Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

"Well!"

After everyone dispersed, the Third Hokage heaved a long sigh. He couldn't understand the Uchiha's recent actions at all.

Hadn't he once sought power relentlessly? Now, was he so eager to hand over his authority? Moreover, Yagami's attitude didn't seem like he was relinquishing power to ease conflicts!

······

In the complaint room of the police department, the Fifth Elder's complexion visibly improved. Previously, he had not only handled complainants but also managed complaint forms, and the workload had been overwhelming.

Now, with contact persons from all the major ninja clans stationed here, he only needed to collect the complaint forms and pass them on to the contacts directly. It could be said he felt no pressure at all.

"Elder Kiyotoru, you're in the office so early!"

The owner of a restaurant on the commercial street came in with a smile, greeting him familiarly.

"Boss Nakamura? Are you here to file a complaint today, too? Come over, fill out the form, and I'll send it to the ninja contact person in a while."

The Fifth Elder spoke unceremoniously. Recently, Boss Nakamura has been coming frequently, often inquiring about when the Uchiha will resume their roles in the police department.

Ever since the other ninja had taken over the police department, he hadn't shown up for a few days.

By now, he'd noticed that the new police department's efficiency didn't match the Uchiha's. Almost every day, he'd come to check on the situation.

When the Uchiha were in charge, law enforcement might have been a bit harsh, but they handled matters swiftly.

Now, with other ninjas in charge, while attitudes had softened, the efficiency had noticeably dropped!

A place like a restaurant easily attracts disputes. As a result, it often took the police department too long to address conflicts. People passing by would see the police department standing by, and who would want to enter for a meal?

"Don't worry! Our team leader has addressed your feedback personally.

Since the new members are still familiarizing themselves with the work process, the team leader consulted with the Hokage to speed up law enforcement efficiency. He arranged for troops directly under the elders to manage security. Rest assured!"

The Fifth Elder smiled. The Uchiha were already aware of the temporary assignment of Anbu Ninja to the police department, and Yagami hadn't refused any of them; he accepted all support offered.

What a joke! Letting the Root members handle law enforcement—had the Third Hokage lost his mind? Was he worried that Konoha's population would grow too quickly?

But why stop such a great plan?

"Really? If they can't handle a simple dispute, they'll just stand in front of my store forever!"

Boss Nakamura replied sceptically.

"Don't worry! Think about it—the elders' direct troops are always ready to go to the battlefield. If they dawdled, the elders would dismiss them quickly. I guarantee the team this time won't delay their duties!"

After seeing Boss Nakamura off, the Fifth Elder couldn't hold back his laughter.

The Root members weren't ones to procrastinate; they were even bolder than us, Uchiha!

······

Konoha's commercial street, usually bustling, seemed somewhat subdued at the moment.

The reason was the abundance of people wearing police uniforms on the streets.

These Uchihas, while cold, aren't inaccessible, unlike some shinobi who wear friendly faces but remain unapproachable. They maintain a strict distance from strangers, making shoppers hesitant to speak loudly, let alone laugh casually.

"Are you kidding me? Charging me one hundred ryō for three dishes? Your restaurant is daylight robbery!"

Boss Nakamura had just returned from the police department when he heard shouting from his restaurant and immediately sensed trouble.

Due to an explosion earlier, his shop had been under repair for over ten days before reopening, and now, just days later, trouble had flared up again.

However, recalling the peculiar police department members he'd just seen and Elder Kitotoru's words, he felt reassured. With the police department's new members, if his staff sent for help, they would likely deal with the troublemakers swiftly—these were the Elder's direct troops, after all…

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard the screams of his staff from outside. Rushing to the entrance, he saw police department members pinning the troublemaker and his two companions to the ground. The force they used was severe, treating them as though they were serious criminals, leaving both the troublemaker and the restaurant clerks pale with pain.

"Your clerk clashed with civilians in the street and has been detained by our police department. The penalty is seven days of imprisonment. After seven days, we will release them," one of the police members reported upon seeing the boss arrive. Boss Nakamura felt numb.

Two of his clerks were detained—how was he supposed to keep his restaurant running?

Besides, his clerks hadn't done anything serious! They were only escorting patrons out, and for that, they were arrested. Law enforcement had always allowed some leeway; typically, a situation like this would end with a verbal warning as long as no actual harm was done. Why was this so extreme?

No matter how much Boss Nakamura pleaded, the police officers ignored him and left with the detainees.

Staring at his now-empty restaurant, Boss Nakamura was on the verge of tears. The police department was getting worse by the day! This wasn't even comparable to the Uchiha; it wasn't even as competent as the other shinobi members…

And this wasn't an isolated incident. Similar scenes played out on every street in Konoha, and by midday, the police department's prison cells were packed.

The Fifth Elder, who'd been overseeing operations in the police department, was in shock. Were these Root members out of their minds? They were supposed to maintain law and order, not cause havoc!

"Tsk, tsk! As expected of the troops under Danzo's direct command. They certainly have… character," he muttered.

Since it wasn't the Uchiha causing the trouble, the Fifth Elder didn't intervene and simply watched the spectacle unfold.

As Root continued its indiscriminate arrests, the villagers no longer dared to shop in the streets. Konoha's bustling commercial street was suddenly deserted.

On the other hand, the Uchiha-owned businesses saw a surge in customers, and merchants could barely keep up with demand.

Upon investigation, people learned that the newly appointed police department members were excessively harsh, arresting people for the slightest disagreements and using excessive force at any hint of resistance. Rumour had it that these members even enjoyed inflicting harm.

The fortunate ones left with minor injuries; the less fortunate ended up with broken limbs. No one dared to shop where these members patrolled.

In contrast, the Uchiha-managed areas were much safer. The six teams there maintained order without undue hostility, and since most merchants were Uchiha, there was a natural camaraderie.

"Osamu? What's going on? Don't be so distracted while walking on the street! What if you bump into someone?"

A member of the Uchiha police department called out upon seeing his acquaintance wandering absentmindedly.

"Yutai! Are you on street patrol today? I'm fine, just ran into the restaurant owner who complained about me. It feels a bit strange!"

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