As soon as Fugaku spoke those words, every Uchiha in the Police Force was taken aback.
"Patriarch, you… you're…"
Even Chiyu, still inside the prison, turned to Uchiha Fugaku.
"Patriarch, what do you mean by this?"
Fugaku gave a bitter laugh.
"Chiyu, you can see it clearly yourself: Uchiha Shisui has become the Anbu's new captain, openly taking a stand against our Uchiha clan.
"The only one able to contend with him now, the only one who can salvage our clan's destiny—
The others fell silent. They understood Shisui's power better than anyone—unrivaled genius, number-one master, the famed 'Shunshin no Shisui.' His various titles inspired not just the clan, but the entire ninja world. Even Fugaku, as Patriarch, was no match. And now Uchiha Chiyu had unexpectedly come to prominence, awakening the clan's second pair of Mangekyō Sharingan. Perhaps it was fate.
Chiyu grasped Fugaku's meaning.
"But I'm still locked in this prison."
Fugaku gave another wry smile.
"You can leave whenever you want, can't you?"
Chiyu merely shook his head.
"So be it," Fugaku replied. "Whether you stay in prison or not, you are now captain of the Police Force.
"As for me, continuing on as Patriarch only fills me with guilt…"
Chiyu pondered momentarily, then spoke in a low voice:
"Patriarch, you realize… once I become Police Force captain, the entire style and method of the Force—"
Fugaku nodded. "I know. I've already prepared myself.
"The truth is, you were right all along.
"In the name of the Police Force captain, follow the justice you believe in! You know full well: to carry out justice, you need more than raw power—you need authority."
Chiyu nodded faintly.
From that moment, Chiyu became the new Police Force captain.
Fugaku smiled in satisfaction. Although darkness still shrouded the future, at least the clan had hope once more.
"Chiyu, you truly aren't leaving?"
Chiyu said nothing. Fugaku sighed, setting down the gifts those villagers had brought.
"Fine. Within three days, I'll see to it the whole truth is out."
With that, Fugaku led the others out. Uchiha Yakumi, along with Chiyu's old subordinates and other Police Force members, all bid him farewell:
Chiyu managed a soft laugh.
Before long, the Anbu prison was once again filled with its customary foreboding darkness.
Acting on Shisui's orders, the Anbu member codenamed "Horn" replaced Aburame Kenpei in taking charge of the prison. He and his newly assembled warden detail stared toward the cell where Chiyu remained, hearts brimming with dread and unease. They couldn't fathom this man's mindset or why he didn't leave.
Chiyu opened his eyes, giving them a brief glance, and spoke icily:
"Carry these corpses out.
"Clean up the place."
Horn and the other wardens were furious yet frightened, but in the end… they complied. After all, the bodies included not just the criminals, but Aburame Kenpei and other Anbu, too.
Chiyu let them tidy up as he quietly resumed training.
Interrogation Division, Anbu Branch.
This department, led by Morino Ibiki, specialized in interrogation and torture. Suspects in his hands could only pray for a swift death. Right now, though, he wasn't alone.
Hatake Kakashi, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Uchiha Yashiro were also present, all participating in one interrogation. The target was but one person: a young Uchiha from the Police Force—
He was terrified, of course, but thinking of Aoki, thinking of Captain Chiyu, he refused to yield. After a thorough session of mental probing, memory searches, cross-examination, menacing threats, relentless questioning…
The four-man investigation team finally called it to a halt.
As agreed by both Chiyu and Hokage-sama, Kakashi was nominally the leader of this inquiry. From behind his mask, a complicated look shone in his eyes.
"What do you all think?" he asked quietly.
Ibiki spoke bluntly: "No issues.
"He's telling the truth."
Inoichi hesitated, then said, "From what I gleaned through his memories, yes—he's confirming his own testimony."
Kakashi glanced briefly in Yashiro's direction.
"So," he said, "that day, Yamakaze and Aoki, on routine Police Force patrol, saw several shinobi beating a woman. They tried to intervene, only to be ignored. Then Aoki leapt in to rescue her, but she turned around and fatally ambushed him—"
Yashiro let out a snort. "Kakashi-taichō, by now it's clear, right?
"It was supposedly an Anbu pursuit and interrogation of a prisoner. Why wouldn't they wear the standard Anbu masks? If they had, then Aoki and Yamakaze would've recognized them and wouldn't have risked attacking. Obviously, it was a ruse—leading them into a trap!
"And that woman's unsealed chakra? If she was strong enough to overpower Aoki and Yamakaze, she must have had her seal removed. Then why endure brutal torture without fighting back?
"All of it—pure conspiracy."
Kakashi, Inoichi, and Ibiki all remained silent. They grasped it perfectly. But…
It involved Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Hokage's own son! If they reported that…
Yashiro, seeing their hesitation, grew angrier.
"Kakashi-taichō, Chiyu nominated you to lead this inquiry. Would you betray his trust and turn a blind eye?
"Is that how you repay him?"
Kakashi, Ibiki, and Inoichi exchanged glances. Ibiki shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm just seeking the truth."
Inoichi added gravely, "Kakashi, it's your call. Even if you asked us to help investigate, you're ultimately responsible—both to Chiyu and Hokage-sama."
Kakashi exhaled, a heavy weight pressing on him.
"All right. I understand."
He stared at the report scroll in his hands. It felt as heavy as a mountain. He knew Hiruzen's consent to let him lead the investigation was partly a test—to see where he stood. And this report… ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI★Fire.net
He recalled Chiyu's words:
"Because… I figure at least you are a little more human than the rest of them."
Simultaneously, the faint smile of another Uchiha friend—someone who once entrusted him with his Sharingan—seemed to surface in his mind.
Kakashi drew in a long breath.
"Yashiro-sama, rest assured. I'll…"
"…submit an honest report to the Hokage."
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