Chapter 58: Flexing Muscles
The rumors circulating in the village about Kakashi had made many people uneasy. After all, they feared that if it was Kakashi today, it could be their turn tomorrow. Besides, many ANBU members had been recipients of Kakashi's kindness, and most of them had been present during Kakashi's farewell banquet. So, their decision to remain on the sidelines was not surprising at all.
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On the other side, the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans received the Hokage's order and quickly gathered their clan's shinobi. However, before they could even step onto the village streets, a squad of shinobi accompanied by a squad of ninja dogs arrived at their compound.
Leading the group were Inuzuka Jaws and Aburame Shimi, both smiling as they approached Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza.
Shikaku sighed slightly and asked,
"What brings you two to the territories of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio at this hour?"
Inuzuka Jaws smiled nonchalantly and replied,
"Ah, Nara Clan Leader, there's no need to be so formal. We're just here to pay a friendly visit—nothing more."
"Just a visit?" Yamanaka Inoichi frowned as he looked at the fully armed shinobi and ninja dogs.
"Of course," Inuzuka Jaws said with a grin.
"It's just that we might have come at a bad time. Are the three clan leaders planning to go somewhere with all these people? Haven't you heard? The village is under a curfew tonight."
"We have received an order from the Third Hokage to maintain order in the village. We request that you two give way," Nara Shikaku said in a stern tone.
"But we have our own orders, which state that tonight's curfew applies to everyone except Police Department personnel. Anyone else seen wandering the streets will be treated as a rioter," Aburame Shimi stated calmly.
Shikaku furrowed his brow.
"When did the Inuzuka and Aburame clans start taking orders from the Police Department?"
Inuzuka Jaws replied with a chuckle,
"We're not exactly following the Police Department's orders. It's just that our clans don't have as many high-ranking members in the village administration as the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Since our clans finally have members serving as Police Department captains, as clan leaders, it's only natural for us to support their work. I hope you can understand."
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Through their clan secret technique, a private communication channel opened up among the three clan leaders.
Choza Akimichi asked,
"What do we do now, Shikaku? Should we fight?"
After a moment of contemplation, Shikaku replied,
"No, just stay here. Their presence is actually beneficial to us. Let's just wait until this whole matter settles down."
"But what about the Third Hokage? Won't this make us look bad in his eyes?" Inoichi questioned.
"With them standing here, we have all the justification we need to explain our position. Fighting them would force our hand to side entirely with Hiruzen. But what if Sarutobi can't maintain control for long? He's getting older, and his influence has waned since Danzo's death. We can't risk putting our clan's fate on such an uncertain path."
In his analysis, Shikaku knew that if they really fought here, it would force the Ino-Shika-Cho trio into Sarutobi's camp irrevocably. Even if Sarutobi managed to win this political struggle, how much longer could he maintain his power? Who would be the Fifth Hokage?
In Shikaku's mind, the only reasonable successors would be either Jiraiya or Tsunade. If Tsunade were willing to return to the village and openly express her desire to become Hokage, Shikaku would have no problem betting on her. However, she was currently more interested in gambling and living as a vagabond.
As for Jiraiya, Shikaku couldn't bring himself to put his clan's future in the hands of a man who roamed the world, chasing after a vague prophecy about a "Child of Prophecy."
And if the successor turned out to be Kakashi—assuming he truly stood on Sarutobi's side—then it would be even more disastrous for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to oppose the Police Department. Therefore, after careful consideration, staying put and not intervening was clearly the best option.
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Inside the Hokage Office, Sarutobi used his Telescope Technique to observe the situation in the village. What he saw left him in disbelief: the ANBU were mostly standing idle, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio's compound was blocked by fully armed Inuzuka and Aburame forces.
Sarutobi's heart sank. He had known that the Inuzuka clan had aligned with the Uchiha after welcoming Uchiha Douhuan's visit, but he hadn't anticipated them going all-in like this. What shocked him even more was the involvement of the Aburame clan.
Taking a long drag from his pipe, he addressed the only ANBU still in the office.
"Go mobilize the Jonin teams from the village to assist the ANBU."
"Understood." The last remaining ANBU member left to carry out the order.
With the ANBU gone, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado resumed their constant grumbling, but Sarutobi barely registered their words. He was too deep in thought.
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Sarutobi Hiruzen now clearly understood that tonight's event was not just the Police Department taking advantage of a situation—it was Uchiha Douhuan flexing his muscle, showcasing the power he had amassed in the short time since Danzo's death.
The most terrifying part was that Douhuan was doing everything legally. Every step he took adhered to the rules of the village, making it impossible for Hiruzen to find any fault to exploit. Unlike past Uchiha clan leaders who either lacked political acumen or were too prideful to engage in village politics, Douhuan operated like a political mastermind.
For Sarutobi, the only bit of solace was that Douhuan had not gone completely out of control and was still showing restraint.
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