Huge Profits
Uchiha Shisui returned to the Konoha Defense Force headquarters with the bail money and confronted Chi Yu.
"This is the bail money. You can release my clansmen now, right?"
Chi Yu glanced at the stack of bills on the table and smiled faintly.
"Of course. But I must remind you, Deputy Captain—these people are now considered criminals in the eyes of the Konoha Defense Force, not merely your clansmen. As someone in your position, you'd do well to avoid the appearance of favoritism."
Shisui's expression hardened, his tone clipped.
"In my eyes, they are victims of injustice, not criminals. I don't need your advice on private matters, Captain. The bail has been paid. Release them."
Chi Yu raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Of course, of course. I'm only offering a reminder. Whether you heed it or not is up to you. Don't worry—since the money is here, they'll be released. First, though, let me count it."
He counted carefully. Two million ryō.
Eighteen Uchiha shinobi were being held in Root's underground prison. After deducting bail, two hundred thousand ryō remained.
Chi Yu snapped his fingers.
Instantly, a Root operative knelt before him.
"Release the Uchiha prisoners," Chi Yu ordered with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, sir."
The operative vanished, leaving Shisui standing in tense silence.
Chi Yu's smile widened, false warmth dripping from his voice.
"Deputy Captain, you can collect your… criminals now. Or should I say, your clansmen."
Shisui's jaw tightened. He gave a curt "hmph" before turning and leaving without another word.
Chi Yu watched him go, utterly unbothered.
"He's desperate. Forced into a corner."
He leaned back, thinking. Shisui was known as one of the few truly upright members of the Uchiha—respectful, courteous, the kind of shinobi who sought to bridge divides. But now, standing against Chi Yu, his restraint had all but snapped.
That was fine. To Chi Yu, this was expected.
If Shisui had been all smiles even now, Chi Yu would have suspected some deeper, hidden scheme.
He turned back to the cash on the table and sighed in satisfaction.
"Two million in one day. Easy money. Huge profits indeed."
He had offhandedly promised that part of the funds would be given to the Hokage, Minato Namikaze, for village reconstruction. But Chi Yu knew himself—he had no real intention of handing over a single coin.
Even if Minato asked, what then? Would the Hokage lower himself to beg? And if he did, Chi Yu could stall, delay, or simply refuse. Once money touched his pocket, it never left.
The irony wasn't lost on him—he even had to go to Minato for his own division's salaries.
Two million ryō in one day. Twenty million in ten. Enough to fund an organization like Akatsuki for months.
At that thought, his mind wandered to Yahiko, Pakura, and Raiga Kurosuki. What were they doing now?
---
Elsewhere, at sea
On a merchant vessel cutting through rough waters, Yahiko, Pakura, and Raiga clung to the ship's masts, battered by fierce winds. They had accepted a guard mission to protect the ship from pirates and rogue shinobi.
None of them had expected to be caught in a sudden, violent storm.
Now, soaked to the bone and barely able to stand, the three of them held fast to the rigging, fighting not an enemy—but nature itself.
---
Back in Konoha
On the path near Root's underground facilities, Shisui waited. He wasn't permitted to enter, but he knew his clansmen would be released soon.
Finally, more than a dozen Uchiha emerged.
Relief softened Shisui's face. He raised a hand and called, "Here!"
But his smile froze.
The group approached with blank stares and lifeless steps, like puppets without strings.
Alarm shot through him. He rushed to the nearest and asked, "What happened to you? Did they torture you?"
The man didn't even acknowledge him, simply moved around and kept walking.
Shisui scanned their bodies—no visible injuries. No signs of physical torture. His confusion deepened.
Then a voice came from behind.
"We weren't tortured…"
Turning, Shisui saw a familiar face: Uchiha Kangie, a clansman he had long considered a friend.
"Kangie!" Shisui rushed over. "Tell me—what's going on? Why are they like this?"
Kangie's eyes flickered with fear.
"We were locked in pitch-dark cells, barely able to move. No light, no sound except for those… noises. Wailing, crying… I don't know if it was animals, people, or something else. It broke us down, second by second. A minute felt like a day. I was lucky. I wasn't held long. But I'll never go back in there again. Not alive."
His voice shook, then hardened into bitterness.
"Shisui—you're Deputy Captain of the Konoha Defense Force. Why didn't you help us?"
Shisui opened his mouth, but no words came. He wanted to protect them. He had tried. But against Danzo's Root, against Fugaku's refusal to intervene… he was powerless.
Kangie's eyes filled with disappointment. He turned away, rejoining the group without another glance.
The weight of that look cut into Shisui deeper than any blade.
They misunderstood. They thought he had abandoned them. And no explanation could erase the truth: he hadn't saved them.
Shisui stood motionless, head bowed, for a long time.
At last, he lifted his gaze, determination burning behind his eyes. He whispered to himself:
"No matter what, I can't sit idle. Even if I can't save everyone… saving even one is worth it."
---
The following days
Shisui began leaving the Defense Force early, patrolling the village on his own. Whenever he found Root operatives unjustly targeting Uchiha clansmen, he stepped in, cutting their schemes short.
Word quickly reached Chi Yu.
"This boy… truly foolish," Chi Yu sneered. "A Deputy Captain assigned to monitor me, yet he abandons his post to play savior. I almost pity Hokage-sama for trusting him."
He waved dismissively to his Root operatives.
"Don't waste your time worrying about him. He's just one man. He can't save them all. Continue following Lord Danzo's plan."
And with Shisui chasing shadows, the Konoha Defense Force fell entirely under Chi Yu's control.
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