Dozens of people shouted in unison.
Their voices boomed, making the office hall's windows buzz.
Chikage jumped at the sudden display.
He took half a step back and dug a finger into his ear.
"What's this? Planning a revolt first thing in the morning?"
Chikage rolled his eyes at them.
"With all that shouting, anyone who didn't know better would think our Military Police Force was heading out for a gang brawl."
Uchiha Hikari, who stood at the front, hurried over to greet him.
An irrepressible smile of excitement spread across her face.
"Vice-captain, we're not just welcoming you."
"What you did at the Hokage Building yesterday has spread through the entire squad."
"You've really earned everyone's respect this time!"
A slightly older police officer beside her chimed in.
"That's right, Vice-captain!"
"Think of all the humiliation we Uchiha have swallowed these past few years."
"Those people from Root always look down their noses at us."
"Yesterday, armed with regulations and case files, you actually forced Danzo to sign."
"And you secured compensation for the merchants on South Street."
"That's a first since the Nine-Tails' Rampage!"
The police officers all spoke at once, their voices filled with admiration for Chikage.
They had once believed that only strength could earn respect.
Yesterday, Chikage had taught them a lesson.
It turned out that brains, evidence, and rules could also force the Konoha High Command to back down on the spot.
For the Uchiha, who had endured constant exclusion, this was undoubtedly a tremendous boost to morale.
Looking at his clansmen's flushed, excited faces, Chikage waved helplessly.
"All right, all right. Enough buttering me up."
"Yesterday is over. Get on with today's work."
"We can't let discipline slip in the Military Police Force."
"If you're on patrol, go patrol. If you're sorting case files, go sort them."
"If anyone causes trouble at a time like this, don't blame me for docking your pay."
At the mention of docked pay, everyone quickly wiped the smiles off their faces and answered loudly.
"Yes, Vice-captain!"
Chikage nodded in satisfaction and turned toward his private office.
Uchiha Hikari followed close behind.
Chikage opened his office door and froze.
The office, which had been rather cluttered, was now spotless.
The documents on his desk had been sorted by category and neatly arranged.
The floor had been mopped until it shone.
Even the potted plant on the windowsill had been trimmed, and droplets of water still clung to its leaves.
A steaming cup of tea had even been brewed and set on the desk.
The tea leaves slowly unfurled in the cup, releasing a rich fragrance.
Chikage turned to look at Uchiha Hikari behind him.
"Did you do all this?"
Uchiha Hikari scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
"Vice-captain, I was already scheduled for the early shift today. Everyone thought that after running around all day yesterday, you'd still have case files to deal with today."
"So we agreed to tidy up for you while we were at it, to keep it from getting in the way of your real work."
"The tea was just brewed, too. It's at the perfect temperature."
Chikage walked over to the desk, picked up the cup, and took a sip.
He had to admit, this was pretty good treatment.
"Hikari, you're catching on fast."
Chikage set down the cup, pulled out his chair, and sat down.
"But there's something I need to remind you of."
"You can clean my office, but don't use your time off, and definitely don't sneak in overtime for something like this."
Uchiha Hikari waved both hands, her expression earnest.
"Don't worry, Vice-captain. I was already responsible for the early shift today. I didn't use any time off."
"As long as you're with the Second Squad, we'll take turns keeping this office clean."
"If you ever need any errands run, just say the word."
Chikage leaned back in his chair and settled into a comfortable position.
"All right. Since you're all so thoughtful, I suppose I'll graciously accept."
"But there's one thing I need to make clear."
"I have a lot of rules."
"And the most important one is absolutely no overtime."
Chikage raised a finger and wagged it in front of Uchiha Hikari.
"Every afternoon at five, the moment that clock on the wall chimes..."
"Even if nonurgent paperwork is piled up to the roof, it'll have to wait until I come in at nine the next morning."
"Handle your fieldwork yourselves. If there's a real emergency, report it through the proper channels."
"Don't bother me after work with trivial nonsense. Understood?"
Uchiha Hikari straightened and answered loudly.
"Understood!"
"Rest assured, Vice-captain. The officers in the field will never bother you with petty matters."
"We'll follow the rules to the letter and never cause you trouble."
Chikage waved in satisfaction.
"Go get to work, and close the door on your way out."
Uchiha Hikari respectfully withdrew, carefully shutting the office door.
Looking at the closed door, Chikage's lips curved into a smile.
Now this was the life every working stiff dreamed of.
Double the pay and a private office.
Considerate, obedient subordinates who even volunteered to brew tea and clean.
Clocking in and out on time every day, with absolutely no overtime.
Perfect.
He took a report that needed processing today out of his drawer and began leisurely leafing through it.
Outside in the office hall, the police officers had already begun their day's work.
Everyone was brimming with enthusiasm, and even their steps were lighter than usual.
A copy had already been made of the Payment Receipt brought back from the Hokage Building yesterday, and Uchiha Hikari had put it in a frame.
The copy hung in the most prominent spot in the Second Squad's office hall, while the original was locked in a filing cabinet.
Every officer passing by looked up at it before puffing out their chest and heading off on their assignment.
That Payment Receipt for three hundred and fifty thousand ryo represented more than just fines, compensation, and a security deposit.
It also represented the Uchiha Clan finally being able to use Konoha's own rules to obtain justice for themselves.
Chikage sat in his spacious private office, holding a steaming cup of tea.
His crossed legs rested on the edge of his desk, his posture utterly relaxed.
A copy of today's Konoha Daily lay spread across the desk.
The front-page headline reported on Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's visit to the Ninja Academy.
Beside it was a photograph of Lord Hokage smiling warmly as he handed out candy to the children.
Chikage gave it a cursory glance, then flipped the newspaper over.
There was nothing worth reading in official articles like these that glossed over problems and pretended all was well.
Even the shop discounts on the back were more useful.
The Dango Shop on South Street was actually running a promotion today: buy three, get one free.
Chikage rubbed his chin, considering whether to pick up a few boxes on his way home from work.
Just as he was contemplating his evening snacks...
A somewhat disorderly flurry of footsteps came from outside the office hall.
Judging by the sound, quite a few people had arrived-at least a dozen.
The footsteps stopped outside the vice-captain's office.
Then came a conversation in deliberately hushed voices.
Even without trying to listen, Chikage could make out what was happening outside.
"Captain, just go in."
That was Uchiha Hikari's voice, plainly urging him on.
"I know. Stop pushing me. I have legs of my own."
The other voice sounded thoroughly awkward. It belonged to Uchiha Yashiro, captain of the Second Squad.
"You promised everyone yesterday that you'd come thank the vice-captain in person."
Uchiha Hikari continued prodding him from the side.
"An Uchiha man's word is his bond. You can't back out at the last moment."
Yashiro sounded flustered and exasperated.
"Shut up. When did I say I was backing out?"
"I'm just making myself presentable!"
Sitting inside the office and listening to the commotion outside, Chikage couldn't help finding it funny.
He could guess the mental hurdle Yashiro was facing.
The Uchiha Clan had always revered strength.
In the entrenched thinking of many clansmen, the harder someone could hit and the more tomoe their Sharingan had, the more say they deserved.
The strong deserved respect.
Yashiro was an elite jonin with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Even among the entire Uchiha Clan, his strength ranked him among the best.
And what about Chikage?
He had graduated from the Ninja Academy at twelve and spent five years coasting in the Military Police Force.
His record consisted entirely of D-rank missions. He had never even undertaken a C-rank mission.
His file listed his chakra reserves as merely genin-level, and as far as anyone knew, he only had the Three Body Technique and a Great Fireball technique he could barely use properly.
For an elite jonin to voluntarily come bow his head and thank someone who, on the surface, was a perpetual genin...
That was something Yashiro could never have imagined in all his life up to this point.
It felt even more awkward than going to the front lines to fight an enemy to the death.
But what had happened yesterday left Yashiro no choice but to come.
Before you continue