Without Gen's Reminder, the Police Force Still Protected the Person Who Accused the Uchiha First

The seal on Shuo's tool kit was intact.

Yet the missing Invisible Ink was a fact.

The two records seemed contradictory.

The Konoha Military Police Force did not choose to believe one over the other.

The Training Facility produced all the seals.

When the students received their kits, the outer paper labels were already attached.

The label could only prove that the lid had not been opened normally before the kit was submitted for inspection.

It could not prove that the ink stick had never been removed through the bottom.

Nor could it rule out the possibility that the kit had been incomplete when issued.

The examiner found a tiny crease at one corner of the kit.

There was no way to determine when it had appeared.

The evidence inventory therefore read: one stick missing, seal intact, crease present at one corner.

It did not directly state that Shuo had stolen the tool.

On the second day of the investigation, three Military Police Officers voluntarily recused themselves.

One was a distant relative of Shuo's mother.

One had served as a substitute instructor in a basic course.

The third had no family connection, but had participated in reviewing Training Facility subsidies.

They could still explain the procedures they knew.

They could not take part in subsequent questioning or votes on the findings.

Two External Witnesses and one Non-Uchiha Police Collaborator filled the vacant positions.

The Recorder's protection was also reaffirmed.

A copy of his statement would not be presented at public meetings within the clan.

His workplace was temporarily changed.

If he received threats, he could contact the External Witnesses directly, without first going through the Uchiha Konoha Military Police Force's duty line.

Someone questioned whether this amounted to assuming that the police force could not be trusted.

The Intake Officer