"Of course, I have no personal grudge with the Captain," Kurenai Yuhi said flatly, though her tone carried a thin veil of resentment. "I'm simply stating facts. While your rank may be above mine in the police department, that doesn't excuse your negligence. If you wear the title of Captain, you should act the part."
She stood tall, both literally and figuratively. Being slightly taller and older than Andrew, she had to look down at him—even more so as he remained seated. It gave her voice an added edge of condescension.
"What benefit have you brought to the police department through such a work ethic?"
Andrew didn't flinch. "Enough. Spouting slogans about duty sounds noble, but that doesn't make it sincere."
Senjutsu chakra surged around him, and in a flash, the office door sealed with a subtle flicker of his power. He wasn't the kind to be provoked easily, but vague accusations couldn't be left to interpretation.
"What's this? Planning to use force against me?" Kurenai narrowed her eyes and instinctively dropped into a combat stance—but the moment their eyes met, her movements froze.
Her chakra crumbled, her body slumping forward slightly as if the strength had drained out of her limbs.
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to clarify some misunderstandings—and, by the way, you've got impressive talent in Genjutsu."
Andrew rose to his feet and stepped forward, folding his arms across his chest as he stood over her.
"Damn it... have I not eaten properly lately? Why haven't I grown taller?" he cursed inwardly, momentarily annoyed by the height gap.
"You're humiliating me!" Kurenai snapped, anger flashing in her crimson eyes. Before this, if Andrew had praised her illusion ability, she might've taken it as encouragement. But now? After being effortlessly caught in a Genjutsu the moment their gazes met?
That stark contrast bruised her pride more than any insult.
"I didn't mean it that way. It was a subconscious comment," Andrew replied calmly. "Though I'm still confused about your hostility toward me, I think it's time you understand how the police department actually works. Come with me."
He unsealed the office door with a wave, turning back to look at her meaningfully. His earlier words weren't just an excuse. There were few true Genjutsu specialists in Konoha—and outside the Uchiha, the Yuhi clan was perhaps the only one with legitimate claim to that art.
But bloodline made all the difference. In a world where lineage determined power, non-Uchiha had to work ten times harder to match their natural Sharingan-driven prowess.
A single tomoe granted insight, two for mimicry, and three for illusions. Any Uchiha with three tomoe could use Genjutsu competently, even without formal training.
True specialists—like Shisui or Itachi—were leagues above the rest. Yet even someone like Sasuke, who wasn't particularly known for illusions, could use them effectively.
"You were with ANBU before, right? You probably don't know how the police department operates now," Andrew said as they exited into the hallway. "I'll explain what I'm actually responsible for."
After reforms, the department had adopted a liaison-based structure. Since many of its members were from prominent clans, each clan selected a liaison to serve as a bridge between the department's leadership and its squads. These liaisons handled their own members' affairs: patrol assignments, shifts, and responding to villager complaints.
"As Captain, I don't manage individual members directly," Andrew continued. "My role is to divide the village into security zones and assign oversight to liaisons—and oversee Uchiha operations. For ninjas like you, who belong to small or non-prominent clans, I handle that myself."
He gestured toward the window of the liaison office. "Your clan isn't large enough to have its own liaison, so you fall under my jurisdiction—like civilian ninjas."
"These clans don't want outsiders managing their own, so I let them handle it unless they cause trouble. But I haven't given you a task? You've been here for days, and I haven't even seen you?"
Kurenai responded sharply, "Yes, and that's exactly the problem. I've been here multiple days, and still haven't received any orders. How can you claim to manage things?"
Andrew sighed. "If I micromanaged everyone's schedule, I'd be no better than a liaison. What would be the point of the entire chain of command?"
He pointed at her again. "Did you end up idle? No missions? No teammates? Haven't things been running smoothly despite my absence? Then what's the complaint?"
He took a step closer, eyes sharp. "Uchiha's liaison is our Fifth Elder. He handles these logistics. So, sister, do you now understand what you did when you dumped all those documents on my desk?"
"If the leader has to do everything, why have subordinates at all?"
Kurenai faltered. For a moment, her aggressive posture softened, but it returned just as quickly.
"Even so," she snapped, "the Uchiha-led police department made mistakes. This isn't just about your system. It reflects your attitude."
Andrew blinked.
Wait. That phrasing—when Uchiha managed the police department—sounds more like she's referring to the past.
His expression darkened as a realization dawned.
Kurenai's father, Yuhi Shinku, had died during the Nine Tails' attack. The police department hadn't participated in the defense against the beast. Could that be it? Was her hostility born from that?
"She… blames Uchiha for that day?"
But that didn't make sense. The Uchiha weren't the ones who held themselves back. If the higher-ups hadn't restricted them, do you think Fugaku would've sat still? He would've stormed the battlefield himself.
Andrew clenched his fists.
"Damn it, Danzo. This is your mess. And now we're still paying for it."
"I'm not going to explain the Nine Tails Rebellion in detail," he said, voice colder now. "Whether Uchiha shirked its duty or not, the higher-ups know the truth."
He met her eyes again.
"If you really want to know, go ask the Third Hokage."
"Uchiha isn't the same as it once was. We owe nothing to Konoha, and we have nothing to apologize for. If you think I'm incompetent, feel free to report me. I didn't ask for this position, and I'm not clinging to it."
The hatred toward Uchiha didn't arise from nothing. It was fueled by two core reasons:
First, the attacker during the Nine Tails assault had Sharingan—a clear trait of the Uchiha.
Second, all other ninjas had participated in the village's defense. Only Uchiha had stayed back. Even Root operated covertly. But the police department's absence was public and damning.
Those who lost loved ones during the attack naturally looked at Uchiha with resentment.
Andrew understood the truth: the attacker was Obito Uchiha. But who would believe that a dead man was responsible?
Danzo's blockade at the time ensured Uchiha never had a chance to act. But those facts meant nothing now. Root had been disbanded. Danzo imprisoned. The damage, though, remained.
Unless Danzo was publicly denounced by Hiruzen, and Obito's identity exposed in front of the entire village, the Uchiha would never shake off this burden.
He glanced back at Kurenai's stunned expression but didn't bother offering comfort.
This wasn't Uchiha's burden to carry.
He left without another word. No warm reconciliation, no apology for a crime Uchiha didn't commit.
But today reminded him of something vital:
If Uchiha wants to break free from Konoha's shadow, they need to do it completely. No more half-measures. No more silence.
"We, the Uchiha, will not carry the blame for the Nine Tails Rebellion any longer!"
To achieve that, two key conditions had to be met:
First, Danzo had to be declared responsible for restricting the Uchiha. Given his current status—rotting in a prison cell, abandoned even by Hiruzen—that wouldn't be difficult.
Second, they needed to expose Obito.
But Obito had been enshrined as a war hero. No one would believe he'd turned traitor. Even if the Mist Village testified, all they had seen was a masked man with a Sharingan. That meant nothing.
Abilities like Kamui were too obscure. Only Minato Namikaze had identified it. And he was gone. Even if brought back with forbidden jutsu, it would only prove the masked man had unique powers—not his true identity.
The only way to clear Uchiha's name... was to rip off that mask in front of the whole village.
Only then could Uchiha finally be free of the shadow cast by the Nine Tails.
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