Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It has been a year since I graduated, huh? Kaen thought as he walked through the village. It has been a year since he joined Konoha military police force. Konoha didn't change much since a year ago. But the Uchiha clan did. Kaen could feel the tension increasing among the Uchiha clan members each day.

Three more years Kaen had left. There was nothing he could do to change the tide, maybe if he were reborn five years earlier, but it was a what-if scenario, and Kaen didn't want to waste time on something like that. As Kaen walked through the market, he saw a bunch of people gathering around some shops.

"What are you doing here?" Kaen heard someone yelling as he approached the situation. "You plague."

"I was only looking at the masks," Kaen heard a boy with yellow hair on the ground mumble quietly.

"You want this?" Kaen saw the shopkeeper throw a mask at the boy, hitting the boy in the head. "Well, now you have it. Now get lost."

"I think it is you will be lost in jail," Kaen stepped between the boy and the shopkeeper. "Assaulting a child, that not good, mister. You will spend some time in jail."

"A child, he is nothing but a," Before the shopkeeper could finish his words, Kaen put a kunai at his throat.

"Are you going to resist the arrest?" Kaen asked.

"No, it is just a misunderstanding," Seeing how dire his situation was, the shopkeeper tried to defend himself.

"Now, now, I saw it all. I will have to look at what you have in the shop. Assaulting children in broad daylight, it seems you are not new to the criminal world," Kaen said. "Everyone, please scatter, or I will arrest you for obstructing an officer on duty."

Kaen bound the shopkeeper's hands behind his back. Everyone started to talk until they saw Kaen's cold black eyes. Seeing those eyes looking at them, they quickly scattered. The blond boy stared at Kaen, not knowing what was happening.

"What are you looking for, boy?" Kaen asked. "Have you never seen a criminal before?"

"He is a criminal?" The boy asked.

"What else could he be? He has assaulted you, so he broke the law," Kaen explained. "Now go on. How long will you sit on a dirty road."

Kaen watched as the boy quickly stood up and left. The shopkeeper tried to defend himself again, but Kaen didn't listen to him as he dragged him to the police station. Kaen started to like his job, putting assholes like this man behind bars. Kaen knew that the man, at most, would only spend a couple of days behind bars before leaving, but he would investigate his shop well and leave nothing unturned.

…

Kaen was getting annoyed with the blond boy following him around. Ever since that day, he had been on Kaen's toes. It wasn't a problem, but it was getting annoying to be watched by the boy. So, when Kaen saw a corner ahead, he quickly took it and waited for the boy to show up.

"Boo," Kaen shouted at the boy who had just turned a corner.

"Gah," The boy fell on his butt.

"Stalking is a crime, boy," Kaen informed the boy.

"What? I wasn't stalking," He quickly defended himself.

"Lying to the police officer is a crime too, boy."

"I am not a boy, I am Naruto Uzumaki."

"You are not a boy. My mistake, girl."

"I am not a girl."

"Oh, you do not identify by gender, blonde?"

"What? No, I am a boy."

"That's what I say from the beginning. Wasting time of an officer is a crime, boy."

"Ahh," the boy shouted in frustration. "I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For helping me out last time," The boy looked down and mumbled.

"Don't think too much of yourself, boy. I only did my job as a Konoha military police force officer. Now get lost. If I catch you breaking the law, I will put you behind bars like everyone else."

"The police force's purpose is to watch the other shinobi, Kaen Uchiha," When the boy left, an ANBU with a cat mask and purple hair appeared and said.

"Konoha military police force's purpose is to maintain the law in the village," Kaen replied. "If you have a complaint. You can send it to Hokage or the police force leader, Fugaku Uchiha. Good day."

Kaen didn't give two shits about the ANBU and left to continue his patrol. On the way, he fed stray cats. After his shift had ended, he returned to the police station and reported to his superior. Kaen didn't like his superiors as they didn't like him. But he had no choice but to report to them every day.

"Be in your best shape tomorrow. A delegation from Kumogakure will arrive to sign a peace treaty. I don't want you to tarnish the Uchiha name."

"Sure," Kaen replied halfheartedly.

Once Kaen left for home, he started to think about tomorrow. He knew what Kumogakure was planning, so before returning home, he went around the Hyuga clan compound and looked around. He soon found a nice place that overlooked most of the estate.

…

The next night before leaving, Kaen fed his cat, Ash. He took out his longbow made of yew wood. When he commissioned the blacksmith to make him a bow, who would have thought he would be turned down and directed to a carpenter? The only metal good enough to make a bow was chakra metal, which was a bit too expensive for Kaen. The carpenter suggested yew wood was the best choice as it was sturdy and elastic.

After checking the string on his bow, Kaen took out his arrows and coated them in the venom. It wasn't lethal venom, but it could paralyze unexpected victims. It was slow working but unexpectedly potent. It wasn't hard to make, either. All ingredients could be bought in the local market.

Kaen was happy that he decided to learn about poison, venom, and toxins. It was easy to memorize all the knowledge with his Sharingan. Kaen questioned why more of the Uchiha clan didn't try learning something like this. But the answer was simple, Uchiha were too prideful. Having solid bodies, a lot of chakra, and Sharingan, why would they care for underhanded tactics?

To Kaen, the Uchiha pride has shackled them from reaching their true potential. Kaen wouldn't repeat the same mistakes as his fellow clan member had. He would never limit himself to just taijutsu and ninjutsu. The shinobi world was limitless.

Before he left, he took out a hidden book that stored his sealing papers. Kaen took the warding barrier seal, binding seal, and chakra draining seal. On their own, the seals wouldn't work that well on shinobi, but combined with his venom. Kaen would bring down any opponent.

With his preparations done, he went to the place he found yesterday. From years of watching shinobi training, Kaen has developed his sneaking skill to a high level. He knew how to blend in with his environment, hide in shadows, and use distractions. So, he was sure that no one would be able to hide from him.

Standing on the treetop outside the Hyuga clan compound, Kaen opened his two tomoe Sharingan and watched. As the night deepened, Kaen only concentrated more. He didn't want to miss his target. Part of him didn't want an innocent person to die if he could prevent it. The other part was excited to test the skills he had honed over the years.

Then he saw it, his target. At first, Kaen was surprised at the shinobi's skills at hiding. Kaen wouldn't have been able to see him if he didn't have his sharingan. Now, he understood why he was able to kidnap the princess of the Hyuga clan. If they didn't activate their byakugan, they wouldn't be able to notice him. It was an interesting and very effective jutsu using wind to disturb light so that nobody could see him well, and now it was his technique too.

Taking five arrows, Kaen drew back his bowstring and fired them in quick succession. The first arrow hit the enemy's arm, making him drop the Hyuga princess. The second and third arrows only grazed him as he twisted his body to avoid them. The fourth and fifth arrows missed him entirely.

Kaen made a quick note in his head to learn how to make his arrows fly faster. Kaen jumped from the tree and landed between the enemy shinobi and the Hyuga princess. After taking out the arrow stuck on his arm, the enemy looked surprised to find a boy blocking his path, and Kaen used it to put out a warding seal on the Hyuga princess and set a binding seal in front of himself.

"An Uchiha? It is a lucky day for me," The enemy shinobi said.

Kaen didn't speak and got into a taijutsu position. Kaen knew that his opponent wouldn't use ninjutsu as it would attract attention, and he won't try to kill Kaen as he wanted Uchiha kekkei genkai. It was even more valuable than the Hyuga's byakugan. So, as the enemy shinobi moved, he stepped into Kaen's seal, and a chakra rope wrapped around his legs.

The chakra ropes could only stop him for a moment before they broke, but it was enough time for Kaen to set the chakra-draining seal on his opponent. The seal would drain his chakra bit by bit. With his preparations done, Kaen only had to defend himself against his opponent.

But Kaen wasn't satisfied with only being on defense. He wanted to test his taijutsu. Kaen's Sharingan saw the opponent's moves and his body moved accordingly to counterattack. He is weaker and slower than Shisui. Kaen thought as he dodged one punch and counterattacked with a kick to the stomach.

The fight lasted for ten minutes, and even though Kaen didn't manage to gain an advantage, he didn't let his opponent push him around. Kaen would always be able to block or dodge his opponent's hits; with time, his hits only got weaker and slower. Kaen could see his opponent growing frustrated with each minute.

"Where is my daughter?" Before Kaen could see more of his opponent and learn from this fight, Hiashi Hyuga arrived. Kaen immediately turned off his Sharingan and hoped the Hyuga clan leader didn't notice it.

"Hyuga-sama, everything is under control. I have apprehended the intruder and will take him to prison, where he will answer for his crimes. Your daughter is behind me, protected by a barrier seal."

"You won't take me in so easily."

"But I have already done it. By now, the venom should start working."

"What are you talking about? Wait, why can't I move?"

"How foolish of you not to notice it, don't try to use your chakra. You have little of it left," Kaen informed. "Hyuga-sama, would you be kind enough to seal his tenketsu, so it would be easier for me to take him in?"

"I will want answers from him later," Hiashi said and did as Kaen asked.

After taking the helpless shinobi, Kaen started to wonder where he should bring him. In the end, he was a member of a police force, so he would take him to the police station. But it seems others had different plans, as three shinobi with ANBU masks showed out of nowhere.

"We will take the intruder." A man wearing a cat mask said.

"Hyuga-sama, I must ask your help in apprehending these imposters."

"What?" Both Hiashi and the ANBU asked.

"I met a cat mask-wearing ANBU near the jinchuriki, and that ANBU was a woman, so whoever they are, they are not ANBU."

"Our cover is blown. Retreat," The one with the cat mask yelled, and the three disappeared as they appeared.

"I wonder if they are the infamous Root," Kaen mumbled. "They seemed to be kind of stupid. Well, I should finish this already. It is getting too late, and I should go to sleep."

To Kaen, sound sleep was essential, as, for years, he has been training under a tight regime. He scheduled his sleep so that his body would receive the maximum amount of rest, and he didn't want to break that schedule even for one night.