"Oh? Is there a problem?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked toward the man dressed in a brown kimono, a faint, ambiguous smile on his face but there was no warmth in his eyes.
"One of the parties involved in this conflict is a member of the Uchiha clan. I believe this matter shouldn't be handled by the Konoha Military Police Force. On the contrary, the police should recuse themselves."
The man in the brown kimono spoke calmly.
His name was Shimura Naoya, the new head of the Shimura clan following the death of Shimura Daisuke.
Having just assumed leadership, Naoya was full of ambition, eager to make a name for himself and earn the recognition of his clan.
Upon hearing that some of his clansmen had clashed with members of the Uchiha, he rushed over immediately, hoping to leverage the incident to build prestige and gain support within the clan.
"Insolence! The Police Force is carrying out the law. Who are you to question it?"
The smile on Fugaku's face vanished, replaced by an icy expression as he barked a sharp rebuke.
"I'm not questioning your authority. I simply think that, since the Uchiha are directly involved, the Police Force should avoid any appearance of bias," Naoya replied, having been startled by the sudden outburst. He steadied himself and continued, though confusion filled his heart.
Based on everything he'd heard, Uchiha Fugaku—head of the Uchiha clan and captain of the Military Police—was supposed to be mild-mannered and weak-willed.
But the man standing before him now was anything but. Not only was Fugaku not weak, he was radiating dominance.
"You dare dictate how the Police Force should conduct an investigation?"
Fugaku snorted coldly.
"If anyone has grounds to raise an objection, it would be Shimura Daisuke, the previous head of the Shimura clan—not you."
"Clan Head Fugaku, former head Shimura Daisuke has already been killed. I am now the head of the Shimura clan," Naoya replied, his expression darkening and a trace of anger creeping into his voice.
To mention the deceased former leader in front of the current one was practically saying the new head didn't matter, or worse—implying Fugaku didn't even know the Shimura leadership had changed.
"Shimura Daisuke is dead? Oh, that's right—he did die. And you're the new head of the Shimura clan?"
Fugaku responded as if the realization had only just dawned on him.
Of course, he knew Shimura Daisuke was dead—he had personally ensured it.
Pretending not to recognize the new head of the Shimura clan was a deliberate insult. A subtle jab at Naoya's lack of reputation—implying no one knew who he was.
"Do I have the right to raise objections now?"
Naoya gritted his teeth.
He understood perfectly well that Fugaku was feigning ignorance just to humiliate him.
"Of course, of course—you're the clan head after all. You do have the right to raise objections... but not here and not now," Fugaku said with a faint smile before shifting his tone.
"You may bring your concerns to the next village council meeting. You could even propose stripping the Uchiha of their role in the Police Force. But as for them—"
Fugaku's gaze shifted to the Shimura clansmen involved in the fight.
"For now, they must still be taken to the Police Department for questioning. If they resist, it will be treated as assaulting law enforcement—punishable with even greater severity."
As Fugaku finished speaking, members of the Police Force moved in to apprehend the Shimura clan members involved in the altercation.
Seeing that Fugaku still intended to arrest his people, Naoya shouted angrily and barked orders to the surrounding Shimura clansmen:
He couldn't allow his clansmen to be arrested in front of him, the new clan head. If he did, he'd lose all authority—both within his clan and across the village.
At his command, Shimura clan members stepped forward, forming a barrier to block the Police Force officers.
Faced with obstruction, the officers' expressions turned cold. Their eyes narrowed as they stared at the Shimura clan members standing in their way.
Tension mounted. The atmosphere grew hostile and electric.
"What now? Are you trying to obstruct a police operation?"
Fugaku's gaze sharpened as he warned Naoya:
"If you resist, the Police Force has the authority to arrest everyone. You'd better think carefully about the consequences."
"Uchiha Fugaku! Are you really going to damage the relationship between the Uchiha and the Shimura clan over this?"
Naoya's face was ashen with fury.
"The Police Force doesn't seek enemies, but we aren't afraid of them either," Fugaku replied coldly. "The officers are enforcing the law. Even if you are the Shimura clan head, if you interfere—I'll have you arrested too."
Naoya's face turned from red to pale in a flash of rage. He bit out each word.
He was the head of one of Konoha's great clans the Shimura. He didn't believe Fugaku would actually dare to arrest him.
Fugaku didn't bother arguing further. With a wave of his hand, he gave the order.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The Police Force members, eyes cold and resolute, rushed toward the Shimura clansmen.
The Shimura clan, unwilling to submit, fought back. A melee broke out instantly.
Seeing a Police officer lunging at him, Naoya erupted in rage.
He hadn't expected Fugaku to truly order an attack—or for them to come after him, the Shimura clan head.
But he hadn't become clan leader without strength. Naoya was an elite jonin.
He sidestepped the incoming officer and countered with a powerful kick, sending the man flying with a scream.
Seeing one of his men injured, Fugaku snorted, his eyes flashing with cold light. He prepared to step in himself.
"Captain, let me handle this. No need for you to act—he's just a Shimura clan head," said Uchiha Yakumi with a cold smirk.
As he spoke, Yakumi charged at Naoya.
Yakumi's fist tore through the air with a sharp whistle, aimed straight at Naoya.
Naoya's expression shifted. He sensed Yakumi's formidable strength and quickly raised his arms to block the punch.
With his attack blocked, Yakumi followed up with a lightning-fast kick.
Naoya quickly backed away, barely dodging it.
The two clashed rapidly, their movements so fast that afterimages formed.
Because they were within the village, neither used ninjutsu. It was a contest of pure taijutsu.
After a brief but intense exchange, one figure collapsed unconscious—it was Shimura Naoya.
Yakumi wasn't just a loyal officer in the Police Force. His true qualification was his power.
In the Uchiha clan, you couldn't command respect without strength.
Yakumi wasn't just an elite jonin—his power approached that of a Kage.
Against someone like him, Naoya never stood a chance.
As Yakumi brought Naoya down, the other skirmishes also wrapped up.
The Uchiha clan, Konoha's strongest, boasted superior combat ability even among regular members.
And the Police Force only accepted the cream of the crop.
The gap in strength between the two sides was overwhelming.
"Take them all back to the Police Department."
Fugaku glanced at the unconscious Naoya and gave the cold order.
Soon after, the Uchiha officers cleared the street but word of what had happened here began to spread rapidly.