“‘Whether it’s slander or not isn’t decided by you or me—it’s the evidence that counts.’” Uchiha Miyuki’s expression turned cold. “By the way, you’ve arrived at just the right moment. According to your comrade Shimura Retsudo’s confession, you were also involved in Shimura Danzo’s seizure of our fellow shinobi’s Kekkei Genkai. Konoha Police, apprehend the suspect Shimura Hiroshi!”

No sooner had his words fallen than several Uchiha ninja burst out from within the police headquarters, intent on taking Shimura Hiroshi into custody on the spot.

“Uchiha Miyuki!”

Koharu Utatane, who was accustomed to holding a high position, couldn’t tolerate Miyuki’s blatant disregard—even arresting someone right in front of her. She immediately shouted sharply.

“I’m listening,” Uchiha Miyuki replied as he looked down from the steps of the police headquarters.

“How dare you? Who gave you the authority to arrest people?” Koharu Utatane demanded.

“Good question!” Miyuki roared, drawing a long sword from his waist. Two arcs of blade light—crackling with lightning nature chakra—whizzed past the two advisors and landed at Shimura Hiroshi’s feet. The resulting explosion forced the advancing Shimura clan ninja to retreat while blasting Hiroshi to the ground. In the blink of an eye, Uchiha Police members swarmed in and secured him.

“You ask who gave me the authority? Let me tell you,” Miyuki said as he slowly descended the steps and approached the two advisors. “That night, when faced with Shimura Danzo’s criminal acts, it was the Third Hokage who entrusted the Uchiha clan with the full investigation. Is that reason not enough?”

“Back then, the Second Hokage established the police force and entrusted our Uchiha clan with the great responsibility of safeguarding the village and purging a cancer like Shimura Danzo—someone who would sacrifice his own comrades for personal gain! Is that not sufficient?”

Miyuki then approached Koharu Utatane, bowed toward the Hokage Rock, and fixed his gaze on her. “If you, Advisor Utatane, feel that isn’t enough, then what about the vow sworn by the First Hokage at the founding of the village—to protect every comrade in the village? Is that not enough?”

“Today, it isn’t merely about me arresting him—the 11,000 ninja and 85,000 civilians of the Hidden Leaf in the Land of Fire will not tolerate such a cancer!”

“Uchiha Miyuki, you!” Mitokado Homura, standing by, wanted to speak, but with Miyuki invoking the First Hokage, what more could he add?

Meanwhile, a recruitment notice for civilian shinobi had been posted in the police headquarters for two days, and many hopeful candidates had come to apply. The commotion even attracted numerous civilian ninja who stopped to watch.

“So the Uchiha clan does harbor a sense of justice after all—it seems the village rumors can’t be trusted,” whispered the assembled civilian shinobi.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

“Those Shimura clan members got what they deserved. Relying on their clan’s influence, they’ve been arrogantly strutting around the village—and now they’ve finally hit rock bottom.”

The reputation of the Shimura clan in the village wasn’t much better than that of the Uchiha clan, so when the civilians saw them in trouble, they couldn’t help but revel in the misfortune.

“But what about you two advisors? Rallying such a crowd—are you trying to cover something up?” Miyuki said, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the two. “I’ve heard that you two are closely linked with Danzo.”

“Shut it, Uchiha Miyuki! Don’t spout nonsense!” Mitokado Homura roared. “I will report today’s events truthfully to the Hokage.”

“Do as you please!” Miyuki snorted coldly and turned, striding back into the police headquarters without looking back.

“What are you two advisors still doing here? Do you expect us to see you off?” Uchiha Fugaku remarked at that moment.

“Hmph.” The two advisors, having failed to get their way and now facing the curious stares of surrounding civilian shinobi, could only snort dismissively and depart.

After Shimura Hiroshi was dragged into the interrogation room, the three Shimura clan members present wore expressions of terror. They had initially believed that their clan leader, accompanied by two advisors, had come to rescue them—but instead, they found themselves ensnared.

“Make sure you treat our Shimura clan leader properly,” Miyuki ordered as he flung Shimura Hiroshi into the interrogation room like a dead dog. “Be careful not to get any blood on him, lest you offend the spirits of our fallen elders at tonight’s funeral.”

“Yes!” came the unified reply from the clan members.

After making all the arrangements, Uchiha Miyuki left the police force. To escort back the stolen Sharingan—humiliated by Shimura Danzo’s hand—to the family shrine, the Uchiha clan held a family funeral of considerable scale.

“Clan Leader, aside from the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans, representee from every other clan have arrived,” Uchiha Inaho reported as he hurried over to Miyuki upon his arrival at the clan shrine.

“Understood. Go fetch Elder Fugaku,” Miyuki replied.

“Understood,” Inaho nodded and departed on his mission.

Shortly afterward, Miyuki proceeded to the area where the funerary offerings had been placed.

He arrived at the section dedicated to the Yamanaka clan’s offerings but did not hasten to act—instead, he waited until Uchiha Fugaku arrived before beginning to open them.

The top layer of the funerary offerings consisted merely of ordinary items. Upon opening it, all that was revealed were dazzling piles of gold and two copies of the village’s land deeds.

Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes lit up as he looked toward Miyuki. “Is this the money you managed to gather?”

Miyuki nodded and stepped forward to carefully count the items, his brows furrowing. “This still isn’t enough.”

With that, a frowning Miyuki proceeded to open the funerary offerings from the Akimichi and Nara clans as well—their contents matching those of the Yamanaka clan.

“This is a warning to us,” Miyuki sneered as he tallied the total value. The three clans had collectively presented items worth exactly 140 million taels—four Asumas. This was the protection fee handed over by the Yamanaka clan to the Uchiha regarding the Danzo affair.

Moreover, the fact that these three clans delivered their offerings together left no doubt: it was a clear warning to the Uchiha that, united, they would not be cowed.

“Hmph, the Ino-Shika-Cho, huh?” Uchiha Fugaku snorted.

“It doesn’t matter. Those three clans never held much sway anyway—if they can gather any money, it’s already a pleasant surprise,” Miyuki remarked calmly. “Ever since the Warring States period, the Ino-Shika-Cho have maintained an unbreakable bond with the Sarutobi clan, with every generation’s oath being witnessed by the current Sarutobi clan leader. I’ve never had high expectations when trying to sway them.”