Outside the Konoha Military Police Force building, Uchiha Hinotori spoke in a low voice.
"This is a newspaper company in the village. Its main business is news reporting, manga, and novels. The key point is that its backing is a little complicated."
You really could count on an old veteran!
Uchiha Minamoto nodded. "Complicated how?"
"Behind Shueisha is a gang called the Shueiying Group. It doesn't have many members and usually keeps a low profile."
Uchiha Hinotori looked somewhat grave.
"But supposedly, both Shueisha and the Shueiying Group have some ties to the Shimura Clan."
The Shimura Clan!
Uchiha Minamoto narrowed his eyes.
As a ninja village.
Many of Konoha's industries had countless ties to ninja.
For example, the Nara Clan and pharmaceuticals, the Yamanaka Clan and flower shops, the Inuzuka Clan's ninja dog breeding...
Basically, every major ninja clan had its own specialized business sector.
Well, except for the Uchiha Clan.
The Uchiha Clan mainly lived on government pay...
Uchiha Minamoto had never paid attention to the Shimura Clan's behind-the-scenes businesses before.
But today, they had gone out of their way to pick a fight with him.
This... was hardly surprising!
It was the Shimura Clan, after all!
Shimura Danzō's clan.
So that old dog Shimura Danzō was stirring up trouble behind the scenes again?
A cold sneer tugged at Uchiha Minamoto's lips.
"Let's go! To Shueisha!"
Konoha, southern district.
Shueisha was located here, in an ordinary-looking three-story building, with a huge advertising poster for Icha Icha Paradise pasted on its outer wall.
One glance told Uchiha Minamoto exactly what sort of outfit Shueisha was.
A third-rate tabloid peddling borderline smut.
At that moment.
Shueisha's doors were shut tight, and the interior was pitch-black. There was no telling whether anyone was inside.
Uchiha Rai asked quietly, "Group Leader, could they have already fled?"
"They can run, but they can't take the building with them."
With a thought, Uchiha Minamoto instantly unleashed Silent Thunderclap, and invisible electromagnetic waves revealed the interior of Shueisha with complete clarity in an instant.
The first floor was filled with bookshelves and looked like an ordinary bookstore, but there were hardly any people.
In the innermost room on the second floor, seven or eight people sat together, apparently playing cards.
The third floor...
There was only one person on the third floor.
A vest, kunai, and a forehead protector.
The quintessential three-piece ninja kit.
They even have a ninja stationed here?
Uchiha Minamoto understood, but his expression did not change.
He walked straight up to Shueisha's front doors, raised his right foot, and kicked.
Boom-
The wooden doors instantly shattered, sending fragments flying into the building. The bookshelves they struck toppled one after another like dominoes, setting off another crash.
"Who's there!"
"Do you have a death wish!?"
"This is Shueisha territory!"
Startled shouts came from the second floor, followed by hurried footsteps and the sound of weapons being drawn.
Several burly men rushed down the stairs, carrying clubs, blades, and spears, looking fierce.
Uchiha Minamoto had no interest in dealing with small fry like these.
"The Konoha Military Police Force is conducting an investigation!"
A member of the Great Love Group darted forward, arms folded across his chest and expression cold.
"Everyone, drop your weapons, put your hands on your heads, and squat down."
The Konoha Military Police Force?
The Uchiha!?
Shueisha's thugs immediately exchanged looks.
The next second.
As though their hands had been burned, they dropped their weapons and equipment, squatted down, and held their heads.
To be honest.
These gang thugs were not nearly as nervous as they looked.
If just one Uchiha had come knocking, they might have let their imaginations run wild.
But looking at the mass of red eyes before them...
The gang thugs instantly relaxed.
They were not worth sending so many Uchiha ninja after at once.
Just then.
A man who was clearly their leader came down from the second floor.
"Oh! If it isn't the officers of the Konoha Military Police Force!"
The middle-aged man had a rather brazen air about him.
"What law has our Shueisha broken to make you officers go to such lengths?"
"He's the leader of the Shueiying Group..."
Uchiha Hinotori moved beside Uchiha Minamoto and gave a quick, quiet introduction.
"This fellow specializes in shady dealings inside the village. Because someone cleans up after him, we've never managed to get anything on him."
So he was the Shimura Clan's dirty-work man!
Uchiha Minamoto mentally attached that label to him.
"Our inquiries have found that a Shueisha reporter is connected to a minor case. We're here to ask them to cooperate with the investigation. You can come along too, 'Group Leader'!"
They traced it back to us this quickly?
The gang leader's expression shifted slightly, but soon returned to normal.
"Officer, Shueisha is a legitimate business. Do you have a proper search warrant?"
"Here!"
Uchiha Minamoto casually flicked out a search warrant, accompanied by several fluttering banknotes.
"This is the search warrant, and this is compensation for Shueisha's doors.
"Don't go saying the Konoha Military Police Force is unreasonable."
The gang leader's excuses were stopped in his mouth. For a moment, he stood there, at a loss.
But remembering the Shimura Clan's orders, the gang leader steeled himself and tried to keep stalling.
"Officer, I-"
"Arrest him."
Uchiha Minamoto could not be bothered to waste words and simply waved a hand.
Two Great Love Group members stepped forward together, attempting to seize the gang leader.
Unexpectedly, although the man wore no forehead protector, he had actually learned to mold chakra. Combined with his experience in street brawls, it allowed him to nimbly evade the Great Love Group members' attempts to arrest him.
"Officer!"
The gang leader still tried to resist.
"I'm a law-abiding citizen!"
Uchiha Minamoto's figure instantly vanished from the spot.
The next second.
The gang leader saw a blur, and a sharp pain struck his face.
Smack!!!
Uchiha Minamoto slapped the gang leader across the face, the tremendous force sending him flying.
The man slammed heavily into the floor and passed out on the spot.
Who the hell do you think you are, using the same title as me!
Uchiha Minamoto shook out his wrist and gave his orders.
"Everyone, begin the search! Don't overlook any evidence of illegal activity."
"Yes, Group Leader!"
The Great Love Group members answered in unison.
But before they could act.
An icy voice came from outside the doors.
"Let's see who dares."
A thin man with a grim expression appeared on the street outside Shueisha.
"Shimura Ryo, a jonin of the Shimura Clan."
Uchiha Hinotori hurriedly supplied the information, then added quietly.
"Group Leader, Shimura Clan ninja tend to specialize in Wind Release. You must be careful."
Wind Release countered Lightning Release.
This was basic chakra nature transformation theory.
Uchiha Hinotori felt somewhat anxious, wondering whether he should send someone to fetch Shisui...
"You Uchiha have some nerve!"
Shimura Ryo's gaze swept over everyone present before finally settling on Uchiha Minamoto.
"Shueisha is a Shimura Clan business. You barge in and arrest people whenever you please. Aren't you showing far too little regard for our Shimura Clan?"
"A Shimura Clan business?"
Uchiha Minamoto laughed.
"A third-rate newspaper founded by a gang counts as a Shimura Clan business? Wouldn't that make your Shimura Clan a gang family?"
"You inherently evil Uchiha brat!"
Before you continue