"The first recruit... Kabuto Yakushi?" Upon hearing this somewhat familiar name, Sōgen became intrigued. His encounter with Nonō Yakushi and Kabuto Yakushi was purely by chance, and while he had tried to persuade Kabuto to join him, he hadn't been too invested in the outcome. Yet, here Kabuto was, persuaded to come on board.

"Where has he been assigned?"

"To the Second Squad of the Sixth Enforcement Brigade under the Security Division," Uchiha Ranzan replied without missing a beat.

"The Security Division, huh? Makes sense, they're the most short-staffed right now." Sōgen nodded knowingly. The restructuring within the police force had been completed just before recruitment started. While it wasn't the easiest task, it also wasn't impossible. The key lay in the determination and authority of the one in power.

Sōgen's resolve to make changes was evident. With Uchiha Hachidai and two other "elderly" members retiring early, everyone could see the sweeping reforms taking place within the force.

At the same time, Sōgen's authority within the police department remained unshakable. His power was solid as a rock.

As a result, everything was proceeding according to plan.

In a short time, the police department had dismantled its old, rigid structure, replacing it with a more efficient system. The original three hundred-man brigades, once the core of the department, were reorganized into eleven smaller enforcement units under the Security Division.

The reason for eleven squads was that the village had been divided into eleven districts for more efficient policing. Each brigade was responsible for one area, with plans to form new squads as the village expanded in the future. The current eleven units were only the beginning.

While the restructuring itself wasn't too difficult, the shortage of personnel afterward became glaringly obvious.

Even after exhausting the department's original manpower and reactivating many retired clan members, the new police department was just barely holding together.

Yes, barely holding together the framework. Inside, it was still empty.

Especially the Security Division—it was merely a skeleton. For example, the Sixth Enforcement Brigade's Second Squad, where Kabuto had been assigned, had only its captain, Uchiha Torazō, and one other member, Uchiha Izumi. Some squads only had a captain with no team members at all.

"How big is the shortage in the Security Division right now?" Sōgen asked.

"As of this morning, twenty-seven squads across the Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth Brigades are still understaffed. The other six brigades are fully staffed. Also, Kabuto's squad is still missing one more member. Do you want to pull him out?"

"Why would I pull him out?"

"I thought you might have something special in mind for him."

"No rush for now. Let him get familiar with the environment first; we'll see later." Sōgen didn't deny that he had plans for Kabuto. Kabuto had been noticed by Orochimaru for good reason, serving as his assistant, and later playing a key role in the Fourth Great Ninja War alongside Uchiha Obito. Kabuto's abilities were beyond question.

A talent like that wouldn't go to waste.

But there was no need to rush. Sōgen had enough time and patience to shape his subordinates.

Kabuto was just one of many. Others, like Uchiha Itachi, Kimimaro, and Yakumo Kurama, also held promise.

"I understand," Uchiha Ranzan replied, making a note to pay special attention to Kabuto.

"There's one more thing. Based on the current recruitment speed, if nothing goes wrong, we should fill all the vacancies in about three days. Should we consider hiring more people? Some of the injured clan members currently working in the Personnel and General Affairs Departments are only temporary hires. Once we get through this period, those departments might still be understaffed."

Sōgen raised his eyebrows at this, pausing to think. "Ask those clan members if they'd like to continue. If they do, they can work until they're fifty or until their health prevents it. If they prefer to return to the clan, don't force them. After getting the final count, we can recruit more people to fill the gaps."

Hiring disabled clan members who had been injured in war or missions had been a necessary move at the time. But over the past few days, these members had proven that they weren't just sitting around doing nothing.

While they couldn't go on missions, office work wasn't an issue.

If possible, Sōgen wanted them to continue working in the police force. Allowing non-Uchiha members into the department didn't mean Sōgen was ready to hand over control. What the future held could be discussed later, but for now, Sōgen wanted to maintain a firm grip on the department.

Moreover, Sasori of the Red Sand was currently studying the remains of White Zetsu. If things went well, these injured clan members might one day have new limbs.

"Anything else, Ranzan?"

Sōgen took a sip of tea to soothe his throat.

"Yes," Ranzan replied, ignoring the not-so-subtle hint. "The department is almost out of money. Sumah has been stressed, telling me he filed a report, but hasn't received any reply." He glanced at the stack of papers piling up on Sōgen's desk.

Cough! "I've been busy with the Flame Fan technique these past few days and haven't had a chance to get to it."

Sōgen coughed lightly, trying to play it off. "If I remember correctly, didn't Sumah say the finances were in good shape at the last meeting? How did we run out of money so quickly?"

"We bought a large plot of land in the village center, which was a major expense. After that, we began construction on the new police department headquarters, another huge cost. Between those two, the treasury is nearly drained. And don't forget, next month's salaries will be more than double the usual amount, not to mention the growing cost of equipment."

As Ranzan spoke, Sōgen recalled the land purchase and headquarters construction—both orders he had given.

"Is the shortfall that big?" Sōgen asked.

"At this rate, we won't last two months. If there are any unexpected expenses, we might not even make it through one."

"That bad?" Sōgen clicked his tongue in frustration.

This issue... was his fault for being careless. The department's finances had always been healthy, so he hadn't considered that the restructuring would cause such strain. "Hmm... looks like I'll have to ask the Hokage for some funding."

This whole thing sounds pretty exaggerated. If it were those broke Sand Ninjas, they'd probably have to rely on their Fourth Kazekage to dig for gold in the desert to solve their funding issues.

But this is Konoha. The Police Department running out of money doesn't mean the entire village is broke.

Besides, the Police Department's reformation was approved by the Hokage. Surely they can't expect the Police Department to raise funds themselves, right?

...

The financial crisis facing the Police Department isn't something that concerns the lower ranks—that's an issue for the top brass to worry about. As long as their salaries aren't delayed, the officers don't have time to stand around gossiping. The work at the Police Department is anything but laid back.

After just two days of working at the Police Department, Kabuto Yakushi already realized how troublesome this job could be.

Yes, troublesome! It's a completely different kind of job from being a spy.

In terms of difficulty, being a spy is definitely harder. You're always walking on the edge of a knife, and one misstep can lead to eternal doom. The Police Department's work isn't as dangerous or thrilling, but it comes with its own kind of soul-sucking monotony—an endless stream of trivial matters that can bury you alive.

"Kabuto, are you done over there?" "Izumi, is that... another thief?"

"Yeah, I saw her steal someone's wallet. She's pretty skilled, must be a seasoned pickpocket from somewhere else."

Uchiha Izumi dragged over a scantily clad young woman.

"A professional thief, huh? Guess we've got all kinds here." Kabuto glanced at the woman, noting her scanty, shivering outfit. He smirked—probably not just a pickpocket. Likely working a side gig while at it. He casually asked, "Where's she from?"

"... Tanzaku Town."

The woman looked at Kabuto, sensing a cold, lethal intent from him that she hadn't felt from Uchiha Izumi. She didn't dare play games and meekly answered.

Tanzaku Town? Kabuto raised his eyebrows, surprised.

Tanzaku Town was a famous gambling den in the Land of Fire, a haven for gamblers, and also a playground for criminals like gangsters and pickpockets. Compared to Konoha, with its tens of thousands of shinobi, criminals didn't really like coming here. After all, Konoha's strict management was tougher than even the daimyo's palace.

"When did you come to Konoha?"

"A week ago."

"Why'd you leave Tanzaku Town? Plenty of rich folks there. Why come to Konoha?"

"...I got unlucky. Stole a briefcase from a Kado Company executive. Inside were documents and records of Kado bribing high officials in the Land of Fire's treasury. I couldn't stay in Tanzaku Town anymore, so I came to Konoha."

Kabuto was speechless.

Talk about bad luck. Kado Company was one of the most powerful multinational shipping companies in the ninja world, with operations across the Land of Fire, the Land of Waves, the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Tea, and Red State Island. Officially, they dealt in shipping, but secretly, their main business was smuggling all kinds of illegal goods.

This kind of power wasn't something a pickpocket could afford to mess with.

However,

This woman might be quite valuable.

"Kabuto, how's the missing persons case coming along?" Uchiha Izumi was a smart girl, but still young, with far less experience than Kabuto. She hadn't realized the thief she caught could be of significant value. She was more interested in Kabuto's investigation into the missing persons case.

"No leads yet."

Talking about the case made Kabuto scratch his head.

Their 6th Enforcement Team was in charge of patrolling Konoha's new district. After last year's war victory, Konoha saw an influx of immigrants, and a new settlement quickly formed. This troublesome area was assigned to their team.

Yesterday during patrol, an old man reported that his youngest son had gone missing. Kabuto asked around and discovered that the missing people weren't just one or two—there were four confirmed cases, with the first one disappearing about five days ago.

"This area is too chaotic. Gathering information is tough. Another construction worker went missing last night, but after asking around his worksite, no one even noticed this ordinary worker had disappeared. There are just too many construction workers here," Kabuto said, feeling frustrated.

This whole district was newly built. Most of the residents hadn't fully settled yet. People came and went every day, making it difficult to gather useful information.

Uchiha Izumi looked around.

The street was crowded with people, and construction workers carrying wood were everywhere, all dressed in similar dusty work clothes and old, battered hard hats. It was impossible to tell who was who at a glance.

"All the missing people are construction workers?"

"Yeah, and all of them are young men, around seventeen to twenty."

"Could it be human traffickers? Strong labor like that is needed for mining or farming," Uchiha Izumi speculated.

"No idea."

Kabuto shook his head.

Without any solid leads, all they had were guesses, which didn't mean much.

"...Sigh, it really does seem hard to investigate!" Uchiha Izumi sighed. She was smart enough to know that her guess wasn't backed by any real evidence. It was just a random thought. But to take action, they needed concrete clues.

"Izumi, what are you sighing about?"

The voice came from above.

Kabuto and Uchiha Izumi looked up. Their captain, Uchiha Torataro, was squatting on a rooftop, smiling down at them. He had a bag of snacks in hand, and from the packaging, it was clear they were from the famous sweet shop "Amaguriama."

"Captain? You're slacking off again!"

Izumi immediately recognized the unique snack bag and knew their captain had snuck off during work hours to buy sweets again.

Amaguriama, the king of confectioneries in Konoha, was located in the heart of the village, far from their patrol area.

"Come on, don't say that! I've been using shadow clones to patrol diligently!"

"Captain, that's just an excuse. What if something serious happens, and your shadow clone gets dispelled?"

"Haha! Izumi, Kabuto, have some snacks. There are dango inside."

Uchiha Torataro successfully stopped Izumi's nagging with the mention of dango, her favorite food. Kabuto wasn't particularly fond of or against sweets, but unlike Izumi, he didn't mind his superior's slacking off.

Kabuto thought their easygoing, unpretentious captain was alright.

Sure, he had a bad habit of sneaking off to buy sweets during work, but apart from that, Uchiha Torataro was a competent leader. Kabuto was satisfied with him, knowing that no one is perfect. He didn't expect his superiors to be flawless saints.

Plus,

The taiyaki was pretty good!

Maybe he'd buy some after work to take back to the orphanage. Nine out of ten kids there loved sweets, and more importantly, his "mother" enjoyed them too. But because of the orphanage's financial situation, she hadn't been able to afford sweets lately.