Arrest
As three Uchiha ninja walked through a narrow alley, they overheard villagers whispering.
"Those Uchiha dogs' glory days are finally over. I just saw the sour faces of their patrol squads—I nearly burst out laughing."
"Yeah, every single one of them looked like beaten mutts, tails between their legs. Serves them right."
"With Chi Yu-sama leading the Defense Force, the Uchiha are finally going to decline."
"I can't wait. The Uchiha are a cancer on Konoha. They should've been purged long ago."
---
The three Uchiha stiffened, fury flashing in their eyes. Without hesitation, they leapt into the alley, surrounding the villagers.
The civilians paled at the sight of the clan's crest.
"Who was laughing just now? Go on, laugh for me again!"
"Our Uchiha clan is still Konoha's strongest!"
"You dare run your mouths about us? Do you want to die?"
"Apologize now, or you'll regret—"
Suddenly, the three Uchiha were yanked back by their collars and slammed into the dirt.
They struggled, twisting to look up—only to see three expressionless Root operatives standing over them. Behind them, two ANBU watched in silence, taken aback.
The Uchiha shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Release us!"
One Root ninja spoke flatly: "You attempted to commit a crime. You are under arrest."
The Uchiha froze. Attempted a crime?
"We didn't do anything! Don't frame us!" one shouted, thrashing against the iron grip.
The Root operative turned to the villagers. "Were they threatening you?"
One of the civilians quickly raised his voice. "Yes! He just threatened to kill us!"
The Root ninja declared, "The evidence is clear. If you resist, we will use force."
One Uchiha, refusing to back down, tried to wrench himself free. Without hesitation, the Root operative twisted his arm until a sickening crack echoed.
"Ahhh!" The man's scream split the air, drawing a crowd.
The other two Uchiha froze, cold sweat running down their foreheads. They dared not move.
The three were dragged away, their clan crest glaring in the sunlight as Root agents marched them off.
The two ANBU exchanged uneasy glances. They hadn't intervened, but the sheer decisiveness of Root—breaking an Uchiha's arm in the open—left them unsettled.
Whispers rose from the gathered villagers.
"Incredible… Root even dares arrest Uchiha."
"In the past, it was always the Uchiha dragging others away. This time, it's the opposite."
"The Konoha Defense Force really treats everyone equally. No favoritism, even for Uchiha."
"With Chi Yu-sama in charge, we don't need to fear their arrogance anymore."
The story spread quickly. By nightfall, the clan's iron grip over the people was already beginning to unravel.
---
Half an hour later.
Inside the Root base, nine figures knelt before Danzo. Four were the very "villagers" from earlier. The other five had been part of the gathered crowd.
With a puff of smoke, their disguises vanished—Root operatives in civilian henge.
"Mission complete, Danzo-sama," they intoned.
Danzo nodded approvingly. This was only one of several staged incidents across Konoha. By sundown, fifteen Uchiha had been arrested—half of them injured while resisting.
Inside the Root prison, the captured Uchiha sat in claustrophobic cells barely large enough to crouch in. The darkness was absolute, time impossible to measure. Strange noises echoed through the halls, gnawing at their sanity.
Within hours, some had already begun to crack.
---
Meanwhile, in the Konoha Defense Force headquarters—
Uchiha Shisui stormed into the office, fury barely contained. "Chi Yu! What exactly are you trying to do? Using the Defense Force as a tool to hunt down Uchiha?!"
Chi Yu remained seated, calmly sipping tea. "I've said before—if you think my actions are improper, report me to the Fourth Hokage. The fact that you came here instead tells me you found no proof of wrongdoing."
Shisui slammed his fists on the desk. "Don't toy with me! Today, villagers all over Konoha suddenly started slandering my clan—and every time an Uchiha spoke up, your men appeared like clockwork to arrest them on charges of 'attempted crime.' Do you expect me to believe that's coincidence?!"
Chi Yu chuckled, setting down his cup. "Evidence, Shisui. You're the Deputy Captain here—surely you understand the burden of proof? The villagers' resentment toward your clan has been festering for years. Perhaps now, with the Defense Force protecting them, they finally feel free to speak."
His voice turned cold. "Your clan has thrown its weight around for decades. Can't stomach a few harsh words now? Are the Uchiha really that fragile?"
Shisui's jaw clenched, anger distorting his face. But he had nothing—no solid evidence. He'd already investigated, and indeed, every Uchiha arrested had made threats in public. By law, that was grounds for detention.
"Where are they?" Shisui demanded.
Chi Yu's answer was calm, deliberate: "Root Prison."
Shisui's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
He had expected holding cells under the Defense Force—not Danzo's underground hell.
For the first time, doubt gnawed at him. The Uchiha were in more danger than ever.
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