Chapter 483: Kindness is Not the Key to Success

In the past, any issue in the police department was blamed on the Uchiha, and complaints alone were enough to tarnish their reputation.

Now, that's no longer the case. The police department is no longer solely composed of Uchiha clan members; it now includes other families and civilian ninjas. Random complaints may even backfire on the complainant.

"In addition, without deliberate favoritism from the higher-ups, malicious complaints are ignored. When people realize they can't act recklessly like before, they'll naturally stop filing baseless complaints against the police department. Over time, its reputation will improve."

"To put it bluntly, the main reason for the police department's poor reputation was not ordinary villagers or ninjas but the former leadership."

Whether the complaints were valid or not, the police department was always made the scapegoat, and the narrative was constantly spun against them. With such treatment, it's no wonder their reputation suffered.

The Uchiha's poor reputation owes much to F4's manipulation. However, things have changed now. The police department's reputation is gradually improving, while families like the Sarutobi and Shimura clans find their reputations deteriorating.

When villagers talk about these families, their tone is often filled with anger and curses.

Even though the Third Hokage led ninjas from these families to contribute significantly on the battlefield, it couldn't erase the villagers' bitterness.

The reason? Misappropriated funds. The extent of corruption left a significant deficit that could not be covered up. Naturally, the villagers harbor resentment.

This was nothing short of sucking the village's blood—utterly shameless.

"Although the Uchiha's immediate issues have been resolved, I must point out that due to the Sharingan, the clan tends to produce individuals with extreme thoughts and personalities. Such individuals need to be dealt with swiftly to avoid future trouble."

Shinki wasn't biased against the Uchiha, nor did he have any prejudice toward them. However, he understood the risks of leaving such individuals unchecked. Once someone like that turned rogue, it would cause considerable chaos.

Thus, it fell to Uchiha Fugaku, the steadfast leader of the clan, to address these potential issues himself.

"Yes, I will," Fugaku agreed resolutely. For the stability of his clan, he would take decisive measures and not hesitate.

"The same applies to the Hyuga clan. Members of the Main Family must be kept in check. If the Branch Family's issues can't be resolved, it's better to deal with extremists decisively.

"Of course, that's just my opinion. Ultimately, how you handle it is up to you."

Shinki's role was to offer advice. It was up to Hyuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku to act. If they failed to handle the issues and someone caused a significant disaster, the blame would rest on their shoulders.

Shinki and the village could handle the fallout, but could the Hyuga or Uchiha clans withstand such a blow? Likely not. It would devastate their families.

In the ninja world, the idea of avoiding harsh measures for the sake of kindness was naive and impractical. Stability and development often required sacrifices. History was full of examples of people who gave everything for the sake of their clans.

After all, Shinki was only giving them a reminder. How they executed it was their responsibility, and he had no reason to carry the burden for them.

After dinner, Shinki left first.

Uchiha Fugaku glanced sideways at Hyuga Hiashi and remarked, "The Hyuga clan has its share of issues."

"And so does yours," Hiashi retorted smoothly.

Hiashi wasn't new to such jabs and didn't take Fugaku's comment to heart. Instead, he countered, "The Hyuga clan's troubles are under control. In contrast, the Uchiha's temperament is far more volatile—far more troublesome."

Fugaku scowled silently.

It was an undeniable fact: the Hyuga clan was inherently more stable than the Uchiha. Sharingan evolution often came with tragic and extreme emotional triggers—loss of loved ones, grief, and despair. The Hyuga's Byakugan, on the other hand, didn't require such sacrifices. Those with enough talent and purity in their bloodline naturally awakened it.

The Uchiha, however, seemed to thrive on suffering. The more misfortune they endured, the stronger they became.

"Heh, stability isn't always a virtue. At least the Uchiha clan's growth is steady. Compared to us, the Hyuga seem much more stagnant."

The Uchiha might appear troubled on the surface, but their growth remained consistent. Conversely, the Hyuga seemed calm outwardly but were struggling beneath the surface. The situations of the two clans were starkly opposite.

Frankly, if the F4 leadership had used the same tactics against the Hyuga as they did the Uchiha, the Hyuga would have crumbled. The Uchiha's resilience and strength were what allowed them to survive and grow despite the challenges.

The difference boiled down to strength. As a prominent clan in Konoha with a stable bloodline limit, the Uchiha were much stronger than the Hyuga—especially in terms of individual power.

In their early years, Hyuga ninjas might have had an edge. However, once an Uchiha ninja awakened the Sharingan, even with two tomoe, the power dynamics shifted. With three tomoe, there was no competition.

An Uchiha jonin could easily outmatch several enemies of the same rank. This wasn't an exaggeration but a well-documented fact.

Even the Senju clan jonin of the past couldn't confidently claim to beat an Uchiha jonin one-on-one. Such was the power of the Sharingan.

Hiashi chose not to argue further. Fugaku's words, though irritating, held truth. The Hyuga appeared stable on the surface, but beneath that calm facade lay unrest. Meanwhile, the Uchiha's overt problems couldn't shake their solid foundation.

"Humph."

Later, as Shinki pushed the door open and entered Tsunade's office, she greeted him with an annoyed snort.

"Why so resentful today?" Shinki asked, smiling as he settled onto the sofa.

"My Hokage secretary took leave! And you know exactly why," Tsunade grumbled, glaring at him.

Ah. My fault.

Uchiha Mikoto, gentle and accommodating, had overexerted herself trying to match Shinki's energy. As a result, she couldn't work today and had to request leave.

Tsunade's frustration was understandable.

Shinki laughed it off but soon moved to the desk, picking up a document. After skimming it, he raised an eyebrow.

"Has the village's financial situation improved?"

"Of course," Tsunade replied smugly. "Do you think my efforts over the past few years were for nothing?"