Fugaku's Thoughts

Uchiha Fugaku understood the implications of the Third Hokage's expectations, much like how the Third had once fostered the Root organization.

Ninja clans and various prestigious ninjas held deep apprehension toward Root. As for those factions that had been repeatedly suppressed by Root, they were filled with sheer terror.

While ordinary villagers might never come into contact with the cold-blooded ruthlessness of Root ninjas, the major clans and those who understood the organization could hardly hide their fear.

After Root's leader, Danzo, had finished his period of "shining and heating," he had retreated into the shadows, with his authority nominally reclaimed by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

In reality, the Anbu Training Class was being used to cultivate Root ninjas even more cruelly.

Uchiha Fugaku frowned upon hearing the Third's words. Although he initially felt a touch of nostalgia for the Third's care during his childhood, the Konoha Military Police Force was the Uchiha's exclusive domain.

Fugaku felt a sense of resentment toward Sarutobi Hiruzen's interference and focus on the affairs of the Police Force.

He found the Third Hokage's high regard and favor to be somewhat burdensome.

At the same time, Fugaku knew clearly that he could not unilaterally decide the affairs of the Police Force.

"Lord Hokage, it might be better if you conveyed these words to the Captain of the Police Force, Lord Sanzang. I am of little influence and fear I cannot dictate the affairs of the force."

After pondering for a moment, Fugaku decided to pass the buck; he felt pressured by Sarutobi Hiruzen's support.

"Hahaha, Fugaku, you truly are a fine ninja who respects his superiors and cares for his colleagues. It is a pity that I was too busy with work to voice my opinion during the selection of the Uchiha clan head; I should have supported you back then."

The Third exhaled a ring of smoke, laughed heartily, and then his expression turned gloomy as he spoke.

This Uchiha Fugaku was truly unappreciative.

Uchiha Fugaku, caught off guard by the Third's attempts to win him over and offer support, didn't know how to respond and stood there in a daze.

"Lord Hokage, the Police Force has many pressing matters. If there are no specific mission assignments, I shall take my leave."

After a long silence, Uchiha Fugaku managed to squeeze out these words.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a heavy drag from his pipe and said in a deep voice:

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. You are a ninja I watched grow and sprout; go now, for the work of the Police Force is also a contribution to Konoha!"

"Yes!"

Uchiha Fugaku nodded solemnly regarding the Will of Fire.

Uchiha Nara had been in charge of the First Division of the Military Police Force for less than a week, yet he had already turned the division upside down.

Of the four squads in the First Division, the annual salary for the First Squad was raised from 600,000 ryo to 1,000,000 ryo by Nara.

The annual salaries for the other three squads were reduced by 200,000 ryo, dropping from 600,000 to 400,000 ryo.

Excluding the raise for the First Squad, this left a surplus of 200,000 ryo per person for the other squads—a total of 3.4 million ryo in funds reserved from the 17 members.

An annual salary of 400,000 ryo was slightly tight for living in Konoha, but it was enough to get by.

However, the Uchiha Military Police Force possessed an incomparable advantage: they were not sent to the battlefield.

Ninjas from Konohagakure were sent to the front lines during wartime, and when the fighting was intense, even newly graduated genin were deployed.

But the ninjas of the Police Force were, under normal circumstances, never sent out. This single advantage alone made other clans desperate to get in.

Yet, they couldn't get in; the Uchiha clan members themselves were barely settled, so how could they recruit from other clans or civilians?

Many Uchiha clansmen even held nominal positions in the Police Force without a salary.

They worked other jobs to make ends meet, which meant that during the Second Great Ninja War, aside from a few elites, the Uchiha were almost never forcibly conscripted into the war.

With the salary increase for the First Squad of the First Division, those older ninjas who had applied for transfers couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

Although the annual salaries of the other three squads had decreased, they no longer had to execute arrest missions or tasks involving direct combat with other ninjas, effectively becoming village administrators and security officers.

The responsibilities of the First Division were further subdivided, and each squad was given a designation.

The First Squad was named the Criminal Investigation Squad, with seventeen members dedicated to major cases, arresting criminal ninjas, and investigating spies. They transitioned from generalists to specialized personnel.

The missions were often dangerous, but for the militant and proud young Uchiha ninjas, this was a perfect opportunity to build their reputation.

The Second Squad of the First Division was named the Security Squad. Their patrol range was expanded to cover the areas previously patrolled by all four squads. They were responsible only for village security, handling requests from villagers, and resolving disputes.

Matters involving merchants were no longer their concern; they were only responsible for security disputes. As for discovering foreign spies or criminal ninjas, they had the authority to handle them, but they could also transfer such cases to the First Criminal Investigation Squad.

The First Squad had limited manpower and intelligence-gathering capabilities, requiring the cooperation of all members of the First Division.

If suspicious signs were found, they could be reported and transferred to the First Criminal Investigation Squad, and if appropriate, the informant would be rewarded.

The Third Squad of the First Division became village administrators, specifically managing merchants, sanitation, and the environment. Uchiha Nara strictly declared that they should prioritize persuasion when dealing with villagers and merchants, and that arbitrary smashing or arrests were forbidden.

These rough ninjas were efficient at killing, so asking them to be gentle and persuasive was difficult. However, Nara had already held meetings and repeatedly emphasized this point with strict orders.

The Second and Third Squads, one responsible for security and the other for village administration, were the departments most hated by the villagers.

The Second Squad handled security; in any dispute between two people, helping one meant offending the other. Over time, their reputation and image were bound to decline.

Furthermore, when security officers intervened in villagers' disputes, it was more likely to be seen as meddling, pleasing no one.

As for the Third Squad managing the environment and merchants, it went without saying. Previously, there had been cases where an Uchiha jonin pursued a vendor over a trivial matter.

When Nara saw these files, he couldn't help but sigh and cover his face at the smugness of the Uchiha police officers. This wasn't a "great reputation"—it was clearly a disgrace.

The Fourth Squad served as the Special Mobile Force, providing support to any other team that required it.

The elites from every squadron were all transferred into the First Squad and the Fourth Squadron; the First Squad consisted mostly of prime, robust ninjas with formidable combat strength.

As for the Fourth Squadron, the ninjas responsible for support were mostly youths, generally under the age of twenty.

The Special Mobile Force could also be called the Special Police Force, and if there were no special incidents, they would have quite a bit of leisure time.

This would allow the youths of the Fourth Squadron to have sufficient time to practice ninjutsu and grow.

The Uchiha Military Police Force also oversaw the prison, which was managed by other departments of the police force, but Naraku did not concern himself with those. He would focus on managing his own patch of land first.

The personnel transfers and the division of authority over the past few days made the staff of the Uchiha Military Police Force feel a sense of novelty.

The Third Squadron, the Village Management Squadron, consisted mostly of the elderly and infirm of the Uchiha clan. They lacked the hot-headed temperaments of the younger ninjas and, in fact, executed Naraku's repeated orders for peaceful law enforcement quite well.

The previous violent incidents of shouting, ordering people around, and overturning stalls had diminished significantly, replaced mostly by stepping forward to offer counsel.

The Third Squadron, the Village Management Squadron, was currently planning a designated vending area to have merchants set up their stalls in one place, so as to avoid complaints from other villagers.