บท 11: The Hyuga in the Police Force

As Kazuya expected, Konoha's public security has been poor recently. While there were no significant conflicts, minor skirmishes went unchecked. Fortunately, the Third Hokage had ordered the Anbu to keep an eye on things, preventing significant incidents.

With no Uchiha members available for the Police Force, merchants constantly inquired about when new personnel would be assigned. Eventually, they had no choice but to bring their complaints to the Hokage's office. Although not everyone could meet the Hokage, many villagers, through their connections, managed to get their concerns heard.

The Third Hokage had no choice but to urge the Hyuga clan to take over the Police Force duties as soon as possible. Under his pressure, the Hyuga clan expedited their preparations. By the sixth day, they had finally deployed their members to the Police Force, albeit in smaller numbers than the Uchiha.

With the Byakugan for surveillance and the Gentle Fist for disabling chakra, the Hyuga made excellent Police Force members. As soon as they took over, the public security improved significantly.

Leading the Police Force was Hiashi Hyuga's brother, Hizashi Hyuga, with the team composed entirely of branch family members. Learning from the Uchiha's experience, Hizashi instructed all Hyuga members to enforce the law gently, avoiding complaints from villagers.

The branch family, the front-line fighters marked with the Caged Bird Seal, were humble and approachable despite their noble status. Hence, they resolved most disputes with warnings and mediation, earning praise from the villagers.

"The Hyuga clan is reliable."

"Much gentler than the Uchiha."

"They should have taken over the Police Force long ago."

...

Kazuya and Itachi walked along the streets. Itachi had resigned from the Anbu and was now spending more time with Kazuya. Fugaku had encouraged Itachi to get close to Kazuya, and Itachi admired Kazuya's intellect. Both were curious about the villagers' reactions to the Uchiha stepping back from the Police Force.

"Itachi, what do our clan members need the most?" Kazuya asked as he observed Konoha's streets. Despite being called a village, its size was enormous, with a permanent population of at least 100,000. No wonder the Uchiha had been so fixated on seizing power.

Unfortunately, such a small population wouldn't influence future changes in the ninja world. Lacking top-tier combat power, Konoha was already a paper tiger. The persistent high-pressure policies had led the Hokage's faction to distrust the Uchiha completely. Not only were they barred from the Hokage position, but they were also excluded from advisory roles, fueling the Uchiha's resentment.

The more the Hokage's faction withheld power, the more tightly the Uchiha held onto the Police Force. During the Nine-Tails attack, the high command had ordered the Uchiha not to engage, which later became a source of suspicion among the villagers.

Who was behind this narrative? Danzo or the Third Hokage?

Itachi pondered Kazuya's question seriously. "Deputy Clan Leader, I think it's a sense of recognition."

Kazuya waved his hand. "Just call me Kazuya."

"Recognition... How many jonin do we have compared to Konoha?" Kazuya continued.

Konoha had around 200 jonin in total. Each jonin could lead three to five four-person squads in peacetime and more during wartime, making them significant. However, in the Police Force, a Uchiha jonin was just a squad leader, with over thirty such squad leaders.

"We have more jonin than any other clan, yet we're confined to the Police Force."

"As long as we're in the Police Force, we'll never be accepted. We'll just get worn down by daily trivialities."

"We Uchiha are inherently strong. Do we need anyone's recognition?"

Itachi nodded thoughtfully.

"I've heard the Hyuga are doing well, with few complaints. What do you think?" Itachi asked after some thought, looking toward the street.

Seeing Itachi address him as "senior" instead of by name didn't bother Kazuya. He had plenty of time.

Kazuya followed Itachi's gaze and saw two Hyuga Police Force members handling a dispute.

Moments later, the conflict escalated.

"Who do you think you are to interfere? My wife is from the Yamanaka clan."

"So what if she is? I'm from the Shimura clan, understand? Advisor Shimura Danzo's relative."

The two Hyuga members were caught in the middle and unable to act.

"Sir, clearly you were at fault first, and they only retaliated in self-defense," Hyuga Hechuan patiently explained. Hizashi instructed them to avoid making arrests unless it was necessary.

"You're just a branch family member of the Hyuga clan, a mere guard dog. How dare you meddle in my affairs?"

The drunk man struck Hechuan, uttering deeply insulting words.

Hechuan's face darkened at the insult. With a swift motion, he used his Gentle Fist to turn off the man's chakra points. The drunk collapsed, bleeding from the nose, and cried out, "You used excessive force! I'll report you!"

Hechuan's face turned pale as villagers began whispering and pointing at him. He quickly pulled his teammates away, taking the drunk with them.

Watching the scene, Itachi felt a sense of déjà vu. He often saw Shisui dealing with such situations, always opting for apologies and reconciliation, which caused some discontent within the clan.

The merchants were often connected to various clans, using their influence to threaten the Police Force. The Uchiha frequently caught themselves in the middle, leading to daily arguments rather than compromises.

Now, these issues have been handed over to the Hyuga. Itachi realized they weren't handling it any better than the Uchiha did.

He grew even more impressed with Kazuya.

Kazuya, noticing Itachi's expression, smiled.

Many Uchiha had faced similar situations but never compromised. Their pride made them unwilling to bend to others, enforcing the law impartially. Over the years, this approach had become ingrained.

This was the Second Hokage Tobirama's strategy. By strictly enforcing the law, the Uchiha inevitably angered other clans, making it impossible for them to win the trust needed to become Hokage. Hence, the Uchiha could never attain the Hokage position.

Despite Fugaku's contributions during the Third Shinobi War, he was denied an advisory role, let alone the Hokage position.

...