Uchiha Sho stood dumbfounded, watching the projection of himself twisting his waist to a silent beat, stepping in an alluring dance, occasionally raising his arm or lowering his gaze, and gracefully moving his hands. Sometimes, he performed the elegant butterfly step, and other times, the decisive courtesan step, showcasing the skills of a top-eight contestant from last year's Uchiha clan's first dance competition.
A flush of red swiftly climbed up Uchiha Sho's neck and spread across his face.
He realised he had made a big mistake. He had rewound too much and played the scene of himself practising his dance at home that morning for everyone to see!
Seeing Uchiha Sho finally react, the surrounding villagers couldn't hold back their laughter any longer.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Who would've thought someone from the Uchiha clan would be like this."
"Hey, Uchiha guy, your dance is pretty good. How about a live performance!"
"Encore! Encore!"
Many spectators, who enjoyed the spectacle, began to cheer.
Even Natsuhiko couldn't bear to look. He hadn't expected Uchiha Sho to face public humiliation before proving his innocence.
Uchiha Sho's face burned with embarrassment and anger.
"Damn, I showed everyone my unfinished dance steps!"
"I was planning to use it as a secret weapon for this year's competition!"
Wait, is that what you're embarrassed about? Natsuhiko almost hurt his waist from laughing.
It seemed the Uchiha clan's mindset differed from ordinary people's. And wasn't that the dance I previously performed with Madara's clone? So he recorded the entire dance and practised it in secret! He didn't feel any shame about his plagiarism, which was very Uchiha-like.
Amid the laughter, Uchiha Sho fumbled with the buttons on his belt, finally managing to stop the projection, to the audience's dismay.
Natsuhiko also noticed that Uchiha Sho's public shaming had eased the previously tense atmosphere. The spectators' attitudes became more objective.
Under Fugaku's pressure, Uchiha Sho played the projection again, this time getting the timing right. Everyone saw what had happened. Uchiha Sho was walking down the street when the thug rushed out of an alley with a wallet, followed by the woman who asked Uchiha Sho for help. Uchiha Sho then apprehended the man.
The woman, instead of thanking him, started shouting that the police officer was beating people, leaving Uchiha Sho momentarily stunned. The crowd buzzed with the realisation that Uchiha Sho's version was accurate.
Had they wronged him?
"No way, this... this footage must be fake!" The thug panicked, "I don't remember any of this. This must be Uchiha trickery."
"Yes, these images must be ninja illusions!" his wife shrieked. The villagers began to murmur, uncertain which side to believe. They had never heard of such a device, and those who had seen similar projections in the "Shinobi Tavern" stated that such images could be fabricated.
Fortunately, Natsuhiko had considered this. He knew explaining the complexity of creating an accurate projection wouldn't be convincing, so he opted for a more straightforward, direct method.
After a nod from Fugaku, he announced loudly, "These body cameras are certified by Lady Mito, with security measures ensuring our officers can only use them without any deletion or alteration."
"Even if you don't trust the police, you must trust Lady Mito."
The villagers nodded slowly, knowing that lying about such a matter was pointless.
"If it's certified by Lady Mito, it's reliable."
"And Senju and Uchiha have never been on good terms so that she wouldn't cover for the police."
"So, the footage is true?"
Natsuhiko smiled wryly. Authority trumped detailed explanations. He had asked Kushina to get Lady Mito's approval beforehand.
The villagers' attitudes shifted. They began to glare at the thug couple.
"Without the body camera, we would've been fooled!"
"I knew they weren't good people from the start!"
"They're still pretending! Despicable!"
Feeling the pressure Uchiha Sho had experienced, the couple clung to each other, disbelieving and collapsing to the ground.
"This is too much! You're distorting the truth!"
"We didn't lie!" they wailed, but no one believed them.
"You can explain at the police station," Fugaku said, stepping forward.
"We're not going!" They looked at Fugaku like he was the devil, backing away on the ground.
Fugaku frowned and took out handcuffs.
"Fugaku, hold on a moment," Natsuhiko said, stepping forward with a thoughtful look at the couple.
"To convince them, let's replay the footage. If it's fabricated, they should find flaws."
Uchiha Sho grumbled, "No need to bother."
After glancing at Natsuhiko's smile, Fugaku sighed, "Fine, Sho, replay it."
The couple, seeing a glimmer of hope, nodded eagerly.
"The footage must have flaws. We'll find them!"
Natsuhiko whispered something to Uchiha Sho, who reluctantly followed Fugaku's stern gaze and pressed play.
"Are we going to see him dance again?"
"No, it's the earlier scene."
"They're trying to convince them."
The villagers, curious about the rare projection, continued to watch.
The couple watched intently, but despair set in as they couldn't find any flaws. They began doubting their memories.
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko chatted with a nondescript bystander.
"Sir, you seemed to be there from the start. Why didn't you speak up?"
The grey-clad man laughed bitterly, "If people thought I was a police informant, life would be tough."
"True," Natsuhiko nodded, "Do you think these body cameras will reduce such incidents?"
"Sure, but the police need to watch their tempers. Not every case is a false accusation."
"Absolutely," Natsuhiko smiled, "One last question..."
The footage ended. This time, the projection didn't disappear. Uchiha Sho rewound it slightly, focusing on a bystander.
Natsuhiko pointed to the projected man and asked, "Why were you making hand signs behind others?"
The villagers saw the projection showing the grey-clad man making a quick sign while Uchiha Sho apprehended the thug.
The man's discreet action, shielded and lasting less than half a second, was captured.
Villagers stepped away, exposing him to all sides.
"Just a coincidence. I'm a normal guy, not making any signs," the grey-clad man laughed.
Fugaku and Uchiha Sho activated their Sharingan and scanned him, then shook their heads.
"Just a coincidence."
Natsuhiko, slightly surprised, smiled and withdrew his hand from the man's shoulder.
"Sorry, sir. I overthought."
"No worries. It's good to be thorough..."
The grey-clad man relaxed, thinking he had outsmarted them.
But then he heard a familiar sizzling sound from his shoulder.
He looked down in horror.
Oh no!
A live explosive tag was stuck to his shoulder!!!
(End of Chapter)
My bad, LMFAO. I forgot to update on Webnovel and kept on updating Patreon, thinking I had scheduled chapters here.
Chapter 130 is up on my Patreon.
pat reon.com/ReidAstrea