Chapter 9: The Happy Four Elders
Konoha's Third Street was a bustling commercial area.
There were izakayas, restaurants, hot springs, and even gambling houses.
But with crowds came conflicts—especially on streets like this.
Normally, an Uchiha patrol squad from the Konoha Military Police Force would be stationed here to maintain order.
But today, there wasn't a single one in sight.
Suddenly, a man was thrown out of an izakaya. He was drunk—reeking of alcohol and staggering on his feet.
The izakaya owner stormed out after him.
"If you can't handle your liquor, don't cause trouble! You even tried to dine and dash!"
The drunk burped and replied lazily, "What's the big deal? It's just a drink tab I forgot to pay..."
"You've got some nerve," the owner snapped. "Beat him up!"
Two workers rushed out and began kicking and punching the drunk.
After a good beating, the man lay swollen and bruised on the ground, surrounded by curious onlookers.
Usually, the garrison would've arrived by now.
But today?
Nothing.
The crowd was surprised, but no one complained—everyone just enjoyed the rare drama.
Eventually, the drunk got up, cursing the spectators and pushing through the crowd as he stumbled away.
About ten minutes later, he returned—this time holding a sake jug.
He didn't drink it.
Instead, he stuffed a cloth into the spout, lit it like a Molotov cocktail, and hurled it at the izakaya entrance.
The jug shattered, and the flaming liquor quickly ignited the wooden curtain at the doorway.
At first, the fire was small.
But then, from a nearby shadow, a masked Root member in a white uniform made a hand sign.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
He controlled the chakra flow to breathe out a gust of wind that fed the flames.
The fire, now fanned by the jutsu, spread rapidly.
The entire front of the izakaya caught fire, causing chaos all around.
Eventually, a passing chunin arrived and used Water Release to extinguish the flames.
By then, the doorway was scorched black, and the shop was unusable.
There were no casualties, but business would be closed for several days.
The drunken man, sobered by the incident, panicked and slipped away unnoticed.
The izakaya owner was furious.
"Damn those guards! They're always loitering around when nothing's happening, and now that I need them, they're nowhere to be found! I'm filing a complaint!"
The owner rushed to the Konoha Garrison headquarters.
There were many people lined up in the complaints department, but most left quickly, looking strangely defeated.
When his turn came, the izakaya owner pushed open the door—only to find the four Uchiha elders, led by Elder Yohei, sitting leisurely.
"Elder Yohei! I want to file a complaint!"
Yohei calmly handed him a form. "What's the issue?"
"There was a security incident at my shop, but no patrol squad was present!"
"Oh? What's the shop's name and location?"
"Shimizu Izakaya on Third Street."
Yohei flipped through a stack of complaint files.
"Ah, here it is," he said, pulling one out.
"The security in your area was handled by the Ninth Garrison: Uchiha Yoki, Oura, and Rikuto. But they've been suspended, so there's currently no patrol assigned to your area."
"What!?" the owner exclaimed. "Why were they suspended!?"
Yohei raised an eyebrow. "You tell me. A week ago, there was a disturbance at your izakaya. You and your employees beat up the troublemaker. The Ninth Garrison arrested you all for excessive force, and you filed a complaint against them for police brutality. Ring any bells?"
The owner's face froze as he recalled the incident.
Back then, he had indeed called in his staff to rough up a customer. When the Uchiha came to stop them, he got angry and filed a complaint.
"Uh… actually, I think those officers did a good job. Can I… withdraw the complaint?"
Elder Yohei chuckled and shook his head.
"Impossible. Our deputy clan head has enacted new policies: all Uchiha must coexist peacefully with villagers. If one of our own makes a mistake, suspension and reflection are mandatory."
The izakaya owner was speechless.
He remembered how quickly the Uchiha used to handle troublemakers—back then, it was convenient.
"So, when will a new patrol squad be assigned?" he asked.
"Don't worry," Yohei said with a polite smile. "We're working on redeploying our forces. You'll have a squad assigned soon."
As the izakaya owner left the garrison, he couldn't shake the odd feeling in his chest.
Normally, he felt relieved after filing a complaint.
But today?
It felt like punching into cotton—and finding a hidden needle.
He left in frustration.
After a full day of handling complaints, Elder Yohei felt unusually refreshed.
He was starting to understand the deputy patriarch's strategy.
Normally, these complaints drained him mentally.
But today, every case ends with the complainant walking away confused and unsatisfied.
The four elders couldn't help but laugh among themselves.
Meanwhile...
Obito, wearing his mask, stood on the outskirts of the Uchiha compound.
He had watched last night's events unfold and was confused by Fugaku's moves.
Was this all just to retrieve a single Sharingan?
Was Fugaku trying to curry favor with the Third Hokage?
Had he aligned with the pacifists?
Obito shook his head.
Whatever Fugaku was planning, it made no sense.
But there were far more Uchiha active in the compound now.
Next time, he'd need to be more cautious.
The space around him distorted—and Obito vanished.
Far away in the Hidden Mist Village...
Ever since the last time he was frightened off by Uchiha Suzumi, Ao had been the target of endless mockery.
Now, a new order had come down from the Great Elder himself: infiltrate Konoha again.
And if the opportunity arises—capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
With many Uchiha guards suspended and the once-firm military force destabilized, it was a golden opportunity.
Shisui had been ambushed by Konoha's elders and had his Sharingan stolen.
Though Danzo had returned it later, the relationship between Shisui and the village had likely been shattered.
Despite the distance between Konoha and Kirigakure—across many lands and an ocean—the Mist received intel almost instantly.
Everyone believed the Great Elder possessed a powerful intelligence network, which was how he secured his position.
Ao took the mission seriously, gathered a team, and quickly departed for Konoha.
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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