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Konoha, Intelligence Division.
The Intelligence Division is responsible for intelligence gathering and has three sub-departments: the Interrogation Team, the Torture Team, and the Cipher Team. The current head of the Intelligence Division is Yamanaka Inoichi.
"What are you doing! The police division is too presumptuous!"
"Stop! This is the Intelligence Division!"
Suddenly, there's a commotion outside the Intelligence Division. The ninjas inside look at the rude person who barged in, filled with angry glares.
"Get out of the way!"
Uchiha Yoru, who stormed into the Intelligence Division, has red eyes with three spinning tomoe, staring at everyone without hesitation and marching straight in.
"Uchiha Yoru! You're out of line!"
At this moment, a steady voice rings out. All the ninjas in the Intelligence Division look at the source of the voice with respectful expressions.
"Director!"
"Director, you're finally here."
Yamanaka Inoichi, with his golden ponytail and stern face, strides in. He is visibly angry when he looks at Uchiha Yoru, who broke into the Intelligence Division.
"Uchiha Yoru, this isn't the police division!"
Inoichi is not just an experienced ninja but also the current head of the important Intelligence Division and enjoys the trust of the Third Hokage.
However, facing Yamanaka Inoichi, Uchiha Yoru doesn't back down and coldly says, "When did it become the Intelligence Division's place to interrogate my police force members without any severe crimes?"
"Does Director Yamanaka think the police are a joke, or do you think Orochimaru has become a disgrace to Konoha! You even dared to interrogate Orochimaru's disciple, Mitarashi Anko!"
Uchiha Yoru confronts Yamanaka Inoichi, first invoking the authority of the police and then mentioning Orochimaru, making everyone uneasy, including Inoichi.
This matter should end here. Inoichi lowers his voice and asks his assistant, "Is Mitarashi Anko here?"
The assistant confirms, and Inoichi's face turns pale. Damn it! Holding one of Orochimaru's people at this moment is like holding a hot potato.
"That, Captain Yoru, this was a mistake on the part of the Intelligence Division."
Inoichi sheepishly steps forward to explain. Uchiha Yoru understands some things but is even more determined not to back down.
"Director Yamanaka! I just want to take Anko back to the Seventh Police Division now!"
His cold words echo throughout the building. All the Leaf ninjas are silently impressed by this young, recently famous prodigy.
Frustrated, Inoichi orders, "Why wasn't I informed that Mitarashi Anko was brought here by the Anbu?"
Uchiha Yoru smirks and summons snakes from his sleeve. Following their senses, they lead him in a specific direction.
Seeing this, Inoichi sighs. This kid is cunning.
Inside a dark chamber, the door is suddenly kicked open. Mitarashi Anko is restrained by a metal contraption, only her head visible. Two ninjas were interrogating her using mind-reading techniques.
"Who is it!"
Uchiha Yoru enters, putting the two Intelligence Division members under genjutsu and destroying the interrogation device. Inoichi frowns at this.
The device is shattered, and Anko wakes up, showing a tired and pained expression. She has been through a lot.
"Anko."
Seeing a familiar face, her eyes welled up with tears.
"Yoru! Yoru, it's you! Master, he... "
She can't hold back her tears. Her life has plummeted from heaven to hell. Her admired master chose to leave the village and coldly cursed her. Despite choosing the village over her master, she's interrogated and tortured by her own people.
Uchiha Yoru's arrival feels like a ray of light in her dark life.
"It's okay, it's over. Let's go home."
I've never seen such despair in Anko's eyes before, as a sense of twilight emanates from them. Uchiha Yoru softly but firmly comforts her.
Anko's future is worth his investment. Not to mention that if even he stands idly by, Orochimaru's followers will be looked down upon in the future, something he can't tolerate.
What's most important in this ninja world? Talent!
"Yoru!" Anko's eyes fill with uncontrollable tears. Like a stray kitten that has found a new home, she clings tightly to Yoru's clothes, not wanting to leave the warm embrace.
Inside the interrogation room, Uchiha Yoru holds Anko, who is going through the darkest moment of her life, and coldly glances at Yamanaka Inoichi and another individual in the room.
"So it's you, Sarutobi Kawa, you waste. All you can do is resort to these low tactics. But be clear, just because Orochimaru temporarily left the Leaf doesn't mean anyone can bully the 7th Police Squad!"
Excruciating pain hits as Sarutobi Kawa, one of the interrogators, lies on the cold floor with his face being stepped on, the immense pressure making the bones creak unsettlingly.
Yamanaka Inoichi looks extremely uncomfortable. This disciple of Orochimaru, Anko, is a hot potato that nobody except the Hokage can touch, given what's at stake with Orochimaru.
"Captain Uchiha Yoru, this might be a misunderstanding."
Yamanaka Inoichi calmly looks at Yoru, who's no longer just a young boy. Both understand the implications of this situation.
It's a signal from the higher-ups of the Leaf. Anko may be a mere pawn, but she's important enough to send messages and establish Uchiha Yoru's authority.
If Yoru saves Anko, it sends the message that the 7th Police Squad hasn't fallen. Orochimaru may have been exiled, but Yoru remains.
"Fine, let's consider it a misunderstanding."
Uchiha Yoru slowly lifts his foot off Sarutobi Kawa's face, giving Yamanaka Inoichi a cold stare before vanishing into the shadows.
"Director! Uchiha Yoru is too presumptuous!"
As Yoru wreaks havoc in the intelligence department, the ninjas are furious. Yamanaka Inoichi, however, just gives a bitter smile and says, "Let it be."
Indifferent, Yamanaka Inoichi realizes he's taken a loss, glancing towards the Hokage's office, contemplating whether this is a warning.
After all, in the Orochimaru incident, his clan wasn't the main instigator but did add fuel to the fire. Clearly, this is a warning from the Third Hokage.
Hokage Office.
"Reporting to the Third Hokage, Uchiha Yoru forcefully broke into the Intelligence Division and rescued Mitarashi Anko. This news has now spread throughout Konoha."
Hearing the report from the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly nodded and waved his hand, "Alright, I understand. You may go."
As he looked at the incoming intelligence from various borders, Hiruzen felt a heavy burden on his shoulders and let out a weary sigh.
"With this, we can finally put an end to this matter."
Orochimaru has been expelled, but if he eradicates all forces under his former pupil, it would sever their last emotional ties, turning Orochimaru into a S-rank rogue ninja of Konoha.
However, the impact of this incident in Konoha has been huge, border tensions are escalating. He may not know the saying 'to defend against external forces, first stabilize internally,' but he understands the principle.
After this incident, Uchiha Yoru will step into the limelight and inherit his teacher's legacy.
"Hiruzen, aren't you afraid that elevating Uchiha Yoru's reputation will create another Orochimaru?"
Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, speaking in a serious tone. Hiruzen shook his head, "His surname alone means he cannot become another Orochimaru."
As long as the suspicions surrounding the Nine-Tails Incident remain, the Uchiha clan will never advance.
"I don't object to you taking advantage of the situation to crack down on the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, but this kid's power could become another voice for the Uchiha."
Hiruzen displayed rare confidence, handed over a few files. Homura was astonished after reading them.
"You're this confident, then alright, didn't expect you to have such a plan."
The files were about Uchiha Yoru, clearly collected from various sources. It indicates that Hiruzen has multiple informants close to Yoru.
"The incident with the Hyuga clan served as a wake-up call for Konoha, and it also gave us another direction."
Hiruzen spoke in a hushed, raspy voice, "The Uchiha clan is a house more powerful than the Hyuga. A single-voiced Uchiha is terrifying. If a situation similar to the Hyuga occurs, a divided Uchiha would be less threatening."
"The intel on Uchiha Yoru shows that he has understood the Will of Fire, loves the village, and has been secretly investigating the culprit of the Nine-Tails incident."
Hiruzen felt a mixture of regret and relief, according to information from Kakashi, Yugao Uzuki, and others, it proved that his cheap pupil has been quietly investigating the culprit behind the Nine-Tails incident.
"And in the Orochimaru incident, it's clear that Uchiha Yoru loves the village."
"Uchiha Fugaku is dominant in the Uchiha clan, and Yoru, as a rising star, can't avoid conflict if he investigates further. His reliance would be on the Seventh Unit of the Police Force."
Three birds with one stone.
Firstly, to stabilize Uchiha Yoru and allow him to inherit Orochimaru's legacy, thus swiftly ending the disturbances caused by the Orochimaru incident.
Secondly, to send Uchiha Yoru, a sharp weapon trained by Orochimaru, to the front lines to stabilize the border.
Thirdly, to cultivate another voice within the Uchiha clan. Yoru represents Orochimaru's faction, which is different from pure Uchiha, and can be used to execute his plan to weaken the Uchiha clan.
Homura naturally understands this, and it's why he finally relaxed and nodded, "Exactly, the Uchiha clan needs to be checked."
Uchiha Yoru's identity and current strength show he has the potential to become another voice for the Uchiha.
The story of Orochimaru's defection is nearly over, the protagonist has grown stronger, and next is preparing to go to the front lines to contribute in the Mist Ninja battlefield.
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