The chief's office at the Konoha Military Police Force.
Yan Uchiha sat there without a care in the world.
He had a cup of tea beside him, and a sip left his face wreathed in contentment.
He quite enjoyed having nothing to do.
"Chief, this isn't going to work."
Uchiha Tekka was beside himself with anxiety, practically talking his lips raw. "Sure, the people of Konoha are happy, but what about the culprit? We let him go."
"And there's Shinichi."
"He had that blame shoved onto him."
"I'll vouch for Shinichi. He's always meticulous about his work. There's no way he'd make a mistake that stupid."
"Dragging him through the mud like that is fucking outrageous."
With a miserable expression, he kept pouring out his complaints.
Looking at Jin Uchiha before him, Tekka already had a spark of anger smoldering in his eyes.
True.
Yan Uchiha had given him a little advance warning last night.
But now that it had actually happened, he still couldn't bring himself to accept it.
Why should an Uchiha have to swallow an injustice just to keep the outsiders happy?
If Shinichi Uchiha really had done something foolish, he could have grudgingly accepted the punishment.
But the problem was that he hadn't.
That alone was enough for Tekka to oppose it with every fiber of his being.
"That's right, Chief."
Shinichi Uchiha straightened his back and said heavily, "I didn't mishandle this."
"That man, Kobe Manyō—I'm certain he's the culprit."
"I haven't found hard evidence yet, but rest assured, I'll dig it up sooner or later."
Anyone could see that his anger over Jin Uchiha's punishment hadn't faded at all.
Beside them.
Jin Uchiha's expression hadn't changed. He remained as calm and composed as ever.
Only after Tekka had emptied out all his grievances did