partly due to Konoha suppressing the number of Uchiha jonin, even if the restrictions were lifted, the Uchiha internal structure could not accommodate more jonin sharing power.

In any ninja village or clan, jonin are figures with significant influence. Many small clans do not even have a single jonin-level ninja.

These jonin vary in age; the older ones are in their early fifties with faces etched by wrinkles, while the younger ones, like the sixteen-year-old Uchiha Nara, are just beginning their prime.

Uchiha Yashiro, an important figure who shone in the Military Police Force in the anime, is currently busy working in the Administration Department of the Clan Affairs Hall and has not joined the Military Police Force.

The Clan Affairs Hall cannot function without Yashiro. Otherwise, Nara would have to handle the clan's administrative affairs himself.

"Ahem, you are all elites of the Uchiha clan and the Konoha Military Police Force. I have reviewed your files and service records, and I am deeply impressed by your contributions to Konohagakure."

"As the head of the Uchiha, I originally did not want to interfere in the affairs of the Military Police Force, but the current actions of the force truly worry me."

Uchiha Nara first expressed his recognition and praise for these elites, then voiced his concerns regarding the development of the Military Police Force.

"Lord Clan Head! Our Konoha Military Police Force maintains order in Konoha, ensuring our colleagues don't have to worry about being attacked within the village. We are recognized by many ninjas—what is it that you are worried about?"

The one speaking was the ninja in his early fifties, Uchiha Go.

Uchiha Go was a ninja born in the era of Uchiha Madara. He was once a genius of the Uchiha in his youth, but now, at over fifty, he is a hero past his prime.

"Heh, within the Military Police Force, there is no need to concern yourself with my status as clan head. In the Military Police Force, we speak only of rank, not clan affairs."

Nara smiled faintly, drawing a clear line between his roles to ensure they didn't think he was using his authority as clan head to slack off in the police force.

"Yes!" Uchiha Go replied heavily.

"Uchiha Go, which ninjas are these that you say recognize us? Do you have a specific list?"

The Konoha Military Police Force is loathed by everyone; to claim they are recognized by the village's ninjas is simply absurd.

People recognize the strength of the Uchiha, not their status.

After all, many foreign ninjas have developed strategies for fighting the Uchiha: one-on-one, you must flee; two-on-one, strike at the heart.

This proves that in a fair one-on-one fight, one cannot challenge an Uchiha with the powerful bloodline limit of the Sharingan.

"Uh." Faced with Nara's question, Uchiha Go's mind flashed to a few ninjas who had once thanked him, but there had been no further contact since. Whether they truly recognized them was hard to say.

Ninjas are accustomed to darkness and slaughter. In many countries, they are viewed as tools or weapons; there is no room for sentiment.

Only Konoha emphasizes the Will of Fire. Compared to the other great nations, Konoha is not the worst—after all, they have the Sunagakure and the Village of the Bloody Mist, Kirigakure, to set the bar lower.

"Heh, can't think of a specific list of people who recognize you, or perhaps you can't be sure if others truly recognize you, right?"

Nara chuckled softly, as if he possessed mind-reading abilities.

"Lord Nara, if you don't let us go out on patrol, I fear that by now, various villagers and merchants will have set up stalls on the streets. If we don't drive them away, it will lead to complaints from many ninjas and villagers."

A young ninja in his early twenties said with some concern.

Uchiha Saburo, twenty-one years old this year, a Konoha jonin, the previous genius of the Uchiha. He possesses the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and excels in Fire Release, genjutsu, and shurikenjutsu—a traditional elite Uchiha ninja.

"Your concerns are not without merit, but the merchants have a hard life. They are either retired ninjas or the families of ninjas; they are all destitute villagers who have lost their source of income."

"There is no need to drive them away. Designate a specific area for them to set up their stalls so they don't have to be chased off every day. As for the complaints, send the letters or the complainants directly to me."

These destitute villagers who have lost their income are clearly the families of ninjas who died in action, their pensions long since spent. The cost of living in Konoha is high, and ninjas do not engage in production, serving only to fight for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire or to execute missions for the wealthy merchants, ministers, and landlords of the Land of Fire.

These missions range from assassinating political rivals and guarding ministers to helping plow fields, cleaning up trash, or finding lost cats.

Without a ninja in the family to execute missions and earn commissions, they have no choice but to set up stalls in the village to earn a meager living.

Yet, even then, they are driven away by the powerful jonin of the Uchiha. It is simply insane.

"That doesn't seem right, Division Captain. The Captain will blame us for poor performance."

Uchiha Saburo asked softly with a frown. Having done this kind of work for five or six years, they were long accustomed to barking orders and acting with prestige in front of the villagers.