Konoha Military Police Force Headquarters – Office of the Third Combat Division Captain.
Tatsuya Akimichi sat behind the captain's desk. Arrayed before him, standing silently in a neat line, were thirteen shinobi clad in the standard uniform of the Military Police.
Today marked Tatsuya's first official day as the newly appointed Captain of the MP's Third Combat Division. The thirteen individuals before him were the squad leaders assigned to his division. Uchiha Itachi, Sakawa, and Yuuhi Teru were notably among them.
After a month filled with noisy debates and careful negotiations among the clans, the controversial Military Police Reform Plan had finally been finalized.
Under the reformed structure, Fugaku Uchiha remained the Chief of the Military Police. The captain positions for the three Combat Divisions were now held by Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Misuke, and Tatsuya Akimichi respectively. Aside from Tatsuya's appointment, most key leadership positions within the MP were still held by members of the Uchiha clan.
However, a significant change was the reduction of Uchiha personnel within the force by roughly one-third. Most of the reassigned Uchiha officers joined standard village ninja squads, integrating with shinobi from other clans to undertake missions together. The resulting vacancies in the MP were subsequently filled by ninja assigned by the village leadership, primarily drawn from Konoha's major clans, with only a small portion selected from shinobi of civilian backgrounds.
The immediate effect of this reform was that the Military Police Force was no longer solely the Uchiha's domain, breaking their long-held monopoly. Simultaneously, the large-scale integration – Uchiha joining village squads and other clans joining the MP – was intended to further improve the strained relationship between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the village shinobi. In theory, it was a positive step for both the village and the Uchiha clan.
However, not everyone saw it that way. Konoha Council Elders Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu remained staunchly opposed, sharing Danzo's deep-seated wariness and hostility towards the Uchiha. They worried that implementing the reform plan, despite appearances, would actually allow the Uchiha clan's influence within the village to increase further. On the surface, the Uchiha had relinquished some direct control over the MP, but in reality, the Elders feared this integration was a strategic step forward for the clan.
They reasoned that with the Uchiha's inherent strength, if they could only shed their customary arrogance while working alongside others on missions, they could easily gain the recognition and trust of shinobi from other clans. Given time, the Uchiha clan's public image and political influence within Konoha could change dramatically. At that point, the Elders worried, they might even regain the legitimacy to vie for the position of Hokage – an outcome the Elders deemed absolutely unacceptable.
This time, however, the Third Hokage had ignored the counsel of Homura and Koharu, resolutely pushing the reform plan forward. As for Danzo, Hiruzen now completely distrusted him. The rapid rise of Tatsuya Akimichi and his subsequent actions had significantly influenced the political landscape, leading to a surprisingly swift easing of tensions between the Hokage faction and the Uchiha clan over the past two years or so. Through this series of events, Hiruzen himself had undergone a change in perspective. If the Uchiha clan could truly dedicate themselves to serving Konoha, he now reasoned, why shouldn't a future Hokage potentially come from their clan?
Back in the Third Division Captain's office, Tatsuya gave a few brief introductory remarks and then dismissed the assembled squad leaders. The Military Police generally followed established procedures, and Tatsuya had no immediate plans to implement any drastic changes to the division's routine.
After the others had filed out, only Itachi remained with Tatsuya.
"Itachi," Tatsuya asked with a friendly smile, "now that you've left ANBU, does civilian life feel a bit... slow?"
A gentle smile touched Itachi's lips. "It's quite nice, actually. In my free time, I can even pick Sasuke up from the Academy."
Tatsuya chuckled. "Heh, seems like only yesterday Sasuke was tiny."
Itachi smiled silently in agreement.
Tatsuya's expression turned slightly more serious. "Itachi, there's something I'd like you to handle, off the record."
Itachi's smile faded slightly as he adopted a more formal posture. "Please give your orders, Captain."
Tatsuya waved a hand dismissively. "No need to be so formal, Itachi. This isn't official MP business. I want you to keep a close eye on the internal movements within your clan for a while. If you notice anything unusual, anything out of place, report it immediately to me and Shisui."
Itachi's expression turned serious. "Big Brother Tatsuya," he asked, instinctively using the more familiar address, "do you suspect someone within the clan might cause trouble?"
Tatsuya shook his head. "Not internal. External."
"External?" Itachi clarified, "Big Brother Tatsuya... are you referring to that Uchiha clansman with the space-time abilities?"
Tatsuya nodded gravely. "Correct. Him. The Nine-Tails attack years ago, and the defection of Uchiha Hiromi... I suspect he was behind both incidents. With the Uchiha clan undergoing such a significant change now, I'm concerned he might try to use this opportunity to stir up trouble."
"Rest assured, Big Brother Tatsuya," Itachi replied, nodding seriously. "I will keep a close watch."
"Good." Tatsuya smiled, relieved. "With you handling this, I can rest easy." Even though Itachi was only thirteen, Tatsuya had absolute confidence in his exceptional abilities and maturity.
Itachi hesitated for a moment, then spoke again, a trace of uncertainty in his voice. "Big Brother Tatsuya... there's something I'd like to ask for your help with, if I may."
"Oh?" Tatsuya looked at him with a hint of surprise. "What is it? Tell me."
"Big Brother Tatsuya," Itachi began, his tone sincere, "I would like to ask you... to guide Sasuke's training."
"Me? Guide Sasuke's training? Heh." Tatsuya chuckled, genuinely surprised by the request. "Itachi, that's quite unexpected. I don't know much about the intricacies of your Uchiha clan's abilities or the Sharingan. Compared to me, surely you or Shisui would be far more suitable mentors for him?" He couldn't quite grasp Itachi's reasoning behind such a peculiar idea.
"Big Brother Tatsuya," Itachi explained softly, "I'm asking you to teach Sasuke not just about ninjutsu... but more importantly, about what it means to protect his family... and Konoha."
"'Protect family and Konoha?'" Tatsuya echoed, slightly taken aback by the depth of the request. "Itachi, why do you feel that way?"
Itachi's eyes flickered for a moment. "Big Brother Tatsuya... I know that while you may seem indifferent to village affairs on the surface," he said softly, "you've secretly done a great deal for Konoha."
Tatsuya understood immediately. The incredibly perceptive Itachi had definitely sensed or deduced some things about Tatsuya's hidden activities and perhaps his underlying motivations.
Tatsuya thought for a moment before replying, "Let me think about it, Itachi. I'll give you an answer in a few days."
Teaching the future protagonist of the ninja world… Tatsuya mused silently. Thinking about it, the idea isn't entirely unacceptable.
A pleased expression appeared on Itachi's face. "Okay! Thank you very much, Big Brother Tatsuya." He gave Tatsuya a formal bow, clearly hearing the willingness in Tatsuya's non-committal answer.
Looking at the polite and humble prodigy before him, Tatsuya smiled somewhat helplessly and waved a hand. "Alright, alright. I told you, no need for such formalities between us."
They chatted for a while longer about the routine affairs and expectations for the Third Combat Division before Itachi finally took his leave.
Once Itachi was gone, Tatsuya sat quietly at his desk, lost in thought. After a few moments, he came back to himself and quickly formed a series of hand seals.
Poof!
With a cloud of white smoke, several scrolls appeared on the desk before him. A pleased glint appeared in Tatsuya's eyes as he looked at them.
These scrolls represented the carefully compiled spoils gathered by Suijin from the Ancor Vantian operation. Recorded within them were the secrets to Shinno's mastery of the Eight Inner Gates, his Body Regeneration technique, the unique Body Activation Technique, and Yomi's forbidden Dark Medical Ninjutsu. A veritable treasure trove of dangerous and potent knowledge.