You Can Be Ruthless, But You Must Be Cunning
Two months passed quickly.
Chi Yu's position in the Konoha Defense Force was running more smoothly than ever. He delegated most of the actual work to his subordinates, while the bail money flowed straight into his pocket. It was, in his eyes, the perfect arrangement.
The income wasn't as astronomical as that first explosive week, but it had stabilized at several hundred thousand ryō per day—sometimes even exceeding a million when luck favored him. Over sixty days, Chi Yu had amassed more than fifty million ryō solely through bail collections.
That sum alone was worth more than the bounty on a high-ranking jōnin's head—more than one and a half times what someone like Sarutobi Asuma would fetch on the black market. It was also undeniable proof of just how wealthy and well-connected the Uchiha truly were.
More interestingly, Chi Yu noticed a peculiar trend. On several occasions, before his men had even finished locking an Uchiha in the cell, Fugaku had already dispatched bail money. In some cases, the bail was practically waiting at Chi Yu's desk before the arrest even concluded.
It wasn't hard to understand. Fugaku wanted stability; Chi Yu wanted profit. And together, they were quietly building an unspoken agreement.
In those same two months, Chi Yu had recruited nearly twenty additional shinobi into the Defense Force. Though five or six had resigned in fear of Uchiha retaliation, the vacancies were quickly filled. Thanks to the unit's growing reputation—and the generous pay—plenty of candidates were desperate to join. Even more ironic, Uchiha patrols now avoided Defense Force squads altogether, making the badge of the Defense Force something of an honor in Konoha's streets.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui's plan to help his clansmen unravelled almost immediately. Whenever he left the office to mediate with his clan, Chi Yu used the opportunity to unilaterally implement new rules—internal Defense Force regulations that had nothing to do with Konoha law.
On top of that, Chi Yu personally appointed every squad captain. Unsurprisingly, every last one of them turned out to be Root shinobi.
When Shisui confronted him, Chi Yu's response was maddeningly simple:
> "I couldn't find you, so how could I make rules with you? Since the Deputy Captain wasn't around, I had to do it myself."
From that day on, Shisui practically camped at the Defense Force offices, afraid Chi Yu would tighten his grip even further the moment he looked away.
Elsewhere, the other powers of Konoha were busy. Orochimaru had buried himself in research for two straight months, scarcely leaving his lab. If Chi Yu didn't know better, he might have suspected the sannin had vanished.
Minato Namikaze, by contrast, was hard at work reshaping the Anbu. He promoted trusted allies into captain positions and was carefully preparing to appoint a Commander and Deputy Commander, clearly laying the groundwork for his own power base.
Danzo, uncharacteristically, had been quiet. With Hiruzen actively supporting Minato, opportunities for sabotage were scarce. The Uchiha were already preoccupied with Chi Yu, leaving Danzo to do little more than observe from the shadows.
At this point, the Konoha Defense Force was completely under Chi Yu's control, its structure firmly established. With that secure, his eyes turned to something far greater: Ryūchi Cave and the study of Sage Arts.
---
That evening, after returning home with Kakashi from a mission, Chi Yu sat down to dinner with Uzumaki Kushina and spoke bluntly.
"Kushina, Kakashi—I'll be away for a while."
Kushina tilted her head. "A mission?"
Chi Yu shook his head. "No. I'm going to Ryūchi Cave to train in Sage Mode."
"Oh, right!" Kushina's eyes brightened with realization. "You told me about that before."
Chi Yu nodded. "The Defense Force is stable now, and most of what needed to be done in Konoha is handled. It's the perfect window for me to leave. While I'm gone, Kakashi, I'll need you to look after the Defense Force."
Kakashi nearly choked on his food. He coughed violently, only to receive a pair of heavy-handed slaps on the back from Chi Yu and Kushina. The half-chewed rice shot out of his mouth, leaving him red-faced and half-dead from both coughing and pain.
Glaring, he rasped, "Sensei, I only know how to fight. I don't know the first thing about management. How am I supposed to lead the Defense Force?"
Chi Yu smirked. "That's exactly why I'm leaving it to you. If you only know how to swing a sword, you'll always be a weapon for others. Without cunning, you won't even recognize when someone's plotting against you. You can be straightforward, Kakashi—but you can't afford to be blind."
He continued, "Look at my deputy, Uchiha Shisui. He's talented, but naïve. For two months I've suppressed him completely, and he had no answer. His clan couldn't touch me either—not because of my strength, but because they fear the consequences of crossing me. That's shrewdness, not just power."
"Now Shisui's finally starting to grow sharper. Which means he'll make the perfect opponent for you to cut your teeth on. Consider it training."
Kakashi frowned. "But what if I mess everything up?"
Chi Yu leaned back, unconcerned. "Then you mess it up. At worst, I'll scrap the whole Defense Force. It's just a tool for keeping the Uchiha in check. If one tool breaks, I'll find another."
Kakashi could only twitch his lips. His teacher really did treat the hottest department in Konoha like it was disposable.
"Don't worry," Chi Yu added, his tone softer. "Follow my methods and nothing will collapse. I'll be backing you, so be bold and decisive."
Reluctantly, Kakashi nodded. "Understood, sensei. I'll do my best."
Kushina, who had been listening quietly, asked, "Chi Yu, how long will you be gone?"
"I can't say," Chi Yu admitted. "It depends on how quickly I master Sage Mode. Could be a few months."
Kushina sighed dramatically. "So long? Haaah… you'd better train fast. Best case, you go today and come back tomorrow!"
Chi Yu chuckled helplessly. "If only it were that easy. I'll do my best."
Rising from the table, he dusted off his hands. "I need to inform Orochimaru-sensei of my departure. I'll head out now."
And with that, he left the house and walked toward the sannin's hidden base.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters