Chapter 79. Stress Response

Konoha Eight Streets.

Upon opening today, all Uchiha shops discovered that the patrolling police team had been replaced by strangers.

Everyone wore cold expressions, not as friendly as the previous Uchiha.

An informed store owner quickly found out that these were former members of the Root, who used to patrol the first to fourth streets.

"Uchiha were doing fine, why did they leave?"

Various shop owners complained, and some even went to the police to file reports.

However, they soon discovered that Hyuga Hizashi was missing. In his place was an older Hyuga clan member.

This new member didn't share much information about the security forces and seemed unwilling to engage with civilians. He arrogantly stated, "This is a routine transfer of the police forces."

With that, he dismissed any further inquiries, waving his hand to usher people away.

Frustrated, the shop owners felt a surge of anger. 'How could this Hyuga be so arrogant?'

As they walked back, they encountered Hyuga Yuto on the road.

Ever since he arrested Jiraiya last time, he had gained a notable reputation, and many people in the village knew him.

The boss approached him, expressing his frustration: "Why isn't Hizashi-sama in the police complaint room?"

"You have no idea how bad the old man in the complaint room's attitude is. He didn't even bother to raise his eyes to look at me."

Yuto quickly covered his mouth, cautioning, "Keep your voice down; he's a member of the clan."

"Hmm..." The boss lowered his voice, "Why is someone from the Hyuga Clan serving as a guard?"

Yuto looked around and responded, "This is not something I, a member of the branch family, can handle. Hizashi-sama has returned to the clan. Now, the guards are under the control of the clan."

The boss grumbled, "Then when will you replace these?"

"You see, those people with cold faces and sarcastic remarks don't seem like good people."

Yuto shrugged and added, "I can't do anything about it, with Hizashi-sama not being around, my hands are tied."

The boss had no choice but to leave angrily.

...

On Konoha 8th Street, many business owners returned and reopened their shops as usual after visiting the police and encountering frustration.

Root's security team continued their normal patrols, and originally, the Uchiha shopkeepers felt everything was fine.

However, over time, they sensed that something was amiss.

The root guards were lingering in front of the Uchiha shops, preventing potential customers who chose to avoid the establishments due to their reluctance to deal with these root members.

Uchiha shopkeepers attempted negotiations, expressing that there was no need for such an extensive patrol and guard presence.

However, the other party completely ignored their pleas, and soon enough, Uchiha shop owners found themselves facing arrests for what they considered excessive actions.

Danzo, hidden in the shadows of a street corner, smiled coldly.

He had once dismissed these small businesses as insignificant.

However, his investigators later enlightened him about the substantial income generated by the Uchiha establishments.

Now, he paid keen attention to these shops.

Owning these businesses would provide plenty of funds for his research, liberating him from the financial control of the third hokage.

By no longer relying on the third hokage for funds, Danzo could break free from his influence.

Even if he disagrees with the Root's reconstruction, it's merely a matter of lacking a name.

Hence, Danzo is determined to acquire all the small shops within the Uchiha domain!

Today is just an initial test, with more strategies in the future.

Patience is key.

Little did he know, the Uchiha had already foreseen this and made preparations.

...

After receiving news from Hizashi, Fugaku quickly gathered information from various sources, including the police force and civilian shop owners in the Uchiha district.

Within a few hours, Fugaku had a comprehensive understanding of the situation.

In response, Uchiha clan members entered all the Uchiha shops, exchanging predetermined gestures with the owners before swiftly leaving.

Shortly afterward, the root members found issues in these stores, such as broken stoves or burst water pipes.

Stoves were damaged, pots were broken, and raw materials were contaminated.

Apologies from the bosses filled the air, expressing regret to the waiting customers.

"Dear customers, we sincerely apologize. Our cooking equipment encountered issues today, and unfortunately, we won't be able to continue serving meals. We have no choice but to close the store for the day."

Disappointed customers voiced their concerns: "Why is this happening? I've been waiting in line for an hour just to enjoy your spicy crayfish."

"That's right. I arrived early in the morning to queue up. If any equipment is broken, I can help fix it. Please don't close the store."

The shop owner expressed his regrets: "To all customers still in line, we offer a three-pound coupon for spicy crayfish. Feel free to return on another day to enjoy our dishes."

Though many customers grumbled, they accepted the generous coupons, each worth several hundred ryo, and left the store.

The villager offering help in repairing the equipment was discreetly pulled aside by the shop owner.

"Sir, our equipment is not actually broken, but we have no choice but to close for the day."

The customer looked puzzled: "You're not doing business at all?"

The shopkeeper subtly gestured towards the outside, where several root members were lingering nearby.

Understanding dawned on the customer.

The villager seemed a bit bewildered but still took the coupon from the shop owner and left.

Under the Root's watchful eye, all Uchiha shops closed one after another.

The villagers, deprived of the chance to savor their favorite meals, cast glances filled with disappointment at the root members.

Observing this, the root members reported the entire sequence of events to Danzo.

Danzo calmly waved his hand, "No problem. If they're in this business, they'll open again someday. There's no rush."

...

A long tug-of-war grew between Uchiha store owners and the Root members.

Originally, Danzo expected Uchiha to reopen within a day or two, but the closure persisted much longer.

Uchiha's shops remained closed for seven days, disappointing countless customers who walked away empty-handed, impacting their profits significantly.

Danzo and the elder of the Hyuga clan grew increasingly uneasy.

Originally, Hizashi, a member of the branch family, was assigned to handle the situation.

However, Danzo's interference led to a simple shift change, resulting in the closure of all Uchiha catering shops.

The consequences were not limited to the unavailability of goods; the closure of these popular restaurants caused a decline in foot traffic on Eighth Street.

The lively atmosphere that once drew praise from the Hokage was now replaced by a noticeable decrease in the number of visitors.

Even before the Uchiha family had a chance to address the issue, complaints from other non-Uchiha business owners on Eighth Street flooded the Hokage's office.

The arrival of Hyuga's clan elder added fuel to the fire, stirring up more trouble.

People who were frustrated with the situation began approaching him to report their grievances, but it seemed that their complaints fell on deaf ears.

Frustrated with the lack of response, people started to avoid the Uchiha-led police force and took their complaints directly to the Hokage's office.