The three spies who had been rooted out were led away, their faces clouded with dejection.
Anyone with half a brain knew nothing good awaited them.
Jin Uchiha could not be bothered to waste another thought on them.
He swept his gaze over the crowd before him again.
"All right, everyone."
"The matter of the spies is settled. Now let's get back to this business with the thief."
"Who handled the case? Step forward."
Jin Uchiha did not raise his voice, but every villager in the noisy crowd fell silent.
After watching him catch those spies, everyone had come to respect the new chief.
So now, unless he spoke first, no one would jump in and stir things up.
An Uchiha clansman pushed through the crowd and bowed.
"Chief, my name is Shinichi Uchiha."
Shinichi spoke respectfully. "I handled this case. The thief's name is Kobe Manyō."
"Everything was normal when we first caught him. He admitted it himself."
"But after his mother came to the Konoha Military Police Force and made a scene, he changed his story just like that and flatly denied everything."
"We haven't had time to secure conclusive evidence yet."
His face was full of frustration.
But everyone had seen what Jin Uchiha had just demonstrated—both his strength and his efficiency in handling matters.
So Shinichi did not hesitate to lay out the whole story.
Jin Uchiha's expression remained calm.
"Bring Kobe Manyō here."
Before long, Uchiha Tekka personally brought the man out from inside.
"You're Kobe Manyō?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Did you steal Komiya Anju's money?"
"No, sir!"
"Good. Don't be nervous. It's nothing serious."
After that brief exchange, Jin Uchiha turned his head the other way. "And you're Komiya Anju, the one who lost his money?"
"That's me, sir!"
Komiya Anju forced himself to step