Two masked ninjas suddenly materialized, barring Tekka Uchiha's path.
One of them spoke in a frigid tone: "Hand those people over to us for processing, or don't think about leaving. This matter involves Stone Village outposts and must be investigated by Root."
"Hmph!"
Tekka Uchiha let out a cold snort, his eyes burning like torches. "Lord Danzo's orders? They don't carry any weight with me!"
With those words, his eyes instantly morphed into the Sharingan, the three black tomoe spinning frantically. A genjutsu flared like a surging tide, sweeping over the two Root operatives before they could even react. Their bodies stiffened as if nailed to the ground, rendered completely immobile.
Zaoho Uchiha, watching from the side, couldn't help but offer praise: "Tekka-kun, your strength is truly reaching new heights. Your genjutsu is becoming quite the handy tool."
Tekka offered a thin smile, replying nonchalantly, "You flatter me. It's just that these two were far too weak—utterly fragile. Any of the exceptional ninjas in our clan could have done the same."
Tekka's expression then sharpened with resolve. "Take them back and interrogate them thoroughly. Let's see if Root itself has been bought out by the Stone."
With the map of the Stone Village meeting in hand, Tekka intended to turn this into an open-and-shut case today—evidence so ironclad it would be indisputable. Arrest them as they come; show no mercy!
A Police Force member followed the order, dragging the two Root ninjas onto a vehicle as the convoy continued toward the station.
Soon, the news of the clash between the Police Force and Root—and the successful capture of Root agents—spread through the village as if it had wings. The ANBU wasted no time reporting the incident to Minato Namikaze. Simultaneously, some channeled the news to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Since the conflict occurred near the village center, many shinobi caught wind of it, including the two advisors and Danzo Shimura.
"Lord Fugaku, something's happened!"
Fugaku Uchiha was resting at home when Tekkayama rushed in, his face a mask of frantic urgency. "Tekka Uchiha has arrested members of the Shimura clan and two Root ninjas! They've been taken to the Police Force for interrogation!"
"What?!"
Fugaku's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively glanced at his wife, Mikoto. Truthfully, he had already heard the news from her, but he still found it hard to believe Tekka actually had the nerve to go through with it. He knew debating the merits of the move now was useless; the priority was damage control before things escalated.
After a moment of hesitation, Fugaku resolved to step in. Without even stopping to change his clothes, he followed Taoho Uchiha out the door.
At nearly the same time, the news reached the Uchiha branch elders. Upon hearing it, a meaningful smile curled on the elders' lips. "Heh... that boy Tekka really has some spine."
The smoke of the Fourth War had long since dissipated, leaving Konoha in a brief period of reconstruction. During this time, the Police Force had been expanded and reorganized into a force of a thousand men, divided into ten squads. While the Uchiha no longer held an exclusive monopoly, their strength and legacy ensured they controlled five of those squads.
Minato and Hiruzen were on their way to inspect the Police Force headquarters when they ran head-on into Danzo and his retinue of Root ninjas.
Hiruzen's face darkened at the sight of the small army behind Danzo. "Danzo, just what do you intend to do with all these men? Internal strife is strictly forbidden in this village!"
Faced with Hiruzen's interrogation, a flicker of something unreadable crossed Danzo's face. He quickly masked it with his usual caustic tone. "If I didn't bring enough men, those lawless brats might decide to arrest me next!"
Just then, Fugaku flickered to a stop before Hiruzen, offering a slight bow. "Lord Third, there must be some misunderstanding. Allow me to handle this."
Danzo let out a mocking sneer. "Let you handle it? If the Uchiha were under my command, the Police Force wouldn't be causing these kinds of headaches in the first place!"
"That's enough, Danzo!" Hiruzen barked, inwardly cursing his old friend for being a fool and stoking division at such a critical moment. He knew Konoha could not afford even a spark of internal schism.
However, Danzo showed no intention of backing down. As a hawk-like extremist, he had inherited Tobirama Senju's near-obsessive suspicion of the Uchiha. He looked at Hiruzen with disdain. "Hiruzen, you are far too soft. While Minato is here, you should be crushing the Uchiha, strangling these 'sprouts' in their cradle. If I were Hokage, none of this would be happening!"
Minato's brow knit. He suspected someone was playing Danzo for a fool, but his focus was on de-escalation.
"Let's go, Fugaku-kun. We'll go to the station together and clear up this 'misunderstanding'," Hiruzen said, suppressing his fury. He gestured for Fugaku to lead the way.
As they entered the Police Force headquarters, Fugaku immediately sensed something was off. Normally, only two squads were on duty at the main station. Today, almost every member who wasn't on leave was gathered there.
"Yokowa, why are you here?" Fugaku asked.
The man replied nonchalantly, "The Clan Head and Second Elder said help might be needed, so I came to take a look."
He then spotted Minato and Hiruzen. His eyes lit up. "Lord Hokage! And Lord Third! You've come as well?"
"Is there some misunderstanding regarding the Police Force today?" Hiruzen asked mildly.
Tekka Uchiha stepped forward from the crowd, his voice cold. "Lord Hokage, this is no misunderstanding. The Police Force has ample evidence that the individuals arrested today are conspiring with the Hidden Stone."
He shot a sidelong glance at Danzo, a smirk playing on his lips. "Lord Hokage, I doubt you realize just how deep the Shimura family is in bed with the Stone. I believe the Police Force should take everyone in—including Lord Danzo himself!"
"Heh... a disciple of the Second Hokage could hardly be a traitor," Minato said, waving it off. "However, Lord Danzo, it would be best if you cooperated with the investigation to prove your innocence."
The statement turned Danzo's face a shade of black. He had served as an advisor for years; who had ever dared speak to him like this? This Uchiha brat was being insufferable! Killing intent flared in Danzo's eyes, though he knew he couldn't touch the boy here.
"I'm taking my people," Danzo signaled to his Root agents.
Clang!
Tekka unsheathed his blade, lightning crackling across the steel in an instant. He scanned the room, his voice booming: "The Police Force treats all collaborators as spies. Any who resist will be executed on the spot!"
He turned his cold gaze back to Danzo. "I know you have many martyrs under your command, Lord Danzo, but don't use them to test my resolve to protect the Leaf. I mean what I say. If you don't believe me, let them try!"
Tekka's Three-Tomo-e Sharingan spun frantically. Lightning coiled around his blade, looking ready to strike at a moment's notice. Danzo was livid, his hands trembling as he gripped his cane. He turned his fury toward Fugaku. "Uchiha Head! This is the Police Force, not your personal playground!"
Fugaku knew he had to act. He saw the displeasure on Hiruzen's face and the unreadable calm on Minato's. He stepped toward Tekka, saying sternly, "Tekka, let me take the people. I will handle this."
Before he could finish, a bolt of lightning-clad steel swept across his path, stopping just before him. Tekka's cold eyes locked onto Fugaku. "Lord Head, do not test me. I won't strike a clansman, but if Root tries to force their way in, I can't guarantee this blade won't find a home in their chests. Or perhaps Lord Danzo would like to try personally? No one steals a prisoner from under Lord Minato's nose!"
As Tekka finished, the twenty-odd Police Force members behind him took the signal. Sharingan flared red almost simultaneously. Several even activated Byakugan, while other clan ninjas prepared their sensory secret arts. They had benefited greatly from the Police Force reforms and had no intention of losing their prestige.
The pressure from a dozen pairs of crimson eyes was immense. The atmosphere dropped to sub-zero. Fugaku had never looked so grim. His own eyes morphed into the Sharingan, his face dark with suppressed rage. To be threatened by his own clansman with a blade made his blood boil.
"In my capacity as Clan Head, I am taking them now," Fugaku stated.
"This is Lord Hiruko's command!" Tekka countered.
Everyone, including Minato, understood then. Hiruko was the mastermind. Otherwise, an outsider could never command these arrogant Uchiha.
Bolstered by his surging strength, Tekka was feeling ambitious. To him, Fugaku was a coward who had been cornered by Danzo—hardly fit for leadership. With Hiruko's backing, Tekka saw a path to the Clan Head seat. The Uchiha had made their choice; Fugaku could follow or be left behind.
Strength often bred arrogance in the Uchiha. Fugaku had not shown his Mangekyo or any strength that could cow his kin. If he tried to force it, Tekka was truly prepared to strike.
Fugaku was in a bind. Danzo was pushing from one side, Hiruzen was watching from the other, and Tekka was blatantly showing his ambition with Hiruko's shadow behind him. Without Hiruko's support, winning back the Uchiha would be a nightmare.
Furious, Fugaku took a step toward the holding cells. Tekka's blade hummed with electricity as he swung toward Fugaku's neck. He wasn't holding back; he knew if he faltered now, his standing in the clan would be over.
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring echoed as a blade glowing with white chakra intercepted the lightning-clad steel. The invisible Wind Style chakra on the short-sword shredded the electricity instantly. Wind vs. Lightning—a basic principle of the shinobi world.
"This little matter isn't worth a bloodbath," Kakashi Hatake said mildly. He had flickered from behind Hiruzen to Fugaku's side in a heartbeat. The sparks from the collision were mere inches from Fugaku's throat.
Fugaku was both shocked and enraged. Tekka actually tried to kill him. If not for Kakashi, he might have lost his head. He was certain someone beyond Hiruko was pulling Tekka's strings.
He prepared a genjutsu, but a hand landed on his shoulder, breaking his concentration. It was Minato. "Head Fugaku, let's all stay calm. Let's not let a misunderstanding deepen."
Kakashi caught his master's look and added seriously, "The priority is determining if the prisoners are actually Stone spies. Once the 'misunderstanding' is cleared, everyone can relax. Tekka-kun is only acting for the good of the village. And," Kakashi added with a deft touch of diplomacy, "I'm sure Tekka-kun wasn't aiming for the kill. Fugaku-sama would have been fine even without me; I was just being meddlesome."
Fugaku took a deep breath, forcing his rage down. He respected Kakashi's ties to Minato and his recent growth. He waited to see how the boy would solve this.
Kakashi turned to Hiruzen. "Lord Third, the dispute is about the 'spy' status. Let's investigate thoroughly to settle the matter."
Hiruzen, unable to play deaf any longer, nodded. "Fine. You are in charge of this, Kakashi."
Kakashi was Minato's rising star and increasingly adept at handling village politics. Hiruzen sighed inwardly. Kakashi rarely sought him out, but bringing him here today after their earlier talk meant one thing: Danzo was making a move, and Hiruko was making a counter-move.
Minato turned to Tekka. "Tekka-kun, please lead us in."
"Certainly. However..."
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