Hoshiyomi's request was perfectly reasonable, and Uchiha Hokushin had no reason to refuse it.
Before leaving, however, Hoshiyomi pulled Jiraiya aside with a secretive expression and whispered:
"If we enter the Uchiha district, there's a chance that Uchiha Iwa might cause trouble. You and Orochimaru head straight toward the Senju district. My Shadow Clone should be on the way—if you run into him, send him to find me in the Uchiha district."
"The Senju Clan will probably help you get your injuries treated, too. After that, make sure to tell my mom I'm safe. Don't forget, okay?"
Jiraiya gave a goofy grin, flashing his two missing front teeth. Puffing out his chest, he thumped it proudly and said:
"Leave it to me! Mission accepted!"
Then, without waiting for a reply, he grabbed a bewildered Orochimaru and dashed off like a whirlwind. Hoshiyomi and Sakumo exchanged glances, then turned to Hokushin.
"We're ready, Hokushin-niisan. Let's go."
Konoha Police Force Headquarters – Vice-Captain's Office
Uchiha Iwa was sniffling and whining to his uncle, Uchiha Yama, spinning a dramatic tale about how terribly he'd been wronged by Gekkō Hoshiyomi.
Uchiha Yama looked bored and irritated, absentmindedly digging at his ear. To be honest, he had little patience for his nephew's constant complaining. Sure, the kid had passable talent, but his personality had been completely spoiled by his overindulgent mother.
Yama didn't need much brainpower to guess what had really happened—this brat had probably gotten too cocky at the Academy, picked a fight, and then got smacked down by someone stronger.
Still, it wasn't something he could ignore.
His sister's husband had died young, leaving Uchiha Iwa as her only child—and her entire world. Normally, that wouldn't concern Yama too much, but their father doted on his sister even more than she doted on her son.
That meant, in terms of family hierarchy, even he, the Vice-Captain of the Police Force, ranked below this whiny brat.
If he didn't at least pretend to help, he'd never hear the end of it at home. His sister and their old man would probably flip the house upside down.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got. He waved his hand impatiently and snapped:
"Alright, alright. I'll look into it. But this is the Police Force, not the ANBU. We don't just grab people because you say so."
"At most, I'll assign a couple guys to keep an eye on this Hoshiyomi kid. If he slips up, we'll bring him in and you can give him a piece of your mind. But that's it."
"And let me tell you something—if you really want to deal with someone, then get stronger. Beat them fair and square."
"Stop running to me every time things don't go your way. You're a damn Uchiha—act like one, and stop sneaking around like a little snake. It's embarrassing."
Uchiha Iwa's face lit up the moment his uncle agreed. He grinned and said, "Thanks, Uncle! You're the best!"
As for the rest of that lecture—he let it go in one ear and out the other.
Swaggering like he owned the place, Iwa pushed open the office door—only to stop dead in his tracks.
He rubbed his eyes.
No way... Was he hallucinating?
Had he really just seen Gekkō Hoshiyomi and Hatake Sakumo walk into the Konoha Police HQ?
It couldn't be anyone else—he would recognize that smug face anywhere, even if it turned to ash. Worse yet, the guy was annoyingly better-looking than he was.
Iwa's heart surged with excitement. He quickly memorized which room they entered, then spun around and bolted back into his uncle's office, shouting:
"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle—!"
Uchiha Yama's face scrunched in frustration. He slammed the table and barked:
"What is it now?! You trying to summon ghosts or something?! It's the middle of the day—quit yelling like that!"
Iwa didn't care. He was practically glowing with joy. This was fate. Destiny!
This was what people meant when they said, "Just as you feel sleepy, someone hands you a pillow."
In that moment, Uchiha Iwa felt like he had reached the peak of his life. No—he was the protagonist of this world.
Uchiha Iwa—the eternal god!
"Hoshiyomi! That damn Hoshiyomi actually walked in! And even that annoying Sakumo is with him!"
Uchiha Yama raised a brow. "Seriously? That troublemaker got himself hauled in?"
"I told you that guy's bad news!" Iwa declared triumphantly.
Yama didn't think much of it. Anyone brought to the station usually wasn't innocent. And if the kid really was guilty of something, then letting his nephew teach him a lesson seemed harmless enough.
He waved a hand. "Fine. Go. But don't overdo it. And stop bothering me."
Iwa, thrilled beyond words, strutted off like a peacock. On the way, he grabbed three of his uncle's most trusted subordinates to come along.
Then, with a dramatic kick, he barged into the room where Hoshiyomi was waiting. He pointed straight at him and burst into an obnoxious laugh, the kind that made your ears hurt.
"Hahahaha! Gekkō Hoshiyomi! I was just wondering how I'd get you in here—and look at that, you walked in all by yourself!"
"Today, I'll show you what happens when a mountain dragon crosses paths with a tiger descending the hill. This is Konoha—you don't call the shots here!"
Oh no. Not this. Not again.
The cringe was unbearable. As Hoshiyomi watched the over-the-top performance from Uchiha Iwa, he could barely hold back from saying:
"Sensei... please stop monologuing."
But just then, he stiffened.
A sudden rush of memories poured into his mind.
His Shadow Clone had been dispelled.
After sorting through the information, Hoshiyomi realized that Jiraiya and Orochimaru had already reunited with his clone and successfully delivered the message to Mito Uzumaki.
Even more surprising—Mito had dispatched a Shadow Clone of her own, accompanied by two ANBU, and they were already en route to his location.
He was honestly a bit stunned. Mito's personal attention? That was a big deal.
But on second thought, it made sense.
Given how generously she had trained and guided him, it was clear that she had a vested interest in nurturing new talent. Maybe she had taken notice of Sakumo and the others as well.
With Mito's clone about to arrive, Hoshiyomi glanced at the strutting, overconfident Iwa and thought:
This guy is about to have a very bad day.
Which meant...
Time to turn up the pressure.
As he processed the clone's memories, Uchiha Hokushin, standing to the side, frowned deeply. He'd heard plenty about Uchiha Iwa's reputation—and none of it good.
He stepped forward and warned:
"Uchiha Iwa, I'm telling you—this situation isn't what you think it is. These kids aren't people you can mess with."
Iwa, still oblivious to the looming storm, gave Hokushin a smug glance and sneered:
"What's not what I think? This is the Police HQ. Everything here is exactly how I want it to be."
"And don't call me a stray horse with no reins. I'm telling you—no matter the reason, those two little punks are going down!"
Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin