Undercurrents

Dy assembled his Root team on-site. While pondering how to handle Hizashi Hyuga, he noticed Uchiha Fugaku arriving, with Hizashi standing behind him, clearly deferring to Fugaku.

Kazuya's face darkened as things were not going as expected.

Once everyone was assembled, Fugaku addressed the remaining Uchiha members. "All Uchiha members, your patrol areas and duties remain unchanged."

Fugaku nodded to Hizashi, who stepped forward. "All Hyuga members, I've given the new assignments to Tokuma. Follow his instructions."

The Uchiha and Hyuga members quickly dispersed, leaving Kazuya and his Root team.

Fugaku, with a stern expression, instructed Kazuya. "Your patrol area is streets one to four in Konoha, focusing mainly on maintaining public order."

"But Captain, Elder Danzo sent us here to join the patrols. Why are we handling public order?" Kazuya protested.

Fugaku, maintaining his stern demeanor, replied, "The patrol teams are already assigned. Your duty is to manage public order in streets one to four."

"But—"

Fugaku cut him off with a wave of his hand. "No buts. This is the Police Force, and I'm the captain. If you don't follow orders, I'll send you back."

Gritting his teeth, Kazuya relented. "We will comply."

Thinking to himself, "Establish our footing first, then find a way to gain control."

Fugaku nodded and said to Hizashi, "Proceed with your arrangements." Then, he walked away.

...

Hokage's Office

The Third Hokage was deep in thought after receiving an ANBU report. "What is Fugaku up to?"

Previously at odds with the Root, especially after the Shisui incident, why would Fugaku allow Root members into the Police Force?

Deciding to wait and see what Fugaku had planned, the Third Hokage pondered Fugaku's recent actions: withdrawing from the power structure, initiating contact with the Hyuga clan, and now relinquishing Police Force duties to Root members. It was all very confusing.

...

Police Force Complaint Office

The owner of Shimizu Tavern on Konoha's third street returned, a frequent visitor in recent days. From initially complaining about the lack of patrols to now claiming the Hyuga were less effective than the Uchiha, he came almost daily.

Hizashi didn't mind. He always had a reason to pacify the tavern owner. "Don't worry. Because of your complaints, we've replaced the Hyuga with a more capable unit, the Elder's direct subordinates."

"We are dedicated to serving the residents of Konoha."

"Really?" The tavern owner was skeptical. As a tavern, they often dealt with troublemakers. When the Uchiha were in charge, they arrested everyone involved, including employees. The Hyuga were polite but inefficient, dragging out conflict resolution. And now, another change?

Hizashi smiled. "Rest assured. They'll start today. They handle matters decisively."

The tavern owner left, somewhat reassured.

After he left, Hizashi chuckled. Root members were anything but hesitant. They were even more ruthless than the Uchiha.

...

Konoha's Third Street, Shimizu Tavern

The owner felt a sense of relief. He saw new patrol members, stern-faced and unfamiliar, patrolling the area.

"Hey... owner! This drink tastes off!"

"Did you water it down?"

A drunk man started causing a scene. Two patrons hesitated at the entrance before leaving.

The tavern owner's face darkened. Such incidents were common—drunks claiming watered-down drinks. While it was true, it wasn't new.

He signaled two burly staff members to handle the drunk.

"Sir, please don't cause trouble. You're disrupting business."

"You're selling watered-down drinks and kicking people out!" The drunk, upset, started fighting the staff.

Unable to overpower them, the drunk was soon pushed outside.

The tavern owner, used to such occurrences, was startled by the sudden cries of his staff.

Rushing out, he saw four Police Force members blocking the entrance. His staff and the drunk were pinned to the ground, screaming in pain.

One officer stepped forward. "Your staff and this drunk caused a public disturbance. They are detained for three days. Come to the Police Force to retrieve them."

The tavern owner felt despair. How could his business function with his staff detained?

Although the law allowed for such detentions, enforcement was usually flexible. Yet, the Root members were inflexible and unyielding.

Similar incidents occurred across Konoha's first to fourth streets, filling the Police Force's detention cells.

Kazuya saw no issue, believing he was following protocol. With troublemakers detained, public order improved, right?