Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped onto the roof of the Hokage Administration Building. Looking down at the sea of furious, protesting civilians, his hatred for Jin Uchiha intensified. However, decades of political survival kicked in. He suppressed his killing intent, relaxed his facial muscles, and adopted the benevolent, grandfatherly persona the village trusted.
"Citizens of Konoha, please, be at ease!"
Hiruzen's voice, amplified by chakra, echoed across the square. The sheer authority of the Third Hokage instantly silenced the chaotic mob.
Hiruzen's Internal Monologue: I cannot publicly condemn the Uchiha Police Force. If I do, I legitimize the civil unrest and admit I have lost control of a founding clan. I must reframe their strike as a positive initiative.
"I apologize for the recent inconveniences," Hiruzen announced with a comforting smile. "The Uchiha Police Force is currently undergoing a rigorous internal reform to ensure greater accuracy and fairness in their investigations. I have personally approved this initiative. However, to ensure your daily lives are not disrupted during this transition, I am temporarily deploying the Anbu Black Ops to serve as the village's primary civil mediators."
He pointed toward a vacant lot near the administration building. "A temporary precinct will be established there immediately. Any disputes will be handled by the Hokage's personal guard."
Placated by the Hokage's personal guarantee, the crowd dispersed. The immediate crisis was averted.
However, hidden in the shadows of the Hokage building, the Anbu operatives felt a collective sense of dread. As elite assassins and spies, they understood the reality of the civilian sector: civilians, lacking military discipline, were often highly unreasonable and operated entirely on emotion rather than logic.
***
The Temporary Precinct
Two hours later, a fully functional three-story wooden precinct stood in the vacant lot. This architectural feat was accomplished by Yamato, an Anbu operative possessing the rare Wood Release—a genetic mutation that allowed him to convert chakra into living timber and construct buildings in minutes.
The moment the doors opened, a tidal wave of civilians flooded the lobby.
Behind the reception desk, the Anbu intake officer, wearing a porcelain cat mask, felt his eye twitch. He was trained to endure torture, but the sheer volume of noise was breaking his psyche.
"She stole my egg-laying hen!" an elderly woman shrieked, pointing at her neighbor. "I need those eggs to feed my grandson in the Ninja Academy!"
"Liar! It was my hen that wandered into your yard!" the neighbor screamed back. The two women lunged at each other, pulling hair right in front of the desk.
Anbu Officer's Internal Monologue: I am an A-rank assassination specialist. I do not know how to identify poultry ownership.
"Team Alpha-3!" the officer shouted over the din, desperate to clear his lobby. "Take these two outside and investigate the scene!"
A squad of heavily armed Anbu dragged the squabbling women away. Before the officer could exhale, two men slammed their hands on his desk.
"He owes me three hundred ryo!" the first man yelled. "It's been three months!"
"I'm broke!" the second man yelled back. "You'll get it when I get it!"
"Team Alpha-5!" the officer barked instantly. "Take them!"
The intake officer slumped in his chair, utterly paralyzed by the bureaucratic nightmare.
***
The Structural Flaw of Konoha
Across the village, Kakashi Hatake—commander of Team Gamma-7—stood in the courtyard of a civilian residence, staring blankly at two screaming families.
"They broke the engagement!" the groom's father yelled. "We want our three thousand ryo dowry returned immediately!"
"We are keeping the money! You broke the contract!" the bride's mother retorted viciously.
"You didn't tell us your daughter was legally blind in one eye!"
"You didn't ask! We keep the money!"
The families turned to Kakashi, demanding a ruling.
Kakashi crossed his arms, his visible eye dead and hollow. Yamato stood beside him, equally perplexed.
"Captain," Yamato whispered. "How do we adjudicate this?"
"We don't," Kakashi replied flatly.
Kakashi's Internal Monologue: I finally understand the Uchiha's predicament. Konoha is a military fortress, not a civilian state. We have a strict military penal code for treason and desertion, but we possess absolutely no Civil Law Code to govern dowries, debts, or property lines. Therefore, any ruling a police officer makes is entirely arbitrary. If I rule for the groom, the bride's family will hate the authorities. If I rule for the bride, the groom's family will hate us. This structural void is exactly why the village despised the Uchiha. They were forced to make impossible choices every single day.
Kakashi reached into his tactical vest and pulled out his personal wallet. He counted out three thousand ryo and handed it to the groom's father.
"The debt is settled. The engagement is nullified. Cease hostilities immediately," Kakashi ordered.
The families, shocked but satisfied, dispersed.
Yamato stared at Kakashi in horror. "Captain... you cannot pay out of pocket for every dispute. Your salary will be exhausted by nightfall."
"I know," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples. "But if we make an arbitrary ruling, they will riot. Our orders are to pacify the civilians."
By the end of their shift, Kakashi's squad had paid out over ten thousand ryo in personal funds just to make civilian disputes disappear.
***
The Inevitable Collapse
This unsustainable tactic lasted exactly three days.
By the fourth morning, the Anbu operatives were financially bankrupt. Stripped of their ability to pay off angry civilians, the Anbu were forced to make actual legal rulings—levying fines and threatening imprisonment to enforce order.
The backlash was instantaneous.
The moment the Anbu started making arbitrary judgments without a legal framework, the civilian populace turned on them. The citizens branded the Hokage's personal guard as corrupt, biased tyrants. The Anbu had officially inherited the Uchiha's poisoned reputation.
Realizing the situation was untenable, the Anbu commanders bypassed protocol and demanded an emergency meeting with the Hokage.
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen listened to the Anbu reports with a sinking heart. He turned to Shikaku Nara, who had been summoned to advise.
"Shikaku, the Anbu are breaking down. Give me a solution."
"There is no solution, Lord Hokage," Shikaku replied ruthlessly. "This was only ever a stopgap measure. Law enforcement in a system without civil laws is a poisoned chalice. The Uchiha endured it for decades, absorbing the village's hatred. Now, the Anbu are absorbing it. Whoever holds that position will be despised."
Hiruzen closed his eyes, the weight of his own trap crushing him. Jin Uchiha had masterfully transferred the village's systemic hatred directly onto the Hokage's faction.
"Tell the Anbu commanders they must endure it for just a little longer," Hiruzen ordered softly, his voice trembling with contained fury.
He opened his eyes, staring into the dark corners of his office where Root operatives frequently lingered. The political game was over.
Hiruzen's Internal Monologue: The infrastructure is collapsing. The Anbu are compromised. My public standing is bleeding out. I have no more bureaucratic moves to make.
"Inform Danzo," Hiruzen commanded coldly. "The timeline is moved up. Jin Uchiha must be eliminated immediately."