Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was heavy. "Yoru, what did you just say?"
Yoru's tone was cold but resolute.
"The Police Force was never meant for battlefield slaughter."
"It exists to maintain village security and protect its order. Sending the Police Force to fight in a war is completely unreasonable and unjust."
"As the captain of the Police Force…"
"I oppose this!"
Hiruzen's voice turned icy. "Times change, Yoru. In wartime, normal rules don't apply."
"It's because it's wartime that the village can't afford chaos."
"How else can we supply and support the front lines?"
"Lord Hokage, if the Police Force is sent to the battlefield and the village falls into turmoil, who takes responsibility?"
"Besides, this rule was set by the Second Hokage when he created the Police Force. If you want to change it, you'd need my approval as captain."
"And I don't agree."
"You—!"
Uchiha Yoru's unyielding stance shocked everyone at the Hokage's meeting.
But clans like the Hyuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who'd been targeted by Hiruzen's retaliations, felt a quiet thrill of satisfaction.
Hiruzen was furious but helpless. For now, he swallowed his anger.
"Fine. The Police Force can stay. But the Uchiha clan must join the war."
"That's within the rules, isn't it?"
"What do you say, Clan Leader Fugaku?"
Before Yoru could respond, Fugaku stepped in.
"I agree."
Fugaku shot him a look, signaling him to stay quiet.
Yoru understood. His earlier defiance had been too bold, and Fugaku was trying to ease the tension.
He also knew what Hiruzen was really after.
The Hokage couldn't let the Uchiha clan sit out the war without paying a price. Sending Fugaku to the front was a way to keep the Uchiha in check.
After lengthy discussions, a final decision was made.
Hiruzen glanced at Yoru before leaving without a word.
Yoru ignored it but noticed something…
Shimura Danzo hadn't attended the meeting.
A suspicion formed in his mind. He was starting to piece things together.
…
"Clan Leader Fugaku, we'll need to support each other on the battlefield."
After the meeting, Hyuga Hiashi approached Fugaku.
Fugaku smiled faintly. "Likewise."
This was his second reason for agreeing to fight.
Since the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho had all been targeted by Hiruzen, the war was a chance to build alliances and band together.
Hiashi understood this too. Their exchanged glances held mutual understanding.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, watching from afar, were less overt.
In this war against the Hidden Cloud, Nara Shikaku was the commander—a role he knew wasn't a blessing.
As everyone dispersed, Fugaku patted Yoru's shoulder.
"Yoru, this war with the Cloud might be our opportunity. I'll work on aligning with the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho. As for the village and the clan… I'm leaving them in your hands."
Yoru nodded. "I understand."
Fugaku smiled. "With you here, I'm at ease."
"But be careful. Hiruzen won't let this go. He's put Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado in charge of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans to consolidate power and suppress us."
"And you? He'll definitely try to eliminate you."
"You noticed, didn't you? Danzo wasn't at the meeting."
"Yeah," Yoru said. "He's probably the piece Hiruzen's using against me."
Fugaku sighed. "I figured as much. Just… be careful."
"I will."
…
That year, war broke out again between the Leaf and the Cloud.
Cloud ninja armies crossed the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Springs, marching toward the Land of Fire. They soon reached the northeastern border and launched their attack.
The Leaf Village struck back, with strategist Nara Shikaku leading the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, Uchiha, and Hyuga to meet the enemy.
The clash of two great nations shook the ninja world.
Though not a full-scale war, its scope was massive. Fear spread, and every major nation watched closely.
Inside the Leaf Village, the war brought a tense atmosphere.
War was never just about the battlefield.
Hiruzen knew he'd compromised and humbled himself to avoid conflict, but war had come anyway. To end it, he had to show the Cloud his resolve.
So, for now, he focused on his duties, securing resources for the front lines. It seemed like he'd paused his plans against the Uchiha.
But that was only a facade.
…
"Captain, no issues in the East District."
"Same for the West District."
At Police Force headquarters, Yoru's squad leaders reported in.
The three lieutenants were Uchiha Yakumi, Uchiha Tetsuka, and Uchiha Inari.
Yoru himself patrolled the North District with Aoki, Yamakaze, and others, as it was the most complex area.
Uchiha Inari spoke up. "The South District's been quiet too. Thanks to your new policies and strict enforcement, the troublemakers are lying low. But…"
"There's something weird."
The others turned to him. "Weird?"
"Yeah. A ninja filed a report saying…"
"His family's grave was dug up."
"What?"
The Police Force members were stunned.
Uchiha Aoki frowned. "Who in the Leaf would stoop to grave-robbing?"
"That's just bizarre…"
No one could make sense of it.
But Yoru's heart skipped a beat.
"Inari, give me the details."
Though confused, Inari saw Yoru's grave expression and nodded. "Yes, Captain."
"The ninja who reported it is named Oishi, a genin. His family's never produced anyone notable. His father was also a genin, never took on high-rank missions, and died of old age and illness. But…"
"The stolen corpse was his father's."
"Oishi was furious. He begged us to find the culprit and recover his father's remains. He said that, even though they weren't remarkable, they'd served the village loyally their whole lives. They might not have great achievements, but they worked hard. For his father to be desecrated after death—it's unforgivable."
"I checked the site myself. No traces were left. If Oishi weren't so devoted, visiting the grave regularly, he might not have noticed anything."
"Captain, do you think there's some conspiracy behind this?"
To the others, it was odd and infuriating but not a major issue.
But Yoru's expression was darker than ever.
Connecting recent village incidents, four words flashed in his mind…
Edo Tensei!
He quickly pieced together the truth.
Hiruzen had ordered the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho to face the Cloud's ninja army.
He'd put Koharu and Homura in charge of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans to keep the village's Uchiha in check.
And Shimura Danzo, who'd been absent even from the Hokage's meeting, had one clear mission…
To deal with him.
Yoru didn't need to guess Danzo's methods. He was likely working with the rogue Orochimaru, gaining new power from him.
And the stolen corpse? It pointed to one of Orochimaru's forbidden jutsu… Edo Tensei.
Danzo was probably using these bodies to secretly study the technique, with one goal in mind…
To kill him.
please visit mypatreon
belamy20