The old man's fury showed no signs of abating. Despite attempts at reconciliation, he stubbornly refused to drop the matter. Seeing this, Uchiha Izumi had no choice but to summon the temporary workers to address the growing tension.Word spread quickly through the neighborhood, and the residents—ever hungry for drama and spectacle—gathered eagerly, forming a dense crowd around the small office where Izumi sat. They whispered excitedly among themselves, eager to see what new tactic the young Uchiha woman would employ this time.Clearing her throat twice, Izumi straightened her posture and addressed both the temporary workers and the gathered onlookers with a calm but authoritative tone."Although you temporary workers have only recently begun your duties, and naturally, there remain many imperfections and areas for improvement, I expect you to learn from your mistakes and grow stronger," she said firmly."But," Izumi continued, pausing to let her words sink in, "since you have made mistakes, mistakes must be punished. So, how shall we deal with this?"Her gaze swept over the temporary workers, resting on their foreman with a sharp intensity.After a brief moment of thought, she declared, "As the foreman, you bear the main responsibility for this failure. Therefore, you will be fined one month's salary and suspended from duty for one full week."The foreman's eyes flickered with ill intent as he shot a resentful glance at the old man. The old man himself smirked, clearly pleased by what he perceived as a lenient punishment."What can you do to me?" the old man scoffed loudly. "Haven't they already been punished enough? Hmph."But the nightmare that awaited him was far worse than any formal penalty.---From that day forward, a troubling scene unfolded outside the old man's shop.A shifting parade of figures—hoodlums sporting wildly colored hair and strange clothes, as well as the temporary workers donning their uniforms—lingered constantly in front of his establishment.Potential customers, upon seeing the unruly crowd, quickly changed their minds and left, unwilling to brave the hostile atmosphere.Leading this motley group was none other than the suspended foreman himself, his face twisted into a triumphant grin as he surveyed the old man's growing distress.Every time a hungry patron approached the old man's door, a group of colorful-haired hoodlums would light cigarettes, block the entrance, and puff clouds of smoke in the customers' faces, driving them away in disgust.Hours passed in this tormenting pattern.Unable to endure it any longer, the shop owner finally confronted the assembled crowd, grabbing the foreman's arm and shouting, "What do you think you're doing, standing here and disrupting my business?"The foreman shrugged lazily. "What are you talking about? This is a public road, not your personal property. You want us to leave? Dream on! We're staying right here. What can you do about it, old man?"The old man's face flushed with anger as he looked to the temporary workers for help."You're supposed to manage public order, aren't you? Why aren't you stopping this? Look, they haven't budged from my doorstep."The temporary workers glanced at the hoodlums before speaking with a hint of impatience."Sir, we're responsible only for maintaining public order. These people aren't doing anything illegal. Look around—you'll see them lingering outside other shops, too. You're just being overly sensitive.""Sensitive?" the old man growled. "They're ruining my business!"The temporary workers sighed dramatically."Fine, we'll talk to them," one muttered.---Moments later, the old man watched in dismay as the temporary workers engaged the hoodlums in a loud conversation.They talked endlessly about some "big brother," some woman, and—most disturbingly—money. But at no point did they discuss the old man's grievances or make any effort to clear the entrance.Red-faced and furious, the old man stormed forward, broom in hand, shouting, "Get out of here! Leave my shop alone!"The hoodlums scattered with exaggerated cries of distress."Ah! The old man's hitting people! Someone help!"Seizing the moment, the temporary workers sprang into action, grabbing the old man and dragging him away towards the local jail."Hey! What are you doing? I'm a law-abiding citizen!" he yelled desperately. "Help! They're arresting me for no reason!"---The next morning, after his family bailed him out of jail, the old man's anger had only deepened.He grumbled as he nursed his bruised body."We can't just keep complaining to that girl," his son said thoughtfully. "They punish the temporary workers for a few days, then everything goes right back to how it was. And those hoodlums? They're still running wild.""We need a stronger solution," the old man said grimly. "Let's find a ninja to drive them off once and for all."His eyes brightened with determination."Yes! Let's ask your cousin. He's a ninja, right? He can help us."---Meanwhile, as Izumi sat calmly drinking her tea inside the small office, she overheard the old man's conversation with the ninja cousin from a distance.A small smile tugged at her lips as she continued sipping her tea, unconcerned.---The following day, the hoodlums loitering at the shop's entrance spotted the ninja walking toward them, his face clouded with displeasure.The old man pointed and hissed, "It's them!"The ninja cracked his knuckles and snorted coldly."Don't worry. Leave this to me."Without hesitation, the ninja charged at the hoodlums."Ah! Ninja! Help! The ninja is attacking us!" they screamed as they scattered in panic.But outrunning a ninja was impossible.The ninja swiftly knocked down each hoodlum, leaving them sprawled on the ground.He turned to the old man with a smile. "There. All taken care of."The old man nodded in satisfaction."Not bad, not bad at all. Ninjas truly are amazing."But then his eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the temporary workers nearby."Don't forget these guys, too. They're in on it."The ninja faced the temporary workers, who shifted nervously."What are you waiting for? Get out of here," the ninja growled."We're temporary workers!" one protested."Hmph. Temporary workers? Never heard of them," the ninja sneered before lunging forward and delivering a swift, punishing beatdown."Help! The ninja is attacking us!" the temporary workers wailed loudly, hoping to draw Izumi's attention.---The crowd watching the scene erupted into cheers."Well done! They deserve it!""That ninja's got some real skill!""Finally, justice!"The ninja raised his head proudly, basking in the praise.---Suddenly, Izumi's voice rang out, cold and sharp."Powerful? You call this power? In broad daylight, a ninja is bullying the villagers. This is unacceptable!"The ninja turned toward her, eyes narrowing."Hmph. The Uchiha Clan truly has fallen. Sending a mere child like you to manage public order? No wonder this place has become a mess."Izumi sneered in response. "You've broken the law. Come with me."The ninja blinked, shocked."What law? Tell me, everyone—am I right or wrong?"The crowd immediately shouted back, "You're right! You haven't broken any laws!"The ninja smirked triumphantly."See? What more do you want?"Izumi smiled slyly."Sir, whether you've broken the law or not doesn't matter. What matters is what I say."Before he could react, Izumi vanished using Body Flicker Jutsu."Where did she go?" the ninja gasped.Suddenly, a rapid flurry of strikes landed on him—"Bang! Whack! Crack!"—and he was quickly overwhelmed by Izumi's expert combos.The ninja collapsed unconscious to the ground.---The crowd instinctively stepped back, startled by Izumi's boldness.She clapped her hands with a sneer and grabbed the ninja by his hair, dragging him toward the local prison.Meanwhile, a nearby ninja hurried off to report the incident to the Hokage.---Upon hearing the news, the Third Hokage smiled wryly."Hmph, let's see how she manages to escape this one," he muttered.Soon after, senior officials arrived to summon Izumi and her father, Uchiha Fugaku, for questioning.---As the door to the office opened, Izumi strode in confidently.The Third Hokage looked at her gravely."Fugaku, Izumi actually assaulted a Konoha ninja in broad daylight. What do you think we should do about this?"Izumi smiled sweetly and replied, "Is Hokage-sama getting senile? I was clearly enforcing the law. How can you say I beat up a ninja?"The assembled Konoha elders stared at her in stunned silence.Could this young girl really be this arrogant?---
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