Kaze and Sei hurried to the Konoha Police Department.
Just as Uchiha Sei had said, three full ANBU squads—twelve operatives total—were standing at the department's entrance, locked in a tense standoff with members of the Uchiha clan.
But the one leading the ANBU caught Kaze's attention.
He wore a tight black bodysuit, topped with a white harness-style flak vest. His face was concealed by a cat-faced mask.
Even though Kaze couldn't see his face, that head of silver-white hair was far too distinctive to ignore.
"That's Kakashi."
Kaze recognized him immediately from the crowd.
The famous Copy Ninja of Konoha. The future Sixth Hokage. A man known for his 50/50 power level—strong, but always held back by plot.
In this timeline, he wasn't just a member of ANBU—he was their captain, and a ninja trusted deeply by the Third Hokage.
"Kaze! It's Kaze!"
Someone from the Uchiha side spotted him and called out in relief.
After all, no one wanted things to escalate further if they could avoid it.
Hearing the call, Kakashi glanced toward Kaze instinctively.
"Kaze?"
He wasn't unfamiliar with the name.
Although he hadn't interacted much with Kaze directly, Might Guy was closely associated with him.
And today, he'd heard the news—Kaze had not only been promoted to jōnin by the Third Hokage but also appointed Vice-Captain of the Police Department by Fugaku.
It was… surprising, to say the least.
Without wasting time, Kaze strode briskly to the Police Department's front entrance.
"I'm the newly appointed Vice-Captain of the Konoha Police Department."
"Fugaku's not here, so if you have anything to say, say it to me."
He met Kakashi's gaze with calm detachment, not the slightest hint of intimidation despite facing a dozen elite ANBU.
Sei silently took a position behind Kaze.
The rest of the Uchiha clan members subtly shifted too, aligning themselves behind him—visibly showing that Kaze now represented their stance.
Facing dozens of Uchiha like this, the ANBU following Kakashi began to feel the pressure.
However…
They were the Third Hokage's men.
And a Hokage's orders had to be carried out.
"We received orders from the Hokage," Kakashi stated plainly, "to retrieve Shisui's body, along with those of the Root members."
He was direct and professional, making it clear that this was official business.
He hoped that Kaze, as the newly minted vice-captain, wouldn't obstruct them.
But seeing Kakashi take such a firm stance, the Uchiha standing behind Kaze couldn't help but feel both stifled and frustrated.
Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do.
The Police Department's authority didn't compare to the ANBU's.
If you downplayed it, they'd be accused of obstructing justice.
But if you blew it up, they'd be charged with treason—an attempt to defy the authority of the village leadership.
This was why even the hawkish elders had chosen to stay their hand.
In fact, many of the onlookers already saw Kaze as a sacrificial pawn—a vice-captain set up to take the fall.
All it would take was one word from Kaze…
And they'd have to step aside, letting Kakashi take the bodies away.
Indeed.
Most of the Uchiha present didn't have much faith in Kaze.
"It's true," Kaze began unhurriedly, "you're part of the ANBU directly under the Third Hokage. If you didn't have his explicit orders, you wouldn't be here causing trouble at the Police Department."
"Whether it's ANBU or the Police Force, we all serve the same goal—the peace and stability of the village."
"Technically speaking, handing over Shisui's body to you could be seen as cooperating with ANBU's work."
Hearing Kaze's seemingly understanding words, Kakashi couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief.
Even though he had the Hokage's authority backing him, the thought of a direct confrontation with the Uchiha still made him uneasy.
If things escalated, it would be a disaster to clean up.
But the very next second—
"However… I refuse."
Kaze's voice was clear and resolute, every word carrying weight.
"ANBU's responsibilities are to protect the Hokage and defend against external threats. At most, they also handle intelligence gathering and assassination missions."
"The responsibilities of the Konoha Police Department, however, were established personally by the Second Hokage.We are in charge of maintaining order within the village, public safety, and arresting potential criminals—even if they're ninja."
(T/N: Using the power granted by the guy who says "Evil Uchiha" every minute to face his disciple. Noice.)
As he said "ninja," Kaze intentionally emphasized the word.
"Shisui was a victim in this incident. And those Root members? They're crucial evidence for uncovering the truth."
"Handing them over now would hinder our investigation."
"Until the truth is brought to light, we will not hand over any of their remains to anyone."
"Captain Kakashi, I hope you can relay this situation truthfully to the Hokage."
"Once the true culprit has been brought to justice, I will personally return the bodies of the Root operatives."
"But Shisui—"
"Shisui wasn't just a ninja who carried the Will of Fire.He was the pride of the Uchiha clan.""His body will be protected by me!"
Even as Kakashi subtly exerted pressure, Kaze stood his ground without the slightest hesitation.
All he knew was: under no circumstances could Shisui's or those Root ninja's bodies be handed over.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzō might play it off as a contrast between light and shadow...
But to Kaze, they were two sides of the same coin—no better than each other.
Letting ANBU take Shisui's body?
It was nothing more than helping Danzō cover his tracks.
As long as the Konoha Police couldn't present hard evidence, the village leadership would find a way to whitewash Danzō's actions.
They could even dredge up the masked man from five years ago as a scapegoat…
Or worse, pin the blame on Kaze himself for Shisui's death.
Most importantly, this entire incident was, without a doubt, a golden opportunity for Kaze to make a name for himself.
Compared to Fugaku's cautious restraint, Kaze's decisiveness and hardline stance made it obvious who would win hearts and minds.
And if everything went smoothly…He might even be able to eliminate Danzō in the process.
Not to mention—he could finally get his hands on Shisui's right eye.
With so much at stake, Kaze couldn't think of a single reason why he should back down now.
"Kaze…" Kakashi furrowed his brows.
He had hoped that Kaze's arrival would make things easier to manage—but instead, Kaze turned out to be even more unyielding than the rest of the Uchiha.
Worse yet, he was invoking the name of the Second Hokage to legitimize his stance.
"This is…"Kakashi tried again, his tone a little strained.
In the end, all he could do was reiterate that this wasn't a negotiation—it was a direct order from the Third Hokage.
But just as he opened his mouth—
Kaze cut him off.
"How about this, Kakashi?""I won't make it hard on you. Among the ANBU you brought, pick anyone you like.""Let them challenge me."
"If they win, I won't say another word—you can take the bodies.""But if they lose…""Then give me a few more days. Once I uncover the truth, I'll personally hand over the remains."
"What do you say?"
Kaze changed tactics on the spot.
In his mind, continuing to argue with Kakashi here was pointless—they'd just go in circles.
So why not let fists decide the outcome?
"Challenge you?" Kakashi's brows knit tighter. He hadn't expected Kaze to suddenly propose a duel.
Still, it wasn't necessarily a bad idea.
Sure, Kaze had just been promoted to jōnin—but his strength shouldn't be anywhere near Kakashi's own.
"If that's what you want, then I'll—"
Kakashi stepped forward, ready to take up the challenge himself.
But before he could finish—
"Forget it," Kaze interrupted with a smirk.
"Just beating one of you might not be enough to convince everyone.""So how about this, Kakashi—you and your entire squad come at me together."
(T/N: Well, they're done for good. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
50 Stones = One Extra Chapter
100 Stones = Two Extra Chapters
200 Stones = Three Extra Chapters
Keep the power stones coming.