"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Seiryu is leading a Police squad to the Shimura clan compound."
"What?" Hiruzen's eyelid twitched, but he couldn't guess Seiryu's true intentions.
"Hokage-sama, let me go—I'll try to stop him," said Itachi, stepping from the shadows and kneeling before Hiruzen.
Hiruzen studied Itachi for a long time, then sighed. "I'm counting on you, Itachi. The village can't afford any more infighting."
Itachi accepted the order and sped through the village. He quickly reached the outskirts of the Shimura compound, arriving just as Seiryu's group did.
Inside the Shimura compound, everything was draped in white for mourning. Somber music played in the distance.
Standing in Seiryu's way was a masked figure—tall and thin. But in the whole village, who didn't know who the only minor in the ANBU was?
"Itachi, we're here to summon certain members of the Shimura clan for questioning. Are you here on orders from the Hokage to assist?" Seiryu asked.
Having been recognized, Itachi removed his mask.
"Brother Seiryu, go back. The village can't take any more internal strife," Itachi pleaded.
"So, you're here to stop me?" Seiryu's eyes grew cold. "Is this your idea, or the Hokage's?"
By now, a crowd of curious villagers had gathered—the Shimura compound was in a busy part of the village, and such a spectacle was sure to draw attention.
"Danzo Shimura's crimes—defiling the First Hokage's remains and attacking fellow villagers—are confirmed. The Shimura clan has clear financial ties to him. We're just inviting them for questioning. Yet you're standing in our way—why is that?" Seiryu continued, seeing that the crowd was large enough.
Itachi squirmed under the stares of the onlookers.
"Use titles when you're on duty!" Seiryu snapped, cutting off Itachi. "If this is the Hokage's order, I'll turn around right now."
Itachi glanced at the crowd—he couldn't say it was the Hokage's order.
The incident at the village gate had spread across the village overnight.
"Clan Leader…" Itachi could only bow his head under the strange looks from the crowd.
Seiryu led his men past Itachi without further delay.
Soon, the Shimura clan learned what was happening at their gate. The current clan head, Shimura Hiroshi, led a group to block Seiryu's path.
"Sorry, but the Shimura clan is not receiving visitors," Hiroshi said coldly, dressed in a pure black kimono.
"Bad timing for us, then," Seiryu nodded. "Looks like you're holding a funeral?"
"You Uchiha have the nerve to show your faces here!" a young Shimura ninja suddenly charged at Seiryu, but the Uchiha guards were stopped by Seiryu's signal.
The young Shimura was quickly restrained by his people.
"Forgive the ignorance of our younger members," Hiroshi said.
"I understand," Seiryu replied with a smile, "But I'm not here as a guest."
His smile faded. "Please have Shimura Retto, Shimura Ran, and Shimura Yusuke come with us for questioning."
The Uchiha guards, already itching for action, moved forward; the Shimura ninjas tensed in response.
"I'm afraid this isn't proper procedure," Hiroshi said quietly.
"It's just an investigation. The Police Force found records of deep financial dealings between the Shimura clan and Root. I believe in your innocence," Seiryu said, taking out the charred ledger.
"What's there to say, Clan Leader? The Uchiha are treacherous! Elder Danzo died at your hands. Let's avenge him!" the same young Shimura ninja shouted.
"So the Shimura clan is conspiring with Danzo to betray the village," Seiryu said coldly, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning into Mangekyō form.
Hiroshi wanted to flare up, but seeing Seiryu's Mangekyō in his eyes, he held back his anger and said, "Fine! I'll let them go with you."
As Danzo's cousin, Hiroshi had witnessed first-hand the battle between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. He knew all too well the terror of the Mangekyō. If Seiryu went all out here, the Shimura clan would be wiped out.
Besides, Seiryu was acting in the name of justice. If they resisted, they'd have no way to clear their name.
"You should have cooperated from the start," Seiryu said with a laugh, signaling En'u to take the suspects.
"Clan Leader!" The younger Shimura was furious. They were used to throwing their weight around, not being humiliated.
"Don't make things hard for me," Seiryu whispered in Hiroshi's ear.
Hiroshi's mouth twitched, but he only signaled for his people to calm down.
The arrests didn't take long—everyone Seiryu named was present. Once cuffed, En'u reported back.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Clan Leader," Seiryu said, relaxing once the suspects were in hand. "But let me give you a word of advice: holding a funeral for a traitor at a time like this may not be the best idea."