Ih year of Konoha, the vilge faced its most eically challenging period. The Sed Shinobi World War had nearly drained Konoha of its lifeblood.

  On this day, a difficult case was being ha the Konoha Police Force. The case did not involve any powerful ninja. Instead, an elderly woman, nearly sixty years old, was brought in, her expression filled with more shame than sorrow. She had been caught stealing ration pills from a store, and the shopkeeper had reported her to the Konoha Police Force.

  The Police Chief asked, "Old dy, did you really steal the ration pills from the store?" The elderly woman, head lowered, stammered as she replied, "Yes, Chief, I did."

  The Police Chief tinued, "What was your motive for stealing the ration pills? Was it because you were hungry?"

  "Yes," the old dy raised her head and looked at the Police Chief, saying, "I was hungry, but more than that, I hose pills to feed the three orpha behind by the Shinobi World War. They lost their parents in the war and haveen in days. I couldn't just watch them starve to death."

  Upon hearing the old dy's words, a low murmur of discussion spread throughout the Konoha Police Force. The Police Chief spun a kunai in his hand before sternly deg, "Quiet! Now, I will annouhe verdict. Old dy, I must follow the w of Konoha."

  "You have two choices: pay a fine of 10,000 ryō or spend ten days in jail." The old dy's face was filled with pain and remorse as she respoo the Police Chief, "Chief, I itted a crime and am willing to accept the punishment. If I had 10,000 ryō, I wouldn't have stoleion pills. I'm willing to be jailed for ten days, but who will take care of the three grandchildren who lost their parents in the war?"

  At this moment, a young, ordinary officer in the Police Force stood up, bowed to the elderly woman, and said, "Please accept the 10,000 ryō fine." As he spoke, he turo face the others in the room and took out 1,000 ryō, pg it in front of the old dy.

  "Everyone, I am just an ordinary member of the Uchiha , but I ask each of you to tribute 1,000 ryō for the fihis is the price we pay for our indifference, a penalty for living in a vilge where a grandmother must steal ration pills to feed her grandchildren."

  The room fell silent. After a moment, all the members of the Police Force stood up quietly, each person siaking out 1,000 ryō and pg it in front of the old dy. Even the Police Chief was no exception, and by the end, the amount in front of her far exceeded the 10,000 ryō fine.

  An anonymous ninja ter overheard the Police Chief muttering to himself, "If a person its a crime for mohey are guilty; if they it a crime for ration pills, the vilge is guilty; if they it a crime fnity, everyone in the vilge is guilty."

  ---

  Uchiha Fugaku sat in a daze, holding the article Gojo Kaigetsu had just written, uo say a word.

  The Yin Release Chakra stimuted his brain through his Sharingan, causing his mind to work frantically.

  He thought, "When was I born in Konoha?"

  It seemed like... the 19th year of Konoha!

  Then who was the Police Chief ih year of Konoha?

  "If I remember correctly, my father died ih year, and that's when I took over as the Police Chief... So, the Police Chief ih year of Konoha was me, Uchiha Fugaku!"

  Uchiha Fugaku nodded in sudden realization.

  "So... I was the one who hahe case of the old dy stealing the ration pills... huh?"

  But something was off. he didn't recall anything like this happening.

  It was currently the 51st year of Konoha. The chaos of the 12 years of war had caused many things to be fotten.

  He was nearly out of chakra, and his memory ter couldn't recall entering su event ih year of Konoha.

  Moreover, in those turbulent times, how could such a situation arise? Everyone khat in times of chaos, harsh punishments were necessary, with the Police Force mostly dealing with rough and wless thugs, log them up aing them harshly.

  Where was there any room for "100 ryō of kindness," only fists the size of sandbags delivering painful screams and groans?

  Fugaku g Gojo Kaigetsu, who was sipping tea and chatting cheerfully with his wife, and then lowered his head to reread the article...

  "Could it be... have I lost part of my memory due to excessive Sharingan training over the years?"

  Uchiha Fugaku fell into deep self-doubt.

  Somethi wrong, very wrong.

  The eicle exuded a strange and eerie vibe, making Fugaku believe that the Yin Release chakra was affeg his brain.

  Finally, he looked up at Gojo Kaigetsu again and asked uainly, "Um... Gojo-kun, I don't quite uand."

  Uchiha Mikoto covered her belly and chuckled softly. Gojo Kaigetsu turned his head, and although his eyes were covered by a bck cloth, Fugaku felt as if he could sense his fusion.

  The unspokeion seemed to ask, "I wrote it so clearly, and you still don't uand? You idiot Uchiha."

  Fugaku felt a bit ashamed. Gojo Kaigetsu had pletely seen through him; he couldn't keep up with his thought process anymore.

  "Please, enlighten me," Fugaku said early.

  "What don't you uand?" Gojo Kaigetsu asked iurn.

  Fugaku poio the article, still wet with ink, and said, "It mentions the Police For the 39th year, and I was the Chief at the time, but I don't recall any such case..."

  "Of course you wouldn't remember because I made the whole thing up~"

  "What? You made it up? Isn't that lying?"

  "So what if it is?"

  Uchiha Fugaku felt as though he was seeing Gojo Kaigetsu for the first time. Of course, lying was on, especially for ninjas who danced on the edge of a bde. what's lying pared to that?

  But the key point was that this article was supposed to be used to ge the "other" world's prejudice against the Uchiha.

  How could a beautiful vision built on lies be realized?

  Gojo Kaigetsu's wise and sparkling eyes seemed to see through the bck cloth, pierg Fugaku's mind. "You're worried that if the truth is exposed, the Uchiha will be beled as a of liars, plunging us into even deeper despair, right?"

  "Yes, that's exactly what I'm worried about, Gojo-kun..."

  "Who would remember?" Gojo Kaigetsu retorted, "Even you, the person involved, had to think for so long. Who would remember events from 12 years ago?"

  "But... what about Root? What if Shimura Danzo or the Third Hokage wao suppress us Uchiha and deliberately spread the truth?"

  Gojo Kaigetsu's fusion deepened, "Think about it, why is the Uchiha so deeply prejudiced against?"

  "Because... of hearsay!"

  ...