When Kisaragi arrived at the Konoha Police, there were many signs of battle, but seeing that the members of the Police were all working normally, Kisaragi was quite satisfied.
"Yes, Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Jin are not bad. At least they managed to ensure that the Konoha police wasn't reduced to rubble."
The two of them had joined forces to withstand the pressure from the other major families, and Kisaragi was pleased with their performance.
"Kisaragi-san."
As soon as Kisaragi entered the office, Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Jin immediately came to report to him. Both were still injured, their faces weary and exhausted.
After seeing Kisaragi, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had found their backbone.
All of yesterday, they had been under intense pressure, but they had also gained quite a bit from the situation.
Many members of the Hyuga clan had been imprisoned, as well as members of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
Even Anbu and Root had come to request their release, but they were refused.
This refusal, of course, had involved the use of force. It would have been impossible to make them retreat peacefully without it.
After Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Jin reported to Kisaragi, he sent them off to rest and then made his way to Konoha Prison.
Konoha had two prisons—one managed by Anbu and the other by the Konoha Police.
"Hyuga Hiashi, how comfortable was your stay last night?"
Kisaragi's first visit was to Hyuga Hiashi. The Hyuga clan leader, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them upon hearing Kisaragi's voice. Normally so particular about his image, Hyuga Hiashi looked rather disheveled now.
"Kisaragi, anyone who offends the Hyuga clan will not be let off easily," Hyuga Hiashi responded coldly.
"Haha, and you still dare to speak so arrogantly? Do you think I wouldn't dare to kill you with a single strike?" Kisaragi replied, opening the cell door and stepping inside.
As Kisaragi approached, Hyuga Hiashi wisely stayed still. He knew that he was no match for Kisaragi, especially since he had struggled to even face Uchiha Shin and was still injured.
"I don't believe you'd dare kill me," Hyuga Hiashi said calmly.
He was the patriarch of the Hyuga clan and did not believe that Kisaragi would actually kill him.
"And what if I say that I killed a ninja attempting to defect from the village? Do you think I'd be in any trouble afterward? Perhaps I'd face some minor inconvenience, but you'd be dead."
Kisaragi smiled coldly as he looked at Hyuga Hiashi.
If Kisaragi wanted to frame Hyuga Hiashi for treason, it would be all too easy. Whether others believed it or not, it didn't matter, as long as Kisaragi believed it.
After all, not many would be willing to offend him over a dead man.
"As long as I wish it, I could search your home tomorrow and easily find evidence that you've been colluding with enemy villages to betray the Leaf."
Hyuga Hiashi's face turned pale. Faced with a villain like Kisaragi, he couldn't argue further.
"What do you want in exchange for releasing the captured Hyuga members?" Hiashi finally asked, unwilling though he was to compromise. He was truly afraid that Kisaragi might execute the imprisoned Hyuga clan members.
Kisaragi was known to be ruthless, a fact well-established throughout Konoha Village.
Even at less than fifteen years old, Kisaragi had made a name for himself during the Second Ninja World War, largely due to his ruthless nature.
"It's simple. All I want is a little money, just a small security management fee. Your Hyuga clan has plenty of wealth, so you should be able to afford it, right?"
"You caused such a commotion just for money?" Hyuga Hiashi frowned.
Could Kisaragi really have offended so many people just for money? Hyuga Hiashi found it hard to believe.
"People die for wealth, just as birds die for food. Isn't that how the world works?"
Of course, Kisaragi wouldn't reveal his true intentions. While money wasn't his primary goal, it was certainly useful. More importantly, Kisaragi thrived on the value of causing trouble.
"How much?" Hiashi asked.
"Not much—just ten million ryo. No bargaining."
Kisaragi smiled as he spoke.
Hyuga Hiashi's face twisted upon hearing the sum. Ten million ryo was no small amount.
In the end, Hyuga Hiashi chose to compromise. As the head of the prestigious Hyuga clan, he couldn't afford to remain imprisoned for long.
"Let me return home, and I'll have the ten million ryo delivered."
"Alright, I trust you won't try anything dishonest, Hiashi. But let me make one thing clear—if the money doesn't arrive, I won't hesitate to come and collect it myself."
With that, Kisaragi waved his hand, signaling for Hyuga Hiashi to be released.
After dealing with Hyuga Hiashi, Kisaragi turned his attention to the others. Letting these prisoners continue to sit around would just be a waste of food. Finding a way to extort money from them was his top priority.
While the amount of "evil points" Kisaragi gained from extortion wasn't huge, each successful shake-down brought in one or two thousand points, and the numbers would add up over time.
"Uchiha Kisaragi, Lord Hokage wishes to see you."
An Anbu ninja wearing a cat-face mask appeared in front of Kisaragi. His tone was cold and devoid of emotion as he delivered the message.
"Heh, so he finally couldn't wait any longer. I'm surprised he lasted two days," Kisaragi muttered after the Anbu ninja disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
Yesterday, Kisaragi had wondered if Sarutobi Hiruzen would summon him, and now his suspicion was confirmed. The Hokage had run out of patience.
It made sense. After Kisaragi had ordered the new police members to carry out the same duties as the day before, Konoha had become even more chaotic.
Many shop owners were now too afraid to open their stores, fearing they might get caught up in trouble or arrested for some trumped-up reason.
Additionally, Kisaragi's move to expand the size of the Konoha Police was certainly provoking Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi had already been wary of the Uchiha clan, and now that Kisaragi was increasing the police's ranks, the Hokage was likely suspicious that Kisaragi was building his own power base. There was no way Sarutobi could sit back and ignore that.
At the Hokage's office, Kisaragi arrived once again.
This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not greet him with a smile. His expression was stern.
"I wonder what business the Lord Hokage has with me?" Kisaragi asked.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glared at Kisaragi, fully aware that Kisaragi knew why he had been summoned.
This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't bother with pleasantries.
"What's been going on with the Konoha Police these past few days? I've heard reports of people being arrested throughout the village."
As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen unleashed his Kage-level aura, directing it at Kisaragi.