Makoto left the Root base without looking back.

  When Kakashi heard the name Makoto had mentioned, his heart trembled.

  'Obito's grandmother? That's right... I haven't visited her in all these years because of my guilt. I still... What a failure.'

  "Captain..." An Anbu ninja stepped forward, noticing Kakashi standing in a daze.

  "I'm fine." Kakashi waved a hand, pulling himself together. "Take care of this pce, then report back to the Hokage."

  ...

  After returning to the Police Force headquarters in the Uchiha district, Makoto headed straight to the interrogation room.

  The Wood Release user, Tenzo, whom he had captured yesterday, had been interrogated for an entire day. Meanwhile, Yamanaka Fuu, who had just been brought in today, had regained consciousness not long ago.

  Both of them were tightly bound, their chakra completely sealed.

  However, the interrogation was not going smoothly. As Root operatives, they had undergone intense mental conditioning. The Police Force's usual interrogation methods—designed for common criminals—were proving insufficient.

  "Cn leader." The Uchiha interrogators immediately paused and saluted as Makoto entered.

  "How's it going?" Makoto asked.

  "They're both incredibly stubborn, especially the one from yesterday. We've been at it all night, but he refuses to talk. We were about to request assistance from one of our jōnin skilled in genjutsu," reported the lead interrogator, a Uchiha chūnin with a single tomoe Sharingan. Though experienced in handling local criminals, he was out of his depth against trained Root operatives.

  "No need for all that trouble. I'll handle it myself." Makoto stepped toward Fuu.

  Fuu, tied securely to a chair, had clearly taken a beating. Bruised and bloodied, his eyes still burned with hatred as he gred at Makoto, as if willing him to die.

  Makoto smirked, silently observing him. Then, with a casual wave, the interrogators resumed their work—pummeling Fuu without restraint.

  Makoto watched, shaking his head slightly. Some personal grudges were clearly at py; Root had long been at odds with the Uchiha. Now that they had one of Danzo’s men in their grasp, they intended to make the most of it.

  Once he deemed the beating sufficient, Makoto finally stepped forward.

  "I... won't say... anything," Fuu panted, his voice weak but still defiant.

  The midday sun streamed through the interrogation room window, making it difficult for Fuu to keep his eyes open. Makoto’s face, bathed in the light, appeared hazy at first, but as Fuu adjusted to the brightness, his features became clear.

  "I visited your Root base. Quite the spectacle," Makoto said softly.

  "You and your Root sought to help Danzo become Hokage. To eliminate the Uchiha," Makoto continued, gripping his hair and yanking his head up, forcing their eyes to meet.

  "Frankly, I don’t care whether you talk or not," Makoto said, his voice cold and unwavering. "I’ve already gotten what I need." He released his grip, letting the man’s head drop like discarded trash.

  Turning to his men, he straightened. "Just keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t die."

  "Understood, Cn Leader!" They answered in unison.

  "Inabi."

  "Here!" Uchiha Inabi stepped forward and saluted.

  "Summon the second squad and follow me."

  "Understood." Inabi nodded. "Where are we going, Cn Leader?"

  "The Shimura compound—to round up Danzo’s accomplices."

  "You mean we're capturing them directly?" Inabi asked, unable to hide his excitement. The Shimura cn and the Uchiha had long-standing animosity, and any chance to act against them was welcome.

  "'Capturing' is a strong word," Makoto chuckled. "Danzo conspired against fellow Konoha shinobi and desecrated the remains of the First Hokage. I happened to find evidence of the Shimura cn’s involvement in Root’s base."

  He pulled out a half-burned ledger from a sealed scroll. "So, we’re simply inviting them in for questioning."

  Fuu's eyes widened. He knew for a fact that all Root records had been destroyed. His heart sank as realization dawned—Makoto had never needed him to talk.

  Makoto met his gaze and smiled knowingly. Fuu thrashed in his restraints, preparing to shout a warning, but an Uchiha interrogator silenced him with a punch before shoving a cloth into his mouth.

  All he could do was watch as Makoto and his men left.

  ...

  Soon, the second squad of the Police Force had assembled.

  Initially, some members grumbled about being summoned during their break, but when they heard they were heading to the Shimura compound, their compints vanished.

  "Report! The second squad of the Police Force is assembled!" Captain Uchiha Yuuya decred.

  Makoto nodded.

  Yuuya suddenly shouted, "Salute to the Cn Leader!"

  The squad members, energized by the moment, saluted in unison. "For Konoha! For Uchiha! We dedicate our hearts!"

  Makoto sighed, half amused. Ever since he had saluted Hiruzen on a whim yesterday, this practice had taken root among his cn members.

  Returning their salute, Makoto led his team toward the Shimura estate.

  ...

  Such a rge movement within the vilge did not go unnoticed.

  At that moment, in his office, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, massaged his temples. He had pnned to absorb what remained of Root into his forces, but earlier that morning, he had received arming news—Makoto had completely wiped out Root overnight.

  Adding to his stress, Itachi had reported everything that had occurred at the Uchiha cn meeting the previous evening.

  Learning that Makoto had taken over as cn head, Hiruzen sighed deeply.

  "The only silver lining is that Makoto has curbed the Uchiha’s push for violent rebellion. His decision to recruit civilian ninjas into the Police Force—whatever his reasons—could ultimately be beneficial for the vilge," he muttered, trying to find some comfort in the chaos.