Chapter 15. Undercurrent

Danzo swiftly made his way to the Root and assembled his men. After carefully selecting the suitable individuals, he addressed the leader, Kazuya Nakamura.

"Kazuya, your mission is to swiftly assume control after joining the security team. Avoid conflicts, especially with Uchiha Fugaku. Give him no reason to dismiss you. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" 

...

In the Hyuga clan, Hizashi took charge of organizing the team.

"Tokuma, withdraw all personnel from the first to fourth streets and integrate them into the outer patrol team. Each team should have two of our clan members for cross-eye observation."

Hyuga Tokuma, known for his calm, composed demeanor and maturity within the Hyuga clan, was often entrusted with various responsibilities by Hizashi.

"Tomorrow, Danzo will send a group of people. As soon as they reach the fourth street, hand them over. Keep your personnel unchanged from the remaining fifth to seventh streets."

"Hizashi-sama, why are you bringing in Elder Danzo's people? Aren't they just from the Root?" Tokuma inquired.

Hizashi smiled, patting Tokuma on the shoulder. "You'll understand soon enough."

...

The next day, the security department gathered for their morning briefing.

Nakamura Kazuya had already led the members of the Root to the scene early, contemplating how to handle Hyuga Hizashi.

To his surprise, Uchiha Fugaku, whom he hadn't seen in a while, arrived at the scene. Hizashi stood directly behind Fugaku, signaling that he expected Fugaku to take charge.

Kazuya's expression darkened, sensing that the situation was unfolding differently from his expectations.

Soon, all personnel were assembled.

Fugaku first addressed the remaining Uchiha clan members: "The patrol range and defense for all Uchiha clan members remain unchanged today."

Fugaku nodded at Hizashi, who then stood up. "All Hyuga clan members, I've given the new arrangements to Tokuma. You will follow Tokuma's instructions when you're down there."

The Uchiha and Hyuga clans left swiftly, leaving only the Root members led by Kazuya.

Fugaku made a displeased face as he directed Nakamura Kazuya: "Your patrol position covers the first to fourth streets of Konoha Village. Your main responsibility is public security."

Kazuya questioned, "Captain, Elder Danzo seconded us here for patrol duties. Why are we tasked with managing public security?"

Fugaku, with a cold expression, responded, "Patrols have already been assigned. Your duty is to maintain security from the first street to the fourth street."

"But…"

Fugaku waved his hand to cut off Nakamura Kazuya: "No 'buts.' This is the security team, and I am the captain. If you don't follow the arrangements, I will send you back."

Kazuya gritted his teeth but complied, "We'll follow the arrangement!"

Internally, he considered establishing a foothold in the police force before figuring out a solution.

Fugaku nodded and turned to Hizashi: "You can proceed with your arrangements."

With that, he walked away, leaving Hizashi in charge.

...

"What is Fugaku up to?"

The Third Hokage, reviewing the ANBU report, pondered for a moment.

Fugaku had not engaged with Root previously, and then the Shisui incident occurred. Why would Fugaku allow Root to be stationed in the police force?

There were so few personnel involved, and the Third Hokage was intrigued to see what plan Fugaku had in mind.

From voluntarily stepping back from power to actively reaching out to the Hyuga clan, Fugaku's recent actions seemed contradictory.

Now, relinquishing the position of power in the police force and accepting Root members, the Uchiha's recent moves appeared entirely unfathomable.

...

In the Police Complaints Room on Konoha's Third Street, the owner of Izakaya had become a frequent visitor, coming almost every other day.

Initially, there were no complaints, but it seemed that he felt the Hyuga clan's performance was not up to par compared to the Uchiha.

Hizashi remained noncommittal and consistently turned him away each time he came.

"You don't need to worry. In response to your previous complaints, we have transferred the members of the Hyuga clan. Now, we have replaced them with more capable troops directly under the elders. Our focus is on the well-being of Konoha Village residents," He reassured.

"Really?" The izakaya owner remained somewhat skeptical. His establishment often dealt with troublemakers, and when the Uchiha clan handled security, they efficiently dealt with any disturbances.

Hyuga, although having a good attitude, was perceived as timid and procrastinating in handling incidents.

"Now, the staff on duty will not be delayed," chimed in the fourth elder with a reassuring smile.

Leaving with lingering doubt, the izakaya owner departed.

...

Konoha's Third Street, Izakaya.

The owner braced himself as he observed the new security patrol walking back and forth outside. Both teams wore stern expressions, and although they appeared unfamiliar, it was unclear which elder's direct unit they belonged to.

Inside the izakaya, a drunk man began causing a ruckus.

"Hiccup...Boss! Why does your wine taste wrong? Did you add water to it!?"

As two people entered the door, they hesitated and quickly retreated.

The izakaya owner's expression darkened. Dealing with such drunkards was a common occurrence. After imbibing, they often claimed the drinks were watered down.

Although there might be some truth to the claim, hadn't they always consumed watered-down drinks before?

Now, with a disturbance, it would certainly affect business. The owner signaled the clerks and two tall attendants swiftly grabbed the drunkard, escorting him outside.

"Sir, please refrain from causing trouble and disrupting our business."

"Damn it! You're selling watered-down wine and kicking people out!" The infuriated drunk man immediately engaged in a brawl with the two attendants.

The two attendants quickly overpowered the drunk man, pushing him out of the door.

Accustomed to such incidents, the izakaya owner didn't anticipate the commotion that ensued when his clerk's cries echoed from outside.

Rushing out, he found four security team members blocking his doorway, with his clerk and the drunkard sprawled on the ground. Three officers had them pinned with stern expressions, applying force that elicited agonized screams.

A member of the security team stepped forward, explaining, "Your clerk had a confrontation with this drunkard on the street. He has been apprehended by our security team and will be sentenced to three days of punishment and imprisonment. The security team will collect him after three days."

The izakaya owner felt a sense of despair as he realized the impact on his business.

Arresting two shop assistants? How could he run his store like this?

While public security regulations indeed stipulated a three-day jail sentence for street fights, the enforcement was typically flexible. The police force had the final say on whether to proceed with imprisonment.

Despite the izakaya owner's attempts to reason with the Root, they ignored him and proceeded with the arrests.

The owner found himself in a dire situation, worse than the previous encounters with the Hyuga.

Similar incidents unfolded across Konoha, from the first street to the fourth street. Numerous arrests were made, overcrowding the police detention room.

Nakamura Kazuya, however, saw no issue. He believed he was adhering to the rules, and that those who made mistakes should face the consequences.

With the troublemakers now in custody, the public security situation seemed to have improved suddenly, at least from his perspective.