"What's the emergency? This is the Hokage's office!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned as he scolded the person who barged in without knocking.
His words were directed at Uchiha Shisui behind him, intending to project an authoritative image in Shisui's mind.
Hiruzen wanted Shisui to fear and respect him more as the Hokage, so he would believe in the Will of Fire more strongly.
"Hokage-sama, I was reckless!" The person who rushed in quickly apologized and stood respectfully.
"Speak, what's so urgent that you had to rush in ?" Sarutobi Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, his tone easing into something calm and kind, making him seem approachable.
He often used this method to win people over, which was why Shisui felt so close to him. To Shisui, Hiruzen was more like family than his own clan.
"Hokage-sama, during Uchiha's patrol today, there was an incident that caused unrest!" The person could only summarize the situation quickly, saying, "Right now, there are still many people patrolling with the Uchiha patrol team!"
This man had rushed over to report after witnessing Uchiha Genya deal with Yamano Sandan, unaware of the fact that Genya was now recruiting for the City Guard unit.
"Oh? The Uchiha Police Force again? Did they cause trouble with violent enforcement?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, as if expecting this, commented casually.
"Yes and no!" The messenger looked uncertain, first nodding and then shaking his head. He wasn't sure if Genya's actions counted as violent enforcement.
If it was violent enforcement, then it was justified, since Genya had acted within reason, leaving no flaws to be picked on.
In fact, some civilians even cheered him on.
"Ah, so there was violence!" Sarutobi Hiruzen misunderstood the man's words, frowning in pretend frustration.
"Those Uchiha... they just can't control their nature. How many times have I scolded them? Every time it's violence. Can't they find any other way to solve things? If only they could be like Shisui and Itachi, I would have much less to worry about!"
As Hiruzen spoke, he praised Shisui and Itachi, calling them the hope of the Uchiha's future.
Uchiha Shisui, feeling frustrated but loyal to his clan, spoke up, "Hokage-sama, maybe some clan members lost their tempers while enforcing the law. It wasn't intentional. Please show mercy..."
Even though Shisui knew the Hokage would remain impartial and wouldn't go easy on them because of his plea, he still stepped forward for his clan.
Hiruzen sighed, seeing Shisui's persistence, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Shisui, you have to understand, as the Hokage of Konoha, I must fulfill my responsibilities. I can't favor anyone, even for you. If someone makes a mistake, they must be punished. Only this way can we prevent them from making worse mistakes in the future!"
"I understand," Shisui said, his expression dimming as he stepped back behind Hiruzen.
He had done all he could.
After finishing his righteous speech, Hiruzen finally turned to the messenger again. "So, who used violent enforcement? I remember the Uchiha Police Force is split into two groups today. Who was it?"
As he asked, Hiruzen was already considering how to punish the arrogant Uchiha and how to make Shisui trust him even more.
"The one who acted was Uchiha Genya, son of Uchiha Kinya. He beat Yamano Sandan!" the messenger reported quickly.
"Oh, Kinya's son? I remember he's still a young boy. How did someone so young develop such bad habits?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, surprised it was the boy Uchiha Genya who acted.
He couldn't help but mock the situation. "Where are they now? Since he's just a child, I'll go easy on him."
He took a few more puffs of his cigarette, speaking in a calm tone.
A hint of gratitude appeared on Uchiha Shisui's face. It seemed that the Hokage still cared about the Uchiha clan and wanted to deal lightly with Uchiha Genya's punishment.
"He might be at the Uchiha Kinya's merchant association!" the messenger said, shaking his head.
"They didn't come to the office to admit their mistake? Did they just leave after beating someone?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was furious, his brows furrowing: "And what about the injured? Did they leave them at the scene?"
This was the perfect opportunity. Today, he would use this chance to properly address the Uchiha clan.
"No, Yamano Sandan was also dragged by Genya to the Police Force station, saying he would detain him for fifteen days!" The messenger shook his head, unsure how to continue explaining what happened next.
"This is outrageous! Not only did that kid hurt someone, but he also wants to lock up the injured party? This is lawlessness! Does he not respect Konoha's rules at all?" Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his hand on the table.
"Bring Uchiha Fugaku here! I need to understand what's going on and how he's disciplining his clan members!"
Uchiha Shisui frowned as well. Genya's actions today were indeed a bit excessive.
"Hokage-sama, although Genya did act, it was because Yamano Sandan attacked the Police Force's leader, Uchiha Genya, first. Genya only reacted in self-defense!"
The informant quickly explained, worried that the Hokage was going to hold Genya accountable. "Besides, Yamano Sandan was the one who trashed a restaurant first, and the owner personally called the Police Force to handle it."
"Hiss... explain the situation clearly from the start!" Sarutobi Hiruzen was becoming more suspicious the more he listened. The informant didn't seem angry about Genya's violent enforcement.
Normally, someone would have already stirred things up, and a complaint would have been filed at the Hokage's office. But now, there was no reaction at all.
"It's . The Uchiha Police Force has written records of all their law enforcement actions. Even though Genya acted violently, he only did so after warning Yamano Sandan three times, and Sandan still refused to comply, leaving Genya no choice but to act!"
The informant then recounted the entire incident, emphasizing that Genya had opened the records room, allowing anyone to review the case files.
The more Sarutobi Hiruzen heard, the more his brow furrowed.
There was clearly someone advising the Uchiha Police Force. This was a brilliant move. From today onward, the gap between the Uchiha clan and the civilians would shrink significantly.
This was not what he wanted.
But Uchiha Shisui's eyes brightened. This was a good way to reduce conflicts between the clan and the common people. It seemed he'd need to meet this clan member of his in the future.
Suddenly, the informant remembered something else, "Uchiha Genya also said that if Yamano Sandan was dissatisfied with the Police Force's punishment, he could appeal to you after his release. And if you, Hokage-sama, believe Yamano Sandan was in the right, Genya would lead the entire Police Force to publicly apologize to Yamano Sandan throughout the whole village!"
Publicly apologize in front of the entire village?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched. The incident was clearly recorded, and it would pin Yamano Sandan on the pillar of shame.
If he actually made the Uchiha Police Force apologize to Sandan, it would mean ignoring right and wrong, and the reputation he had worked so hard to build over the years would collapse.
As an old fox, he naturally wouldn't do anything without expecting a return.
At the same time, he was also wondering who was advising the Uchiha side. The use of paper-based law enforcement records and opening the archive room were both extremely beneficial for the Uchiha clan.
"Hokage-sama, I want to report something! Someone from the Uchiha police force used excessive violence!" Just as he was thinking about how to handle this situation, a young man with his arm wrapped in bandages came in, crying with teary eyes.
"Are you here to report Uchiha Genya?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the person, assuming he wanted to report Uchiha Genya, feeling slightly disappointed.
At this point, there was nothing he could do to punish Genya.
The bandaged man shook his head. "No, I want to report Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head!"
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