"The police department is a bit out of the way, too far from the center of the village. It's inconvenient for work. We should find an opportunity to move it closer, ideally to a central area," Sougen said, walking out of the police department with Shisui amidst a chorus of greetings, heading toward the village center.

The cold wind howled, cutting their faces like a knife.

At least there was no snow today, and the wide-open view was refreshing. Even though it was chilly, it didn't dampen their good mood.

"Is there even space left in the center? It's completely packed!" Shisui remarked.

Saying that Konoha had no room to expand was an exaggeration. There were vast forests surrounding the village, plenty of space for development. However, the land around the Hokage's office, located near the base of Hokage Rock, was as valuable as gold. Almost all the usable land had already been built on, creating a densely packed area.

This wasn't about relocating a single household—moving an entire department like the police force would require a large area. Finding such a big space in the center of Konoha would be no easy task.

"There's always a way. We don't have to move right next to the Hokage building, just somewhere closer than this. The police department maintains village security, yet it's separated from the village center by such a large forest. The Second Hokage really liked making things difficult," Sougen said, his footsteps crunching in the snow.

The two walked through a forest, stripped bare of its leaves.

Behind them, the police department building had already faded from view, and up ahead, smoke rose in the distance. Passing through the forest, the chaotic, unplanned housing of Konoha came into sight, looking as messy and disorganized as ever.

Sougen was dressed warmly in layers today, wearing a simple blue-gray robe with the Uchiha clan's fan crest prominently displayed. Shisui, as a member of the police force, was in his standard uniform.

Their clothing made them stand out. The villagers they passed along the way cast glances their way, neither friendly nor filled with the resentment and hatred that had once been common.

"See that, Shisui? The villagers may be easy to fool, but that doesn't mean they're stubborn fools. Whether the Uchiha clan is evil or not, most people don't really care, aside from a small group. What they care about more are their daily needs. At most, they use these things as gossip. You ever wonder what terrible thing our clan did to make the village hate us so much?"

As they walked down the street, Sougen's tone turned more sincere, reflecting on the changing atmosphere around them.

Shisui observed the passersby silently.

Change.

He had felt it ever since returning to the village after the war. The Uchiha clan had made a big impact during the latest war. Not just him and Sougen, but many other Uchiha warriors had fought heroically. Their names spread among their comrades, and since then, the villagers' hostility toward the Uchiha had softened significantly.

During the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha clan had also fought desperately on the eastern front against the Mist Village. They had shed so much blood, but when they returned to Konoha, nothing had changed for them. Even though Uchiha Obito, a disciple of the Fourth Hokage, was hailed as a hero and his name inscribed on the memorial stone, it had done nothing for the clan's status.

The comparison was obvious. Anyone with sense could see it.

"Danzo, huh?" Shisui muttered.

"Not just Danzo. Do you really think he could have done all that without the approval of Sarutobi Hiruzen? He's dead now, so there's no point in hiding it. If the Third Hokage had been fairer, the Uchiha wouldn't have been vilified the way we were. But what's done is done. No use in dredging up old grudges."

Sougen's bluntness made Shisui smile wryly.

He wasn't naïve. Sougen was right. Without the Third Hokage's approval, Danzo couldn't have targeted the Uchiha so easily. If Sarutobi had been even a little more just, the Uchiha's reputation wouldn't have become so reviled.

But Sarutobi had been the longest-serving Hokage in Konoha's history, and now that he was gone, the past was just the past. Besides, Danzo was more than willing to take the blame for it all.

"Hey, isn't that... Nonou Yakushi?" Sougen said, shifting his gaze.

"Ha! Changing the subject, are we? You've really been brainwashed by Sarutobi," Sougen teased, but then nodded, "Yeah, that's her."

At the entrance to a vegetable shop, Nonou Yakushi stood with a large, filled paper bag, picking through produce. She was accompanied by two young men, one around twenty, the other about seventeen or eighteen.

The older one wore a black cap and had a stern expression, while the younger one, with white hair and round glasses, looked more delicate.

"Nonou, out shopping?" Sougen greeted as he approached.

"Assistant Hokage?!"

Nonou's reaction was slow, much less sharp than she had been on the battlefield. But Sougen understood. This "wandering witch" was officially retired now. Though she wasn't that old—only around thirty—being a spy was a taxing job. Few could do it for life, and fewer still could retire peacefully.

For someone like Nonou to have retired alive was a luxury. Not every spy could decide their own future.

"And these two boys are your sons?" Sougen asked, eyeing the silent Yakushi Kabuto standing beside her.

"Yes, these are my boys. Urushi and Kabuto," Nonou introduced them with a smile.

"Assistant Hokage!" the two young men greeted respectfully.

The two brothers, who weren't related by blood, had very different expressions. Urushi had a melancholy look in his eyes, while Kabuto's smile was formal, betraying no real emotion, except for the warmth that flickered when his gaze fell on Nonou.

Sougen couldn't help but focus on them. Urushi was still a Genin, but Kabuto was a genius spy, no less talented than Nonou herself.

After the list of Konoha's spies had been leaked, many of their agents in the Hidden Rock Village had been captured. Kabuto, however, was one of the few to slip through the cracks. He had donned several identities in the Hidden Rock, and when one of his aliases was exposed, the Rock ninja came up empty-handed. Kabuto had even managed to contact others and eventually returned to Konoha after learning that Nonou had come back.

It would be a shame not to make good use of such talent. But Sougen hadn't yet figured out how to best utilize Kabuto. Moreover, Kabuto's own wishes couldn't be ignored. Because of Nonou's significant contributions to the village, the Fifth Hokage had removed Kabuto's name from the list of spies.

Upon returning to the village, Kabuto Yakushi reunited with Nonō Yakushi and began working at the Konoha Orphanage. He appeared to have lost the ambition a young person should have... Perhaps he wasn't too eager to work for Sōgen.

"Urushi, Kabuto Yakushi, are you interested in joining the Police Force?" Sōgen suddenly extended an invitation.

Not only did Shisui widen his eyes in surprise, but Nonō Yakushi, along with Urushi and Kabuto, also showed signs of shock. However, unlike Urushi's somewhat stunned expression, Nonō Yakushi and Kabuto quickly masked their emotions.

"Assistant to the Hokage, isn't the Police Force exclusive to the Uchiha clan?" Nonō Yakushi subtly declined.

She had no real issue with the Uchiha clan, but after all the turmoil she had experienced, she wanted no part in getting involved with further dangerous politics. The Uchiha were always in the spotlight as Konoha's most prominent family, and if she had seen Sōgen approaching, she might have tried to avoid the trouble altogether!

"That's about to change. The Police Force is not the Uchiha clan's personal playground. The Uchiha are an integral part of Konoha, and while some didn't understand this in the past, I plan to make sure all Konoha's residents understand it in the future."

"So Urushi, Kabuto, don't worry about outdated rules. If you're interested in Police Force work, give it a try. The job doesn't require you to leave the village, and the pay and benefits are quite good." Sōgen smiled as he spoke.

As soon as he finished, especially hearing the last part, Urushi seemed somewhat tempted but held his tongue after glancing at Nonō Yakushi. Meanwhile, Kabuto's expression remained unchanged, his formal smile hiding his true thoughts. Nonō Yakushi, however, appeared visibly conflicted, hesitating, and furrowing her brow slightly when she saw Urushi's unguarded reaction.

"But there's no rush to decide now," Sōgen continued. "When the Police Force undergoes its changes, you can give me your answer then. Until then, think it over carefully. If you can't decide, feel free to discuss it with your companions."

Sōgen paused briefly before adding, "I have business at the Hokage's office, so I won't keep you from your shopping any longer. Shisui, let's go!" He glanced at Shisui, and the two of them began walking down the street toward the Hokage building in the village center.

Once they were out of sight, Shisui finally couldn't resist asking, "Sōgen, are you planning to recruit that 'wandering priestess'?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"Not really, but convincing Nonō Yakushi won't be easy."

"Nonō Yakushi may want to live out her remaining years peacefully, but can anyone truly escape life's worries in this world? You saw what she bought, didn't you? Everyone has their own troubles."

Shisui blinked. Nonō Yakushi had been carrying bags full of carrots, while Urushi and Kabuto were holding the cheapest rice and flour. It was obvious the "wandering priestess" was facing financial difficulties.

"If I remember correctly, didn't the village give Nonō Yakushi a large sum of money—enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life? And yet she's buying the cheapest food. Did she pour all her resources into the orphanage?"

Shisui wasn't entirely out of touch with village affairs. After all, as a member of the Police Force, he had a good grasp of what was happening. He knew that Nonō Yakushi had returned to the orphanage where she used to work and had taken over as director from the old matron.

"Running an orphanage is no easy task."

Especially with someone like Nonō Yakushi, who doted on all the children. When the previous matron was in charge, the orphanage had fewer than twenty children, and with the village's subsidies, it could barely stay afloat. But after Nonō Yakushi became director again, the number of orphans skyrocketed to over seventy in a short period of time.

With that many people, the village's subsidy wasn't nearly enough.

As for applying for more funding, that wasn't something that could be settled quickly. While Konoha had wealth, there were many expenses to cover. There were over a dozen orphanages in the village, and though each one didn't receive much, the combined total of their subsidies was no small sum.

Back in the day, Danzo had used the threat of cutting off the orphanage's funding to force Nonō Yakushi to return to work for him. Kabuto had even volunteered to join Root to help her.

"But there's no need to worry too much. It's great if it works out, but if it doesn't, there's no harm done." Sōgen truly didn't care.

Recruiting Nonō Yakushi and Kabuto would be beneficial, but even if it failed, it wouldn't affect him. He hadn't risked anything by trying; he simply made an offer when he ran into them.

"Shisui, your next task is to focus on learning the Flying Thunder God Technique. After that, you'll have responsibilities with the Department of Legal Affairs. Leave the rest to me."

"I understand." Shisui nodded. "I know what I need to focus on."

He gazed at the Hokage building that was now in view, feeling a wave of excitement. Having the chance to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique... It was something he never could have imagined before!

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