Sarutobi Hiruzen said coldly,
"It's very simple. Debts must be repaid by those responsible."
"I will do everything possible to persuade Kumogakure and try my utmost to avoid war. However, if war truly cannot be avoided—then I already have candidates to send to the battlefield."
"And who would that be?" someone asked.
"The Uchiha clan. The Hyūga clan. The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans—the Ino–Shika–Chō."
Hiruzen listed them one by one, as if reciting them from memory.
The two elder advisors exchanged glances.
"You intend to take revenge…"
"This isn't revenge," Hiruzen replied flatly.
"This is the consequence of their own choices."
"The Hyūga clan—those two brothers dared to act on their own and conceal matters from me. That alone shows they no longer respect me as Hokage."
"Not to mention that Hyūga Hiashi repeatedly tried to evade responsibility, clearly unwilling to 'sacrifice himself.' He has long harbored resentment toward me."
"They must naturally go to war."
"This is what you call getting exactly what one asks for."
"As for the Uchiha clan, the same logic applies. And more importantly—this kills two birds with one stone."
"While resisting Kumogakure, we also weaken the Uchiha clan."
Homura Mitokado frowned.
"Then what about the Ino–Shika–Chō clans? They've always been allies of the Sarutobi clan…"
"Allies?"
Hiruzen snorted coldly.
"They're nothing more than allies of convenience."
"Yamanaka Inoichi participated in the investigation surrounding Uchiha Qianyu—that alone shows where he stands."
"And in the matter of Shinnosuke, even Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chōza chose to support Qianyu."
"It's time they were reminded of their place."
Though Koharu and Homura felt this was somewhat inappropriate, neither stopped him outright.
After all, resisting Kumogakure required powerful forces.
If these clans didn't go—were the village elders supposed to fight themselves?
After a moment's thought, Homura nodded.
"The Raikage may be furious, but he won't commit his entire army."
"If the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Ino–Shika–Chō clans are deployed, they should be enough to hold the line."
"But… the Uchiha clan in particular—will they really obey orders?"
Hiruzen replied coldly,
"If they obey, all the better. The battlefield will deal with them."
"If they don't—then if they remain in the village, I have more than enough power to suppress them."
"Besides," he continued,
"Beyond my own ANBU, I have another idea."
"What idea?"
"I intend to place the power of the Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan—"
"Under the command of you two."
Koharu and Homura were both startled.
"Danzō—what do you mean by this?"
Hiruzen spoke in a deep voice.
"After Sarutobi Hiyū's death, I personally took charge of the Sarutobi clan."
"But I am the Hokage. I don't have the energy to oversee everything."
"As for the Shimura clan—if they're placed under your control, it allows for better management while also restraining Danzō."
The two elders immediately understood.
"So that's your plan… it seems you thought this through long ago."
For them, this arrangement was naturally beneficial.
Though they each had their own loyal subordinates, neither came from a great clan.
They could never compare to the influence of an entire family.
"Very well," Koharu said.
"The Sarutobi and Shimura clans will be under our supervision."
"With your ANBU and our command over these two clans, we'll be more than capable of fully suppressing the Uchiha."
"As for Qianyu—leave him to Danzō."
"And the Kumogakure battlefield will be handled by those clans, as you suggested."
Hiruzen nodded.
"Then it's settled."
"As long as both fronts—Kumogakure and the Uchiha—hold for now, once Danzō kills Uchiha Qianyu, everything will fall back under our control."
Uchiha Shisui's death shook the entire village of Konoha.
On the surface, things appeared calm—but beneath it, undercurrents surged violently.
Everyone knew Shisui had been Sarutobi Hiruzen's man.
And now, after a peak battle, Uchiha Qianyu had killed him outright.
That alone meant one thing—
The conflict between Qianyu and Konoha's leadership had been dragged into the open.
No one believed Hiruzen would simply let this go.
But Qianyu didn't care.
At the Uchiha compound—Police Force Headquarters.
Having formally assumed the position of Police Force Commander, Qianyu immediately began restructuring the entire unit.
Uchiha Fugaku was present—but no longer as commander.
He stood by only as clan head, observing in silence.
The power of the Uchiha clan was now effectively split in two.
Half belonged to the Police Force.
The other half remained as the clan's internal defense.
In other words—
Qianyu and Fugaku each controlled a substantial force.
However, the Police Force consisted mostly of young members.
They were energetic. Ambitious. Full of potential.
And the future character of the Police Force would be determined entirely by Qianyu's methods.
He revised the Police Force regulations.
They became stricter.
Harsher.
More extreme.
More fanatical.
In times of chaos, heavy laws are required.
To correct injustice, one must overcorrect.
Aside from veterans like Uchiha Yashiro, most members of the Police Force were young.
Uchiha Tekka.
Uchiha Inabi.
And Qianyu's own subordinates—Aoki and Yamato.
All of them now followed Qianyu with absolute loyalty.
They had become fanatical executors of his will.
Moreover—
Though Aoki and Yamato had once been framed, their ocular power had instead grown stronger.
Their overall strength rose accordingly.
From that day on, both swore eternal loyalty to Qianyu.
Thus—
Under the Police Force's relentless patrols and enforcement, Konoha became increasingly orderly and disciplined.
Those who committed crimes were punished more severely than ever before.
As a result, many wrongdoers were forced to rein themselves in.
Meanwhile, ordinary villagers and ninja enjoyed a level of peace and stability they had never known.
Combined with Qianyu's decisive execution of Sarutobi Hiyū and his son earlier—
His prestige skyrocketed.
Unmatched.
Like the blazing sun at its zenith.
In today's Konoha, the name Uchiha Qianyu was thunderous—
Second only to the Hokage himself.
Naturally, this only deepened Hiruzen's fear and hatred.
But he had neither the time nor the energy to dwell on it.
Soon, news arrived that the Kumogakure envoy delegation had been completely wiped out.
The Raikage flew into a furious rage.
Ignoring Elder Dodai's advice, he insisted on launching war against Konoha.
Only after repeated persuasion—citing Iwagakure's watchful stance—did Dodai finally convince him not to personally lead the army.
Instead, Dodai himself led the ninja forces, accompanied by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki Yugito Nii, Darui, Cee, and other young elites.
War ignited once more.
Smoke of battle rose.
Inside the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
Sarutobi Hiruzen swept his gaze across the room—
Deliberately avoiding Uchiha Qianyu.
The man had killed his ANBU captain.
Destroyed his strongest trump card.
Yet now—
He sat here, participating in the Hokage council as the Police Force Commander.
The irony was unbearable.
Officially, Konoha declared that Shisui's duel with Qianyu was a "personal grudge" and a "fair fight."
No charges were pursued.
Not because Hiruzen didn't want to—
But because he couldn't.
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he spoke gravely.
"Kumogakure's army is pressing in. War is inevitable."
"As such, we must dispatch elite forces to respond."
"In the name of the Hokage, the following forces will be deployed—"
"The Hyūga clan."
"The Ino–Shika–Chō clans."
"And—"
"The Police Force."
Instantly, the faces of every clan head named turned pale.
They weren't fools.
They immediately understood Hiruzen's intent.
This was retaliation.
Punishment for the envoy incident.
Though unwilling, the Hyūga clan and Ino–Shika–Chō clans had no choice but to nod.
But at that moment—
Qianyu spoke calmly.
"I disagree."
The room exploded in shock.
Everyone's heart trembled.
Was Uchiha Qianyu—
Publicly challenging the Hokage?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression changed dramatically.