Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

Although Anbu is stationed throughout the village, how many members does Anbu actually have? Even the sensory-type Anbu shinobi can't monitor the entirety of Konoha, right?

The police department's patrol team, while not able to prevent every infiltration, at least provides a deterrent, especially when it's the Uchiha's patrol team. Their Sharingan isn't just a flashy decoration.

"Recall? That's out of the question! After suspending them last time, the clan head and I thought it over seriously and concluded that none of them were suited for police department work, so we dismissed them all."

Upon hearing this, Yagami quickly shook his head. They'd already been dismissed from the police department; calling them back wasn't an option!

"Dismissed... dismissed?"

The Third Hokage was momentarily stunned, his face reflecting disbelief, and the others turned to look as well.

The Uchiha clan was relinquishing their police department role entirely! The members were all dismissed, and even the nominal captain, Yagami, didn't care about the position.

"They were dismissed long ago. Even if they were reassigned to the police department now, it wouldn't be easy to integrate them back in. Besides, they endured quite a bit of hardship as police members; at this point, I doubt they'd want to return."

At these words, many of the present shinobi felt a resonance in their hearts.

Previously, they hadn't grasped the extent of the Uchiha's grievances within the police department, but lately, they'd gained some insight. Each day, members of their own clans came to complain about how difficult the police department's work was.

If it weren't for the pressure from the Third Hokage, many wouldn't have stayed in the police department at all.

"Uchiha Yagami! This concerns the village. Do you think your Uchiha clan can refuse to participate just because you don't want to? Don't forget, the Uchiha are also part of this village!"

Yagami's stance was clear—he had no interest in getting involved in the troubled waters of the police department. The Third Hokage wanted to keep his composure, but Danzo, losing patience, immediately interjected in a cold tone.

"Lord Danzo, with all due respect, the Uchiha still maintains six teams within the police department, patrolling and upholding law and order daily. I'm still the captain of the police department myself. We've done nothing against the village."

Yagami smiled slightly. Now, they remembered that the Uchiha were part of the village. Where was that sentiment before? He was still in the police department, yet they thought they could hold him morally accountable now…

"You're serving the village? Those six teams patrol around Uchiha-owned areas daily. This is nothing but using power for personal gain!"

"Lord Danzo, what are you implying? You've just acknowledged that the Uchiha are part of the village.

The police department teams oversee Uchiha-owned areas as part of their duties.

How is that personal gain? Or is it that, in your eyes, as Hokage's advisor, we Uchiha are not truly connected to the village at all?"

"You..."

"Enough, Danzo! Today, we're here to discuss village security, not the police department's regional deployment!"

Seeing Yagami's remarks turning more contentious, the Third Hokage, worried that the Uchiha's long-simmering frustrations would be reignited, interrupted Danzo immediately and turned to Yagami.

"The Uchiha clan isn't incapable of deploying their own members!"

"Naturally, but it's unnecessary. After all, policing is no longer the sole responsibility of the Uchiha. Who would want to return to such a thankless role? Since we've withdrawn, we won't go back. This is the Police Department's decision."

Yagami said calmly, "Not only is the Uchiha clan united, but when it comes to returning to the police department, our decision is absolutely resolute."

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for receiving negative feedback from Sarutobi Hiruzen, earning 1,193 feedback points]

Hearing Yagami's blunt words, the Third Hokage felt a headache coming on. It was clear that the Uchiha wanted to abandon their police department duties entirely, yet he couldn't force them into compliance. Angering them could lead to internal strife, something Konoha's fragile economy could not withstand so soon after the last war.

"Of course, if Hokage-sama truly needs our Uchiha's assistance, it's not impossible.

You could collaborate with the Uchiha Group on behalf of the Hokage Office and hire our security teams to support the police department's patrols.

However, the price for hiring won't be cheap—it's a dangerous job, after all. Please consider it carefully. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave and, as captain, extend my condolences to the shinobi who gave their lives."

If the Daimyo's office can conduct business, so can the Hokage's office—it's up to Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision. Returning to the police department as before was out of the question for the Uchiha.

"Uchiha Yagami! Is this the attitude you should have as the captain of the police department? It seems you've forgotten the police department's purpose!" 

Advisory Elder Utatane Koharu interjected with a frown.

"Feel free to revoke my captaincy at the next high-level meeting—I have no objection.

In fact, I'd be glad to wash my hands of these trivial matters.

If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now.

Have the list of the fallen shinobi reported to me promptly so I can approve it, and Hokage-sama can issue the necessary pensions."

Yagami waved his hand dismissively; dealing with Konoha's leadership, all with their hidden motives, was something he was more than willing to avoid.

"Hiruzen! This brat is insufferably arrogant; are you just going to let it go?"

Utatane Koharu, incensed by Yagami's flippant response, almost glared at the Third Hokage in frustration.

Damn it! Do you think I don't want to do something? It's a matter of whether I *can*!

If it were Fugaku, at least there'd be a limit to handling it, but this kid doesn't acknowledge my authority as Hokage at all… 

"Enough! Since the Uchiha clan has chosen not to participate, we'll leave them to their choice. As for the police department, the clan heads here should adjust their personnel, giving priority to patrol formations.

We cannot allow today's incident to repeat.

We cannot let it reach the point where we realize only after the enemy's infiltration that our own people were killed."

The Third Hokage turned a stern gaze on the gathered clan heads.

The clan heads harboured their own frustrations, though. Not every clan could field members with Uchiha's level of power, and even among the Jōnin, numbers were limited.

Jōnin are the backbone of the village and crucial to each clan's strength. No clan leader in their right mind would relegate Jōnin to the police department. Unlike the Uchiha, they simply didn't have Jōnin to spare.

"If all personnel are shifted to patrols, what about the law and order?"

Nara Shikaku frowned, voicing his concerns. He had little desire to deal with this, but with the Nara clan tied to the Third Hokage's plans, he had no choice.

"Get accustomed to the police department's work as soon as possible. I'll arrange additional support for managing law and order."

The Third Hokage exchanged a look with Danzo. In his view, the inefficiency of the current police department stemmed from the unfamiliarity of other clans with this structure, a problem he believed time would resolve.

Once this adjustment period was over, the village's Anbu wouldn't need to cover these responsibilities continuously, and Danzo's Root operatives wouldn't be assigned such tasks. As for Yagami's suggestion about hiring the Uchiha, that wasn't an option he would even consider. With the village's finances still strained after the war, the idea was a non-starter.

----------------

You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion