Chapter 54: Forcing the Palace

"Report!" At this moment, Uchiha Inabi suddenly knocked on the office door and walked in.

"A large crowd of villagers has suddenly gathered at the entrance of the Military Police Force. They are blocking the gates and demanding that we release the prisoners," Inabi reported.

"What?" Uchiha Teyu, a veteran elite Jounin of the clan with a fiery temper and a former hardcore backbone of the faction within the clan meetings, slammed his hand on the table on the spot. "How dare they! Do they think our Military Police Force is made of mud?"

"Captain Teyu, please calm down," Uchiha Douhwan said, then looked at Inabi. "What is the situation like right now?"

"Saido has already taken two squads of shinobi to the entrance of the Military Police Force to maintain order," Inabi replied.

"Good work. Stabilize the villagers' emotions for now; I will be right there," Douhwan said. "Tell Saido to try not to use violent methods first."

After Inabi left, Douhwan instructed the other captains in the office: "You all stay here and review these interrogation records. Captain Fugaku and I will go check out the entrance."

"Understood!" the six captains in the office nodded in unison.

Shortly after, Douhwan and Uchiha Fugaku walked together toward the gates of the Military Police Force.

Just as the two were about to arrive, Shisui hurried over and blocked their path.

"Captain, Vice Captain," Shisui greeted them with a bow.

Seeing Shisui blocking the way, Fugaku's face darkened with displeasure as he reprimanded, "Shisui, if you have nothing to do, step aside. Can't you see how critical the situation is right now?"

"Captain, Vice Captain, please let me go and negotiate with the villagers," Shisui said. "If the conflict escalates further, the whole situation will spin out of control."

"This is not a matter for your position to handle," Fugaku said with a stern face.

"It's fine, Captain Fugaku. I think leaving this matter to Brother Shisui is a good idea," Douhwan said with a smile at that moment.

"Douhwan?" Fugaku looked somewhat puzzled.

"Aside from serving in the Military Police Force, Brother Shisui also worked in the ANBU directly under the Hokage for a period of time. I imagine his presence can, to some extent, represent the Hokage's will. Moreover, I believe Brother Shisui can handle this matter properly without coming into conflict with the villagers," Douhwan said with a smile, patting Shisui on the shoulder. "Brother Shisui, I'll leave this matter to you."

"Don't worry, Douhwan, I'll handle it," Shisui said, his face showing deep gratitude. In a situation like this, Douhwan was still willing to trust him; how could he not be moved?

Seeing that Shisui had already accepted the task, Douhwan simply returned to his office alongside Fugaku.

Once inside, Fugaku eagerly blurted out, "Do you really believe Shisui can resolve this?"

Having dealt with the unruly townsfolk for years, Fugaku knew all too well how troublesome they were. Shisui, having grown up during the wartime era and entering the ANBU straight after, had zero legitimate experience working in the Military Police Force. How could he possibly handle these troublesome people?

"Elder Fugaku, I understand what you mean," Douhwan smiled. "However, since Shisui has already returned to the Military Police Force, it's time he learned how to deal with the villagers."

Douhwan pulled a thick stack of files out of the filing cabinet, opened them, and placed them on the table before looking up at Fugaku.

"Oh, and Elder Fugaku, everyone has worked hard doing overtime today. Let's give everyone two months' salary as a bonus shortly. Additionally, for the civilian shinobi, select a suitable ninjutsu for each of them from the clan's ninjutsu library and distribute it."

"Two months? Isn't that a bit too much?" Fugaku hesitated. Although Douhwan had brought back 1.5 billion all at once last time, they couldn't just squander it like this.

"The people under our command follow us simply to get a full meal, but I am going to stuff their cheeks to the brim!" Douhwan declared. "Besides, as for money, if I can acquire it the first time, I can acquire more whenever I want."

"Very well," Fugaku nodded.

...

"Military Police Force! Release the prisoners!" Close to two thousand villagers gathered in front of the Military Police Force gates were shouting at the top of their lungs, chanting deafening slogans.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Saido, leading nearly sixty members and having drawn a warning line, held a baton and formed a human wall in front of the Military Police Force entrance.

The two sides were locked in a standoff, and the atmosphere looked extremely tense.

With Douhwan's permission, Shisui rushed without stopping to the very front line of the confrontation.

"Everyone, please calm down and go back for now. Do not gather in front of the Military Police Force gates," Shisui said with a sincere expression, addressing the few people holding placards at the very front of the villagers' procession.

"Your Military Police Force dares to arrest people arbitrarily, and you think you're still in the right? Let me tell you, if you don't release the prisoners today, we aren't leaving!"

"That's right! Release them! Release them!" The gathered villagers kept shouting, practically signaling that they would not let the matter rest unless the Military Police Force released the prisoners today.

"Everyone, our Military Police Force only brought them back for questioning..." Shisui tried to explain, but before he could finish his sentence, several rotting cabbage leaves were thrown at his head.

"Don't listen to their explanations! The people who were arrested are all innocent! In my opinion, their Military Police Force just wants to shield the village's mass murderer and oppress us defenseless civilians!"

"Yeah! That's right! Damn the Military Police Force! Release the prisoners!"

The next moment, an overwhelming barrage of rotten eggs and rotting cabbage leaves rained down on Shisui. With his skills, Shisui could naturally have dodged these projectiles with ease, but at that moment, he stood frozen in place. He didn't understand why things had turned out this way; clearly, the Military Police Force was merely protecting the honor of the village's heroes and upholding the Will of Fire.

Fortunately, at this moment, Uchiha Saido took action, pulling Shisui back behind the warning line, glaring at him, and speaking impatiently, "What kind of trouble are you stirring up coming here?"

Fortunately, although these villagers were quite emotional, they still possessed basic reason. Rowdy as they were, not a single person dared to breach the warning line set up by the Military Police Force.

"Hideaki, hurry back and report what happened here to Vice Captain Douhwan," Saido instructed his subordinate, casting a glance at the heavily shaken Shisui.

...

Back in the temporary office of the prison, Douhwan listened to Sakurai Hideaki's report with a grave expression.

This left the six captains in the office too cowed to speak for the moment.

A moment later, Douhwan spoke in a gloomy tone, "The Military Police Force is our village's elite force, and Shisui is even an elite Jounin among us. Yet these villagers don't even fear shinobi. These are no longer ordinary villagers."

"They are rioters! Rioters! It seems we must strike with a heavy fist!" Douhwan clenched his fist tightly and swung it through the air. "Everyone, listen up! Aside from the essential interrogation personnel, all other members of the Military Police Force, gather in the conference room!"