The Senju Clan Compound

After the First Squadron was restructured, Uchiha Nara remained stationed at the Military Police Force headquarters for a week.

During that week, no major incidents occurred within their jurisdiction; it was mostly trivial matters, allowing Nara to gradually relax his tense nerves.

The members of the First Squadron were full of praise for their current leisurely work. Although their salaries had been reduced, the workload had decreased accordingly, so it was not something they couldn't compromise on.

The Second Squadron, responsible for public security, no longer harassed the merchants during their patrols. Instead, they frequently helped the villagers of Konoha, catching thieves and punishing those who caused trouble while drunk, earning them much acclaim from the villagers.

As for the Third Squadron, the Village Management Squadron, because the members were all elderly or infirm and lacked the sharpness of their youth, and also due to Uchiha Nara's repeated strict orders, they handled matters like unauthorized construction or merchant disputes with polite persuasion. If they truly couldn't resolve a situation, they would call in the Public Security Squadron.

Although the Public Security Squadron's mission was to help the villagers, they would still round up anyone who refused to listen to reason without exception, leaving them to reflect in the jail cells.

As for the First and Fourth Squadrons, their tasks were noticeably lighter. There weren't that many ninja crimes in Konoha, nor were there many emergencies to handle.

As the largest ninja village in the ninja world, Konoha's formidable strength meant that the ninjas of the First and Fourth Squadrons spent most of their time training.

They gradually became familiar with the chakra they hadn't refined during years of peaceful life and the ninjutsu they had grown rusty with.

Military Police Force Headquarters, Captain's Office.

Uchiha Sanzang sat at his desk, processing various files for the Military Police Force.

This child Nara, why does he possess such strong administrative ability?

Sanzang sighed; he had seen the changes in the First Squadron with his own eyes.

Although he remained cold toward his son at home, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his precious boy in his heart.

With powerful strength and a mind full of clever ideas, perhaps Nara was the hope of the Uchiha.

Night.

Senju Clan Compound.

The Senju Clan had retreated into seclusion, and for unknown reasons, the number of powerful ninjas within their compound had plummeted.

A large number of vacant houses were now being used to settle members of the Uzumaki Clan.

The Uzumaki Clan were the remnants of Whirlpool Village in the Land of Whirlpools. After their country was destroyed and their families scattered, they fled to Konoha and were taken in.

Because the Uzumaki Clan were distant relatives of the Senju Clan, and the First Hokage had signed a friendship treaty with Whirlpool Village, the elderly and infirm in the Senju compound readily agreed to the Third Hokage's request, allowing the Uzumaki to live there.

In the Uzumaki Clan Head's residence.

Uzumaki Nao sat in the main seat, with Uchiha Nara sitting in the guest seat to his left.

"Lord Nara, what brings you here in the middle of the night?" Uzumaki Nao asked, taking a light sip of tea, feeling a bit puzzled by Uchiha Nara's late-night visit.

"Haha, Nao-kun, you joke. You and I are both leaders of millennium-old clans; it is perfectly normal for us to visit one another," Uchiha Nara laughed. Recently, Nara had hit a bottleneck in his sealing techniques.

He couldn't manifest the Five Elements Seal no matter what he tried, clearly missing the key to the technique, which was why he had come over late at night to pester him for advice.

"Lord Nara, you are too modest. If it weren't for you stepping in to save our Uzumaki Clan back then, there would be no Uzumaki Clan left; we would have long since turned to dust."

Uzumaki Nao served as the current head of the Uzumaki Clan, yet he was extremely courteous to Nara. With his long red hair draped behind his waist, the man in his early twenties no longer bore the wretchedness he had three years ago.

However, he still held Uchiha Nara in high regard, not just because Nara was a leader of the Uchiha Clan, but because of the debt of gratitude from that rescue.

"When the Uzumaki Clan first joined Konoha, there were nearly a hundred of you, right? Why is it that I never see Uzumaki ninjas active in the village?"

Nara was somewhat puzzled. The Uzumaki were skilled in sealing and barrier ninjutsu. Although many Uzumaki clansmen worked in the Sealing Team, they still had to take on missions to survive in Konoha.

Logically speaking, there should be many clansmen walking about the village, yet they were almost nowhere to be seen.

Although the Uzumaki had suffered the tragedy of national extinction, they were still a millennium-old clan; a starving camel is still bigger than a horse.

With around a hundred clansmen, they ranked high in Konoha. Aside from major clans like the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Sarutobi, their scale was no smaller than other ninja clans, and they might even be the fourth largest.

As a ninja clan, they naturally couldn't compare to the Uchiha, whose massive population made them a thorn in the side of the Hokage faction.

"Alas, many of my clansmen joined the Anbu. I don't know what classified missions they are executing. Some haven't sent word back in three years, and I haven't received any death notices from the Anbu either. I am truly worried about my people, but it is not easy to ask the Hokage," Uzumaki Nao sighed softly. As long as they were ninjas who had joined Konoha, they had to accept the Hokage's summons, whether for war or assigned missions.

Usually, those serving in Konoha departments, unless it was a special operation, were not sent out on missions. For instance, many of the Uzumaki had joined the Sealing Team or the Barrier Team.

These two departments generally stayed within the village, guarding barriers and the like, and were only summoned for very rare, special missions—the kind that happened maybe once a year.

However, the Sealing Team and Barrier Team were not under the Uzumaki Clan's control, so Nao couldn't do as the Uchiha did and place his clansmen into departments he controlled to prevent the Hokage from forcing missions upon them.

Anbu? No word for three years? And no death notices? Were they taken in by Danzo for the Root? A thought flashed through Nara's mind, and he spoke:

"Have you ever heard of Konoha Anbu's Root?" Nara took a light sip of tea.

"I know of the Anbu, but what is the Root?" Uzumaki Nao asked, puzzled.

"The so-called Root is nominally an Anbu training institution, but in reality, it is an organization hidden even deeper. The so-called people of the Root have no names and no emotions. They have no past and no future. In their hearts, there is only the mission... Everyone who joins the Root has their emotions erased, becoming mere puppets."

"What!?" Uzumaki Nao's face turned pale with shock.

"You mean to say that my clansmen were cultivated by Sarutobi Hiruzen into emotionless puppets!?"

"You could put it that way." Nara lifted his teacup, blew on it, and took a light sip.

Uzumaki Nao suddenly stood up with a jolt. His expression shifted rapidly, cycling through shades of red, white, and green.

The Uzumaki clan had joined Konoha three years ago, and having gained a clearer understanding of the village's situation, they now grasped the precarious position of the Uchiha.

While he felt immense gratitude for Uchiha Nara's kindness in saving his clan and dared not forget it, he also dared not get too close to him in the public eye.

Yet, whenever Uchiha Nara paid his frequent evening visits, Uzumaki Nao never once showed neglect, always serving tea and hosting him with the utmost care.

Uzumaki Nao sat back down, regaining his composure.

"Lord Nara, as far as I know, the Uchiha are held in deep suspicion by the Hokage. Are you trying to sow discord between the Hokage and me?"