Fugaku's Thoughts

The Third's expectations were clear to Fugaku. They were like the support he had once given Root.

The shinobi clans and some shinobi of standing were extremely wary of Root. Those forces Root had repeatedly cracked down on were even more terrified.

The villagers might never encounter Root's cold-blooded shinobi, but the major clans and those who knew about Root could hardly hide their fear.

After Root's leader, Danzo, had done his part, he had gone underground. Officially, Sarutobi Hiruzen had taken control of Root.

In reality, Hiruzen used the Anbu Training Class to train Root's shinobi even more ruthlessly.

Uchiha Fugaku frowned slightly at the Third's words. Though he felt a little nostalgic for Hiruzen's care when he was a child, the Konoha Military Police Force was the Uchiha Clan's exclusive domain.

Fugaku was somewhat displeased that Sarutobi Hiruzen was interfering in and taking an interest in the Military Police Force's affairs.

Hiruzen's high regard and confidence in him weighed heavily on Fugaku.

At the same time, Fugaku knew full well that he couldn't make decisions about the Military Police Force's affairs.

"Lord Hokage, it might be better to convey these words to the Police Force's captain, Lord Sanzang. I'm just a nobody, and I'm afraid I can't take charge of the Police Force's affairs."

After thinking it over, Fugaku decided to pass the buck. Hiruzen's support put him under some pressure.

"Hahaha, Fugaku, you really are a good shinobi who respects his superiors and cares for his colleagues. It's a pity that I was so busy with work when the Uchiha were choosing their clan head that I didn't offer my opinion. If only I'd supported you back then."

The Third blew a smoke ring and laughed heartily. Then his expression darkened as he spoke.

This Uchiha Fugaku really didn't know how to appreciate a favor.

Uchiha Fugaku didn't know how to respond to the Third's attempt to win him over and offer his support. He stood frozen for a moment.

"Lord Hokage, the Military Police Force is busy. If you have no missions for me, I'll take my leave."

After a long while, Uchiha Fugaku managed to squeeze out those words.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and said solemnly:

"Wherever leaves dance in the wind, the fire will never die. The light of the fire will continue to shine on the village and help new leaves sprout. I watched you grow and flourish as a shinobi. Go on. Working for the Police Force is also a way of serving Konoha!"

"Yes!"

Uchiha Fugaku nodded solemnly at the Will of Fire.

In less than a week of taking charge of the Military Police Force's First Squadron, Uchiha Nara had put its members through the wringer.

The First Squadron had four companies. The First Company's annual salary had originally been 600,000 ryo, but Nara raised it to one million.

The staff of the other three companies had earned 600,000 ryo a year, but their salaries were cut by 200,000, leaving them with 400,000 a year.

After deducting the extra wages paid to the First Company, there was still enough to set aside an additional 200,000 ryo per person for an entire company. With 17 people, that came to a reserve of 3.4 million ryo.

An annual salary of 400,000 ryo made life in Konoha somewhat tight, but it was enough to get by.

But the Uchiha Military Police Force offered more than just a salary. It had an incomparable advantage: its members weren't sent to the battlefield.

During wartime, shinobi from Konohagakure were all sent to the front. When fighting grew fierce, even newly graduated Genin were deployed.

But under normal circumstances, shinobi in the Police Force were never sent to the battlefield. That advantage alone made shinobi from other clans desperate to join.

But they couldn't get in. The Uchiha could barely find positions for their own people, so how could they recruit shinobi from other clans or civilians?

Many Uchiha even held positions in the Military Police Force without receiving a salary.

They made a living by doing other work. As a result, during the Second Shinobi World War, almost no Uchiha were forcibly sent to the battlefield, apart from a few elite shinobi.

The First Company's salary increase made the elderly shinobi who had applied for transfers feel a little regretful.

Although the other three companies' salaries had been reduced, they no longer had to carry out arrests or missions involving clashes with shinobi. They had been transformed into village management and public security officers.

The First Squadron's responsibilities were further divided, and each company was given a name.

The First Company was named the Criminal Investigation Squad. Its 17 members were responsible for major cases, arresting criminal shinobi, and investigating spies. They had gone from being generalists to specialists.

Their missions often involved danger, but for the combative, proud young Uchiha shinobi, this was a perfect chance to make a name for themselves.

The First Squadron's Second Company was named the Public Security Squadron. Its patrol area had expanded to cover the combined territories of the former four companies. It was responsible only for security within the village, helping villagers and resolving disputes.

Matters involving merchants were no longer the Second Company's concern and didn't fall under its jurisdiction. It handled only security disputes. If it discovered foreign spies or criminal shinobi, it had the authority to deal with them, but it could also hand the matter over to the First Company's Criminal Investigation Squad.

The First Company had limited manpower and limited intelligence-gathering ability, so it needed the cooperation of every member of the First Squadron.

Anyone who noticed suspicious activity could report it to or pass it on to the First Company's Criminal Investigation Squad. If the report proved useful, the person who submitted the information would be rewarded.

The First Squadron's Third Company was turned into the Village Management Squadron, responsible for merchants, sanitation, and the environment. Uchiha Nara solemnly instructed its members to focus on advising villagers and merchants. They were not allowed to go around smashing things or arresting people.

These rough shinobi were quick and efficient at killing, but getting them to offer gentle guidance was difficult. Nara had already held a meeting about it, repeating his instructions over and over and stressing the point in no uncertain terms.

The Second and Third Companies were responsible for security and village management, respectively. They were the departments villagers hated most.

When the Second Company handled security, settling a dispute between two people meant helping one and offending the other. Over time, its reputation and image were bound to suffer.

And when villagers had disputes, the security officers who stepped in were more likely to be seen as meddling, pleasing neither side.

The Third Company managed the village's merchants and environment. There was little more to say about that. In the past, there had even been an incident where an Uchiha jōnin pursued someone over the trivial matter of setting up a street stall.

When Nara read those case files, he couldn't help covering his face and sighing at the Uchiha Police Force officers who had been so proud of themselves. This wasn't a reputation to boast about—it was a disgrace.

The Fourth Company served as the Special Mobile Force. Whenever another unit needed support, the Fourth Company would provide it.

The elite members of each company had all been transferred to the First and Fourth Companies. The First Company was made up mostly of strong young and middle-aged shinobi.

The shinobi in the Fourth Company, who were responsible for providing support, were mostly young, generally under twenty.

The Special Mobile Force could also be called the Special Police Force. Unless something unusual happened, its members had plenty of free time.

This gave the young members of the Fourth Company enough time to practice ninjutsu and grow stronger.

The Uchiha Military Police Force also managed the prison, but other departments within the force were in charge of it. Nara didn't concern himself with that. For now, he would focus on managing his own little patch of land.

The personnel transfers and division of authority over the past few days had struck the members of the Military Police Force's First Squadron as something new.

Most members of the Third Company, the Village Management Squadron, were elderly or weak members of the Uchiha Clan. They didn't have the hot tempers of the younger shinobi, and they were doing a decent job of following Nara's repeated orders to enforce the law peacefully.

There were far fewer incidents of shouting, flipping over stalls, and other violent behavior. Most of the time, they simply went over and offered guidance.

The Third Company, the Village Management Squadron, was currently planning designated stall areas where merchants could set up together, to prevent other villagers from lodging complaints.