Shortage of Personnel

In the Hokage's office.

After hearing Kakashi's report, the Third Hokage furrowed his brow. "Go and bring Hizashi Hyuga here."

It was incredible that the Byakugan, known for its superior scouting ability, had been ambushed. Previously, the Uchiha had guarded Konoha's perimeter and never suffered such a setback. But now, with the Hyuga taking over, the Mist had slipped through.

Luckily, the warning flare had been launched. Otherwise, the Mist ninja infiltrating the village would have had disastrous consequences.

After Kakashi left, a cane tapping the floor echoed through the room.

"Hiruzen, I've told you before, the defense of Konoha is paramount. These noble clans can't be relied upon. My Root should join the Police Force."

The speaker was Shimura Danzo, who was still an Elder Council member despite being stripped of his position as Hokage's advisor.

The Third Hokage wasn't surprised to see Danzo. Despite losing his title, Danzo's influence remained strong, and the Third Hokage still relied on him for specific tasks.

Taking a puff from his pipe, the Third Hokage said, "Danzo, you've been causing trouble with the recent security issues, haven't you?"

"Hmph, I don't know what you're talking about."

"The Uchiha have fully withdrawn from the Police Force, and the few remaining Uchiha only guard their shops. You need to stop stirring up trouble."

Danzo had indeed caused disturbances for two days but stopped when he realized the Uchiha were ignoring him, making his actions pointless.

Ignoring this, Danzo continued, "The Root members are loyal and well-suited to join the Police Force."

The Third Hokage understood Danzo's intentions and waved his hand impatiently. "We'll discuss this later. I need to speak with Hizashi first."

"Hiruzen, think it over carefully."

Danzo didn't press the issue, knowing the Third Hokage wouldn't allow Root to infiltrate the Police Force. He slowly left, leaning on his cane.

...

Meanwhile, news of the Police Force being ambushed and a Hyuga team killed had reached the Uchiha compound.

Kazuya was visiting Shisui, whose eyes had been successfully re-implanted. The transplant of Sharingan was remarkably straightforward in this world, thanks to advanced medical techniques.

Shisui, despite other injuries, wouldn't have been bedridden for a week just from an eye transplant.

"Senior, I'm fine now. Why do you insist I stay home this long?"

Shisui initially addressed Kazuya as "Deputy Clan Leader" but switched to "Kazuya" at his insistence to foster closer relations.

"Konoha is in a turbulent period. Many are watching us Uchiha. I want you to fully recover and let things settle a bit."

Kazuya knew Shisui was exceptionally talented but had a naive heart. Shisui still had much room to grow, and his abilities, mainly his Mangekyou Sharingan and Kotoamatsukami, were valuable assets.

"Deputy Clan Leader! You're here! Shisui, how are you doing?"

The newcomer was Uchiha Yoichi, a somewhat obedient hawk faction member. After Kazuya made the Hokage faction back down a week ago, Yoichi admired him greatly.

Interestingly, Yoichi's brother was Uchiha Keimei. One was bold, the other intelligent—quite an unlikely pair of siblings.

The Third Elder had assigned Yoichi to Kazuya, and now he brought news of the Police Force ambush.

"That's what happened. It's strange that the Hyuga nearly failed to launch the warning flare."

"Of course, the Hyuga can't compare to us Uchiha. Without us in the Police Force, they were immediately attacked."

Kazuya ignored Yoichi's boasting, understanding why they were ambushed even with the Byakugan. The branch family's Byakugan had a flaw—the blind spot grew with lower purity, making them vulnerable.

Given the involvement of the Mist, it was likely Ao's doing. He had obtained a main family's Byakugan during the Third Shinobi War and had previously attempted to cause trouble in Konoha, only to be thwarted by Shisui's genjutsu.

"Now that Hizashi is reporting to the Third Hokage, do you think the Hyuga will ask for our help?" Yoichi asked eagerly.

Kazuya found Yoichi's simplistic thinking amusing. Although a jonin with three-tomoe Sharingan, Yoichi lacked command experience and assumed other clans would seek Uchiha assistance because the Uchiha were the best.

"They'll come, but we won't get involved."

"Yoichi, go invite the clan leader to the meeting room. Tell him I'll be waiting there."

"Yes, Deputy Clan Leader!" Excited, Yoichi hurried off, sensing potential action.

Watching him leave, Kazuya turned to Shisui. "Prepare yourself. We'll need you in a few days."

Shisui touched his eyes, nodding firmly.

...

When Kazuya arrived at the meeting room, Fugaku was already there.

"Kazuya, what do you make of this situation?"

Fugaku had received the news earlier.

"The Hyuga are suitable for external patrols, but this ambush was an exception due to a flaw in the branch family's Byakugan."

Kazuya explained the Caged Bird Seal's blind spot, the varying purity of the Byakugan, and his suspicions about Ao's involvement.

Fugaku understood, realizing the Byakugan's vulnerability was unknown to outsiders.

"Is the Mangekyou Sharingan really this powerful?" Fugaku thought, attributing Kazuya's knowledge to his ocular abilities.

"Kazuya," Fugaku said thoughtfully, "Don't overuse your Mangekyou Sharingan. It will cause blindness."

Kazuya nodded, appreciating the trust. "I understand, Clan Leader. Thank you for your concern."

Seeing Kazuya's confidence, Fugaku felt reassured. "How will the Hyuga handle this?"

"The Hyuga can address the issue by assigning two branch members per patrol. However, they have a critical problem—lack of personnel."

The Hyuga clan had numbers similar to the Uchiha, but the central family wouldn't leave the compound, reducing available personnel by half. External patrols required at least chunin-level strength, and with many Hyuga already busy maintaining village security, they were stretched thin.

"You're still the Police Force Captain. The Hyuga will definitely seek your help."

"When they come, we can..."