Uchiha Mahiru was putting on his shoes on the doorstep.
His wife said from behind, "Mahiru, will you be promoted to Jonin this time?"
"Definitely."
The sound of pattering feet came from behind as his daughter, who disliked wearing shoes, ran over.
Uchiha Mahiru caught his daughter, teasing her with his stubble, scaring her so much she leaned back and struggled repeatedly.
He said, "After the Land of Whirlpools war, the Clan Head recommended four of us Tokubetsu Jonin for promotion to full Jonin."
"Our Uchiha clan shed blood in the Land of Whirlpools and achieved so many military merits."
"The village shouldn't begrudge us just four Jonin slots."
"I heard the Sarutobi clan recommended nine for Jonin, the most among all the shinobi clans."
Mahiru's wife said, "The number of Jonin is small, and their status is high. I'm just afraid the village is unwilling to let us have four more Jonin."
"It's fine. Even if the village needs to screen candidates, my mission record is among the best of the Tokubetsu Jonin."
Uchiha Mahiru put on his Military Police Force vest, left home, and headed for the Military Police Force headquarters.
Uchiha shinobi went to the front lines during war, but usually held positions within the Military Police Force.
The work in the Military Police Force was tedious, the salary was low, and the village restricted the number of regular missions Uchiha shinobi could undertake, trapping them within the Military Police Force.
Entering the interrogation department, Uchiha Mahiru saw that the Sixth Patrol Team had brought in a suspect.
This suspect was accused of stealing the pension funds of fallen shinobi and refused to disclose where he had hidden the money.
Uchiha Mahiru thought to himself, Konoha shinobi sacrifice themselves on the front lines, and you dare steal their families' pension funds in the village?
"I'll interrogate this one myself. Wake him up!"
Two minutes later, Uchiha Mahiru left the interrogation room, his eyes filled with panic and confusion.
A Military Police Force shinobi looked inside the room.
"He's dead?"
Uchiha Mahiru said, "So he's dead. He was just a thief stealing pension funds. Send someone to the ANBU, ask the ANBU's Yamanaka clansmen to come read the memories from the corpse's brain."
Ten minutes later, several ANBU members appeared at the entrance of the Konoha Military Police Force.
The Deputy Chief of the Military Police Force, Uchiha Tōka, hurried down the stairs.
Seeing it was his acquaintance, Fox, Uchiha Tōka breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jonin Fox, what is this about?"
Yōkō thought, Sorry about this, but said in a stern tone:
"I'm here to take Uchiha Mahiru to the ANBU for questioning. The ANBU received news that a Konoha villager died in the Military Police Force interrogation department."
"Where is Uchiha Mahiru? Tell him to come out."
In the hall, all the Military Police Force shinobi looked at Uchiha Tōka, hoping he could send the ANBU away.
But Uchiha Tōka felt bitter inside.
Fox was one of the four ANBU squad leaders and was highly trusted by the Hokage and Yellow Dog.
Even if their clan head were here...
Uchiha Kane also came down from upstairs and said,
"Jonin Fox, might there be some misunderstanding? Mahiru was interrogating a thief who stole the pension funds of fallen shinobi."
Hippo stepped forward at this point and said:
"According to our intelligence, the thief was also an orphan of a fallen shinobi, and his family has had long-standing conflicts with the family he stole from."
"The ANBU has confirmed that he did not take the pension money, he just moved it to another location as a prank."
"The person you interrogated to death wasn't a thief; he was the orphan of a fallen shinobi!"
Yōkō said, "Clan Head Kane, a life is at stake. The ANBU must take Uchiha Mahiru away. If his guilt is minor, he will naturally be released."
Uchiha Mahiru slowly pushed through the crowd and came before the ANBU shinobi.
He didn't know what punishment awaited him, but his chance for the Jonin qualification was likely hopeless.
When Uchiha Fugaku hurriedly arrived at the Military Police Force, he saw the retreating figures of the ANBU and Uchiha Mahiru.
He quickly went to the Chief's office on the top floor and saw his father and teacher Tōka with serious expressions.
After signaling Fugaku to close the door, Uchiha Tōka said:
"Clan Head, without a representative of our Uchiha clan in the Hokage Building, we are too passive.
This move against us, we knew nothing about it."
Uchiha Kane shook his head and said, "Since Kagami's death, our connection to the Hokage Building has been severed."
"Which of those high-ranking officials in the Hokage Building do you think would support us?"
"Even if we tried to curry favor, how much trust would we gain?"
"Danzo's Root selects talent for the ANBU. Danzo has approached other shinobi clans, but never our Uchiha clan or the Senju clan."
"After this Land of Whirlpools war, we gained 21 clansmen with the Three Tomoe Sharingan. I only recommended four of them for promotion to Jonin, and the village is unwilling."
Uchiha Tōka asked, "Did something happen to Mahiru specifically because he was recommended for Jonin?"
Uchiha Kane did not deny it. He understood immediately that the problem wasn't with Mahiru, but that the ANBU was targeting him.
Fugaku, standing to the side, suddenly said, "Father, Teacher, could we proactively apply to join the ANBU, work for the Third Hokage, and gradually gain the trust of the higher-ups?"
"I am willing, for the sake of the clan, to proactively apply to the Third Hokage to join the ANBU!"
"Nonsense!" Uchiha Kane said:
"What do you think the ANBU is, a good place?"
"Don't just see Copper Fox's prestige; look also at the ANBU's terrifying casualty rate."
"Do you think carrying out missions for the Third Hokage is that easy?"
"On the Land of Whirlpools battlefield, Copper Fox had a decent relationship with us. He instructed you, and we completed the mission to ambush the Kiri-nin sword retrieval team together."
"But look, after Copper Fox returned to the village, did he care about our past connection?"
"The first step of ANBU training is to eliminate emotions, destroy the self, and amplify the darkness within one's heart."
"The Hokage's orders are everything."
"After entering an ANBU like that, would you still be you?"
"But aside from joining the ANBU, what other method is there to gain the trust and support of the higher-ups?"
Uchiha Kane said slowly, "Don't be too anxious. I sensed no killing intent from Copper Fox; he won't do anything serious to Mahiru."
"What the ANBU wants is to sabotage Mahiru's Jonin recommendation, not to harm Mahiru himself."
"Go inquire about the treatment of the Senju clan. If both the Senju and Uchiha clans are being suppressed, then I'll feel a bit more balanced."
Inside the ANBU base, Hippo brought Uchiha Mahiru to an interrogation room.
Yōkō had the others leave. He would interrogate Uchiha Mahiru alone.
"Uchiha Mahiru, the intelligence says you are skilled in Fire Release?"
"Yes."
Uchiha Mahiru was unwilling to say more than a single word.
"Being skilled in Fire Release is good..."
Hippo outside the door suddenly heard the sound of a struggle and rushed into the interrogation room.
Hippo stood frozen in place, horrified... Uchiha Mahiru? Killed Squad Leader Fox?
To frame the Uchiha, he's going this far?
—
[Mochizuki's Arc activated!
The host has only one resurrection opportunity per month, reviving on the previous full moon night after death.
Reward: One lottery opportunity...]
Yōkō returned to the previous full moon night and used the system lottery to obtain Fire Attribute Chakra.
The war was over; he had ample opportunity to strengthen himself gradually.
The events unfolded as they had in the previous timeline: Hippo used the spy to frame Uchiha Mahiru and brought him to Root.
Three days later, Uchiha Kane went to the Hokage Building and withdrew Uchiha Mahiru's Jonin recommendation.
Yellow Dog found Yōkō.
"Fox, well done."
"I don't dare take all the credit," Yōkō said, unwilling to claim the merit alone. "Hippo proposed the plan, and he arranged everything from start to finish."
Better to share the burden of such unscrupulous deeds rather than let it all fall on Yōkō's head.
After debriefing the mission, Yōkō had Purple Cat bring the squadron's jutsu scrolls.
It was time to learn a Fire Release jutsu.
***
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(Chapter end)