"You... you're Uchiha Kai!" Uchiha Rō's expression changed. He might be tough against others, but this meteoric figure was not someone he could easily challenge.
"Haha, I heard you were collecting a security fee and said attacking the police force was treason," Kai smiled warmly.
"And I accidentally sent two police officers flying. Am I a missing-nin?"
His quiet words echoed, like a hypnotic spell.
Everyone's faces twitched. Even the onlookers fell silent. This was the man who destroyed the Hokage Building and killed in front of the village elders. No one wanted to provoke him.
Uchiha Rō's face turned pale. He'd heard that Uchiha Ishi had been severely injured by Kai. He'd scoffed then, but now he understood the pressure. He hadn't even seen how Kai moved.
Let alone fight him!
"Kai-sama, we were just joking. You're our role model! We wouldn't dare disrespect you. If you'll excuse us, we'll be going," Uchiha Rō said hastily.
The police officers echoed his words. This boy had killed in front of the Hokage. They didn't want to provoke him.
With that, the police officers fled.
Hazuki, holding Uchiha Izumi, breathed a sigh of relief. But she worried the police would return later, perhaps with even greater force.
"Wait, aren't you going to apologize before you leave?" Kai smiled.
Everyone tensed, realizing Kai's fearlessness. He'd beaten them and now demanded an apology. It was awe-inspiring!
"Kai, you... you're going too far!" Uchiha Rō's face changed. He'd already lost face, becoming the clan's laughingstock. Kai's demand for an apology was humiliating.
Uchiha Rō clenched his fists, feeling the stares.
"Stop! All of you, stop!" A gruff, aged voice echoed.
Three elders with white hair and Uchiha clan robes approached.
"The Uchiha clan's three elders?"
"Didn't they say they never leave the Uchiha compound?"
"It's said they all have three-tomoe Sharingan, are elite jōnin, and possess power comparable to a Kage."
Older ninjas gasped. The Uchiha clan, a powerful clan, always produced strong individuals. These elders might not be as strong as Itachi and Shisui, but they were formidable compared to ordinary Konoha ninjas. Their Sharingan, Fire Release, and genjutsu gave them a significant advantage.
"Elder Fire, Elder Dragon, Elder Feather!"
Seeing the elders, Uchiha Rō, relieved, rushed towards them.
But the lead elder, Elder Fire, slapped him.
Slap!
Everyone tensed.
"You bastard! Who gave you the authority to collect fees? I saw everything," Elder Dragon roared angrily.
"Elder..." Uchiha Rō was stunned, clutching his burning cheek, speechless. They wouldn't have dared to collect such fees without backing.
And Uchiha Ishi had mentioned the elders were behind this.
"Hmph, acting like this, you've disgraced us," Elder Dragon roared. "Apologize to Kai and everyone! Or face clan punishment!"
The police officers' faces changed. The Uchiha clan valued its rules and reputation above Konoha's. If Elder Dragon pressed charges, they'd be severely punished.
"Haha, Elders, they just need to apologize to Hazuki and Izumi. I'm just meddlesome," Kai smiled warmly.
"No, we dare not..." Hazuki hastily waved her hands.
Elder Dragon smiled. "Is this Izumi? We've heard about her courage. Apologize!"
Uchiha Rō and the others' faces were grim. They dared not defy Kai or the elders.
They exchanged glances, reluctantly apologizing.
"We're sorry. We were wrong. It won't happen again..."
"They apologized?"
The merchants were stunned. The arrogant police had bowed their heads.
"Haha, Kai, is this settled?" Elder Dragon smiled. "I guarantee this won't happen again. Prices will return to normal."
The Uchiha, marginalized and stripped of power, were like city guards. Their authority was minimal. This fueled their discontent. The Third Hokage had used a conciliatory approach, ignoring the excessive fees.
But Uchiha Rō tried to profit from the war, increasing the fee from 2,000 to 10,000 ryō. This was exorbitant, requiring several missions for a ninja to earn, let alone Hazuki.
"Since the elders are pleading, I won't press charges. But I'll say this: I'm protecting this shop now. Don't let me see any more extortion, or I'll kill again," Kai said calmly.
A wave of killing intent washed over him.
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