20. The Old Man Is So Tired...

The liaison officer of the Shimura family didn't know what was going on and couldn't explain it under the gazes of his colleagues, so he hurriedly sent someone to the family to report the situation. As he went out, he bumped into Yagami, who had just come to check-in.

"Hey! As a member of the police department, you dared to leave your post during working hours and even attempted a crime against me, the brigade captain. You must arrest me, educate me, and send me to prison!"

Yagami didn't care what the people around him thought and quickly subdued him. The Uchiha, who stayed behind in the police department, immediately accepted this, escorting him to prison.

The people around were stunned. Before, they only suspected that Uchiha was targeting the Shimura clan, but now they were certain.

The liaison officer of the Shimura family looked frustrated. That person was eight meters away from you just now, so he committed a crime against you? And speaking of leaving without authorization, who can compare to you, the captain who roams around every day?

"What are you looking at? Is today's work finished? Watching the excitement here—do you think if I don't keep an eye on things, you'll turn the world upside down? Go back to work!"

Everyone: ...

I can't afford to provoke them! These Uchiha are a bunch of lunatics; it is best to avoid them.

The Shimura family and the Shimura group couldn't sit still. That day, over thirty members of the family were arrested, from ordinary civilians to Jōnin, with none spared.

"How is it? What did the police department say?"

Seeing the clansman who went to inquire about return, Shimura Danzo hurriedly asked.

"No luck! They won't even allow visits; they just say they still need to investigate! Clan head, Uchiha is clearly doing this on purpose. Do you think it has something to do with that person?"

The person who inquired shook his head, feeling afraid. If he hadn't been clever, he might have been caught by the police department himself. They made it clear they wanted to target him!

Although Danzo has no apparent connection to the family, it's not the case behind the scenes. Otherwise, the Shimura family, a small ninja clan, would not have developed into such a prominent family.

Like Root, it's a power in Danzo's hands but not revealed openly.

The family is well aware of some of the things Danzo has done—they're all in this together, after all, and have previously acted against Uchiha.

Considering their involvement in the recent riots on Uchiha Industrial Street, it's no surprise Uchiha is targeting them now.

Thinking this through, Shimura Danzo decided to discuss the matter further. After all, their clansmen are locked up in the police department, and they can't ignore it.

"Heh! That brat Uchiha Yagami is really something! Using such crude methods… report to Hokage! Let Hiruzen handle it."

Danzo sneered, "The Third Hokage won't ignore this kind of blatant targeting. Do they think they can get the better of me, Danzo? Uchiha thinks too little of me!"

…

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage was feeling a headache in his office.

On the one hand, Naruto's mischievous behaviour seemed to have intensified.

Last time, he was causing havoc in a barbecue restaurant; this time, he nearly smashed up a grocery store.

Every day, the Third Hokage had to step in.

On the other hand, Kumogakure had sent a formal letter, with the Raikage dispatching a mission to negotiate peace talks on some remaining issues from the Third Ninja World War.

The current Konoha Police Department has not been replaced for a long time, leading to serious security issues and prominent internal conflicts within the village.

At this point, the Third Hokage also had to admit that Konoha supported by Uchiha and Konoha not supported by Uchiha are two completely different villages.

Regardless of individual strength, Uchiha accounts for one-fifth of Konoha's Jōnin. If this number is subtracted, Konoha's overall strength significantly weakens.

Now that Kumogakure is advancing aggressively, Konoha lacks someone who can uphold its position and instill intimidation.

There once was Hatake Sakumo, but he was forced to commit suicide.

The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was lost to the Nine-Tails within days of taking office.

The Sannins, though powerful, are either defectors or absent, leaving Konoha without strong support.

As for the Third Hokage himself, though he holds the title of "Professor," he is ageing after all...

Yagami's reluctance to have Uchiha face off directly against Konoha stemmed from his concern for his clan. Having grown up in this family, he felt a sense of belonging and had connections within it.

Furthermore, while Konoha's strength has indeed diminished, Uchiha is still only one clan, leaving a significant gap in power when facing an entire village.

In the end, only a few Mangekyō users would survive such a conflict. Even if Konoha were destroyed, the outcome would be hollow.

Third Hokage, troubled by Kumogakure's movements, was stunned when he heard Shimura Danzo's complaints.

Are you serious? Is the fact that the police department arrested members of the Shimura clan worth a clan head filing a complaint at the Hokage building? Look at me—do I seem panicked?

Is there any shinobi in Konoha who hasn't been detained by the police department? The Sarutobi clan has also seen their share of arrests…

"So, it's about this?"

Third Hokage was silent for a moment and asked.

"Lord Hokage, it's not as simple as that! Uchiha is clearly targeting us! Since last night, they have been singling out our Shimura family with various charges. Now, forty members have been arrested, and we're not even allowed visitation or bail! I can't do anything about it!"

The Shimura group head, looking troubled, felt torn between Danzo and the Hokage. Offending Uchiha wasn't an option, but directly confronting them was unthinkable.

"So many people have been arrested!"

Sarutobi was momentarily taken aback, immediately sensing something unusual. What is Uchiha up to?

Is this related to Industry Street?

The Third Hokage quickly connected the dots. After all, while others might not know, he and Danzo have been close allies.

"I understand. Go back and wait for an update; I'll speak with Uchiha Yagami."

Third, Hokage rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the situation. These were truly troubled times—strong enemies lurked outside while conflicts brewed within.

Can't Danzo stay quiet for a day? Does he feel unwell if he doesn't trouble Uchiha? What a headache…

Hearing the Third Hokage's response, the Shimura Clan Head breathed a sigh of relief. With Hokage intervening, this issue should be resolved, and he returned happily to wait for results.

What he didn't expect was that upon his return, he'd receive not a resolution but a hard, very large fist.

Meanwhile, Yagami took Itachi to the vicinity of the Shimura clan after arranging for the police department to deny any visitation to the detained Shimura clan members.

Uchiha had already distanced itself from the village politically, but though they sought peace, the village's hostility persisted. Right now, Uchiha urgently needs a period of stable development. Once that period passed, they wouldn't need to worry about Konoha's stance.

And as for Danzo, who seemed intent on disrupting Uchiha's peace daily, if they couldn't engage him directly, they would at least intimidate him!

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