Chapter 52: The Uchiha Clan's Cage
"Next, congratulations to Uchiha Tarō and Uchiha Jirō… starting today, you'll officially be joining the Konoha Police Force."
In the dimly lit chamber, Hazuki's unease and Seiji's smile went unnoticed.
Uchiha Fugaku stood at the front, calling out the names of clan members who had been newly appointed to the police force.
Each one stood up, visibly thrilled and proud.
Watching their excited faces, Seiji's smile deepened with a touch of irony.
The Uchiha, after all, were part of Konoha—and inevitably influenced by the village's "Will of Fire."
Fugaku had even once proposed a bloodless revolution.
But the truth was bitter: the Konoha Police Force had always been a cage.
Under the pretext of supervising criminals, the police headquarters was deliberately established alongside the prison—pushing the Uchiha to the outskirts of the village under full view of all.
And as enforcers, they were bound to offend others and invite resentment.
In the Kakashi Anbu Arc of the anime, the Uchiha arrested a drunk troublemaker, only for bystanders to accuse them of being too harsh—completely ignoring the danger the drunk might have caused if left unchecked.
And yet, the Uchiha continued to treat this assignment as a point of pride.
Day in, day out, they patrolled the streets, dealing with minor infractions like kids scribbling on walls or villagers arguing over petty disputes.
All that talent and power, reduced to dealing with trivialities. A waste of their unique gifts.
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Haha, thank you all for the support!"
The newly inducted officers wore broad smiles, their joy uncontainable.
"The Uchiha clan is truly on the rise," Fugaku remarked with satisfaction. The clan had seen a surge of promising talent lately, especially someone like Seiji with his exceptional potential in medical ninjutsu.
With prospects like these, how could the Uchiha not flourish?
As he thought this, Fugaku turned to glance at Seiji.
Seeing the boy's radiant smile, he nodded approvingly—convinced that Seiji was proud of the clan's accomplishments and shared in their joy.
---
The Next Day
Seiji visited the Academy to formally complete his graduation paperwork.
His assigned jōnin instructor hadn't been finalized yet, and he was told to wait a few more days to meet his squad.
In the meantime, he accompanied Mikoto to the clan archives to claim a copy of Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.
This technique was a signature move of the Uchiha clan—one almost every Uchiha ninja could perform.
This time, Uchiha Yakusen's attitude was markedly improved.
The Uchiha respected strength above all else.
Once, Seiji was just a new clan member, barely awakened one Sharingan eye. Now, he was a prodigy who had graduated early, displayed balanced skills in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, and even caught the attention of Medical Corps Captain Yakushi Nonō.
No one wanted to offend someone with that kind of potential.
"So it's true—we've produced a real genius."
Yakusen found a scroll, brushed off the dust, and handed it over, casting a glance at the two standing behind him.
The scars across his face twisted with his grin, making the smile look rather grotesque.
"Indeed," Mikoto nodded politely.
Her black hair was tied back with a simple white band, cascading to her waist, while two loose strands framed her flawless face. Compared to her more mature, motherly look in the future, she now carried a sharper, more composed air.
Even she was surprised at how quickly Seiji had graduated.
After all, he hadn't received any kind of early, elite training.
Before many Uchiha children even entered the Academy, their families would already take them hunting or begin teaching them ninjutsu.
Seiji, however, had none of that.
"You flatter me," Seiji replied with a calm smile, accepting the orange scroll in his hand.
The shift from arrogance to courtesy was honestly amusing.
"Mikoto-neesan, where exactly is the Ninja Cat Clan located?"
With the scroll in hand, Seiji was eager to acquire his own ninja blade.
"I'll take you there. It may look shabby from the outside, but you'll be surprised by what's inside…"
The two left the compound and headed out of the Uchiha district.
As they walked, Mikoto explained to Seiji what the Ninja Cat Clan actually was.
Despite being called a "clan," the Ninja Cats were, in truth, a group of summoning beasts raised by Granny Cat—who also happened to run the most prestigious weapons shop in the region.
In fact, even among the Five Great Nations, her shop was considered top-tier.
---
By nightfall, Mikoto and Seiji arrived at what appeared to be a crumbling ruin.
As long as one had the proper pass and stated their purpose, they could leave the village freely—Konoha didn't strictly monitor ninja movement.
Nearly all of the Uchiha's ninja tools were purchased from Granny Cat's shop. Because of this, the Uchiha and the Ninja Cats had developed a close relationship. The cats treated the Uchiha as VIPs and often shared intel with them—they were one of the Uchiha's many information sources.
"This place really is desolate," Seiji remarked, surveying the area.
It was clear that this place had once been prosperous.
What caused its decline and left it in ruins was anyone's guess.
Compared to the bustling streets of Konoha, this place felt practically abandoned.
Mikoto nodded in agreement—she'd had the exact same impression the first time she came.
They continued forward, passing crumbling walls and the occasional rat scurrying out of sight.
After about ten minutes, they arrived at a surprisingly grand structure.
An old, weathered sign above the entrance faintly read: "Kūku District."
"This is the place."
Inside, they found a maze of underground corridors.
But Mikoto clearly knew her way around. With practiced ease, she led Seiji through a series of turns until they came upon two ninja cats—both dressed in little outfits.
"Hey, it's Mikoto! And the one behind you… is that the new Uchiha everyone's been talking about?"
"Doesn't look much different from the rest of them, nya."
One of the cats eyed Seiji closely, noting he was a bit sturdier than the average Uchiha.
"Take us to see Granny Cat."
Mikoto handed the cats a few boxes of matatabi drinks—catnip juice, the cats' favorite.
Satisfied, the cats turned and began leading the way.
Soon, they arrived at a spacious, well-kept room.
The walls were lined with jars, scrolls, and all kinds of ninja tools.
At the center sat an older woman with a smoking pipe and cat-ear accessories on her head—Granny Cat herself.
Seiji noticed there was no sign of any young girl nearby.
Her granddaughter, Tamaki, must not have been born yet.
Tamaki would grow up to be quite beautiful—and in Boruto, she'd even become Kiba Inuzuka's girlfriend. Though the two were together for over a decade, they never married.
"So, what kind of ninja blade are you looking for?" Granny Cat turned to Seiji, puffing on her pipe. Her nose was stained a dark brown—whether from face paint or something else, he couldn't tell.
"Ideally something made with chakra-conductive metal, durable, and on the longer side. I'm not picky about the shape." Seiji stated his preferences plainly.
After all, the Uchiha were footing the bill—so he saw no reason not to aim for the best.