A few minutes earlier.
At the restaurant Shiwimiya.
Known throughout Konoha for its exquisite cooking, the little shop was always full despite its modest size.
Its reputation, according to rumor, came from its owner—Yuriko Uchiha—who combined the precise observation of the Sharingan with her culinary skill to create dishes of unmatched flavor.
Because every plate was personally made by her, the restaurant only opened at night.
Now, during dinner hours, every seat in the small dining room was filled.
Then, amidst the clatter and chatter, a loud bang shook the room as someone slammed a table.
Everyone turned to look. Two drunk men were shouting, "Boss! Boss! Boss!"
Moments later, Yuriko Uchiha emerged from the kitchen wearing a white apron and scarf.
"What seems to be the problem?"
Despite just leaving the kitchen, she was spotless. Her hair was tied in a neat bun beneath a white cap. Even in middle age, her refined beauty and graceful figure inevitably drew attention.
The two men exchanged lewd glances and grinned.
One of them pointed at his empty cup. "Boss, you think this sake's gonna pour itself into my glass?"
Yuriko's expression chilled, but she bowed slightly and refilled the cup.
"My apologies. The shop is busy—we failed to serve you promptly."
"Hold it."
As she turned to leave, the man leaned back with a smirk. "One cup's not enough for me. How about you sit down and drink with us, huh?"
"Yeah, come on, sit next to me," his companion added.
Their laughter drew chuckles from a few of the other tables.
Yuriko's eyes darkened. She said nothing—but her fingers twitched slightly, ready to move.
Before she could act, a calm voice spoke from behind her.
"Yuriko, need a hand?"
"Captain Lihuo?"
Seeing Lihuo Uchiha, Yuriko quickly explained what had happened.
Lihuo's eyes narrowed coldly. He gestured to two subordinates. "Take these troublemakers to the Police Force headquarters."
"You dare!" one of the drunk men barked.
Lihuo's lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. "Try me."
"Wait."
Two masked Anbu suddenly appeared between them. "We'll handle this matter. You can leave."
Lihuo frowned. "This is a simple public disturbance. The Police Force can deal with it perfectly well."
One of the Anbu replied flatly, "We don't need to explain ourselves. Just know these two are coming with us."
"You—!"
Lihuo's face darkened with fury, but there was nothing he could do.
The Anbu were the Hokage's personal operatives. No one in Konoha dared defy them.
As he stood there in silence, the two drunk men smirked triumphantly.
"What kind of 'noble clan' are you, huh? The Uchiha—just a bunch of glorified security guards pretending to matter! Think you can order the Anbu around? Keep dreaming!"
Lihuo's jaw tightened.
Those bastards had just trampled the dignity of both the Uchiha and the Police Force in front of everyone.
But if he fought back publicly, he'd bear the consequences alone.
"Guess even the great Uchiha bow down to the Anbu now."
"Serves them right. Always acting so high and mighty."
"They're just a bunch of pretentious thugs. About time someone put them in their place."
The whispers among the onlookers made Fugaku Uchiha's chest heave with rage as he arrived on the scene.
All their effort to keep the peace in the village—and this was how they were treated?
"See, Fugaku?" Yuzuru's voice came coolly from behind. "These are the people we're protecting."
He stepped through the crowd, the crimson glow of his three-tomoe Sharingan spilling across the room. The noise died instantly.
The two Anbu tensed. "Yuzuru Uchiha, what do you think you're doing?"
Yuzuru's tone was calm. "Exercising the authority of the Police Force."
"If you interfere, I'll arrest you too."
One of the Anbu scoffed. "Only the Hokage has the right to judge us."
"That's between me and the Hokage," Yuzuru said, stepping closer. "Now—are you leaving, or not?"
The oppressive pressure of his gaze made the Anbu hesitate. After a silent exchange, both flickered out of sight.
They'd already done their favor for those men. If things escalated further, they'd be the ones punished—and with those crimson eyes glaring at them, they weren't confident they'd win.
As their protectors vanished, the two drunken ninjas blanched. "Wait, we can expl—"
Bang!
Bang!
Before they could finish, Yuzuru's fists slammed into their jaws, sending teeth and blood flying.
A heartbeat later, he kicked out twice—each blow shattering a leg.
"Take them away!"
"Yes, sir!"
Their screams faded as the officers dragged them out. The rest of the diners sat frozen in silence.
Yuzuru clapped his hands and smiled faintly. "You see? That's called firm fists and strong statements."
"Hit the mouth first—stops them from begging. Then the legs—so they can't run."
"When dealing with scum, this is the proper method."
The others couldn't help but laugh quietly.
Lihuo clapped Yuzuru hard on the shoulder. "Good work, kid. I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
He'd been seconds away from exploding himself. Seeing Yuzuru ignore the Anbu's authority so decisively was deeply satisfying.
For once, the brat actually looked pleasing to the eye.
Yuzuru grinned. "About Mikoto—"
"I still have patrol duty!" Lihuo blurted quickly and turned on his heel.
"Guess the old man won't be easy to win over," Yuriko said, hiding a laugh behind her hand. "Sorry, Yuzuru, for dragging you into this."
Yuzuru waved it off. "Come on, Aunt Yuriko, you've taken good care of me over the years."
"Watch that mouth, brat," Yuriko scolded lightly, smiling. "I've got work to finish. Dinner's on me next time."
After she left, Fugaku lowered his voice. "Yuzuru, those drunks were definitely Anbu too. No one else would dare act that brazenly."
"The Hokage's faction is getting out of control. What do you plan to do?"
Seeing Fugaku's growing frustration, Yuzuru asked, "How's the list I asked you to prepare?"
"Almost done… The Radical Faction and Conservative Faction have been completely separated."
"Good." Yuzuru's eyes gleamed. "Then tonight, summon all Squad Leaders of the Police Force to Naka Shrine. We're holding a secret clan meeting."
T/n:
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