Yohei pulled out a complaint form.
"The security team in your district is the Ninth Security Squad, led by Uchiha Yoki, Oura, and Rikuto."
"But they've all been suspended, so for the time being, there's no security team to maintain order in your area."
"What?! How did they get suspended?"
The tavern owner was stunned. Even members of the Uchiha clan could be suspended?
"You should ask yourself that. A week ago, someone was causing trouble in your tavern, and you taught them a lesson..."
"The Ninth Security Squad arrested all of you, and you then reported them for using excessive force. Have you forgotten?"
The tavern owner suddenly remembered. That was right.
He had instructed several of his employees to deal with the troublemaker, but the Uchiha security team had arrived and stopped them all.
Frustrated, he had reported those Uchiha officers.
"Uh, on second thought, they're actually pretty good. Can I withdraw the complaint?"
Elder Yohei waved his hand dismissively. "That's not possible. Our Vice-Patriarch has established new clan regulations."
"All Uchiha members must be on amicable terms with the villagers. When our clansmen err, suspension for self-reflection is the proper course of action."
The tavern owner's heart filled with bitter regret. In the past, the Uchiha had always arrived swiftly whenever trouble broke out. Why did he have to be so impulsive?
"Then, when will the new security team be assigned?"
Elder Yohei reassured him, "You needn't worry. We will reassign personnel and organize a new team as quickly as possible."
...
Leaving the Konoha Security Police headquarters, the tavern owner couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Normally, filing a complaint left him feeling relieved.
Today, however, it felt like punching cotton—a soft, yielding response that concealed sharp thorns.
The tavern owner departed, sullen and dejected.
...
After handling a full day of complaints, Elder Yohei felt remarkably refreshed. He was beginning to understand the Vice-Patriarch's objective in all this.
Usually, dealing with these complaints left him dizzy with frustration, and by the end of the day, he felt half-dead.
Today was different. Everything went smoothly. People came in aggressively but left with their tails between their legs.
The elder couldn't help but laugh out loud.
...
What was the Uchiha clan up to?
Obito, wearing his mask, appeared within the Uchiha compound.
He had watched the previous night's events from start to finish but couldn't understand what Fugaku hoped to achieve with this.
Was it all for a single clansman's Sharingan?
He'd gotten the Sharingan back, yes, but at the cost of suspending so many of his own security officers.
Was this a gesture of goodwill toward the Third Hokage?
Had Fugaku sided with the reformists?
However, the compound was much more populated now. He would have to be more careful on his next visit.
He would have the Hidden Mist Village probe the situation.
Finding no useful information, Obito distorted space and vanished.
...
Kirigakure
Ever since being frightened into a retreat by Uchiha Shisui, Ao had become a laughingstock.
Now, the Great Elder had ordered him to investigate Konoha once more and, if the opportunity presented itself, capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
The Uchiha-led Konoha Security Police Force was currently undergoing a major shake-up.
Shisui's Sharingan had been stolen by Elder Danzo.
Although Danzo had later returned the eye, Shisui's loyalty to the village must have been completely shattered.
This news from Konoha had reached Kirigakure in a remarkably short time.
Kirigakure and Konoha were separated by several other villages, and with Kirigakure being on an island, the distance was vast.
The people of Kirigakure, however, were accustomed to such timely intelligence. The current Great Elder had, after all, risen to power on the back of his superior information network.
Everyone in the village believed the Great Elder commanded a secret unit.
This unit was dedicated to espionage across the shinobi world, which was why the Great Elder's prestige was so high.
Upon receiving the order, Ao sensed a rare opportunity. He gathered his team and departed at once.
Danzo's Root operatives were all over the streets, fanning the flames of discord.
They created chaos, but the Uchiha Security Police never came to intervene.
The affected shopkeepers all rushed to the Security Police headquarters to file complaints.
But the Uchiha clan seemed completely indifferent.
The uniform response was always the same: "The officers involved were suspended following complaints, and we are currently short-staffed."
Meanwhile, it was impossible for any trouble to break out at the Uchiha's own establishments.
Several Uchiha security teams patrolled the areas around them, yet they turned a blind eye to the conflicts erupting in the adjacent streets.
Frustrated, many shopkeepers took their complaints directly to the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage stared at the thick stack of complaint forms on his desk.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So, you're telling me the Uchiha have suspended eighty percent of their teams in a single day?"
An Anbu operative replied, "Yes, sir. This morning, the Uchiha began processing all personnel who had prior complaints filed against them. Every single one was suspended for self-reflection."
"The Security Police are now severely understaffed. Public order issues are rampant throughout the village, and no one is addressing them."
What was Kawasaki planning? Or was this Fugaku's doing?
The Third couldn't fathom the Uchiha's intentions. This kind of petty maneuvering didn't seem like a direct act of retaliation against the village.
After all, if the situation escalated, the Anbu would naturally intervene.
Besides, Kawasaki had already informed him of the plan and contacted the Hyuga clan to ask them to fill the gaps.
The Third took a puff from his pipe. "How did the talks between the Hyuga and Kawasaki go?"
"Uchiha Kawasaki gave the Hyuga clan all of the Security Police's deployment layouts and patrol routes, holding nothing back."
"However, the Hyuga will need about a week to dispatch personnel and have them learn the routes."
The Security Police's deployments and patrols had always been the responsibility of the Uchiha clan. The Hyuga would indeed need time to prepare.
The Third tapped his pipe. "Have the Anbu keep a close watch this week. If anything major occurs, you are to intervene directly. You can stand down once the Hyuga have fully taken over."
"Yes, sir!"
...
Uchiha Compound, Training Grounds.
Since the majority of the Security Police members had been suspended, the Fourth Elder had them all remain within the clan compound.
With nothing else to do, many of the suspended officers gathered at the training grounds to practice on their own initiative.
"Hey! Yoki!"
Uchiha Yoki, who was practicing his shurikenjutsu, paused. It was his teammates, Oura and Rikuto.
"What's up?"
The three of them had been partners for a long time and were good friends off-duty.
Oura grinned. "You've been cooped up in here, so you probably haven't heard. The Kiyomizu Tavern burned down today."
Yoki raised an eyebrow. "The one on Third Street?"
"That's the one. Got into another fight with a drunk today. The drunk got beat up and wasn't happy about it, so he came back later and torched the place. The owner won't be reopening anytime soon," Rikuto added, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.
"And no one stopped it?"
Oura shook his head. "Who was there to do anything? All our guys from First to Seventh Street have been suspended."
"So, they're not complaining now?"
Rikuto burst out laughing. "Oh, they're complaining, alright. But what's the use? There's no one left in the Security Police to listen."
"Usually, those owners are so quick to jump down our throats, either accusing us of being too lenient or reporting us for 'excessive force'."
"Now that we've stepped back, they come crawling to us for help. It's pathetic."
"I heard the Fourth Elder was in a great mood today. Said he was even humming as he walked the halls."
Yoki listened and chuckled. "After all the grief they've given us, I'd say they had it coming."
Oura then asked, "The Fourth Elder suspended us, but he didn't mention any new assignments."
"Yoki, do you have any idea what the Vice-Patriarch has planned for us?"
Yoki shook his head. "I'm not sure either. But the Vice-Patriarch mentioned that our work in the Security Police was demanding..."
"...so he's giving us a week off. We'll receive new assignments after that."
...
Night fell quietly.
Uchiha Kawasaki was on the clan's training grounds, relentlessly honing his skills.
He had just awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and his power had taken a massive leap forward...