Chapter 52 : Recruitment!!

"The Archives, open from now on?"

Uchiha Shin listened as Genya spoke confidently. His eyes were already shining with excitement, and a smile of enthusiasm appeared on his face.

These decisions were brilliant!

Genya hadn't discussed this with him beforehand, but saying it out loud in front of the crowd about opening the archives was truly impressive. Shin had to admire the bold and creative thinking of Genya.

In recent years, the Uchiha Police Force had been misunderstood by the civilians, and no matter how much they tried to explain, no one believed them.

This only caused the rift between the Uchiha clan and the civilians to grow deeper. Because of this, the Uchiha clan's image in the minds of the people had worsened, and they were even disliked.

But with public trials for criminals and opening the archives, this could almost smooth out the tension between the civilians and the Uchiha clan members.

From now on,

If anyone had complaints about how the Police Force enforced the law, they could go to the archives and look at the records.

No one would criticize or undermine the Uchiha Police Force anymore over their handling of cases.

In this way, the reputation of the Uchiha clan could gradually be restored.

It wasn't just Uchiha Shin who felt this way. Even the Uchiha clan members following behind nodded in agreement. They were all satisfied with Genya's decision.

Some even felt they had followed the right person.

If they had stuck with Fugaku, they'd probably still be arguing with people right now, and it might have already escalated to a confrontation with the Third Hokage.

At that point, all they could expect was to pay compensation.

"Genya-sama, how do you plan to deal with Yamano Sandan?" Someone finally asked the critical question as everyone pondered in silence, looking at the bloodied Yamano Sandan.

They were curious to see how Uchiha Genya would handle the situation with Sandan.

"Yamano Sandan not only destroyed the shop and disrupted the peace of the village, but he also attempted to attack the Police Force!"

Genya's gaze remained on the people before him as he firmly declared, "He will be imprisoned in the Police Force's detention center for half a month, compensate the shop owner for their losses, and pay a fine of 5,000 ryō for assaulting the Police Force!"

Hiss~

The crowd gasped at Genya's punishment.

That was harsh! Not only had Yamano Sandan been beaten, but now he would be imprisoned and forced to compensate!

Still, no one present said a word. After all, it was Yamano Sandan who made the mistake, so he had to pay the price.

"I don't accept this! You can't treat me like this! I'm going to the Hokage!" Yamano Sandan panicked and began to protest against Genya.

"No problem. After you finish your time in the Police Force, you're free to appeal to the Hokage anytime!" Genya's young face remained calm, showing no concern. 

"If the Third Hokage believes I was wrong, I will personally lead the entire Uchiha Police Force and apologize to you publicly in front of all the villagers!"

Yes, that's right—in front of the entire village.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi really tried to defend someone like Yamano Sandan unfairly, then Genya would have no choice but to turn the tables.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Hokage, behaved unjustly, let the civilians see for themselves what kind of person the revered Hokage truly was.

"Lord Third is just and fair! He won't help you!"

"You should hurry up and pay the money back!"

"Let's see if you're still so arrogant now!"

"I never thought someone would actually start punishing these leeches in Konoha!"

"Actually, if the records were open, it wouldn't be so bad for the Uchiha to manage the Police Force!"

"Only by being open can we ensure fairness and justice!"

"Yeah…"

As Genya spoke confidently, some people began to have hope for the Police Force under his leadership.

"Thank you all for your trust! We will only get better!" Genya looked at the people whose attitudes were shifting and spoke firmly, "If you have any suggestions for the Police Force, feel free to visit us and share your ideas. If your suggestions benefit Konoha, we will make changes!"

Sure enough, his humble words gained even more approval from the crowd.

This caused the previously shaky reputation of the Uchiha Police Force to improve significantly.

"Alright, everyone, let's disperse. We still need to patrol other areas!" Uchiha Shin, seeing the situation was well managed, finally spoke.

Seeing the matter resolved, the crowd reluctantly started to leave.

However, quite a few people followed Genya's team, eager to watch what would happen next.

Genya didn't mind. He reminded the shop owner that Yamano Sandan would eventually pay the money, and he would make sure the payment was delivered.

Then, they continued the patrol, with Sandan still in custody.

Everything went smoothly afterward. There were two or three others who initially planned to cause trouble for the Police Force, but after seeing the miserable state of Sandan, they decided not to get involved.

After making another round, they returned to the newly established Police Force station.

Looking back, Genya saw that there were still many civilians following them.

In front of these people, Genya filed Yamano Sandan's case and the final outcome into the open archives for everyone to see.

This act earned more praise from the crowd, and some even stepped forward to take a look, flipping through Sandan's files.

Whenever they came across something outrageous, they would curse, "This bastard deserved to be punished!"

"My fellow villagers, I have one more thing to tell you today!" Genya, standing on a platform, addressed the people.

One more thing?

At this, everyone quieted down and looked up at Genya.

"We are now recruiting non-regular personnel for the Police Force. We're looking for anyone with a clean record, between the ages of twenty and fifty. The monthly salary is 3,000 ryō, and for Genin, it's 5,000 ryō!" Genya announced, "We especially need those aged eighteen to thirty-five who are familiar with the Konoha area. If you're interested, come find me for an interview!"

There was no way he would allow the talented Uchiha ninja to remain confined to the Police Force forever. With the help of the city patrols, the Police Force members could finally gain some freedom.

"Recruiting people?"

Hearing this, someone excitedly waved to Genya, eagerly recommending themselves: "Genya-sama, what do you think of me? I'm eighteen this year and already a Genin!"

"I—"

"Look at me!"

Genya glanced at the eager volunteers, smiling as he nodded. "Before the interview, I'll send you all a form. Fill it out with your information and address, then submit it. I'll send someone to find you if you're qualified!"

"We have to fill out forms?"

"This—"

---

Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, leisurely smoked his pipe as he flipped through some unimportant documents. Though he appeared busy, his mind was clearly elsewhere, far from the paperwork in front of him.

Behind him stood Uchiha Shisui. As a member of the ANBU, he needed to be ready at all times for the Hokage's orders.

But today, the Third Hokage had specifically called Shisui here on purpose. The goal was to make him witness some of the Uchiha Police Force's arrogance.

This was all part of Sarutobi Hiruzen's plan to make Shisui trust him more, to have him recognize his authority as Hokage, and distance himself from the Uchiha clan.

Just as the Third Hokage was feeling proud of his plan, someone ran into the office.

****

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