Ape, You Regret! Group Me Shadow!

The darkness of night gradually faded, and the first rays of morning sunlight pierced the clouds, spilling over the tranquil Uchiha Clan Compound.

No matter how shocking yesterday had been, it would eventually pass. Time would not stop for anyone.

Unlike the silence of the Uchiha Clan Compound, sunlight roused Konoha's dormant vitality.

At street corners and alleyways, vendors began calling out to advertise their goods, while all kinds of shops opened their doors in anticipation of customers.

The scent of food and the bustle of daily life filled the village as it slowly awakened.

Where there were people, there was society; where there was society, there was conflict.

The peaceful, lively scene did not last long before arguments and shouting shattered it.

A diner eating breakfast accidentally knocked over the ramen of the customer across from him, splashing scorching broth all over the man's clothes.

The argument gradually escalated, turning into violent shoving.

The surrounding diners watched the scene with great interest. This unexpected show brought fresh entertainment to an otherwise dull morning.

Some shrewd vendors even took the opportunity to sell snacks like sunflower seeds and duck necks to enhance the viewing experience.

The entertaining spectacle did not last long before diners gradually noticed that something was off.

Fear spread through them bit by bit. The atmosphere that had been so lively moments ago cooled in an instant.

The two customers who had been fighting fiercely also noticed the change around them. As though they had remembered something, every hair on their bodies stood on end.

The next second, they returned to their seats at light speed and ate their long-cold breakfasts, chatting happily like old friends reunited after a long separation.

It was impossible to imagine that just seconds earlier, the two had been warmly greeting each other's grandmothers.

"Um... say, you don't think they saw us, do you...?"

One of the diners used his bowl to cover most of his face and asked the other in a lowered voice, his tone tense and trembling.

"I dunno! Probably not, right?"

The other diner's voice also trembled with fear and awe. His gaze furtively swept the surroundings, terrified that a pair of scarlet eyes might be watching him at that very moment.

Both men's fear pointed toward the same target: the Uchiha Police Force.

A squad of red-eyed urban enforcers—whether it was fighting in the streets or vendors blocking the road, nothing escaped their supervision.

Fighting in public was a very serious matter.

If those red-eyed freaks saw them, they might get off lightly with a harsh scolding, or more severely, enjoy a several-day trip to a dark little cell.

Neither outcome was what they wanted.

Besides, they had heard that Konoha Prison had been rather empty lately, so the latter was clearly more likely.

The two ate their tasteless breakfast, their minds already elsewhere.

Only after they had finished breakfast without seeing the familiar figures they usually dreaded did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Perhaps those guys from the police force had been delayed by something?

That thought appeared in the minds of the two men and the surrounding diners alike.

The same scene played out on other streets throughout Konoha's bustling morning. The Uchiha Police Force did not appear anywhere.

At first, people assumed it was merely an ordinary late arrival.

Until the second day, the third day, the fourth day...

Things began spiraling out of control.

The streets, left unmanaged for far too long, descended into unimaginable chaos. After testing the limits several times, the villagers realized that the police force truly did not seem to be coming back.

The evil usually kept in check began spreading at an unimaginable speed.

Chaos, violence, screams... Konoha's usual peaceful scene seemed to be gone.

The higher-ups found this exceptionally troublesome.

They tried to contact the Uchiha clansmen from the police force, but received only a very brief reply.

If that's how it is, then we might as well not do this police force job at all!

Helpless, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage at the time, could only deploy part of the ANBU to deal with the chaos within Konoha.

The price was that a significant portion of ANBU resources, which could have been used for more valuable missions, was invisibly wasted.

Under such circumstances, probably no one had expected the Uchiha's reputation to improve at such a rapid pace.

The law-abiding villagers began to miss the Uchiha Police Force they normally avoided whenever possible.

If they were still here, they would never have allowed those people to run wild, right?

Such thoughts emerged in their hearts.

As for those villagers who had been causing trouble, after a round of ANBU discipline, they too became obedient.

The most terrifying thing in this world was comparison.

Compared to the cold, machine-like ANBU, the Uchiha might have been a little arrogant, but at least they still possessed a shred of human warmth.

At the very least, they would not casually press a kunai to someone's throat and make them choose for themselves.

If those people really replaced the Uchiha in the future, then the good days would truly be gone for good, wouldn't they?

For some reason, the villagers, who had only enjoyed themselves for a few days, collectively began praying in their hearts for the return of the Uchiha Police Force...

Bang!

The Hokage's office door was rudely slammed open.

A rough palm slammed down onto the Hokage's desk as its owner spoke with barely contained urgency.

"Sarutobi, did you hear? The Uchiha Police Force has gone on strike!"

"Calm down."

Sarutobi Hiruzen shot his old friend Danzo a look that was practically an eye-roll.

This matter had been brewing in the village for days already.

How had Danzo, who usually never missed a single piece of news about the Uchiha, only come to him now?

A cold glint flashed in Danzo's remaining eye. "Then you know that Uchiha Mirai has reemerged as well?"

Clack!

The brown pipe mouthpiece fell from Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth, striking the desk with a crisp sound.

The entire Hokage's office fell deathly silent, so quiet that they could clearly hear each other breathing.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared into his old friend's eyes, his voice no longer carrying its earlier composure.

"Is this true?"

"It is!"

The Hokage's office fell silent once more.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted uncertainly.

Uchiha Mirai—this was the name he least wanted to hear. He had thought the man would remain silent forever, yet three years later, he had appeared again in this manner.

During the Third Shinobi World War, only two names had struck fear into countless ninjas.

One was the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato. The other was the Calamity Uchiha, Uchiha Mirai!

"Three years. A full three years. Why did he choose this moment to reemerge? What exactly is he trying to do?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was incomparably grave.

Danzo's expression was equally grave.

"That's what worries me. Back then, we exhausted every means to make him withdraw from the village. Yet three years later, he has emerged again, and the Uchiha Police Force went on strike the moment he did..."

"You mean..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

"It's only a guess, but if this really has something to do with him, then we have a problem."

Both men fell silent.

Three years ago, in order to restrain Uchiha Mirai, whose prestige had become nearly impossible to contain, they had exhausted every possible scheme. ANBU and Root had practically mobilized at the same time, guiding public opinion and building momentum.

In the end, only after paying no small price and elevating Uchiha Shisui, descendant of Uchiha Kagami, into the upper ranks had they barely managed to settle the matter.

Yet three years later, Uchiha Mirai had returned in force. What exactly did he want?

Konoha no longer had the Yellow Flash to keep him in check.

"Hiruzen, why not finish this once and for all? Before those Uchiha have time to react..."

Danzo's gaze turned icy as he made a throat-slitting gesture.

"No! We still don't know his true intentions. Once a civil war breaks out, things will become truly uncontrollable!"

"Besides, three years ago, he was already able to firmly suppress Minato. Three years later, how confident are you that you can deal with him?"

Danzo clenched his teeth unwillingly. "Then are we supposed to just watch him do whatever he wants?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment. "I intend to personally visit the Uchiha Clan Compound. First, to probe his strength; second, to find out why the Uchiha Police Force has gone on strike."

The moment he said that, Danzo immediately exploded.

"Sarutobi, you're playing with fire! The Uchiha are an innately evil clan—have you forgotten the Second Hokage's teachings? We should strike before they have time to react..."

"Enough! Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

"Sarutobi, you'll regret this!"

Bang!

The Hokage's office door slammed shut.