Under Uchiha Kuro's deliberate guidance—
The people of Konoha suddenly began to miss the Uchiha clan.
And honestly…
That was only natural.
Yes, the Uchiha had been arrogant.
Proud to the bone.
They kept to themselves, refused to fully integrate with Konoha, and constantly emphasized their uniqueness.
But—
As Kurotsuchi Raiga once said:
"As long as people are alive, others will criticize them.
But at a funeral, all hatred disappears—
and only their good deeds remain."
When the Uchiha were alive, many ninja resented their strict law enforcement.
But now that they were gone—
Those complaints had faded away.
And in a time like this—
When Konoha's security forces couldn't even protect its civilians—
People suddenly remembered what the Uchiha had been like.
Yes, they were arrogant—
But they never shirked responsibility.
After being assigned as the Police Force by Tobirama Senju, Konoha's public security had stabilized almost overnight.
Criminals?
All arrested.
No mercy.
Patrols?
Diligent and relentless.
When danger came—
The Uchiha had stepped forward countless times, even at the cost of their lives.
Even during the great ninja wars—
Konoha remained peaceful, almost as if it weren't at war at all.
But now?
A brazen assassination in broad daylight, affecting an entire street?
Unheard of.
The victims, shaken and angry, began to speak:
"The Uchiha may have been arrogant… but they were reliable."
"That's right. I've never heard of them backing down from danger."
"Compared to before, security is much worse now."
"If only the Uchiha were still here…"
"Such a dependable clan… wiped out like that…"
The more they spoke—
The more anger turned toward the current Police Force.
Soon, the entire village shared the same sentiment.
If this can happen now—
What about during the next war?
Would Konoha be bombarded every other day?
Compared to the Uchiha—
You people are nowhere close!
Can you even protect us?!
…
The wave of public outrage gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a massive headache.
He had no choice but to act quickly.
The Police Force captain was harshly punished.
Danzo was also reprimanded.
At the same time—
The Uchiha were appeased.
The compensation Uchiha Kuro paid to victims?
The village reimbursed it—and even added extra.
Then, in front of many villagers—
Hiruzen openly praised the Uchiha.
"The current Police Force is far inferior to the one led by the Uchiha."
"They were loyal, dedicated…"
"It's truly a pity such a clan was destroyed by a traitor like Itachi Uchiha…"
After all—
The Uchiha were basically gone.
Dead people could have all the honor in the world—it cost nothing.
He even made an exception—
Promoting Uchiha Kuro to jōnin.
Of course, everyone in Konoha knew the truth.
This "jōnin" was still just the same man who had been chased around by a real jōnin during the assassination.
But—
This move restored the Uchiha's reputation.
And that mattered.
Because Uchiha Kuro's growing harem relied on two things:
Uchiha wealthUchiha prestige
Some talented female ninja had hesitated before—
Because of the Uchiha's tarnished reputation.
Now?
That hesitation was fading.
…
"For the sake of the Uchiha… I've really put in a lot of effort."
Uchiha Kuro let out a long sigh.
Then—
His expression turned cold.
"But I never said I'd just swallow this quietly, Danzo."
That's right.
Even without direct evidence—
He already knew who was behind it.
Would the Uchiha endure this silently?
Don't be ridiculous.
"Elder Danzo…"
"The Uchiha are no longer the Police Force bound by rules."
"And an Uchiha who isn't part of the Police Force…"
"…doesn't need evidence to act."
…
Shimura Clan Compound
The Shimura clan—
A major clan of Konoha, comparable to the Sarutobi.
While not as powerful as the Sarutobi—who could field entire ninja units—
They weren't far behind.
Their numbers were approaching the old Uchiha at their peak.
And all of this—
Was thanks to one man.
Danzo Shimura.
Danzo slowly entered the room, moving like an ordinary old man.
Several clan members were inside.
The moment they saw him—
They fell silent and bowed.
Despite benefiting from his power—
Even his own clansmen feared him.
"Lord Danzo, you've worked hard."
A middle-aged ninja stepped forward to take his cloak.
Danzo nodded calmly.
"Report today's intelligence."
Many Shimura members served in Root.
This man—
Was both Danzo's assistant…
And his son.
"Uchiha Kuro personally visited the victims with his wives," he reported.
"His words implied that if the Uchiha were still around, this wouldn't have happened."
"Because of him, many villagers are nostalgic for the Uchiha… and are calling the current Police Force garbage."
"The Third Hokage used this opportunity to punish our people in the Police Force…"
"Those on duty that day have been stripped of authority…"
"And Uchiha Kuro has been promoted to jōnin."
Danzo listened quietly.
"…I see."
All of this—
Was within expectations.
Just minor losses.
Nothing important.
But Uchiha Kuro…
Daring to restore the Uchiha's reputation now?
Danzo's eyes turned cold.
"Hmph. As expected of the Uchiha's sole survivor… quite lucky."
Unlike Sasuke Uchiha—
No one had tried to kill Sasuke.
But Uchiha Kuro?
He had survived purely by chance.
A true survivor.
"Looks like the Uchiha need another lesson…"
Not now, of course.
Hiruzen was watching too closely.
There would be time later.
…
Suddenly—
Danzo's expression changed.
He looked up sharply.
"…Hm? Who's there?!"
BOOM!
A loud crash.
The wooden roof shattered—
A suitcase-sized box smashed through and fell into the room.
"What is that?!"
"Who threw it?!"
"Someone's above us?!"
The sudden attack caused chaos.
But these were elite ninja—
They reacted instantly.
Some rushed to the roof.
Some guarded Danzo.
Others cautiously approached the damaged box.
Danzo frowned.
"…It's making a sound."
"A sound?"
They listened closely.
Tzzzz… tzzzz…
A strange noise echoed from inside—
Something unfamiliar.
But somehow…
It felt familiar.
Then—
Danzo's eyes widened.
"…Explosive tags!"
BOOM!!!