Uchiha Fugaku did not answer immediately.
His temperament leaned toward caution.
Konoha's total military strength was known only to its upper leadership—but the Police Force held authority over ninja records.
They were the only clan-based force equal in standing to the ANBU, drawing Konoha's salary while patrolling the village.
Through registration numbers alone, Fugaku could roughly estimate the number of active shinobi.
Add to that—
The deployment across multiple fronts.
Shimura Danzo's recent, almost desperate attempts to gather reinforcements.
And the sudden appearance of watchers last night…
His conclusion came quickly.
'That force heading southwest has made Konoha's leadership nervous.'
Internally, their direct strength had dropped significantly.
At most, Hiruzen Sarutobi could command around two thousand shinobi.
More than eighty percent were genin.
Fewer than twenty were jōnin.
Under such conditions—
The clan could afford to be more forceful.
But not reckless.
They could not push themselves into becoming the enemy of both the leadership and the other clans.
'We need to know who our enemies are… and who our allies are.'
The words of Uchiha Ren resurfaced in his mind.
Fugaku, still young enough to act decisively, spoke firmly.
"The Police Force has its own regulations."
"Any suspicious individual threatening Konoha—will be eliminated."
His words struck the room like iron.
The others smiled faintly.
"Then I'll head to Ren first," Uchiha Mikoto said as she rose. "The rest, please proceed according to the clan's will."
—
The afternoon sun bathed Konoha in warmth.
The streets bustled with life.
But the peace shattered—
By the sound of rapid footsteps.
And killing intent.
Led by Fugaku, two Police Force squads moved swiftly through the streets, heading straight for several concealed positions around the Uchiha district.
Behind him—
Uchiha Shisui, sharp-eyed and agile.
And Uchiha Tekka, his expression cold, excitement and aggression barely restrained.
"Move."
Fugaku's voice was low.
The Uchiha scattered instantly—
Like hunting beasts.
They descended on the hidden watchers who believed themselves perfectly concealed.
"You Uchiha—what are you doing? We are—!"
A shinobi hidden in the treetops began to shout.
Then—
His voice cut off.
He met Fugaku's gaze.
Scarlet.
Cold.
Three tomoe spinning.
Sharingan Genjutsu.
His eyes went blank. His body froze, bound by invisible chains.
"Something's wrong!"
A cry rang out.
Then—
Steel clashed.
Kunai struck.
Blows landed with dull thuds.
Painful cries rose—and were quickly silenced.
To outsiders, the sounds were jarring.
To the Uchiha—
They were almost… satisfying.
Masks fell.
Animal-faced ANBU masks shattered or were torn away, revealing faces twisted in shock and fury.
Some, even with broken jaws, forced out muffled shouts—
"We're ANBU! Acting under orders! You Uchiha—are you rebelling?!"
The response—
Was violence.
Sharper. Faster.
"ANBU? What ANBU?"
"All we see are foreign spies sneaking around Konoha!"
"Konoha was founded by the Uchiha and Senju! Now that the Senju are gone, the Uchiha are its rightful masters—what rebellion is there?!"
"And you dare monitor us? You rats crawling in the gutter!"
Uchiha Tekka's mocking voice echoed through the streets.
Nearby shinobi stopped.
Watching.
No one was blind.
These were clearly ANBU.
Attacking them—
Was a direct challenge to the Hokage.
But this—
Was a struggle between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership.
As long as it didn't involve them—
They would wait.
Observe.
The sun shone.
But beneath it—
Nothing was ever simple.
—
Uchiha Shisui moved like a shadow.
Precise.
Efficient.
Each strike removed an opponent's ability to fight.
One blow to the mouth.
Two to the legs.
Three—
Forced them to kneel.
'These people… they're the ones standing between the clan and the village.'
'They deserve this.'
Still young, still unshaken, Shisui chose to trust Fugaku.
Remove the rot—
And the clan and village could stand together again.
—
Fugaku stood atop a streetlamp, arms crossed, watching coldly.
He knew exactly who these "ANBU" were.
Not true ANBU—
But Root.
Danzo's shadows.
Rats wearing tiger skins.
Two squads. Eight operatives.
The Police Force had sent equal numbers.
Enough.
More than enough.
The real confrontation—
Would come later.
At the Hokage Tower.
Or the Police headquarters.
"Take them all," Fugaku ordered.
"If they resist—use necessary measures."
The words spread.
To the Uchiha.
And to Root.
Necessary measures.
The Uchiha understood.
They struck harder—
But carefully.
No escape.
No resistance.
Only pain.
Screams filled the air.
—
Soon—
It was over.
Root operatives lay bound.
Arms twisted behind their backs.
Special restraints locking them in place.
Bruised.
Broken.
Some with dislocated joints.
Others with shattered limbs.
A few—
Silenced permanently from speaking too much.
"Move."
Fugaku gave the order.
And under the stunned, fearful, and thoughtful gazes of gathering shinobi—
The Uchiha marched.
Heads held high.
Dragging their captives like trophies.
Through the streets.
Like a stone cast into still water—
The impact rippled across Konoha.
Fugaku walked at the front, calm.
But his mind was clear.
This—
Was only the beginning.
'Ren… no.'
'This is the clan's decision.'
"It won't be wrong."
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