Chapter 83 (Patreon)

Even after returning to her room, Yugito still felt dazed.

The more time she spent with Kushina, the more she realized how different Kushina was from the image she had always held of Konoha’s shinobi. She possessed neither Danzō’s calculating nature nor the Third Hokage’s indecisiveness.

In some ways, she resembled the late Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Both of them radiated the same bright, unwavering confidence. Yet there were also clear differences between them—differences Yugito couldn’t quite put into words.

Still, she was convinced that someone like Kushina had every chance of becoming a perfect jinchūriki.

Konoha already had no shortage of talented shinobi. Now Kushina, its newly appointed Hokage, also possessed the potential to become a perfect jinchūriki.

And with Danzō—the man who excelled at stirring up conflict within his own village—now branded a rogue ninja, Konoha was almost certain to prosper.

Yugito tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Kushina and Kaorui were equally restless. However, sometime after midnight, both of them fell into an exceptionally deep sleep.

The following morning, Fugaku received a message from the ANBU informing him that the Hokage wanted him to finalize the duty assignments for the newly reorganized Konoha Military Police Force as quickly as possible.

Thinking nothing of it, he gathered several experienced clansmen and left the compound early.

The reorganized Konoha Military Police Force had already absorbed a considerable number of shinobi from other clans. Once all its personnel had been integrated and reassigned, the force was divided into three main divisions.

The First Division was responsible for maintaining public order throughout Konoha’s residential districts.

The Second Division handled patrols and security along the village’s outskirts.

The Third Division served as a mobile response unit, providing support wherever it was needed.

The First Division was further separated into thirteen squads, with each squad assigned to a specific group of streets.

On the surface, it might have appeared that the Uchiha’s authority within the Konoha Military Police Force had been weakened. Yet even the clan’s hardliners had no complaints about the new arrangement.

They could clearly feel the change in the villagers’ attitudes toward them. Their clan head had also become a senior advisor, giving the Uchiha a place at the heart of Konoha’s leadership.

Even Danzō, the old man who had constantly targeted their clan, was gone.

Under such circumstances, only a fool would still dream of staging a coup.

Furthermore, the clansmen who left the Konoha Military Police Force had not lost their source of income. Each of them had been reassigned according to their individual strengths, receiving positions at places such as the Ninja Academy, the hospital, and other village institutions.

Compared to their previous duties in the Military Police Force, their new work was much easier.

At the same time that Fugaku departed with many of the clan’s chūnin and jōnin, Yakushi Nonō entered the Uchiha compound carrying documents that bore the Hokage’s special authorization.

Kushina’s written order had actually been intended to provide cover for Nonō. Otherwise, finalizing the Military Police Force’s duty assignments alone would never have been important enough for her to specifically send the ANBU to summon Fugaku.

As an Uchiha chūnin led the way, he asked with some suspicion, “There’s still quite a while before the next term at the Ninja Academy begins. Has recruitment already started?”

Nonō smiled as she replied, “Beginning next term, the Academy itself will undergo several reforms. The clans will no longer be sending only one or two children as representatives. That’s why we’re gathering information on prospective students in advance. It will make arranging their classes much easier later.”

Until now, the various clans had only sent a handful of children to the Ninja Academy each year. Most of their children remained within their respective compounds and were trained by members of their own clan.

The Ninja Academy had little to teach that the clans could not teach themselves. The clans were also concerned that allowing their children to attend would make it easier for Konoha’s leadership to shape the way they thought.

If they hadn’t needed to maintain appearances and prove that they held no hostility toward the village, many clans would never have sent their children to the Academy at all.

Since Konoha itself was about to change, the Ninja Academy could no longer continue operating under its old system.

Selecting instructors from the various clans was precisely meant to put those clans at ease and encourage them to send more of their children to school.

“I see. Yakushi-sensei, this is the Ryoma household.”

After speaking, the Uchiha chūnin stepped forward and knocked on the door.

A married Uchiha couple soon came out to greet them, bringing their five-year-old child along.

Several neighbors gathered around out of curiosity. None of them noticed the brief confusion that flashed through the eyes of one young man in the crowd.

After registering the child’s information, Nonō turned around and casually allowed her gaze to pass over the young man.

Roy was standing beside him.

When Roy gave her a discreet “OK” sign, Nonō continued toward the next child’s home.

Although every eligible Uchiha child would be enrolled during the next term, Nonō had no intention of registering all of them during this visit.

The handful of children she had deliberately selected all lived near people whose names appeared on the Sharingan awakening training list.

Once a target was trapped within the genjutsu, Roy not only had to intensify their emotions with his reiatsu, but also had to use Bakudō to prevent their face from twisting under the mental anguish.

He was every bit as tense as Nonō, who feared that even the slightest mistake might expose them.

A large crowd followed Nonō to watch the excitement. Meanwhile, Roy took control of the targeted young man and made him return home.

Before long, Roy sensed a surge of Yin Release chakra gathering within the young man’s eyes.

“Come on. Let’s get this off to a good start.”

The moment Roy finished speaking, the young man’s black eyes turned a vivid crimson, and a single tomoe emerged within each iris.

“Success!”

Seeing that the Sharingan had awakened, Roy finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He then retrieved a sealing scroll from the chains of his Shikai and activated it.

It contained a fūinjutsu designed to seal memories, allowing the user to erase a target’s short-term memories. Kushina had provided the scroll, but the technique itself had been developed and refined by Minato using the Uzumaki clan’s fūinjutsu as its foundation.

It was a simplified version that was far easier to use.

As the young man’s recent memories were sealed, the tomoe in his eyes faded away.

This did not mean that his Sharingan had regressed. It had merely deactivated on its own because of his mental exhaustion.

Although he no longer remembered the genjutsu he had experienced, the awakening of his Sharingan remained permanent. Once he had rested, he would be able to activate it on his own.

After completing the first attempt, Roy hurried to catch up with Nonō.

When she saw him approaching, Nonō discreetly cast another genjutsu on one of the selected targets among the onlookers.

By the time the two of them had left the Uchiha compound far behind, Nonō finally asked in a low voice, “Roy-sama, was it successful?”

“Eight targets. Five successfully awakened their Sharingan, while three failed. That’s not a bad result.”

Roy then changed the subject.

“There were even several shinobi mixed in among the civilians watching. How did it feel casting genjutsu in front of so many Uchiha?”

“The pressure was immense,” Nonō admitted. “Fortunately, the cover you and Lady Kushina arranged for me kept the Uchiha’s attention elsewhere. Otherwise, I’m certain I would have been discovered.”

“You underestimate yourself, Nonō. Even though I knew beforehand that you were going to use genjutsu, I almost failed to notice when you activated it.”

Who could have imagined that while filling out the registration forms, Nonō had placed her left hand beneath her right as though she were merely steadying her writing hand to prevent the fresh ink from smearing?

In truth, that innocent movement had concealed the hand seals for her genjutsu.

“You flatter me, Roy-sama.”

“Return to the Academy and submit the registration records first. I’ll report the results to Kushina.”

After saying that, Roy used Shunpo and soon appeared inside the Hokage’s office.

He quietly whispered the results into Kushina’s ear from behind her before entering her inner world and heading directly to the space where the Nine-Tails was sealed.

“You two are being awfully lenient with the Uchiha. Aren’t you worried something might go wrong?”

The Nine-Tails rested its head upon its forepaws. As Roy entered, it slowly opened its eyes.

“What could possibly go wrong?” Roy replied. “If Tobirama hadn’t treated them the way he did back then, Uchiha Madara never would have left Konoha. You were sealed inside Mito Uzumaki at the time, Nine-Tails. You should know that better than anyone.”

“Tch. You talk as though you understand the Uchiha better than that white-haired Tobirama did.”

“Don’t I? Tobirama knew full well that the Uchiha were a clan whose love ran deeper than anyone else’s. Yet instead of trying to understand them and making Konoha itself something they could love, he treated them as dangerous from the very beginning—as though they were destined to lose control sooner or later.”

Roy paused before continuing.

“Wasn’t that the same as forcing them into a corner until they had nowhere left to go?”