Konoha Military Police Force Headquarters.An unremarkable office tucked deep within the compound.
"Brother Yoru," Shisui said quietly, frustration barely contained, "people in the village are saying the Uchiha Police only enforce the law against civilian ninja. That we're ruthless with the weak, but turn a blind eye to the major clans. They say the Police Force is already rotten."
Yoru listened in silence.
When he finally spoke, his expression shifted from concern to resolve.
"Shisui," he said calmly, "everything we're doing is for Konoha's stability."
Shisui clenched his fists.
"The Root assignments," he muttered. "Why are there so many of them? And why are they always—"
He stopped himself.
Yoru exhaled slowly. "Because this is a special period. Special circumstances demand harsh measures."
Many of Root's operations followed the same pattern. Make the punishment absolute. Eliminate uncertainty. As for wrongful convictions, no one in the chain of command asked those questions.
Where there was light, there was shadow. Even a Hokage could not govern without both.
"Right now," Yoru continued evenly, "the Sarutobi faction needs results. Some things only need to be understood and swallowed."
The village's power structure was fixed. If one faction wanted to grow, another had to bleed.
And with Yoru involved, certain Root operations subtly changed in nature.
Take the current case.
Umino Ki.Chunin.
During a mission, he had been captured in the Grass Country and held for two weeks. He was suspected of leaking information.
Suspected was enough.
He was ordinary. No clan backing. No protection.
Root doctrine never required certainty.
Yoru tapped the document lightly.
"Umino Ki owns three shops," he said. "His family died during the Nine-Tails incident. The assets survived."
If Ki disappeared, those assets had to go somewhere.
Yoru had no intention of letting Root swallow everything.
"Shisui," he said, voice low, "the shops will be transferred quietly to Sarutobi Hiromasa. Public justification: treason, assets confiscated."
He paused.
"Two hundred thousand will be left for his nephew, Umino Iruka. No more."
Too much inheritance would only mark the boy.
"The rest goes to Root's research budget," Yoru finished flatly.
He felt no guilt. If the Uchiha didn't extract value now, they would be crushed later.
Shisui understood immediately.
And that was the problem.
"So… this is really for Orochimaru-sensei," Shisui said bitterly.
Yoru didn't deny it.
"Make sure Sarutobi Hiromasa understands," Yoru added. "Once the transfer is complete, half the shop profits will be redirected to the Uchiha."
Power-sharing required shared stains.
Sarutobi gained money.Root closed its case.The Uchiha did the work.
Shisui stared at the file again.
Sarutobi Hiromasa.A squad leader in the Grass Country mission.
He returned alive.Some subordinates died.Others were captured.
Including Umino Ki.
A question formed unbidden.
Was the traitor really Ki?
Or was this about erasing a blemish from someone else's record?
Yoru's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Shisui," he said quietly, "ninja are tools. The Academy teaches that. But it also teaches compassion. No one tells us when to use which."
He looked straight at him.
"If we don't do this, someone else will. So for the Uchiha. For Konoha."
For Konoha.
Once, that phrase had burned brightly in Shisui's heart.
Now, it felt heavier every time it was spoken.
Why did the Uchiha do the dirty work?Why did Root wield the knife?Why did the Sarutobi reap the reward?
The answer waited in silence.
────────────────────────The detention facility lay deep underground.
Soundproof barriers sealed it completely.
Inside, screams echoed.
"You Uchiha bastards!" Umino Ki laughed hoarsely through blood. "I get it now. I broke no laws. I just stood in the way. Sarutobi Hiromasa wanted this, didn't he?"
An Uchiha officer stared at him coldly.
"Sign the confession," he said. "Acknowledge your treason. Transfer your property. I'll make it quick."
Ki spat blood in response.
The door opened.
Light spilled in.
"Captain Shisui," the officer said immediately, stepping back.
Shisui entered alone.
The door closed behind him.
Ki squinted through swollen eyes, then laughed weakly.
"So even the prodigy fell this low," he sneered. "A dog on the Sarutobi leash?"
Shisui said nothing.
His Sharingan opened.
Three tomoe spun.
Ki's expression went blank.
In the quiet cell, Shisui spoke.
And Ki answered.
Sentence by sentence, the confession was written.Handprint applied.Assets transferred.
The document stated that Umino Ki broke under interrogation in the Grass Country, leaked classified information, and caused the mission's failure. Out of remorse, he surrendered his property to compensate Captain Sarutobi Hiromasa.
When it was done, Shisui looked at the paper.
Then he laughed softly.
The door opened.
Before leaving, he said only one thing.
"Let his family see him. Once."