Pakura was an ambitious person. She very much wanted to become the next Kazekage. And as her ambition grew, her dissatisfaction with the Third Kazekage naturally deepened. But for that dissatisfaction to turn into conviction was not something that could happen easily.
External interference could sometimes be counterproductive, easily causing the person under genjutsu to become subconsciously alert and break free.
So Shin did not forcefully intervene. He merely amplified the dissatisfaction and ambition hidden deep in her heart.
The rest was all conjured up by Pakura herself.
He only helped patch up the gaps, weaving scenes to make it all appear more natural. Weaving such an intricate illusion was very taxing for Shin. But he believed it was worth it.
As for what she would do next, he didn't care.
If Suna descended into chaos, what was that to him? After resolving the border crisis and planting a "landmine" within Suna, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Tsunade's side. And he openly walked out of the tent with her, appearing before the others.
Everyone was stunned when they saw him, and Tameo immediately sent a message back to Konoha.
---
Early the next morning, inside the Hokage's office, looking over the intel Tameo had sent back regarding Shin, and then glancing up at Fukuyama before him, Hiruzen felt utterly exhausted.
Shin's actions were clearly meant for him to see. It was a direct response to his attempt to poison Shin.
The message was simple...
What the hell can you even do to me?
What made him feel the most hopeless was that he had already foreseen, a day earlier, that Shin would go to the border camp and ruin his plan. Yet even though he had glimpsed a piece of the future, he found himself completely helpless.
Just the fact that he hadn't flipped out after the poisoning attempt was a blessing. If he were provoked further, who knew what might happen? That feeling of knowing everything was spiraling in a terrible direction, and being powerless to stop it, tormented Hiruzen.
He put down the intelligence report in his hand and glared darkly at Fukuyama in front of him, asking viciously, "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Of course I do," Fukuyama said with a smile, completely unfazed by the glare. "But our Uchiha clan's abilities are indeed limited. We are no longer suitable to lead the Police Force. So, on behalf of all Uchiha clan members serving in the Police Force, I hereby tender our collective resignation. And, I strongly recommend the Hyūga clan to take over the Police Force. With the power of their Byakugan and their fair and just temperament, I believe they will do a better job than we did."
Hiruzen looked at the resignation letter in his hands, trembling with rage. What angered him most wasn't that Fukuyama had come to resign now.
It was that three days before Fukuyama even arrived, word had already spread throughout Konoha that the Uchiha clan was stepping down from the Police Force.
This kind of thing attracted attention too easily. After all, who hadn't had dealings with the Police Force? Who didn't dislike the Uchiha's way of doing things?
At first, the citizens were overjoyed, thinking they would finally be free from the Uchiha's bullying. But soon after, a linked rumor emerged.
That years ago, Fukuyama had already proposed a reform plan for the Police Force, and had even drafted a comprehensive Konoha Public Security Management Code, along with corresponding penalties for violations. And he had asked the Hokage's office to publicly release the code and require everyone to follow it strictly.
Even the content of the code and penalties had been leaked, and it all sounded highly detailed and convincing.
However, this proposal was rejected seventeen times by Hiruzen, who insisted that the rules of the Police Force were established by the Second Hokage, and modifying them without permission would be disrespectful to his legacy.
Each time, Fukuyama was angrily rebuked by Hiruzen. He truly wanted to change things, but the Hokage simply wouldn't agree. Feeling completely hopeless, he eventually became disheartened and gave up. Once the people of the village learned the full story, they were all taken aback, unsure of how to feel.
The reason the Police Force was so widely disliked at the time was precisely because their law enforcement was based purely on personal judgment. There weren't even any formal rules to reference, so disputes naturally multiplied. After all, who doesn't hope for a lighter punishment when they make a mistake?
"You want to punish me? But on what grounds?"
"A 5,000 ryō fine? Based on what?"
"That other guy got into a fight too, and you just gave him a warning. I fought too, why am I the one being arrested?"
"The Police Force is abusing its power!"
"The Uchiha are bullying people!"
Incidents like these had happened frequently over the years. Add to that the manipulation and smear campaigns by those with malicious intent, and the public's perception of the Uchiha clan gradually worsened. But not all villagers were blind, many remained rational. And since the Nine-Tails Night hadn't occurred yet, while some people disliked the Uchiha, it wasn't nearly as extreme as it would become later on.
In recent days, the Police Force had noticeably toned down their behavior and treated everyone more respectfully, which even helped to salvage their reputation a bit. After the truth came to light, many people had actually begun to sympathize with the Uchiha. Some even felt guilty for having misunderstood them.
It turned out they weren't being arrogant, they were trying to do better, but the Hokage simply never gave them a chance. As for the Hokage himself... during this period, he had been truly consistent, in how disappointing he was.
Rumors even mentioned that once the Uchiha fully stepped down, the Hyūga clan would take over the Police Force. With the atmosphere already stirred, Fukuyama's visit to Hiruzen seemed perfectly natural.
"Are you the one who spread those rumors?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and asked coldly.
"Why would you say that?" Fukuyama responded with a surprised look. "I thought it was you… No, no, I didn't mean that. I just assumed someone out there didn't want to see the Uchiha holding power anymore, and so leaked the news."
"Hahaha!" After a long, tense stare-off, Hiruzen suddenly burst into wild laughter.
At this point, how could he not see that this was Shin's revenge? Fukuyama's intention was clear.
"I don't know your reasons," Hiruzen said, no longer arguing but smiling coldly. "But a person's choices are very important. If someone makes the wrong choice, it could lead to eternal damnation. As long as there's still time to turn back, I can give you a chance to change your mind."
"You're absolutely right, choices are indeed important," Fukuyama replied with feigned cluelessness and a smile. "But there's one thing you said that isn't correct."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
"You know the reason. In fact, you know it better than anyone," Fukuyama replied. "Even if I made the 'right' choice you wanted, would you really treat the Uchiha any better?"