"The Uchiha Police Force..." Kakashi's gaze shifted outside, instinctively touching the eye covered by his headband.
He relaxed his vigilance slightly.
"Looks like I won't be needed." Kakashi muttered to himself.
He figured that with the Uchiha Police Force involved, he had nothing more to handle.
He could just watch the show.
...
Outside, on the street where Ichiraku Ramen was located.
Three members of the Uchiha Police Force were looking around impatiently. They were dressed similarly to Konoha Chunin, but their shoulders bore the Uchiha clan crest.
—The red and white Uchiha fan!
"Where's the giant?" Gan frowned deeply. He had already circled the area almost entirely and was frustrated as he told his fellow clan members, "We should arrest those guys who called us out for nothing."
"Hmph! I didn't expect anyone to dare mess with the Uchiha. Do they think our clan has fallen?" Gan gritted his teeth. "If we don't teach them a lesson, anyone will dare trample on the Uchiha!"
"Wait! Gan! There's something over there!" Bun, another member of the police force, noticed something unusual: "The giant, it's there!"
"What?" Gan immediately turned to look.
All three Uchihas gasped.
They had seen tall people before, but the tallest were barely over two meters.
But the person before them?
Even while sitting cross-legged on the ground, Whitebeard's upper body alone exceeded two meters!
And the naginata leaning against Ichiraku Ramen was ridiculously long!
It was hard to imagine how tall this person would be if he stood up.
Comparable to a summoned beast?!
"Doesn't look easy to deal with." Tsui, who had been silent, warned his companions: "The giant is accompanied by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Hmm?" Tsui suddenly noticed: "I think I see Kakashi Hatake inside too."
"Kakashi Hatake?" Bun was puzzled: "What's he doing here?"
Gan sneered: "Who cares? When the Uchiha Police Force is on duty, everyone else steps aside!"
The three Uchihas approached Ichiraku Ramen.
A few meters from the ramen shop, they stopped.
"Hey!" Gan called to Whitebeard's back: "Foreigner, do you have a pass to enter Konohagakure? If not, then you're here illegally, violating the laws of the Land of Fire!"
Whitebeard slowly stood up. As he rose, the three Uchihas had to tilt their heads further and further back.
For the proud Uchiha, looking up at someone like this was almost unacceptable.
But if they looked straight ahead...
They couldn't even see his waistband!
"Gu ra ra ra!" Whitebeard replied: "I closed my eyes and opened them, and here I was in your Konohagakure. I don't have any pass! Gu ra ra ra!"
"No pass, then you'll have to come with us!" Gan signaled his companions.
The three Uchihas took positions, forming a tight encirclement.
"You can't take my dad away!!!"
Naruto suddenly rushed out and stood in front of Whitebeard. His tiny hands spread out, and he bravely shouted, "Dad, I'll hold them off. You get out of here!"
"Gu ra ra ra, foolish son!" Whitebeard gave Naruto a light flick on the forehead. Even with precise control, it hurt enough to make Naruto clutch his head and yowl.
Whitebeard said: "Even at seventy-two, your dad doesn't need his son to protect him."
He grinned at Gan, Bun, and Tsui: "You three think you can take me? Better call two Admirals instead!"
The three Uchihas didn't know what Admirals were.
But they could feel Whitebeard's condescending attitude.
Fury surged within them.
As members of the Uchiha Police Force, they weren't respected much in Konoha, but no one dared to provoke them, let alone look down on them.
But this giant dared disrespect the Uchiha!
He scorned the Uchiha!
Gan drew his short sword, glaring at Whitebeard: "A freak from who knows where, daring to underestimate the Uchiha!"
"Hey hey, drawing a sword is a bit much, isn't it?" Kakashi reminded: "Don't escalate things too much."
"Shut up! You're just a lackey reading smut all day!" Gan snapped.
"Gan!" Bun glared at his companion.
"What did I say wrong?" Gan retorted: "The Konoha high-ups guard against us like thieves. Why can't I speak my mind? What I said isn't against the law!"
"And you, demon fox brat..." Gan looked at Naruto with disgust: "If it weren't for you, the Uchiha wouldn't be in this situation. You're a source of misfortune!"
Many in the Uchiha clan believed their increasing marginalization by Konoha's leadership was due to the massive impact of the Nine-Tails' attack, leading to suspicions that the Uchiha might be behind it.
The Sharingan being a counter to the Tailed Beasts was no secret to Konoha's leaders.
This left the Uchiha defenseless against such accusations.
Gan advanced on Naruto with his sword: "Weren't you powerful back then? Try turning into the demon fox again! I know discussing this is forbidden, but so what if I say it?"
Kakashi facepalmed helplessly: "Why are the Uchiha so extreme?"
But his friend Obito...
Was it an outlier of the Uchiha?
"Demon fox! You are harboring a freak and obstructing the police force, which is a crime!" Gan licked his blade: "You demon fox, come with us!"
With that, Gan laughed maniacally and kicked at Naruto.
He had long wanted to deal with this damned demon fox!
If it weren't for this demon fox...
The Uchiha wouldn't be in this state?
However...
"Arrogant brat!" Whitebeard's eyes darkened: "You dare touch my son... Did you ask me?"
"What?" Gan felt a surge of terror, his movements freezing. His eyes turned a blood-red hue!
The single tomoe Sharingan activated instinctively under threat!
But he couldn't see anything!!
"Boom—"
Gan felt like a Tailed Beast hit him. His flesh seemed to separate from his bones.
His face contorted to the extreme.
His eyes nearly popped out.
His body flew back like a cannonball, crashing through a building and out the other side, landing on the street beyond.
Blood spurted from his mouth and nose!
Teeth shattered!
Eyes rolled back!
...
...