Next Day
Konoha Military Police Headquarters
After enjoying a sumptuous breakfast, Itachi arrived at his new place of work.
He had visited the headquarters many times before, but today was different—this was his first day here as an officer.
"Good morning, Itachi-senpai."
A young woman in a jōnin uniform, around seventeen or eighteen years old, approached him and bowed slightly.
"My name is Yagami Uchiha. I work under the Investigation & Intelligence Division. I'll be guiding you to your office.
For the next few days, I'll be assisting you with your duties."
Itachi nodded. An assistant was exactly what he needed to familiarize himself with the department's workflow.
Once they reached his office, Itachi took his seat behind the desk and waited calmly.
Yagami stood straight and began her report.
"Itachi-senpai, Yatsuki-senpai has assigned the Sarutobi Shinnosuke missing-person case to you.
Fugaku-sama has already spoken with Hokage-sama. The ANBU and the UPD { Uchiha Police Department } will be jointly cooperating on this investigation."
At those words, a faintly amused smile appeared on Itachi's face.
"So it comes to me in the end…"
"Bring me every file related to this case," Itachi said calmly.
"Yes!"
A few minutes later, a thick dossier—nearly three centimeters thick—was placed on his desk.
Itachi flipped through it methodically.
It contained Shinnosuke's movements on the day he disappeared, records of everyone he had spoken with, individuals he had conflicts with, and countless other details—important and trivial alike.
Even Itachi felt a trace of surprise.
"The ANBU really are efficient…"
They had already identified the exact street from which Sarutobi Shinnosuke had vanished.
Closing the file, Itachi stood up.
"Let's go to the disappearance site," he said calmly. "There may still be something worth finding."
Yagami straightened immediately.
"Yes, Itachi-senpai."
Just a few minutes after taking his seat, Itachi left the headquarters building with Yagami, heading toward the suspected site of disappearance.
"Itachi"
Hearing his name, Itachi turned toward the voice.
Shisui was walking toward him.
"Good morning, Brother Shisui," Itachi greeted happily.
Shisui smiled in response and gave Yagami a polite nod.
"On your very first day," Shisui said lightly, "you're already heading out on a case?"
For a brief moment, Itachi nearly laughed.
He answered in the same calm tone as ever.
"Heh… my first case happens to be the disappearance of Sarutobi Shinnosuke. We're on our way to the suspected site. Care to join us?"
Shisui froze for a fraction of a second.
The thief becomes the investigator—now tasked with solving the crime he himself committed.
"…I'm free today," Shisui finally said. "I'll come with you."
Itachi nodded.
The three Uchiha moved out together toward the site.
---
Konoha — B Block — Sector 17 — Street 13A
By now, the entire street had been sealed off by ANBU operatives. Civilians gathered at a distance, whispering among themselves as they watched the scene unfold.
When they saw the three Uchiha approaching—each bearing the clan's distinctive crest—people quickly parted to make way. Their gazes were a mixture of envy, hatred, and fear.
Itachi walked forward calmly, his eyes sweeping over the surroundings as if searching for clues.
In reality, he was observing people.
In his previous life, he had watched many detective films where insignificant details unraveled entire mysteries. He wanted to see how investigations in the shinobi world differed from those of his former one.
Although he had served in the ANBU before, his role had been largely combat-oriented.
Intelligence gathering and forensic work were handled by other divisions. This was the first time he witnessed the investigative process at such a professional level.
Moments later, the ANBU officer in command approached. Without a word, he handed Itachi a file and stepped back.
Uchiha clan members stationed at the site gathered as soon as they noticed their leader's arrive.
Not far behind them, several ANBU and ROOT operatives also moved closer—keen to see whether the Uchiha would uncover anything new.
The street fell into an uneasy silence.
Itachi and Shisui each took half of the report and began reading.
Once they finished their respective sections, they exchanged the pages.
When both of them finished reading the entire file, a trace of astonishment appeared on their faces.
"On the 17th of September, ROOT operatives were reported to have shown suspicious activity in Sector 17."
"Shinnosuke's wife has submitted a statement claiming that, a month ago, ROOT agents harassed her and Shinnosuke—threatening them to leave the ANBU and join ROOT."
"On the 17th of September, at approximately 8 p.m., Shinnosuke suddenly turned into this normally deserted street, suggesting he may have detected someone following him."
If Itachi and Shisui had not committed the crime themselves, they would have genuinely believed that ROOT was responsible.
They knew Danzo—and ROOT—far too well. Whenever ROOT was active in an area and a crime occurred, the conclusion was usually obvious.
ROOT did it.
The ANBU operatives present and the members of the Uchiha clan reached the same conclusion almost instinctively.
On the other hand, the ROOT agents were indignant.
Despite their reputation—and despite knowing better than anyone the countless crimes ROOT had committed—this time, they truly had nothing to do with it.
On the 17th of September, their operation had been entirely different.
They had abducted a civilian shinobi who had allegedly awakened a kekkei genkai.
But that truth could not be spoken.
If it were revealed here, the consequences would be even more severe.
Now, all they could do was hope that Danzo would somehow convince Sarutobi Hiruzen—or find a way to suppress the matter entirely.
---
"Who is the ROOT officer in charge here?" Itachi asked calmly.
"And has that officer submitted a report on ROOT's activities on the 17th of September?"
"I'm handling this matter."
The reply came before anyone else could speak.
Itachi turned toward the voice and found a familiar figure—his former captain— Kakashi Hatake.
"Captain Hound," Itachi said evenly.
"As for ROOT's activities on the 17th," Kakashi continued, his tone neutral, "that information is classified. It cannot be disclosed to you. Bird has already gone to report directly to Hokage-sama."
Itachi studied him for a moment, then inclined his head slightly.
"Captain Hound, I didn't expect you to be overseeing this case. My apologies if my words came off as rude."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"However, until Hokage-sama officially declares this case closed—or explicitly orders us to halt the investigation—we cannot accept your statement at face value."
He paused, his voice calm but cutting.
"I will treat this as a delaying tactic. And since I doubt ROOT will speak voluntarily… I suppose I'll have to go directly to Shimura Danzo for answers."
The street went dead silent.
Directly speaking Danzo's name—without honorifics—and openly declaring an investigation into him…
Very few people in Konoha would dare.
The ANBU operatives stiffened. They were also trapped in this issue. ROOT agents were bound by tongue-sealing techniques and could not speak, and ANBU lacked the authority to interrogate Danzo directly.
A sharp voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Damn Uchiha! Who gave you permission to speak Danzo-sama's name so brazenly—let alone investigate him?!"
"Die!"
A short-statured masked ninja lunged forward, his build suggesting youth. A kunai gleamed as he charged straight for Itachi's heart.
Yet—
Itachi didn't move.
Shisui didn't move.
Neither did the surrounding ANBU or ROOT operatives.
When the enraged youth closed to within ten meters—
Two figures flickered into existence at his sides.
One Uchiha moved to the young man's right side, the other to his left.
Each seized an arm.
Fingers locked around the humerus just above the elbow, one hand stabilizing the upper arm while the other gripped the wrist.
Without hesitation, both Uchiha applied force in opposite directions on their respective sides.
A sharp crack echoed as the elbow joints gave way, bending the arm in the opposite direction.
Before the young man could even process the pain, both Uchiha continued. Each shifted their grip—one hand securing the forearm, the other tightening around the hand—and twisted again with controlled, brutal force.
Another crack followed.
Both wrists rotated far beyond their normal range, the bones failing completely.
Just as the ROOT ninja was about to scream, the Uchiha on his right moved.
A sharp kick struck the front of both legs at once, sweeping them out from under him. At the same moment, the other Uchiha grabbed the back of his head and drove it straight down.
Boom!!!
The impact echoed against the concrete.
The scream never came.
The ROOT ninja went limp—clearly unconscious.