Chapter 48: Hidden Leaf Police Department Genin, Uchiha Sasuke Reports for Duty!

Several days later.

Two mysterious figures, clad in black cloaks embroidered with red clouds and wearing conical hats adorned with wind chimes, stealthily bypassed the Hidden Leaf’s gate guardians and slipped into the village without arousing any notice.

After all, even the Six Paths of Pain would turn and flee before the Hidden Leaf’s gate guardians.

Not to mention these two lowly members of the Akatsuki.

The two walked straight into a dumpling shop and took a seat in a corner.

One of them revealed a face beneath his hat that resembled a shark’s.

The shark-faced man tilted his head slightly and said to his companion: “Master Itachi, it seems the Hidden Leaf has just undergone a political coup.”

His voice was low and hoarse, tinged with curiosity.

Could a coup really happen in the Hidden Leaf?

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Itachi said nothing in reply.

He sat quietly in the corner, his gaze deep and complex, as if lost in thought.

The changes in the Hidden Leaf had far exceeded his expectations.

Originally, after hearing of the Third Hokage’s tragic death, Uchiha Itachi had been worried about his younger brother Sasuke’s safety.

He planned to return to the village during the hunt for the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki to warn the Hidden Leaf’s leadership against any ill intentions toward Sasuke.

Yet when he returned to the Hidden Leaf, he found things differed slightly from what he had anticipated.

How did Danzo die?

The cunning, ruthless old man he had feared most was already dead.

How surprising!

Yet the newly elected Fifth Hokage was a recent graduate of the Ninja Academy, barely older than Sasuke.

This surprised Uchiha Itachi.

Rumor had it that this new Hokage was secretly trained by the Third Hokage as his successor.

Though young, his strength was extraordinary—he could suppress a Tailed Beast single-handedly.

After the Third Hokage’s death, he swiftly purged Danzo, the hidden traitor among the leadership, and mercilessly exposed Danzo’s countless crimes.

He had conspired with the Hidden Leaf traitor Orochimaru, secretly plotting the Hidden Leaf’s collapse and assassinating the Third Hokage.

When the villagers learned of this, they raged:

“How evil is this Danzo?”

“He’s evil to the core.”

With strong support from the two senior advisors, the new Hokage smoothly assumed power and even received the Land of Fire’s official appointment.

Now only one final step remained: a vote of confidence from all the Jonin.

For this entire period, the Hidden Leaf had been in an uproar over the upcoming Jonin vote.

In every alley and street, villagers passionately discussed the new Hokage.

Unlike the vilified Hidden Leaf traitor Danzo.

The villagers praised the young, capable Fifth Hokage without end.

The Hidden Leaf advisor Elder Mizukado En, even personally wrote an article titled “The Hidden Leaf’s New Sun—Fifth Hokage Luo Jie.”

In it, he lavished praise on Luo Jie, calling him the man who understood the Will of Fire more deeply than any other in the village, despite his youth.

As a close comrade of the Third Hokage, Mizukado En even believed that even the Third Hokage himself, at that age, paled in comparison to the current Fifth Hokage.

The new Hokage’s aide, Nara Shikamaru, publicly declared that though he had long served as a strategist advising the Third Hokage, before the Fifth Hokage he felt like a student.

The Fifth Hokage’s wisdom and strategy filled him with profound admiration.

Iruka, the new principal of the Ninja Academy, had also publicly stated that during his time as a student, the Fifth Hokage had written essays so brilliant they left the Third Hokage astonished.

Iruka had even privately revealed that the Third Hokage once personally praised the Fifth Hokage, saying that at age three, the boy already thought like a Hokage.

These changes left Uchiha Itachi incredulous.

He sat silently, his mind swirling with thoughts.

After the Third Hokage’s tragic death, Uchiha Itachi had speculated on who might become the Fifth Hokage.

Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, was the obvious choice!

The famed Tsunade would also be acceptable.

Danzo, head of the Root, was barely acceptable.

The two senior advisors? Too unpopular.

A Hidden Leaf genin named Luo Jie… what nonsense was this?

The Hokage seat was the highest position the Uchiha clan had long coveted—but never attained, even before their annihilation.

Now it was held by an unknown genin. Naturally, Uchiha Itachi suspected hidden schemes behind this.

But the deed was done, the rice cooked. He could not interfere in the Hidden Leaf’s leadership transition.

After all, he was a traitor.

What could he possibly do?

Unless he could deploy the Tsukuyomi—the technique capable of altering another’s will.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Itachi stilled his thoughts and decided to pay a visit to his beloved little brother, to give him some tough lessons.

Moreover, he must make the Hidden Leaf leadership know he had been watching them all along.

Even if the leadership had changed, he would not allow Sasuke to suffer any harm.

At that moment, a conversation from the next table caught Uchiha Itachi’s attention.

It was his brother’s name!

“Asuma, have Itachi heard? That Uchiha Sasuke from Kakashi’s team has been visiting Luo… the Fifth Hokage every day, begging to learn how to grow stronger.”

Asuma chuckled in reply: “Itachi mean that brat Uchiha Sasuke? I heard Luo Jie got so annoyed he assigned him to the Hidden Leaf Police Department for training.”

Kurenai blinked in surprise: “The Hidden Leaf Police Department? Isn’t that been disbanded for years?”

Asuma patiently explained: “A few days ago, the Hidden Leaf Police Department was reestablished, and Jonin Asama Murakumo was appointed its captain.”

“They’re currently rebuilding the prison along the Naka River—code-named the Naka River Grand Hotel.”

“Unlike before, the new Police Department openly recruits members. Many from our Sarutobi clan have joined.”

“Originally, that little brat Luo Jie wanted me to be his deputy captain—I refused.”

Kurenai gently tugged his sleeve and reminded him: “Luo Jie is now the Fifth Hokage. Watch your words.”

Asuma laughed: “Of course, of course—he was someone the old man cherished in his final days, entrusted with the Hidden Leaf’s future.”

“I just never expected the old man to leave a direct order naming him Fifth Hokage.”

Kurenai frowned slightly, guessing: “Perhaps the village is suffering a shortage of talent, so the Third Hokage made this decision.”

On the other side, Uchiha Itachi had lost all interest in listening further.

Hidden Leaf Police Department. Uchiha.

Key elements detected.

Bad memories surfaced.

(End of chapter)