Chapter 156: Exposing the Kaleidoscope

When the families pooled their information, they discovered that, aside from the Zhuanren clan, the families protected by Zhuanren Xiao Chun and Mizuto Yan during this period were all subjected to a hard search by the Police Department.

Some families couldn't deal with the issues uncovered by the investigation; some families, trembling with fear after sending off the Police Department, were told that for the next month they would be under Police Department surveillance.

"How outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! How can the Uchiha be so overbearing? It's just the actions of one or two clan members; how can it be elevated to the whole clan?"

"This is clearly intentional retaliation; does the Uchiha really intend to be so decisive?"

The Uchiha are strong, but they are not easy to bully; if truly pressed, they don't mind taking on the Uchiha in a fight.

"Go to the Police Department, find Shisui Uchiha to demand justice, and force them to overturn the ruling."

"Go to the Police Department!"

The crowd realized they were unwilling to be suppressed by the Police Department in such a humiliating way, so they united to seek justice.

Shisui looked at the people, his expression calm, and said: "The Uchiha once had a rogue ninja, so the Uchiha were placed under surveillance by the Konoha senior officials, and their clan lands were relocated. If any of you find the surveillance unbearable, you may consider moving to the outskirts of the Konoha."

A rogue Uchiha?

At first the crowd didn't grasp Shisui's meaning, but after hearing about the clan land relocation they quickly caught on, and their faces turned green.

The Nine-Tails caused so much loss to the Village; you only monitor the relocation, and you don't revoke the Uchiha's authority in the Police Department—so you sneakily enjoy yourselves.

The crowd complained wildly in their hearts, but Shisui actually cited precedent, leaving them helpless; they looked at each other, hearing that Shisui is relatively easy to talk to and willing to argue reasonably.

After that, they learned the detailed situation of the Zhuanren clan.

Zhuanren Xianghui and his second elder died on the spot, the Zhuanren advisor was so angry he spat blood, and the Zhuanren clan also fell under surveillance. Upon learning these facts, they instantly regained composure and silently left the Police Department.

"Alas, what is this? In three days there will be the Jonin meeting, and at this critical moment such an incident occurs. Now the Police Department has sealed the entire Konoha under the pretext of searching for an assassin. Does Nara Suzaku still have any chance?"

"I feel there was never any chance to begin with."

The reputation of the Nara clan was long tarnished by Zhuanren Xiao Chun; trying to restore it is far from easy.

"I think the two assistants are truly unreliable; they can't even protect themselves, let alone us."

"The Police Department has already won over many Jonin; with the position of the Fifth Head, the Uchiha are bound to claim it. If we continue to follow the two assistants down a dark path, and Nara Suzaku loses the election, our clan will be in trouble."

"It shouldn't be that extreme; Shisui Uchiha shouldn't be that kind of person."

"But he also has a Third Elder, and that fellow is no good at all—comparing him to Danzo wouldn't be an exaggeration."

"Hmph, with the Uchiha being so overbearing, will the villagers support them?"

"Hard to say. I heard that early this morning, several Uchiha shops began selling rice, flour, oil, and salt at low prices—only half of other shops' rates. Villagers are queuing to buy, but buyers must register, and each person can only purchase a limited amount."

"There are limits?"

"Exactly, I just heard from the Police Department that early this morning the Zhuanren assistant woke up, learned of the Uchiha's low-price sales, and had the clan members covertly purchase large quantities."

But the Zhuanren clan lands are already under Police Department surveillance; anyone who comes out must register, so the purchaser's identity was exposed on the spot.

Then the Uchiha released a notice, calling the Zhuanren clan's competition with villagers for profit disgraceful, and set restrictions: buyers must not only register but also have purchase limits, so that every villager gets a share.

"It's not just the Zhuanren clan; the Mizuto clan and some other ninja clans also did it secretly. Now it's been discovered, reported to the whole Village, and is a disgrace to people."

A few people spoke, feeling embarrassed for these clans; the Zhuanren and Mizuto families surely aren't short of money, yet they did such a thing, and the Uchiha discovered it and announced it to the entire Konoha, branding them with a name of competing with villagers for profit.

Under the Uchiha's focused publicity, in just one morning the Zhuanren and Mizuto clans' reputations were ruined.

"The Uchiha certainly have a powerful figure; the two assistants are clearly unreliable, everyone should prepare a fallback plan."

Someone let out a sigh, then turned and left; the crowd looked at each other, each lost in thought.

On the other side, the revived Zhuanren Xiao Chun had calmed down, and Mizuto Yan also learned of the morning events; the two sat together in silence for a long time.

"This Third Elder is of average strength, but very scheming; within the rules we are no match for him, so we must think of another way."

Mizuto Yan sighed, shook his head, and said, "What else can we do? Some families that were originally obedient have started keeping distance from us after last night's incident. Our power is dwindling, and even the ANBU are no longer reliable."

Mentioning the ANBU made Zhuanren Xiao Chun's breathing become slightly rapid; it took a while for her to recover.

"That fellow is even more disgraceful than Danzo; in terms of scheming we are no match, and in strength we are no match for the Uchiha. Now we have to go find Rizhan to see the situation."

Mizuto Yan, hearing this, could only nod in agreement; the two tidied up and covertly led people toward the Sarutobi Clan territory.

Yan Shifan, although he required several families to report before leaving their clan lands, the two are Hokage advisors, high-ranking and influential, so they were exempt; however, their movements were still spotted by the Police Department, which then informed Shisui.

"Going to the Sarutobi Clan territory? It seems they intend to find the Third Head," Shisui said with a smile upon learning the information.

"Sure enough, they're two incompetent fools; when trouble arises they go to the Third Head, but the Third Head isn't so easily met. Let the clan leader go once; that will make them give up hope and patiently wait for the Fifth Head election to conclude."

Yan Shifan also let out a loud laugh, showing great contempt for their actions.

Shisui nodded and said, "Then leave the Police Department to the teacher; the students will go handle it now."

Having said that, Shisui stood up, took a few squads, and headed toward the Sarutobi Clan territory.

After Shisui left, Yan Shifan summoned another person and instructed, "For the next few days keep a close watch on the Root base; report any movement promptly, and meticulously record the entry and exit numbers of these ninja clans—no one should be missed, especially those following those two fellows."

"Understood!"

Danzo never showed his head; everyone could sense something was wrong, but the Root base is not easy to enter, and they could not know the interior situation.

But since they don't want to come out, they should lock the doors; as long as we keep it firmly sealed during this period, none of his schemes will work.

On the other side, Mizuto Yan and Zhuanren Xiao Chun arrived at the Sarutobi Clan territory with their men, but the two were unable to enter the clan lands smoothly.

Instead, they glared angrily at the Police Department members stationed around.

"What do you mean? This is Sarutobi Clan territory; the Third Head is recuperating inside. How dare you isolate it—are you trying to betray the village?"

Zhuanren Xiao Chun looked at the few people who blocked them, and her heart lurched; if Rizhan were controlled by the Uchiha, they would truly have no hope.

The Police Department personnel ignored them, and a cold voice sounded beside the crowd.

"An assassin has appeared in the Village; the safety of the Third Head is of utmost importance. We, under the clan leader's orders, protect the Third Head and forbid any outsiders from entering Sarutobi Clan territory," Zhuanren Xiao Chun said without arguing, instead exchanging a glance with Mizuto Yan; the two, having cooperated for years, shared an unspoken understanding.

This time Mizuto Yan did not block them; the two harbored murderous intent—Rizhan must not encounter trouble, and they must not be cut off by the Police Department from the Sarutobi Clan territory.

"Act now! Though the two are elderly, they consider themselves more than capable of handling a few Police Department members."

The two were about to force their way in when a figure appeared from the direction of the Police Department in the distance, leapt from the eaves, and landed before them.

"Shisui Uchiha!"

The two froze in their movements, but the murderous intent in their hearts did not lessen. Shisui Uchiha, though the top Uchiha talent, is too young, his strength limited, and they are taught by the Second Hokage—leaving other matters aside, there are many ways to deal with the Uchiha, and it is a two‑against‑one; the two consider the advantage to be theirs.

If they can eliminate him here under the pretext of rescuing the Third Hokage, they will then summon the other clans in the name of the Third Hokage to strike the Uchiha.

With the Third Hokage's prestige, even those the Uchiha have drawn in will likely not backstab the Uchiha directly, but instead watch, so their pressure will be much reduced.

At that moment, Zhuan Xin Xiaochun's tone turned harsh, and he slapped a hat onto Shisui, saying, "Shisui Uchiha, you have such nerve, daring to imprison the Hokage!"

Having said that, the two gave Shisui no chance to reply and moved to attack.

Shisui saw the two launch their attack and was not surprised; instead, a slight smile curled his lips. With only three days left before the Jonin Council, the timing was ripe—it was time to show his strength.

Shisui showed no restraint, sweeping away the Police Department members who tried to intervene; the Three Tomoe swirled in his eyes and then slowly transformed into a wind‑mill shape.

A peculiar chakra surged, and a green skeletal frame instantly rose around Shisui, shielding him tightly.

The two's attacks struck the chakra skeleton but could not budge it in the slightest.

Shisui stood still, showing no movement; a chakra bone hand suddenly materialized and slapped the two, sending them flying.

"What?! These eyes are—"

The two landed, widened the gap, and prepared to form hand seals to unleash a ninja technique, but upon seeing those eyes their faces paled and their aura dropped. Zhuan Xin Xiaochun stared in disbelief at the teenage boy before him and asked, "Could this be a Mangekyo Sharingan!?"

Having witnessed the final brilliance of that era, they knew well that the Uchiha clan still harbored the terrifying Mangekyo above the Three Tomoe.

The two felt their breath catch and, for a moment, forgot an iron rule of the ninja world.

Do not stare directly at a Uchiha's eyes.

In an instant, the Mangekyo was etched into their minds; the gray sky turned blood‑red, crows swarmed the heavens, and their bodies and consciousness were ripped away.

They knew clearly they were caught in an illusion, yet could not awaken or control their bodies; sweat dripped uncontrollably. When they finally came to, the small squads that had set out with Shisui had just arrived.

Shisui stood on the eaves, his expression calm, the crimson Mangekyo reflecting the silhouettes of the two.

"Assassins have appeared in the Village; for the safety of the Third Hokage, the two should not enter Sarutobi Clan territory for now."

With just a glance, both were unable to resist.

"How could this be possible!"

Zhuan Xin Xiaochun could not accept it; they had learned so many Uchiha‑countering ninja techniques from the Second Hokage, yet none were used before Shisui subdued them.

Is the gap between the Mangekyo and the Three Tomoe really that vast?

Mizuto Monen was drenched in sweat; within the rules they were toyed with by the three Uchiha Elders, trying to use force only to be controlled by a single glance from Shisui Uchiha. He could not think of how to stop their ascent.

Zhuan Xin's mindset beside him was unbalanced, still wanting to act.

"Impossible. It is said each Mangekyo has a unique ability; our intel is insufficient, and the odds of confronting him are low."

Having said that, Mizuto Monen glanced at the surrounding ninjas and sighed, "Moreover, Shisui has Police Department ninjas beside him; we are outnumbered and must not act rashly."

Feeling helpless at their disadvantage, they recalled that this phrase once described only the Uchiha; now it applied to the two of them as well.

"Hmph, the teacher was right; the Uchiha truly are a born evil clan. You even secretly concealed a Mangekyo. Rizhan was blind to begin with, believing this wolf‑child of ambition."

Unable to win, Zhuan Xin Xiaochun could only speak.

Zhuan Xin Xiaochun cursed harshly, but Shisui merely frowned slightly, his emotions hardly shifting.

"You two need not say more; Shisui remembers the Third Hokage's aid and therefore dispatched so many to guard his safety. As for you, focus on the Leaf's public duties; the Jonin Council is only days away."

"Fine, fine, I'll stake my old life to ensure you, Evil Doers, never become Hokage!"

Shisui watched Zhuan Xin Xiaochun's angry demeanor, shook his head, and thought that he regarded such a person as an obstacle—truly overestimating them.

"You two, be my guests."

"."

Zhuan Xin Xiaochun's anger caused his heart to seize, yet Shisui remained utterly indifferent, truly the Uchiha who judges people with a sniff.

"We'll see about that!"

Zhuan Xin Xiaochun let out a cold snort, refusing to linger for fear the anger would kill him here.

Though they uttered harsh words, the two remained silent after returning to the Hokage Tower.

"Deploy troops!"

Zhuan Xin Xiaochun whispered.

"You're insane! Stirring a civil war this way will doom the Leaf."

There is no reason to deploy troops to fight the Uchiha; those ninja clans would never lend their strength.

"You misunderstand. I mean that during these two days we should, in the Hokage's name, transfer the Jonin who support the Uchiha to the front lines, thereby suppressing them."

"That may be all we can do, but time is limited and the effect may be small."

"We can only take it one step at a time."

The two exchanged glances and sighed together.

I don't know why today I felt extremely dizzy; I got dizzy just getting up, maybe I overslept. It's rare to have few lessons today, I originally wanted to write more.

(End of Chapter)