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"Naruto, you—"
"Later, Iruka-sensei!"
"Hey! Naruto!"
Iruka reached out instinctively, but before he could grab him, a tidal wave of girls burst past—his own students mixed with others from who-knew-where—sweeping down the corridor in pursuit of the blond whirlwind.
"Stop him!"
"How dare he attack Sasuke-kun!"
Their voices overlapped into a shrill chorus as they charged after him.
Iruka stood frozen at the classroom door, staring at the suddenly empty hallway.
"Class starts in five minutes…" he muttered weakly. "No matter what, I still have to—"
His face abruptly paled.
Oh no.
Captain Roshi is still at the Academy today.
On the opposite side of the building, Roshi stood with his hands behind his back, observing a student's Ninjutsu demonstration.
Kamano finished forming his seals. Chakra flickered, and the basic technique activated cleanly.
A week to grasp it.
Among prodigies, that pace was ordinary.
Among common-born children, it was commendable.
Roshi gave a faint nod.
"Not bad."
Ebisu adjusted his glasses. "I will supervise his continued training."
He gestured for Kamano to leave.
At that moment—
The corridor's quiet shattered.
Rapid footsteps. High-pitched shrieks. Iruka's frantic attempts at discipline.
"Catch Naruto!"
"He dared to hit Sasuke-kun!"
The uproar surged closer.
At the very end of the corridor, Ino and Sakura were the first to notice the tall, black-haired figure standing calmly beneath the light.
Roshi's indifferent gaze swept over the crowd.
It was as if someone had pressed a mute button.
The noise died instantly.
Iruka, mid-shout, stiffened.
Dozens of students stood frozen in place.
Naruto, still sprinting blindly forward, suddenly felt his collar tighten. A hand shot out from the side, lifting him clean off the ground. His legs flailed uselessly in the air.
"Iruka-sensei," Ebisu said coldly, holding Naruto suspended, "class begins shortly. Escort the students back immediately."
"Y-Yes! Of course, Ebisu-sensei!"
Sweat dotted Iruka's forehead.
Dangling in midair, Naruto twisted around and grinned brightly.
"Roshi-nii! You're at school again today!"
Roshi inclined his head slightly.
"Hello, Naruto."
Naruto opened his mouth to continue—but Iruka swiftly tucked him under his arm and hurried off.
The girls exchanged quick glances, then dispersed with surprising efficiency, like a disciplined retreat.
Naruto blinked, stunned.
This was the first time he had seen the Sasuke Fan Club retreat in total silence.
As Iruka carried him down the hall, Naruto whispered:
"Iruka-sensei… why do Sakura and the others look so scared of Roshi-nii?"
Iruka adjusted his grip.
"It's not fear," he corrected quietly. "It's respect."
"Captain Roshi… is a hero of the Village."
"Hero?" Naruto's blue eyes widened. "If I become a hero too, will everyone respect me?"
Iruka hesitated.
"…Of course."
The answer lacked the firmness he intended.
Naruto twisted his head again, watching Roshi's figure grow smaller in the distance.
"Then… is a hero more respected than a Hokage?"
Iruka stopped walking.
He looked down at the blond boy in his arms—those clear, untainted eyes filled with nothing but pure curiosity.
"Naruto," he said slowly, choosing each word carefully, "every ninja who becomes Hokage is a hero."
He resumed walking.
"The Hokage isn't revered simply because he holds the title of 'Kage.'"
His voice grew softer.
"He is revered because he has already become a hero… long before he ever wears the hat."
Watching that blond dead-last get hauled away under Iruka's arm, the inexplicable gloom that had been weighing on Sasuke's chest lightened by more than half.
At the very least, it proved one thing.
He wasn't someone who could be easily ambushed.
The previous two incidents… must have been accidents.
By the time the dismissal bell rang, Sasuke's steps were noticeably lighter than they had been that morning.
He walked alone through the familiar streets of Konoha, dusk settling softly over the rooftops.
Along the way, he spotted several shinobi wearing flak jackets and headbands marked with the insignia of the Military Police Force.
But something was different.
Some had ninken trotting at their sides.
Some wore dark glasses that concealed unreadable eyes.
Others possessed pale, pupil-less gazes that seemed to see everything.
Hyūga. Aburame. Inuzuka.
They bore the authority of the Military Police Force… yet they were not Uchiha.
Sasuke slowed unconsciously.
These were not the officers he had grown up recognizing.
A faint, unfamiliar distance crept into his chest.
Without a word, he lowered his gaze and walked past them, continuing toward the Uchiha compound.
The tall, imposing gates of the district soon came into view, silhouetted against the fading light.
Someone stood there.
His father.
Sasuke's pace quickened instinctively, almost breaking into a run.
But as he drew closer, he realized Fugaku was not alone.
Standing beside him was another imposing figure—
Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyūga Clan.
And now… Deputy Captain of the Military Police Force.
Sasuke slowed again.
Their voices carried faintly on the evening air.
"…With the arena district operating year-round starting next year," Hiashi was saying calmly, "foot traffic will increase significantly. The surrounding security burden will grow with it."
"The higher-ups hope the military police can present an effective long-term countermeasure."
Fugaku's expression did not shift.
"Hiashi," he replied evenly, placing subtle emphasis on the title, "what is your suggestion?"
Hiashi did not react.
"The arena lies some distance from headquarters. Dispatching patrols repeatedly from the main compound is inefficient and exhausting."
"It would be more practical to establish a permanent duty station near the venue—rotational teams, on-site rest and resupply."
"In the event of an emergency, response time would be greatly reduced."
Silence followed.
Then Fugaku's brows drew together slightly.
"You propose establishing a branch of the military police in the arena district?"
"Not a branch," Hiashi corrected smoothly. "Merely a logistical base to improve operational efficiency."
Fugaku tilted his head ever so slightly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sasuke standing quietly nearby.
For a fraction of a second, their gazes nearly met.
Then Fugaku looked back at Hiashi.
"I have heard your proposal."
"I will consider it."
Hiashi inclined his head.
"I will await your decision, Captain."
Without further words, he turned and departed, his figure blending into the deepening dusk.
—
Fugaku finally faced his son.
"Let's go home, Sasuke."
"Yes, Father."
Sasuke stepped forward quickly to follow him.
Yet as they passed through the gates, he couldn't help but glance back in the direction Hiashi had gone.
The Military Police.
Hyūga.
Inuzuka.
Aburame.
The emblem was the same.
But the people wearing it were no longer only Uchiha.
For reasons he could not fully explain, the compound's towering gate felt just a little heavier behind him.
The air before dinner was unusually heavy.
Fugaku did not ask about Sasuke's training.
He did not inquire about schoolwork.
Instead, he stood alone on the veranda, hands folded behind his back, gazing at the koi pond in the courtyard. The fish stirred the surface now and then, but the ripples quickly dissolved into stillness.
Sasuke sat quietly on the engawa a short distance away, watching his father's rigid silhouette.
No one spoke.
That silence lingered through the entire meal.
The soft slide of the entrance door broke it.
"I'm home."
Mikoto turned with a gentle smile. "Welcome back, Itachi. Have you eaten?"
"I have," Itachi replied softly. Then he stepped aside. "Father, Mother… senpai has come to visit."
Fugaku had already heard the second set of footsteps. He rose and walked toward the entrance hall.
His eyes passed over his eldest son and settled on the figure behind him.
"…Roshi."
After a brief pause, he chose that form of address.
Mikoto's gaze flicked to Sasuke, who had come out as well. She smiled lightly.
"Sasuke, go review your lessons."
Sasuke hesitated. "But—"
Her eyes held him for just a moment.
"…Yes."
He glanced once more at the guest, then lowered his head and retreated toward his room.
Inside the living room, Mikoto served tea, closed the door quietly, and withdrew.
Itachi remained standing to one side.
Across a low table, Fugaku and Roshi sat facing one another.
The faint curl of steam rose from their cups.
"I apologize for visiting without prior notice, Fugaku-san," Roshi said calmly, breaking the silence.
Fugaku did not acknowledge the courtesy.
"Hyūga Hiashi proposed establishing a permanent duty station near the arena district outside the Village today."
Fugaku's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Is that the Village's will?"
That was the question he had not answered earlier.
Was this Konoha's directive?
Or was it Hiashi maneuvering for greater authority within the military police?
After all, Fugaku could not leave headquarters lightly. If a new station were formed, the most logical commander would be the Vice Captain—Hyūga Hiashi.
Roshi lifted his teacup and took a quiet sip.
He met Fugaku's gaze directly.
"Yes."
Fugaku's fingers tightened imperceptibly.
"…Is the current situation still not enough?"
The teacup touched the table with a faint, deliberate clink.
"Compared to your original expectations," Roshi replied evenly, "whether that meant surrendering the military police or choosing rebellion… is the present state still insufficient?"
Fugaku's expression darkened.
Roshi continued, his tone steady.
"I never made the Uchiha any explicit promises."
"But looking at the current reality—" his eyes flicked briefly toward Itachi before returning to Fugaku, "—I do not believe I have failed to honor the sincerity of the list you had Itachi deliver."
"There are Uchiha in ANBU."
"There are Uchiha instructors within the Academy."
"Members of your clan are gradually entering other administrative departments."
"Those who committed serious crimes were placed under Itachi's supervision rather than publicly disgraced."
"And Danzo Shimura—"
He paused slightly.
"—the Village's greatest internal adversary to the Uchiha—is dead."
His voice remained calm, almost indifferent.
"So now, if it is merely the establishment of a small external outpost… is that truly unacceptable?"
"The headquarters remains under your command."
"The Hyūga are unsuited for internal patrol operations. This external district will fall under Vice Captain Hiashi's supervision."
Fugaku did not answer immediately.
The silence stretched.
"…There will be opposition within the clan," he said at last.
"The Village understands that," Roshi replied. "That is why Hiashi proposed it instead of issuing a direct order."
He leaned back slightly.
"No changes will be made to headquarters personnel."
"In the future, if the patrol division outside the village expands, assigning a weighty figure will be natural. But at present, this is only a functional outpost."
His eyes were utterly calm now.
"If the village has gone this far and it is still not enough…"
"Then perhaps it is the village that has already yielded too much."
A beat of silence.
"Fugaku-san."
The name carried no threat.
But it carried weight.
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