The villagers had finally begun to relax.
The ninja who had departed for war had been gone for several days now, and with time, fear dulled into something more manageable.
The worries were still there—quiet, persistent—but people could not afford to live in constant anxiety.
Life had to continue.
Shops reopened across Konoha after days of closure, and the streets slowly filled once more.
Villagers came out to buy daily necessities, exchanging brief conversations, forcing smiles where they could.
The Uchiha patrol moved through the streets as usual.
Their expressions were composed, their posture disciplined—no different from before.
To the villagers, it was almost comforting. As long as the patrols continued, Konoha still felt… stable.
Inside one of the shops, a sudden shout broke the calm.
"Give me my money back, you thief!"
The sharp voice belonged to a middle-aged woman standing near the counter, her finger pointed accusingly at a man in worn clothes. His face was thin, his cheeks hollow—clearly someone who had not eaten properly in days.
"Lady, I didn't take anything," the man said hurriedly, panic clear in his voice. "I only saw your purse fall and informed you."
The woman clutched her purse tightly.
"There are two hundred ryō missing!" she snapped. "Don't think I don't know tricks like yours. Just give my money back."
She did not move an inch, her tone firm and unforgiving.
From nearby, two young shinobi-in-training had witnessed the entire scene.
"Obito…" Rin whispered.
Rin Nohara stepped forward, her expression troubled. Obito followed closely behind her, frowning at the situation.
"Auntie," Rin said gently, "we saw everything. This uncle didn't take your money. He only told you when your purse fell. How can you accuse him like this?"
The man looked at Rin with relief, yet fear still lingered in his eyes.
He had no way to prove his innocence.
Rin noticed it.
That helplessness.
And it made her heart ache.
Obito stepped forward as well, glaring at the woman.
"Yes, auntie," he said bluntly. "What Rin said is true. We saw everything. This uncle helped you—he didn't take any money from your purse. He didn't even touch it."
The woman's eyes widened in fury as she stared at the two young shinobi.
"Who are you brats calling auntie?" she snapped. "And you—are you two with this thief bastard as well?"
Her voice grew louder, sharper.
"So now you're grouping to steal, huh? Starting bad habits at such a young age. Disgusting."
Obito clenched his fists.
"Why are you blaming us, fat lady?" he shot back. "We're just explaining the truth! And you're being ungrateful. If you can't appreciate this uncle helping you, why are you accusing him instead?"
The woman's face flushed red with anger.
"You bastard!" she shouted. "Who are you calling fat? Didn't your mother teach you manners? Just give me back my two hundred ryō and get lost from here!"
The moment Obito heard her curse his mother, something snapped.
He took a step forward, rage flashing across his face.
"Who are you calling a bastard, you fatso—?!"
"Obito!" Rin grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him back.
By now, their raised voices had drawn attention.
Villagers began gathering around the shop, whispering as they watched the scene unfold.
Moments later, two Uchiha guards pushed through the crowd.
"Don't block the road," one of them said sharply. "Everyone, make way."
The crowd parted as the guards stepped in.
One of the Uchiha shinobi glanced over the scene—Rin holding Obito back, the furious woman, and the frightened man standing silently to the side.
"What's going on here?" the Uchiha asked calmly.
Obito and Rin turned toward the arriving Uchiha guards.
The moment Obito recognised the clan insignia, some of the tension left his shoulders.
He quickly stepped forward and explained everything—from the fallen purse to the accusation and the argument that followed.
The two guards listened carefully.
After understanding the situation, one of them looked at the woman and the man standing silently beside the counter.
"Lady," the Uchiha guard said calmly, "you may be mistaken. These two children witnessed everything. This man helped you when your purse fell. You may be remembering it incorrectly."
The woman's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I remember clearly!" she shouted. "Two hundred ryō are missing! These brats and this man are working together to trick me. Arrest them—and make them compensate me for my loss!"
The second Uchiha guard's expression darkened.
He took a step forward, his voice sharp.
"You are being ungrateful," he said coldly. "Obito is a Uchiha. He does not need your two hundred ryō. You are accusing innocent people without proof. You are the one creating a disturbance here."
The woman froze for a moment—then sneered.
"Oh, so you're protecting your clan member now?
She turned toward the gathering crowd, her voice rising dramatically.
"Look at the Uchiha!" she cried. "Bullying an innocent civilian! Misusing their authority! Is this how Konoha treats its people?"
More villagers began to gather.
Whispers spread.
Suspicion grew.
One of the Uchiha guards frowned.
"You are creating chaos," he warned. "If you continue causing a public disturbance, we will have no choice but to detain you."
The woman suddenly collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly.
"Ooooh—look at them!" she cried. "They're trying to throw an innocent woman into prison! First, their clan member steals from me, and now they're blaming me for protecting him! Someone stop their atrocities!"
Her voice echoed through the street.
Murmurs erupted among the crowd.
"That's wrong," one civilian said.
"The Uchiha are abusing their power," another added.
"They should compensate the lady," someone shouted.
One by one, more voices joined in.
The street that had been calm moments ago was now filled with noise and accusation.
The Uchiha guards exchanged uneasy glances.
The situation had spiralled out of control.
And now—
They were the ones being judged.
"She's the one lying here!" Obito shouted at the surrounding villagers. "We're innocent!"
A man from the crowd scoffed.
"Why should we believe you?" he said loudly.
"You're Uchiha. Those guards are from your clan too. You're all in this together."
The accusations did not stop.
Voices overlapped.
Suspicion grew louder.
Reason vanished.
At that moment, another Uchiha shinobi stepped forward.
He was older than the two guards—his presence calm, his eyes sharp with experience.
This was Uchiha Tsuma, the leader of the patrol unit.
He had seen scenes like this before.
Too many times.
Tsuma took in everything—the crying woman, the frightened man, Obito's fury, Rin's silence, the hostile crowd.
After a brief pause, he made his decision.
Turning to the woman, he reached into his pouch.
"Lady," Tsuma said evenly, "take this two hundred ryō. Perhaps… we made a mistake."
The crowd quieted slightly.
Tsuma knew what this meant.
But he also knew that forcibly detaining the woman would only deepen the hatred festering in the villagers' hearts.
Tonight was not about justice—it was about control of perception.
And perception was already slipping.
As a member of the dove faction, Tsuma wanted balance—between the Uchiha and Konoha, not another crack widening into a fracture.
The woman snatched the money without hesitation.
She sneered.
"You should discipline your clan children better," she said mockingly, glaring at Obito and Rin. "Teaching them to rob people at such a young age…"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You brats are still years too early to steal money from me."
Obito clenched his fists.
The two Uchiha guards beside him looked just as furious.
"You're the one at fault," Obito snapped.
Rin said nothing.
But her expression darkened.
She watched as the woman walked away freely—after lying, after humiliating an innocent man, after turning everyone against them.
And no one stopped her.
The woman paused, hearing Obito's voice behind her.
"Hmph."
She sneered again.
From the crowd, someone shouted,
"Don't think you can cheat civilians just because you're Uchiha!"
More murmurs followed.
Tsuma stood there, his expression heavy.
He had restored order.
But the damage was already done.
And he knew it.
Just as the woman turned to leave with the money—
A cold voice cut through the crowd.
"Who said you were allowed to leave after accusing the Uchiha?"
The street fell silent.
Tsuma stiffened.
He turned toward the source of the voice—and his expression darkened slightly when he recognized the woman stepping forward.
Uchiha Suki.
A member of the hawk faction.
Strict.
Unyielding.
And infamous for never letting matters like this slide.
To prevent the situation from worsening, Tsuma immediately stepped forward.
"Suki-san," he said firmly, "this is my patrol area. I've already handled this matter. There's no need for further involvement."
Suki looked at him—and sneered.
"I watched everything," she said coolly. "You were blamed, insulted, and humiliated. And instead of detaining that ugly woman, you compensated her—even when she falsely accused innocent people."
The woman bristled.
"Who are you calling ugly, you bitch?!" she screamed. "Your Uchiha brat was the one who stole from me, and now you're saying I'm the criminal?"
Suki smiled.
And then—
She vanished.
Before anyone could react, she reappeared beside the woman, her hand already moving.
The purse was gone.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
The woman froze, her hand instinctively clutching at empty air.
Tsuma's eyes widened.
"Suki!" he snapped. "What are you doing?"
Suki stood calmly, the purse dangling from her fingers.
"Suki, chūnin," Tsuma said sharply, stepping closer. "This is my jurisdiction. I handled this case. Give the lady her purse back—you are not needed here."
Suki turned her gaze toward him.
Cold.
Unapologetic.
"Handled?" she repeated quietly.
Her eyes shifted to the trembling man, to Obito's clenched fists, to Rin's lowered gaze.
"This is what you call handling?"