Chapter 371: I Am a Konoha Shinobi (Part Two)
Kei arrived at the Police Force headquarters early the next morning.
But the moment his eyes landed on the stack of documents spread across his desk, he felt a dull pressure forming at his temples.
There was no helping it.
The volume of paperwork that now required review and approval by the Police Force had become absurd.
It even made him consider whether he should transfer Uchiha Jun back to headquarters.
After all, that woman was genuinely skilled at handling administrative affairs.
Of course, he had another option—dig deeper into the Ino–Shika–Chō clans and see whether he could uncover a few more capable talents.
But that idea was dismissed almost immediately.
He had no real conflict with the Ino–Shika–Chō, and doing so would only make him appear magnanimous by contrast.
Their recent behavior was clearly aimed at opposing him.
If he responded with generosity at this moment, it would greatly improve his political image.
Still, after a moment's thought, he abandoned the idea.
He genuinely disliked their style of survival and operation—it interfered with his judgment.
In the end, he was still human.
He had preferences.
And if he disliked something, he disliked it—unless there were no other options, he preferred to keep a certain distance from the Ino–Shika–Chō.
Ayaka, on the other hand, was a decent candidate.
He had considered using this period to train her administrative abilities, strengthening her advantage for a future bid for Head of the Medical Department.
But while she did cooperate when asked, her true focus remained on her experiments.
Administrative matters simply did not hold her attention.
"It looks like I really need to promote a few people," Uchiha Kei thought silently.
"Bring Jun back and assign her to work she's better suited for… but then who takes over the Third Squad?"
That question gave him pause.
There were, in fact, quite a few options.
For example, he could easily extend a favor to Kenta—allow him to select someone from among the Uchiha members stationed in the Police Force, someone both competent and acceptable to Kei, to serve as squad captain.
But after thinking it through, Kei shook his head.
This was not a decision to be rushed.
For now, Uchiha Jun should remain where she was—her identity was still too sensitive.
And even if she were transferred, the most likely replacement would be someone from Uchiha Fugaku's faction anyway.
"Or perhaps someone from one of the smaller clans attached to the Uchiha…"
Fugaku had successfully drawn several minor clans into alignment with the Uchiha, a trend that had accelerated significantly after the Nine-Tails incident.
Kei and Fugaku's performances had simply been too outstanding.
The Police Force's reputation had skyrocketed.
And during the Nine-Tails disaster, the actions of those two had earned the Uchiha enormous political capital.
Naturally, wavering minor clans—and even some capable civilian shinobi—eventually chose to side with the Uchiha.
But when numbers grew, flaws in profit distribution inevitably appeared.
For instance, none of the captains Kei had promoted so far came from minor clans or civilian backgrounds.
There had been Kenta—
but that bastard had somehow turned into the de facto representative of the Senju.
Who wouldn't find that ridiculous?
Fukuhiko Kōta was also under consideration.
However, problems had recently surfaced involving his older brother—Kei's former jōnin instructor—which forced Kei to set him aside for now.
Until Kei fully understood that man's motives, loyalties, and intentions, Kōta could not be trusted with high authority.
After all, who could guarantee he wouldn't leak Police Force secrets out of brotherly loyalty?
Especially now—when every squad captain except the Fourth Squad was a diehard loyalist to Kei or the Uchiha.
"What a ridiculous amount of trouble…" Kei sighed softly.
"When does any of this ever end?"
He was keenly aware that the matters surrounding him were multiplying at an alarming pace.
And it seemed directly proportional to his rising status.
Perhaps this was the meaning behind 'with greater power comes greater responsibility'—
or maybe even 'those who prosper must benefit the world'.
Shaking his head, Kei checked the time.
9:30 a.m.
Not early, not late—exactly half an hour after work officially began for an administrative department like his.
Ayaka had taken the day off, apparently planning to stabilize her weakened condition through some method of her own.
Kei approved the request without hesitation.
And truthfully, her absence gave him room to handle certain… delicate matters.
Ayaka's position within the Police Force was unique.
Almost everyone treated her as Kei's romantic partner.
As a result, her freedom of movement was unusually high—she was likely the only person who could enter the Director's office without explicit permission.
Of course, she rarely abused that privilege.
But to guard against special circumstances, Kei avoided openly discussing sensitive topics whenever she was around.
Who knew what she might overhear—or deduce?
As he waited quietly, a knock finally sounded on the office door.
After granting permission, the door opened.
The two men he had been waiting for stepped inside—
Uchiha Kawa and Uchiha Ryū.
"Director," both men said respectfully, bowing deeply.
They were, without question, Kei's most loyal subordinates.
"Mm. Come in." Kei nodded, pointing to the chairs nearby.
"Pull them over and sit. I have questions—and tasks—for you."
"Yes, Director."
They moved quickly, drawing the chairs over and sitting upright before him.
Kei nodded in quiet approval.
Their performance—both administratively and operationally—had been exemplary.
They carried out his directives flawlessly, and their combat strength had grown steadily.
Though their Sharingan had been awakened through special means, this had not hindered their growth.
On the contrary, their progress had accelerated.
Uchiha Kawa now possessed a pair of double-tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha Ryū did as well.
Although Ryū's eyes had initially mirrored Uchiha Sasuke's—one single tomoe and one double—over the past year, he had elevated both eyes to a higher level.
The same was true for Kawa.
Two years had not been wasted.
Unfortunately, the war had already ended.
Otherwise, their growth might have gone even further.
"This time, I called you here first to ask about the materials I told you to prepare," Uchiha Kei said, lowering his voice deliberately.
"These documents are difficult to handle, but you still need to speed things up."
"We understand, Lord Kei," Uchiha Ryū replied just as quietly.
"But the materials need to be sorted by year, and reconstructing timelines is extremely complex. We specifically captured several individuals skilled in grave robbing and forgery to assist us—but even so, this process takes time."
"I know. I'm just reminding you," Kei sighed, quickly regaining his composure.
"That woman has been asking about it more frequently lately. And those people you captured…"
"They all had blood on their hands," Uchiha Kawa interjected calmly.
"None of them were driven by desperation or survival. We deliberately chose scum. That way, silencing them is justified—and when they die, no one will question it."
Kei nodded in approval.
He did not care whether grave robbers or forgers lived or died.
What mattered was whether exposure would affect the Police Force.
Kawa and Ryū clearly understood this as well.
Scum dying never aroused sympathy—often not even suspicion.
"Good. You handled it well," Kei said.
"Second matter: recover your combat readiness. The Police Force may soon be heading to the battlefield."
"The battlefield?" Both men froze.
This was no good news—but neither hesitated.
"No problem, Lord Kei. Sixty percent of the Police Force has prior combat experience. Regaining form won't be difficult. It's just—"
"Don't ask," Kei cut them off, folding his hands before his face.
"I won't explain. Just be prepared. This is an opportunity—and your status as jōnin will carry greater weight going forward. Lastly, I need one more thing from you."
"Please command us," both men bowed deeply.
"We will do everything in our power."
"I need you to spread certain information," Kei said quietly.
"The impact will be significant. It must not appear deliberate—but it also must not be weak. You'll have your work cut out for you."
---
Deep beneath Konoha, in the Root underground chamber, the Third Hokage sat silently.
His gaze was deep and distant, as though staring into time itself.
After a long while, he closed his eyes.
When they opened again, an indescribable sharpness flared within them.
Slowly, he raised his head and looked toward a sculpture symbolizing Root.
A cold smile slowly formed.
"The Hokage is always Konoha's Hokage. No matter how vicious our internal struggles become, they are still internal conflicts of ideology. Trying to achieve your goals through that method… are you truly underestimating me?"
---
As time's spirit drifted across the Hokage Monument, fifty-eight-year-old Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there.
What he saw reflected back was his twelve-year-old self.
That year, he had been chosen by Senju Tobirama—before Tobirama even became Hokage.
That year, he gained companions who still lived vividly in his heart:
Shimura Danzō.
Uchiha Kagami.
Akimichi Torifu.
Mitokado Homura.
Utatane Koharu.
They were Tobirama's chosen disciples—and Hiruzen's most treasured memories.
They shared the same teacher.
The same ideals.
The same dream.
They were inseparable.
Yet time is gentle, and people are not.
Change was inevitable.
Even as their bonds endured, something beneath the surface shifted—silently, irreversibly.
Perhaps it was the price of growth.
Perhaps the burden of clan and ambition.
Everyone developed their own secrets.
For power.
For influence.
For survival.
They no longer fought each other openly—but calculations replaced trust.
Even Hiruzen himself had changed.
That transformation accelerated after Tobirama became Hokage.
Even within the Sarutobi clan, voices arose—forcing compromise, forcing concessions, forcing him to abandon parts of himself.
For the clan's future.
For stability.
At twenty-five, Hiruzen told himself: People change.
But eventually, he realized the change was spiraling beyond control.
The warmth was gone.
In its place was a coldness—unnatural, unsettling.
Everyone climbed upward for their own interests, for their clans.
Smiles remained.
Distance did not.
Even when they tried to hide it.
---
Then war came.
Nearly thirty years of peace collapsed under economic imbalance and territorial ambition.
The First Shinobi World War erupted.
Konoha clashed violently with Kumogakure.
The Land of Lightning gambled everything—sending over a thousand shinobi into Fire Country.
Tobirama led Konoha's elites and won—but at terrible cost.
Kumo fractured internally.
The Second Raikage sought peace.
The Gold and Silver Brothers did not.
Hiruzen would never forget the summit.
Never forget the coup.
Never forget how the Second Raikage died.
Never forget how Tobirama was mortally wounded.
And never forget the question Tobirama asked during the retreat.
"I will stay behind."
Hiruzen's answer had been immediate. Absolute.
Even now, he would make the same choice.
He was willing—always willing—to die for Konoha.
And because of that resolve, he became the Third Hokage.
They had all dreamed of it.
They were closest to the throne.
Their clans wanted it.
Hiruzen wanted it.
And he won.
---
At forty-five, he stood at the peak of his power.
But only after sitting upon the Hokage's seat did he understand its true weight.
Opposition.
Betrayal.
Conflicting interests.
He learned compromise.
Manipulation.
Deception.
He learned how to threaten, bargain, and promise what could never be fulfilled.
He learned to doubt friends.
He learned to strike decisively—against his own village.
Fifteen years.
That was how long it took to build an unshakable internal power structure.
And along the way, he saw Kagami die.
Watched the Uchiha hawks rise.
Witnessed endless betrayal and darkness.
But he endured.
For Konoha.
The wars never stopped.
Before the Second ended, the Third began.
Pressure crushed him from all sides.
Yet he stood firm.
Konoha won.
At a terrible cost.
Stability returned—along with seeds of decay.
Then everything collapsed.
His successor betrayed him.
His student betrayed him.
His closest friend—Danzō—died to internal strife.
His wife died.
Killed by an unknown Uchiha.
He grew old.
Exhausted.
Lost everything.
But his heart never changed.
He wanted Konoha to be better.
Always.
He lowered his gaze to the stone beneath his feet.
For a moment, he could not tell whether he was fifty-eight… or forty-eight.
Some memories demanded everything he had.
Some moments made him believe youth could return.
But stepping out of the tunnel of time, clarity came.
He was grateful—for the journey, for the honor of being Third Hokage.
Past figures echoed in his mind.
Hashirama.
Tobirama.
Kagami.
Danzō.
Friends and enemies alike.
Raising his head, he stood tall.
And there—reflected in the stone—was his twenty-eight-year-old self.
The moment he said:
"I will stay behind."
"Third Hokage-sama."
Minato Namikaze appeared behind him—young, vibrant, full of life.
"You've come, Fourth," Hiruzen said quietly, closing his eyes.
"I did not want to speak with you.
But my heart, my original intention, my dream… all tell me this:
If I make that choice, I do not deserve the title of Third Hokage."
He opened his eyes.
They were deep. Unwavering.
"I am a Konoha shinobi.
I am the Third Hokage.
And I will never allow myself…"
"…to betray Konoha."