Konoha: Reforge the glory of Uchiha!

"Captain, everyone is here," announced Uchiha Tiehuo, followed by over a dozen Uchiha clan members. These were all the ninjas on duty in the Uchiha Guard today.

Typically, at this time, they would be patrolling Konoha's commercial streets, snack streets, and other areas. Despite the Great Ninja War raging for eight years, the everyday lives of Konoha's citizens had been largely unaffected.

Life and death battles were the domain of ninja masters, not ordinary people. The five major ninja villages had a tacit understanding about this. However, smaller ninja villages weren't as observant. In desperation, they would sometimes plunder the property of common villagers.

Some ninjas from these smaller villages even defected to become rogue ninjas, avoiding combat missions due to the lack of enforcement from their home villages. This led civilians from small ninja villages to flee towards the five major ninja villages, with Konoha being the most suitable place to settle.

Despite a decrease in the number of Konoha ninjas, the civilian population increased after the first ninja war, making Konoha's economy thrive and increasing the workload for the Uchiha Security Department.

With more people came more petty crimes, which the Security Department had to address. Moreover, spies from various great ninja villages infiltrated Konoha, prompting collaboration between the Uchiha Security Department and the ANBU under the Hokage to deal with these threats secretly.

"Captain, if something's up, I have to call all the staff on duty. It's been hectic lately," complained Uchiha Inari, standing behind Tiehuo. Inari and Tiehuo were twins and had been on the same team as Uchiha Nan on the battlefield.

Neither of them were officially recognized ninjas within Konoha's establishment; they were privately trained within the family as part of Uchiha's private army. During the eight-year war, even part of this private army was deployed to the battlefield.

The two brothers had a strong bond with Uchiha Nan, having fought alongside him, and Nan had even saved Inari's life once.

As soon as he entered, Inari began complaining about recent issues.

"Captain, I really don't want to retire from the front line to deal with trivial matters every day. I'd rather be fighting on the battlefield," he said.

"Captain?"

Uchiha Nan remained silent, simply staring at Inari. Nan's serious look unnerved Inari.

The last time the captain had been this serious, they had been trapped in a cave by more than a dozen Jonin from Hidden Cloud Village. If the captain hadn't suddenly turned the tide and defeated them all, their lives might have ended there.

"Captain, did I say something wrong?" Inari smiled nervously, exchanging looks with his brother Tiehuo.

"Tiehuo, shut your mouth. The captain hasn't even spoken, and you're the only one talking," Tiehuo admonished, smacking Inari on the head before turning to Uchiha Nan, waiting for him to speak.

Seeing Inari fall silent, the other Uchiha members also quieted down. Despite Uchiha Nan's usual friendly demeanor within the clan and his gentle nature, his reputation from the battlefield made everyone cautious. Nan's position as captain of the Security Department was earned through battlefield accomplishments, not nepotism.

Everyone present sensed that Captain Uchiha Nan was behaving unusually today.

"Inari, you just complained that Hokage-sama has been reluctant to expand the Security Department's strength?" Uchiha Nan asked, releasing Manji and standing up to stretch before addressing Inari.

"What's wrong with what I said?" Inari rubbed his head, still smarting from Tiehuo's earlier smack.

"Snort," Uchiha Nan scoffed.

"I'm afraid the expansion of the Uchiha Security Department will be postponed indefinitely, and Hokage-sama won't have the chance to agree."

"I've just received news that Lord Hokage died during negotiations with the Raikage."

Nan's words hit the Uchiha members like a heavy blow, leaving them stunned.

"Captain?"

"Are you joking? Hokage-sama is dead?"

"And during negotiations?"

Uchiha Tiehuo's disbelief was palpable. The idea of Senju Tobirama's death seemed absurd to him.

Tobirama was notorious for his cunning. Elders from the clan who had lived through the Warring States Period would often describe him with words like cunning and deceitful, a villain full of schemes.

One particularly pessimistic elder had once said, "Even that cunning Tobirama might outlive me. It seems the Uchiha won't have a chance for decades. No one in the clan can defeat that devious Tobirama. May the gods bless Uchiha."

Tiehuo, who had heard these sentiments from clan elders growing up, found it hard to believe.

"Could something like this be a joke?" Uchiha Nan asked seriously, looking at Tiehuo.

"According to the information I received, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the Second Raikage's subordinates, staged a coup and attacked both the Raikage and Tobirama during negotiations."

"The Second Raikage was killed, and Tobirama was severely injured. He led the Shadow Guard in a retreat, pursued by Kinkaku and Ginkaku's elite troops. Ultimately, to cover the Shadow Guard's escape, he faced the pursuing troops alone and died in battle."

Uchiha Nan explained briefly. Tiehuo's head spun. If anyone else had said this, Tiehuo would have slapped them for spouting nonsense.

"What nonsense are you making up? Hokage protecting the Shadow Guard?"

"Which Shadow Guard would let their village's Kage protect them while they escape? It's disgraceful!"