In the center of Konoha Village, at the Hokage Building, Kisaragi walked into the Hokage Building and entered the Third Hokage's office.
It wasn't Kisaragi who had come to find Sarutobi Hiruzen; rather, Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent someone to summon him.
"Kisaragi, you're here," Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted with a kind smile. To many children, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the kindly Grandpa Hokage.
But Kisaragi knew very well what kind of person Sarutobi Hiruzen truly was. This old man hadn't called him over for anything good.
"The police force is quite busy. May I ask why Hokage-sama has summoned me?" Kisaragi inquired.
"Well, Konoha's security is thanks to the hard work of your police force," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied.
"It's all for Konoha. Where the leaves fly, the fire burns eternally. No matter how hard it gets, it's worth it for Konoha. I, too, inherit the Will of Fire," Kisaragi said without so much as a blush.
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled lightly. "Kisaragi, you understand the spirit of the Will of Fire very well."
"As long as the leaves fly, the fire will continue to burn, and the shadow of the fire will shine upon the village, allowing new leaves to sprout. This is the spirit of our Konoha."
"Young people are the hope for the future, Kisaragi. I'm sure you'll become a pillar of Konoha one day," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a satisfied expression, as though he were happy to see a successor to the Will of Fire.
"A lot has been happening in your Uchiha clan recently," Sarutobi continued.
"Yes, it's unfortunate for the clan—there has been rebellion. It's truly disgraceful that someone would assassinate our clan elders. Fortunately, the murderer has already faced justice," Kisaragi replied, his expression turning to one of anger.
"Damn Uchiha Shimata! The second and third elders worked tirelessly for Uchiha, and yet this ungrateful wretch assassinated them. I'd love nothing more than to chop him up and feed him to the dogs," Kisaragi added furiously.
"Are you sure Uchiha Shimata is the murderer? Uchiha's matters are Konoha's matters, and I wouldn't want to wrong an innocent person," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a concerned look.
"Of course, it was Uchiha Shimata. He committed suicide out of fear of his crimes. Is there any doubt?" Kisaragi asked.
"However, I suspect Uchiha Shimata had accomplices, perhaps those who instructed him to assassinate the elders. Unfortunately, this is just speculation without any concrete evidence."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked somewhat disappointed as he studied Kisaragi, who was as composed as ever.
After the deaths of the two Uchiha elders, Sarutobi had initially suspected Kisaragi. However, the case had wrapped up too quickly for him to intervene. The murderer, Uchiha Shimata, had conveniently "committed suicide."
Whether it was true or forced suicide remained unclear, but the latter seemed more likely.
"Lord Hokage, I have something else to report," Kisaragi said, breaking the silence.
"Go ahead, Kisaragi," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, still wearing his amiable smile.
"Recently, the Konoha Police's funds have been a bit tight. Could Lord Hokage perhaps allocate some additional funds? Our police force is struggling to make ends meet."
"If there's no money, the people under me won't be able to work properly. Even as the captain, I'm at my wit's end. If the guard team can't operate effectively, how can we maintain Konoha's security? It's worrying just thinking about it."
Kisaragi began complaining about the lack of funds to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He wasn't going to let himself be tested without getting something in return. Besides, what Kisaragi said was true—the Konoha police's funding had always been meager.
When Uchiha Fugaku was captain, the Uchiha clan had funded the guard out of their own pockets. But now that Kisaragi was captain, he wasn't about to spend his own money.
After all, who was Kisaragi? Even a bird flying past his door would have to leave behind a feather as a toll. He wasn't about to lose any of his own money.
"Well... sigh, the village finances have been tight lately. But don't worry, Kisaragi, I'll do my best to secure some extra funds for the guard."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked somewhat embarrassed as he responded to Kisaragi's request.
"Since the village's finances are tight, I won't press the matter, Lord Hokage. In the meantime, I'll do my best to restrain the police and keep things in order."
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew what Kisaragi was implying, and he certainly didn't take him lightly.
Konoha Village's financial struggles? That was a joke. Everyone knew that Konoha was the wealthiest village, and it was the reason other villages constantly waged war on them—to claim their wealth.
The Land of Fire was the richest country, and Konoha was the richest village. This was why the other ninja villages often fought against the Land of Fire.
"Is there anything else, Lord Hokage? If not, I'll take my leave. The police can't function without me as its captain," Kisaragi said.
"Very well," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
…
"Uchiha Fugaku can't compete with Kisaragi," Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself after Kisaragi had left.
Through their conversation, Sarutobi could tell that Kisaragi was a cunning individual.
Uchiha Fugaku could never match him.
"It seems I'll have to support him," Sarutobi sighed.
Rather than letting the Uchiha clan fall under Kisaragi's control, it was better for the village if Uchiha Fugaku took charge.
Kisaragi was too much of a threat. He had assassinated the two elders and seized the opportunity to cut off Fugaku's support.
Kisaragi was ruthless and unscrupulous. If he became the head of the Uchiha clan, he would destabilize everything.
If he dared to assassinate his own clan elders, would he not one day target the Hokage himself?
Kisaragi already possessed near-Kage-level strength at such a young age, and there was a high probability that he would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in the future.
Just thinking about the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan made Sarutobi Hiruzen envious. If he had known that Kisaragi had already reached Kage-level strength and unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan, his jealousy would have only grown.
As Kisaragi left the Hokage Building, he remained unaware that Sarutobi Hiruzen had decided to back Uchiha Fugaku.
Even if he had known, Kisaragi wouldn't have cared.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't openly interfere in Uchiha clan matters. Even if he tried, the entire Uchiha clan would oppose him.
Moreover, Kisaragi wasn't afraid of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Even if things escalated, his Kage-level strength was more than enough to give him confidence.
Not only did Kisaragi possess Kage-level strength, but he also wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan and had mastery over Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai.
At this stage, unless Uchiha Madara, who was still lurking somewhere, made a move against him, Kisaragi had no reason to fear anyone.