After Seiryu gave his orders, aside from those left behind to guard the prison and those maintaining order at the police headquarters entrance, all other personnel quickly gathered in the police department's conference room.
Standing at the podium with a stern face, Seiryu slammed the table twice before speaking, "It seems that the foreign forces behind this incident are not to be underestimated! They actually dared to incite villagers to violently resist the police department's enforcement! These are no ordinary villagers anymore!"
"Deputy! Give the order!" shouted a civilian ninja below, who had just been pelted in the face with a rotten egg during the standoff. "There are several ninjas among those illegally assembled villagers! Even though they aren't wearing headbands, their throwing skills are obviously shuriken techniques!"
"What? Even ninjas have joined them?" Seiryu roared angrily, "These malicious foreign forces have actually come this far? It seems today, the police department has no choice but to act! For the purity of the Will of Fire in our village! We must use thunderous means to crush their schemes!"
"First, Second, and Fourth Squads!" Seiryu began to call roll.
"Here!" All members of the named squads stood up.
"To prevent them from inciting more villagers, you three squads are to declare a curfew in the village tonight! All villagers are forbidden from leaving their homes. Anyone who violates this will be treated as a rioter!"
"Aye, sir!" Following their respective squad leaders, the members saluted.
"Third and Fifth Squads! I want you to suppress the rioters gathered at the police headquarters gate as quickly as possible!"
"Aye, sir!" The Third and Fifth Squad members also stood up and saluted.
"Sixth Squad, remain on standby at headquarters and await orders."
"Aye, sir!"
"Also, to control the situation, do not use kunai, shuriken, or other ninja tools. And under no circumstances should you actively use ninjutsu, understood?" Seiryu instructed.
"Understood!" All the members in the conference room responded in unison.
After the atmosphere in the conference room finally eased a bit, Seiryu continued, "Everyone has worked hard today. To commend your tireless efforts and sacrificing precious rest time to uphold the Will of Fire in the village, the police department will soon issue everyone two months' salary as a bonus! At the same time, Elder Fugaku is selecting suitable ninjutsu scrolls for everyone. So, please endure a bit longer, and make sure to wipe out all these rioters who have tarnished the Will of Fire!"
As Seiryu finished speaking, the crowd below could no longer stay calm—two months' salary plus ninjutsu! They hadn't even spent the first month's pay, and the new jutsu had just been learned and wasn't even proficient yet, and now more was coming? The Uchiha clan members felt the same way. Though they didn't need new ninjutsu, their pay was high. This bonus was like a windfall.
"Salute!"
The salute echoed through the conference room once more, and this time, everyone used all their strength, as if it was the only way to show their loyalty. The gratitude they felt for Seiryu was endless.
"Police Force! Move out!" With Seiryu's order, the police ninjas, led by their captains, lined up and marched out of the conference room.
…
"Release them!"
"Release them!"
"Colluding with demons! Go to hell!"
As the confrontation continued, the villagers' chants grew more unruly. A few bold ones eyed the police cordon, eager to try something.
Just then, nearly a hundred uniformed police officers wearing headbands and wielding batons streamed out from the building.
Seeing these intimidating police officers, the gathered villagers began to panic. But a few private ninjas from the Nara and Mitokado clans, mixed in with the crowd, suddenly shouted, "Don't be afraid! We're all civilians! I don't believe these ninja dare lay a hand on us!"
Their only response was Uchiha Tetsu's cold, dark expression and the wave of his right hand. "Police Division! Move out!"
With Tetsu's command, the police officers surged forward, charging at the villagers and handing out batons to those previously guarding the cordon.
A few villagers in the front tried to say something, but before they could speak, a baton came down from above.
In the lead was Watanabe Masashi, a genin who had graduated only two years ago. After his father died in the Third Great Ninja War, he and his sister could only rely on their mother, who did odd jobs in the village. Just as he graduated and started earning money, his mother fell ill from years of hard labor, and he had to shoulder all family burdens.
But how much could a genin who spent his days finding lost pets and picking up trash make? Not only that, but his meager earnings had to be handed over in part to his squad leader. Coupled with family expenses and his mother's medication, he didn't even have enough to save up for new jutsu or to try for chuunin promotion!
But after joining the police force? Not only could he afford to hospitalize his mother, but he could buy his sister new clothes she hadn't had in years. More importantly, he learned a coveted C-rank fire-style jutsu, and his Uchiha captain regularly coached him in training. It was the police department and Seiryu who gave him this life.
And now, these troublemakers dared to surround the police department!
With that thought, Watanabe Masashi gripped his baton tightly and swung it faster, the stick almost leaving afterimages.
Uchiha Seiryu has the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan. No matter how fast I swing, he'll surely see my loyalty, right?
This scene played out repeatedly in front of the police headquarters. The ringleaders in the mob were quickly subdued.
Those behind finally realized the police meant business and broke up in panic, trying to escape. But even the greenest police officers were genin, trained for situations like this. The villagers were no match. Those who ran a bit slower were kicked down on the spot, and then battered by swinging batons. In no time, the so-called tough guys demanding payback from the police were left bloodied and battered.