Chapter 11: 11. You Guys Are Not Doing Better Than Us Uchiha!
Without a job in the police department, the Uchiha clan members were also given a rare long vacation, officially stated as a suspension for self-reflection. However, the police department's chief is still one of the Uchiha, and this was only decided a few days ago.
Naturally, the idle Uchiha members would avoid places like the commercial street, where they would need to interact with villagers.
Firstly, they were usually heavily scrutinized, and secondly, as a prominent clan, the Uchiha own enough industries to meet their own needs. So, most Uchiha members focus on family businesses in addition to training.
Yagami has gained recognition from the majority of the clan. A clear indication of this shift, even if Uchiha members don't outwardly show much emotion, is that everyone has noticed changes in those around them during this time.
Complaints and targeting have faded, and even many villagers now hope they return to the police department. This change in attitude has not entirely released every Uchiha's pent-up emotions, but it has certainly eased a lot of tension.
"How do you feel?"
The Uchiha's business sector also has its own street. Although it is not as bustling as the commercial street, it is sizable. Yagami took Shisui and Itachi along the street, letting them observe firsthand the changes in the clan.
No doubt, aside from everything else, these two are incredibly powerful, and both have awakened the Mangekyō.
Including Fugaku's concealed Mangekyō, the Uchiha clan now possesses four pairs of these eyes. In terms of strength, they could entirely rival Konoha.
But the issue is that these two had been influenced by the Will of Fire of the Third Hokage. One considered casting illusions on the clan to maintain peace in the village, while the other wanted to bridge the family and the village by leading the entire clan.
If Yagami doesn't change the mindset of these two, he won't dare proceed with the next step. To put it simply, personal strength is a major prerequisite in the ninja world. With power, anything can be achieved more easily.
"The clansmen seem much happier."
Itachi was still contemplating, but Shisui spoke with a wry smile. He thought that the conflict between the family and the village was irreconcilable, which was why he suggested that the Third Hokage use Distinguished Heavenly Gods to prevent a family coup.
But what happened afterwards surprised him as well. First, Danzō took his eyes, and then Yagami rallied the entire Uchiha clan to confront the village.
It had clearly been a situation on the verge of erupting, yet Hokage and the village had yielded. Not only did no armed conflict occur, but his eyes were also returned, and now the voice for a coup within the clan had faded without notice.
"It might be that after leaving the police department, the targeting of the clan members disappeared, or maybe it's because villagers in the police department would ask daily when they'd return. It created a sense of understanding."
Itachi said they weren't fools and could piece some things together.
"See, you also realize the root of the conflict between the family and the village lies outside the family. So, why did you choose the village over your own family? It's clearly the village's prejudice that brought the Uchiha to this point, and in the end, we had to pay the price. Do you think it's easier to confront your family than the village?"
Yagami rolled his eyes, but the two were not foolish, especially Itachi, who, despite his limited perspective, still had others who could guide him.
Hearing this, Shisui and Itachi felt a pang of shame. Over time, they also realized that the Uchiha didn't genuinely want a coup but were pushed to that point by the village's persecution and prejudice.
Thinking about it, the Uchiha hadn't done anything wrong. As one of the founding clans of the village, they should have had a fair chance at the Hokage position. Yet, even now, they had no place among the village's advisors and were distrusted and targeted by the village.
Everyone would feel resentment under such conditions, right? Especially for the Uchiha, who are more sensitive to emotions…
After coming to terms with this and recalling all they had done for the village, both of them just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Yagami didn't intend to press them further. These two had strong minds, and being overly forceful could backfire. Better to let them figure things out themselves!
After inspecting the Uchiha's properties, the three also visited other neighbourhoods. Yagami still held the title of captain of the police department, and today, the Third Hokage had arranged for many clan and civilian shinobi to report for duty.
Perhaps Danzō knew that the Uchiha had stepped back from the police department. Since then, the law and order situation has brightened under the department's new operation.
As captain, it was reasonable for Yagami to check in on the work of the police department members.
Perhaps urged by the Third Hokage and their respective clan leaders, these new police department members' methods were noticeably different from the Uchiha's past law enforcement practices, earning them some praise from the villagers.
"Shisui, what do you think of the police department's current law enforcement?"
"It seems good! If they avoid violent methods, the conflicts between the police department and the villagers will decrease, and complaints should go down as well."
Shisui replied uncertainly. This approach was how he'd ideally hoped the police department and villagers would interact, but now that he saw it, he felt less confident.
"Really? But the work of the police department isn't that simple!"
Yagami smiled slightly and continued walking along the street, with Itachi frowning thoughtfully.
Soon after, the three stopped at a relatively secluded spot, observing a patrol team from the Hyuga branch house handling a dispute nearby.
"Sir, you offended this lady first; you should apologize!"
A Hyuga ninja patiently tried to mediate, but the man showed no intent to comply.
"Apologize? Why should I apologize? I'm from the Shimura clan; why should I apologize to a commoner? You're just from the Hyuga branch house, a dog of the main family, and you dare meddle in my affairs?"
The man, clearly drunk, not only yelled at the patrol but even moved to strike.
The faces of the three Hyuga ninjas changed drastically at his words. To them, what he said was a grave insult, so without hesitation, they sealed the man's chakra points with a swift glare.
Unable to move after his chakra points were sealed, the man collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.
"You actually attacked me! This is violent enforcement—I'll have you reported!"
The three Hyuga ninjas stood off to the side with grim expressions as surrounding villagers whispered about them, even the woman they had helped. They had no choice but to forcibly take the troublemaker away.
Shisui and Itachi observed this scene from a distance, a feeling of familiarity washing over them as they glanced at Yagami with newfound respect.
Upon returning to the police department, Yagami's desk was already stacked with complaint forms, and several contacts sent by various clans awaited him inside.
Although these shinobi had joined the police department, they clearly wouldn't hand over their own people to the Uchiha's command, hence the need for these intermediaries.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Yagami picked up the complaint sheets with a smirk, glancing at the group. Did they really expect him to handle these complaints himself?
"Captain, these are complaints filed by the villagers against our police department from this morning. We think…"
"Oh! So many complaints on the first day! You're not doing any better than us, Uchiha! But why are you giving these to me? Handling complaints isn't exactly my speciality. If there's an issue, sort it out yourselves. Don't dump it on me—I'm not here to deal with this kind of thing."
Yagami tossed the complaint forms aside dismissively. As captain, he was just here as a figurehead. Expect him to do actual work? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Solve the issues caused by your own clansmen yourselves! It's not us, Uchiha, being complained about, so why should I care…
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