Chapter 203 – Purge
Uchiha Jun—Kei remembered this woman well.
After he revealed his Sharingan and returned to the village, she had been the one to receive him.
She had also been present at one of Fugaku's key meetings.
It was obvious Fugaku trusted her, and this latest proposal only confirmed Kei's suspicion.
Jun was no decorative vase—she was competent.
Kei's first instinct was to refuse. But after a moment's thought, he agreed.
Fugaku was still the clan head; he needed a sense of security. Kei could understand that.
Assigning Jun a squad was not excessive. Everyone in the Police Force already knew who truly gave the orders.
And if Jun was truly capable, Kei would give her the messiest, most chaotic squad he had already planned to reorganize.
If she succeeded, she could stay, fulfilling Fugaku's wish as well.
If she failed… Kei would show no mercy. When he removed her, Fugaku would have no grounds for objection.
With the matter settled, Kei left Fugaku's home.
He needed rest—tomorrow he would begin cleansing the Police Force.
Kei knew not everyone would obey him.
Which meant he needed methods to make them obey.
The most effective one? The same as when he first dealt with his own squad.
Beat them down. Throw them into prison.
Defying the Captain—now the Police Force Commander—would never end well.
The next morning, Kei told Ryoko simply, "Don't go to the Police Force today."
Then he left alone.
Ryoko didn't know why. Clan assemblies were for elites of the Uchiha, and she was not one of them.
She was shocked, but she knew Kei rarely joked. A premonition stirred in her—something was about to happen.
Kei walked slowly, yet still arrived at the Police Force headquarters on time.
The atmosphere was tense, heavy with unspoken conflict.
In front of the gates stood three squads in neat formation.
Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai were in black combat gear, eyes closed, waiting.
Beside them stood Imai Kenta and Uchiha Kawa with Kei's squad, tense and on guard.
Kei understood immediately.
Tsubasa and Chisai had attended the clan meeting. They knew Kei had been appointed Commander.
They hadn't resisted then—because resistance would've been useless.
But now? They wanted to fight for something.
Be it revenge or self-interest, they had to struggle.
Their men, too, wanted their share of rights.
Kei's methods for handling his own people were terrifying.
First, he'd thrown his entire squad into prison. Then, he'd struck down the Great Elder without hesitation.
They didn't know about Uchiha Shuu and Uchiha Yuu.
If they did, they might have abandoned hope entirely.
For if Kei could do something that cruel, what couldn't he do?
But no one else would learn of that.
If they did, they wouldn't even dare to negotiate.
Who could trust someone so ruthless, so calculating?
Kei remained unaware of their thoughts.
Calmly, he walked before them all, scanning the crowd before letting a faint smile curl his lips.
"It seems you all already know the outcome," Kei said evenly.
"Then I won't waste words. From this day forward, I am the new Commander of the Konoha Police Force. Do you need me to produce the appointment scroll?"
"Greetings, Commander!"
The moment Kei finished, Uchiha Kawa dropped to one knee, his squad following in unison.
It was a pledge of loyalty—from Uchiha to Uchiha.
But Kei's squad wasn't made of Uchiha alone. Half were civilians.
They hesitated—until Imai Kenta stepped forward, bowed, and spoke firmly:
"Greetings, Commander!"
The civilians understood.
They weren't Uchiha, and had no right to meddle in clan conflicts.
But they admired Kei.
They admired his reforms, his contributions to the village, his reputation as a hero of war.
This show of respect was enough. Kei was pleased. Kenta had done well—he always knew what posture to take. Such a man Kei could trust.
"Good." Kei nodded, satisfied, before turning his gaze to Tsubasa and Chisai.
The two still hadn't moved. They and their men stood silently in defiance.
Their attitude displeased Kei. But it didn't matter. In fact, it gave him exactly the opportunity he wanted.
Peaceful compromise had never been part of his plan.
He wanted them to cause trouble.
"Uchiha Kei," Tsubasa finally opened his eyes.
His scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan glowed as he demanded,
"Why did you kill the Great Elder? He was an honored leader of the Uchiha, a man who brought great service to our clan!"
"You have no right to question me," Kei answered coolly, a trace of mockery in his voice.
"Victory or defeat—that's all that matters. Elder Shin had more dignity than you two ever will. He died with honor."
"Kei!" Chisai's eyes snapped open, Sharingan spinning with fury.
"Don't mistake Elder Shin's death as your triumph!
It is your crime—your eternal sin!
You murdered the clan's pioneer!
You killed the one man who could lead us to prosperity!
You are the sinner of the Uchiha!"
"You two truly disappoint me."
Kei sighed, feigning regret.
But inside, he was almost amused—he hadn't expected things to go this smoothly.
He had been hoping those two fools would speak out against him—then Uchiha Kei would have every excuse he needed to strip them of their positions and dissolve their squads.
Kei was never one to play the saint. Everything he did, every choice he made, always aligned with his role and his interests. To him, these two had long been nothing more than obstacles in his way.
By choosing to handle them under a pretext, he was already showing Fugaku a measure of courtesy. Otherwise, neither they nor their men would even have the chance to stand here today.
"Go back." Kei lifted his head slightly, his voice calm yet final.
"Gather your things. From this day forward, the two of you are no longer squad captains of the Police Force. Your men are no longer members either. Leave. I don't want to get my hands dirty. You are not welcome here."
"Uchiha Kei!" Both Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai roared in unison.
They had expected this outcome, yet hearing it spoken aloud still made their blood boil. Still, they kept their composure. Swallowing their fury, they turned sharply to their unsettled subordinates and barked:
"All of you, go home. Disband!"
"Captain!" their men protested, clearly unwilling to accept it.
"I said disband!" they both shouted again.
"The new commander has already spoken—you are no longer part of the Police Force. And what happens next… has nothing to do with you!"
At those words, the gathered crowd fell silent.
Kei's expression shifted faintly. These two were far more interesting than he had expected. And their resolve only proved that eliminating Uchiha Shin had been the correct choice. With such loyal followers, one order from Shin might have been enough to send them charging into battle, whether against outsiders… or their own kin.
"So, you've both made up your minds." Kei gave a thin smile.
"Amusing. Last time, I showed mercy—you only ended up in the hospital. This time, I won't hold back. Do you truly intend to stand against me?"
"Uchiha Kei, this is our decision," Tsubasa and Chisai replied coldly.
"But it is ours alone. These men are no longer our subordinates. We are just ordinary members of the clan now."
Kei gave a short nod. "If they don't interfere, I won't punish them. But if anyone dares stir up trouble—"
At that moment, his eyes snapped open, the scarlet glow of the three-tomoe Sharingan flaring to life.
In perfect sync, Uchiha Kawa led Kei's loyal Uchiha into action, weapons drawn and eyes blazing with Sharingan of their own.
Beside them, Imai Kenta motioned for the civilian shinobi to ready themselves. Though this was an internal Uchiha struggle, they still had a duty as members of the Police Force.
Kei's voice rang out, cold and merciless:
"—then I'll cut them down. And their families will rot in prison alongside them!"