Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Itachi Uchiha, who had spent the night at an inn in the village, changed into his Anbu gear early the next morning and went to the Hokage Building to report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was equally surprised to see Itachi Uchiha reporting for duty. He knew that Itachi had been sent by the clan to inspect the Uchiha clan's businesses in the Land of Fire. He had originally thought that Itachi would leave the Anbu under the clan's arrangement after returning, but he did not expect Itachi to come back to report for duty today.

"Lord Hokage, I apologize for taking such a long leave due to a clan mission." Itachi Uchiha, wearing a mask, bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"It's alright, it's alright," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile. "Whether it's a mission for the clan or a mission for the Anbu, it's all for the sake of the village."

"Lord Hokage, has the Anbu been on any missions lately?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

Faced with Itachi Uchiha's question, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not rush to answer, but instead asked in return, "Itachi, the Security Department has made a lot of contributions to the village recently. Why don't you try working at the Security Department for a while? There aren't many missions for the Anbu recently, so it would be much more convenient for you to commute there, since the Anbu base is still quite a distance from the Uchiha clan's territory."

After experiencing all these events, especially witnessing Shisui's Susanoo displaying its power against the Mitokado clan in the Utatane chamber, Hiruzen Sarutobi's trust in Itachi Uchiha was clearly no longer as strong as before.

“I probably can’t be of much help to the Security Department. I’m more used to being here in the Anbu,” Itachi Uchiha said with his head down. “As for the commuting issue, I’ve already decided to move out of the Uchiha clan’s territory and rent a house in the village.”

After listening to Itachi Uchiha's reply, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a deep look, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Yesterday, a caravan from the Land of Lightning came to the village. According to reports from the village ninjas, some of the people in the caravan are acting suspiciously. Shikaku suspects that they are people sent by the Land of Lightning to make contact with spies lurking in the village. I have already sent ANBU to monitor them. Go and assist them. I believe that with the help of your Sharingan, you will definitely be able to find their clues and follow the trail to find the spies lurking in the village."

Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha nodded vigorously: "Yes."

……

While Itachi Uchiha was monitoring the caravan coming from the Land of Lightning, the interrogation of those from the Shimura, Utatane, and Mitomon clans who were colluding with Orochimaru was also proceeding in an orderly manner.

The evidence Orochimaru fabricated for Uchiha Touhuan was only partially true. Among the dozens of people captured, some may not have actually participated in kidnapping their fellow villagers, but most of them, especially the die-hard members of the Shimura clan, were not innocent. Under Uchiha Touhuan's special arrangement, the ANBU sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi to assist in the investigation were responsible for interrogating these people. With the ANBU's professional methods, they quickly got them to talk.

Then, the police seized the properties of the three clans to compensate the victims in these old cases.

Chapter 78 The Hyuga Clan

As for those who are truly innocent, it's normal that the interrogation methods of the Security Department are not as professional as those of the Dark Division, and they haven't been able to find out anything yet.

After a day's work, Shisui approached Uchiha Touhuan and asked Itachi to take a look at the evidence.

After considering it for a while, Uchiha Touhuan agreed to Shisui's request.

After all, if these things could help Itachi Uchiha face reality, Tohsen Uchiha would save himself a lot of trouble.

However, when Uchiha Touhuan and Shisui went to find Uchiha Itachi, they were told that Uchiha Itachi had already left.

Upon hearing this news, Shisui searched the village alone all night, but Uchiha Itachi, after all, possessed the strength of an elite Jonin and was determined to hide, so even Shisui could not find his whereabouts.

The next day, Uchiha Touhuan saw Shisui's distraught appearance and understood.

"Didn't you find him?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.

"Yeah." Uchiha Shisui's face was visibly tired. He gently rubbed his temples and said with a troubled expression, "I wonder where that kid ran off to."

"Forget it, there's no need to look anymore. It seems he has already made what he believes to be the right choice." Uchiha Touhuan's eyes flickered.

“Dou Huan…” Shisui pursed his lips, wanting to say a few words in defense of Itachi.

"Shisui, don't you know the Uchiha's personality? Now that he's made his choice, he won't turn back." Uchiha Touhuan's voice also turned cold. "It seems he didn't listen to a word I said to him last time."

Uchiha Touhuan patted Shisui on the shoulder: "If you're tired, go back and rest for half a day."

"Should we just ignore him?" Uchiha Shisui was taken aback by this question.

“No need,” Uchiha Touhuan said coldly. “I told him that in the face of the overwhelming force, an individual’s strength is insignificant. It seems he is very confident and wants to try to challenge it.”

Shisui remained silent, shook his head helplessly, and sat back down in his seat. Uchiha Touhuan looked out the window at that moment, a flash of killing intent crossing his eyes.

……

In the following days, as the investigation progressed, the truth of what happened back then gradually came to light. Most of these victims were from small ninja clans in the village with bloodline inheritances. For example, the Gekko clan, which possessed the Transparent Release bloodline, had three children killed in the previous ten years.

After receiving justice and compensation, the families of the victims were naturally extremely grateful to the police department. In contrast, the Mito clans suffered a loss of two-thirds of their clan assets, and the Shimura clan was reduced to its pre-founding state overnight. Uchiha Tohsen's series of actions had captured most of the Shimura clan's strongest members, leaving only a few Chunin and one Special Jonin. This branch had been a marginal branch that had been suppressed by the clan since Danzo was still alive, as it had clearly expressed its dissatisfaction with Danzo's constant recruitment of clan members into Root. Now, it couldn't even uphold the name of a ninja clan.

Meanwhile, the interrogation by the Security Department has made remarkable progress. More than ten high-ranking members of the Utatane and Mitomon factions, including Utatane Kei, have confessed to everything on the evidence. The investigation is nearing its end. All that remains is to compile all the interrogation records, hand them over to Hiruzen Sarutobi for a review, and then distribute the last batch of seized clan property to the victims' families. Once that's done, the matter will be considered a complete success.

"Everyone has worked hard lately." In the interrogation room, Uchiha Touhuan clapped his hands and said with a smile, "After handing over this last batch of stolen goods to the victims of the case, I would like to invite everyone to a good get-together. I have already booked a private room at BBQ Q, and I hope you will all do me the honor of joining us."

"Captain Dou Huan, you're too kind," several Anbu members who had been dispatched said hastily. These past few days, they had truly experienced why the village ninjas all said the Security Department was well-treated.

During their two days at the security headquarters, in order to give the victims an explanation as soon as possible, everyone worked overtime until very late every day. They didn't think much of it, as their years of experience in the underworld had made them used to working overtime on an empty stomach.

But from the very first day they started working overtime, the Security Department prepared a hearty midnight snack for them every night to help them replenish their energy. That wasn't all; more importantly, Uchiha Touhuan also paid them overtime wages according to the Security Department's salary standards. Their earnings in the past few days were almost equivalent to a month's worth of hard work in the Anbu. This was a completely new experience that they had never had in the Anbu.

Now, Uchiha Touhuan tells them that there will be benefits after the mission is completed, which makes them feel flattered.

The last batch of clan property seized from the three clans was worth approximately 150 million ryo, accounting for about 30% of all the stolen goods. The remaining victims who had not yet received compensation were mostly from the Uchiha, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans, as well as some relatives of the Fourth Hokage who died in the Third Shinobi World War. It is not hard to see that these things were the spoils left by Uchiha Tohsen for his own people.

In addition to these, the list of victims also includes several members of the Hyuga clan.

From the pile of confiscated land deeds, Uchiha Touhuan selected several fine shops, then picked up the section on the Hyuga clan from the victim list and said to the others in the interrogation room, "I'll personally deliver these to the Hyuga clan members. You guys deliver the rest to the victims' families according to the list, and then go to the barbecue restaurant and wait for me."

"Understood!" The members of the joint investigation team nodded in acceptance.

……

Uchiha Touhuan arrived at the gate of the Hyuga clan leader's residence with the land deed and the list.

Uchiha Touhuan knocked on the door. After the branch family member guarding the gate of the clan compound opened the door to check, he smiled and said, "Please inform the clan head Hiashi that the guard captain, Uchiha Touhuan, has come to visit."

Hiashi Hyuga, who had just finished teaching Hinata the family's Gentle Fist style, quickly received the news.

"Captain of the Security Force?" Hiashi Hyuga frowned slightly. If Uchiha Touhuan was just making a regular visit, he should have referred to himself as the head of the Uchiha clan. But now Uchiha Touhuan was calling himself the captain of the security force, so it was clear that he had come on official business.

"The clan shouldn't have had any dealings with the security forces recently." Although full of doubts, Uchiha Touhuan had already come to the door, so there was no reason to leave him standing there.

While instructing the servants of the branch family to prepare tea for the guest, Hyuga Hiashi personally hurried towards the gate. After all, Uchiha Touken was the head of the clan, and it was only right and proper for him to personally go out to greet him.

"Clan Chief Hiashi." Uchiha Touhuan greeted Hyuga Hiashi with a smile as he walked out of the door.

"Clan Chief Touhuan, please." Hiashi Hyuga, with the same standard smile, invited Touhuan Uchiha into his home.

Chapter 79 The Hyuga Clan's Stance

Hiashi Hyuga led Touhuan Uchiha to the reception room of the house. The Hyuga clan, as expected of the second most powerful clan in the village after the Uchiha, had all the proper etiquette for entertaining guests.

After Hyuga Hiashi and Uchiha Touhuan finished their cups of tea served by a maid, Hyuga Hiashi slowly spoke, "I wonder what brings Captain Touhuan here today?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Touhuan smiled knowingly. It seemed that Hyuga Hiashi understood his meaning, which saved him a lot of trouble.

So, Uchiha Touhuan took out the land deeds from the sealing scroll he carried with him and pushed them in front of Hyuga Hiashi.

"Captain Douhuan, what's this?" Hiashi Hyuga asked, puzzled.

Uchiha Touhuan then gave the list containing the names of several members of the Hyuga branch family to Hyuga Hiashi, saying, "When the Security Department was investigating the collusion between village ninjas and the rogue ninja Orochimaru, they discovered that during the Third Shinobi World War, the rogue ninja Shimura Danzo colluded with Orochimaru to create an accident on the battlefield and kidnap several members of the Hyuga branch family for use in inhumane human experiments."

"Is that so?" Hiashi Hyuga took a look and his brows furrowed instantly. "Captain Touhuan, please wait a moment."

Uchiha Touhuan gestured for the other party to proceed, knowing that Hyuga Hiashi needed to verify the authenticity of the list.

However, when Uchiha Tohkan forged this list, he naturally selected them carefully. These members of the Hyuga branch family did indeed die on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War. Moreover, they all died when they failed in a mission with ninjas from the three clans, resulting in the annihilation of their entire army. Furthermore, none of their direct family members were still alive. Therefore, no matter how much Hyuga Hiashi investigated, he could not find any problems on the surface.

Uchiha Touhuan sat quietly in the reception room drinking tea. After a while, Hyuga Hiashi returned.

"Thank you for bringing back the news, Captain Doo-hwan," Hyuga Hiashi said with a somber expression after returning to the reception room.

“These are the assets seized from the suspect. The Hokage and the Security Department intend to use them as compensation to the families of the victims in this case.” Uchiha Touhuan pushed the land deeds toward Hyuga Hiashi. “The other victims in this case have all received compensation, but considering the special circumstances of the Hyuga clan, I will personally deliver the compensation to the nobles.”

Hiashi Hyuga nodded. Touhuan Uchiha was right. These members were all from the branch family and none of them had any living direct relatives. Even if the Security Department didn't provide the compensation, it would be reasonable according to the rules. Moreover, the Hyuga clan didn't even know about this before, but Touhuan Uchiha still sent it. In this matter, the Security Department, or rather the Uchiha clan, gave the Hyuga clan a lot of face.

Hiashi Hyuga picked up the land deed, glanced at it, and his expression shifted slightly.

The shops on this land deed are located in the center of the village's commercial street, so their value is naturally very high. More importantly, these shops are very close to the Hyuga clan's properties in the village. One of them is even next to the Hyuga clan's property. After acquiring these shops and properties, the Hyuga clan's business in the village can naturally expand even further. In other words, these shops can play a greater role in the hands of the Hyuga clan.

This far exceeds the normal compensation value corresponding to the status of three special Jonin.

Hyuga Hiashi glanced up at Uchiha Touhuan and, seeing the smile on the other's face, understood immediately. These were the benefits that Uchiha Touhuan had given the Hyuga clan for not interfering in the martial law incident a few days ago.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Tohkan's visit today as the commander of the security forces probably carries a hint of warning.

The Hyuga clan was warned not to take sides between the two sides.

Hiashi Hyuga had a clear understanding of the situation within the village, but he had absolutely no interest in getting involved in the conflict between the two factions.

Given the size and influence of the Hyuga clan, regardless of who wins, the Hyuga clan will undoubtedly benefit from the stability of the village. On the contrary, rashly taking sides and making the wrong choice could lead to the annihilation of the Hyuga clan.

Hiashi Hyuga glanced at Touhuan Uchiha and said, "Thank you, Captain Touhuan, for making the long journey. Also, I must thank Captain Touhuan and the Third Hokage for their keen insight in getting justice for our Hyuga clan members who died unjustly."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Touhuan smiled and nodded. Hyuga Hiashi's simultaneous thanks to him and Sarutobi Hiruzen undoubtedly indicated that the Hyuga clan did not intend to take sides between them.

This was the answer that Uchiha Touhuan had made a special trip for.

For Uchiha Touhuan, the best outcome would be for the Hyuga clan to remain neutral. Even if the Hyuga clan were willing to completely side with him, Uchiha Touhuan would have to consider whether or not to accept their surrender.

The Hyuga clan remained neutral. Although Uchiha Touhuan would have to give them some benefits for the sake of the village's stability even if they did nothing after the deed was done, this was within Uchiha Touhuan's acceptable range. Conversely, if the Hyuga clan completely sided with him, although the chances of success would greatly increase, he would have to give them more. And after receiving these benefits, the Hyuga clan might become the Uchiha clan that he would have to deal with after he came to power.

However, Hiashi Hyuga was indeed a smart man, which saved Tohkan Uchiha a lot of trouble.

……

After bidding farewell to Hiashi Hyuga, Touhuan Uchiha strolled leisurely toward BBQ Q. As he turned a corner, he encountered Kakashi, who had come specifically to wait for him.

"What are you waiting here for? Wouldn't it be better to take your seats sooner?" Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile.

"These are the methods you mentioned for making money?" Kakashi said, "To forge a list of victims and then pocket a portion of the compensation?"

"Were the people on our fabricated victim list killed in the Third Shinobi World War or disappeared during the years Danzo and his ilk were in power?" Uchiha Tohkan countered.

"Yes." Kakashi nodded.

"Do the criminals we interrogate admit that they did this?"

"admit."

"That settles it!" Uchiha Touhuan clapped his hands and spread them out. "Is there anyone who can find fault with that?"

"Or are you unhappy that you didn't get a share?" Uchiha Touhuan raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile, "I would like to give you a share, but your Hatake family has been a single-line family for generations, so even if I wanted to give it to you, you wouldn't be able to get it."

Kakashi: ...

Chapter 80 The Land of Waves

"Besides, this is just a little money. I'll teach you how to make big money later." Uchiha Touhuan patted Kakashi on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Let's not wait until then, let's do it tomorrow," Kakashi said.

"What?" Uchiha Touhuan raised an eyebrow. "You've already received the mission from the Land of Waves?"

“Yes,” Kakashi nodded. “The Third Hokage contacted me. Recently, a group of bandits appeared on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves. Many of them are rogue ninja from Kirigakure. Ordinary ninja teams can’t handle them, so the Third Hokage plans to mobilize Jonin from the village. I took on one of them.”