Shadow of the Uchiha Guard

Bai Ye's home was vast.

After the Nine-Tails' attack, the Uchiha clan—Bai Ye's kin—was forcibly relocated to the outskirts of Konoha.

This place was now considered "suburban."

The Uchiha resented this forced isolation.

But Bai Ye? He didn't care.

He preferred distance from Konoha's political games and the old schemers pulling the strings.

With his close relationship with Uchiha Fugaku, securing the resources to build a grand estate in the new district was effortless.

A large house came with many benefits.

A massive round bed that could accommodate seven or eight people, for example.

Or a spacious, private bath.

At this moment, Bai Ye relaxed in the warm water, his movements slow and deliberate.

Beside him, a woman with long, crimson hair down to her waist carefully tended to him.

Three years.

She had grown used to this.

And so had Bai Ye.

This was a man who never denied himself luxury.

In a world where strength dictated one's worth, the powerful indulged without hesitation.

And Bai Ye was no exception.

His gaze lingered on the woman beside him.

He smirked slightly and pulled her into his embrace.

"Kushina, you snuck out to see Naruto again, didn't you?"

That's right.

This woman was Uzumaki Kushina.

Once the fiery, unyielding wife of the Fourth Hokage.

Now?

She was Uchiha Naraku, his personal maid.

Their paths had intertwined on that fateful night—

The night the Hidden Leaf burned.

The night Uchiha Fugaku reshuffled the police force and appointed Bai Ye as the new captain of the guard.

Three years ago, Bai Ye had been observing the Nine-Tails out of curiosity when he witnessed the Fourth Hokage's final act—

Sealing the beast at the cost of his life.

Bai Ye hadn't intended to intervene.

He respected Namikaze Minato, but admiration didn't mean he would alter fate for him.

The "Yellow Flash" had made his choice—

To be a Hokage first and a husband second.

As Minato lay dying, he turned his gaze to Bai Ye—his unfocused eyes settling on the woman beside him.

A silent plea.

In that moment, Bai Ye made a decision.

He stepped forward, met Minato's fading gaze, and spoke.

"Your wife—I'll take care of her."

And so, after the Nine-Tails' attack,

Uzumaki Kushina vanished from the village.

In her place, within the Uchiha compound, a maid named Uchiha Naraku appeared.

Three years had passed since then.

Bai Ye was no saint. He had never claimed to be.

What was meant to happen, happened.

A maid's role was to serve, after all.

Kushina understood the price of her survival.

She had accepted it.

Yet even now, she clung to old beliefs.

Whenever Naruto became the topic of discussion, she would naively insist that the Third Hokage was protecting her son.

That concealing Naruto's heritage was an act of care.

Even now—

For three years, she had relied on the tracking seals Bai Ye had given her just to catch fleeting glimpses of her child.

Because Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

And Kushina was willing to believe any lie if it meant her son was safe.

Bai Ye didn't bother arguing with her.

It saved him the trouble.

He wasn't the one preventing their reunion—

It was Kushina's blind faith in the Hokage's words.

"…Sorry."

Kushina averted her gaze, her cheeks flushed.

Even as a mother, she couldn't stop herself from sneaking out to see her child.

Bai Ye had always known this.

And Kushina had come to understand that acting on her own could bring unnecessary trouble to him.

"Apologies are useless," Bai Ye said coolly.

After all, he was the captain of the guard.

What use did he have for apologies?

He wasn't afraid of Kushina's identity being exposed.

He wasn't afraid of Konoha's higher-ups or their empty threats.

But there was one rule—

Kushina was his.

Her actions needed to be discussed.

She needed to understand that her choices were no longer her own.

And for the past three years, Bai Ye had made sure she learned this lesson well.

Otherwise, did she think this fiery-tempered woman would be so obedient?

He reached out.

Pressed a hand against her head.

His intentions were clear.

"I understand."

Kushina lowered her gaze, fully aware of what came next.

…

"Good morning, Captain!"

"Morning, Captain!"

…

Konoha's central district.

Despite the Uchiha being pushed to the outskirts,

The Konoha Police Force headquarters remained in its original location.

So the guards still operated from the heart of the village.

Kushina, now subdued, followed quietly behind him.

When Bai Ye stepped into the building,

The Uchiha officers under his command looked at him with open respect.

Admiration.

Amusement flickered in his gaze.

The Uchiha—proud, unruly, forever posturing—

They only respected strength.

And three years ago, when Bai Ye had first taken command,

He had established his authority the simplest way possible.

By breaking anyone who stood in his way.

Discontent?

Beat them down.

Resistance?

Crush it.

Because even the most arrogant Uchiha feared one thing—

Death.

Bai Ye had never hesitated to spill blood if necessary.

After several public displays of power,

No one dared to challenge him anymore.

The guard belonged to him now.

And that, too, was Fugaku's intent.

Because for generations,

The Uchiha patriarch also served as the police captain.

Didn't the clan refer to Fugaku as "Captain" before the coup?

But after the Nine-Tails' rampage,

Fugaku had changed his strategy.

He saw Konoha's growing distrust.

So he placed Bai Ye in charge of a faction of the clan—

An insurance policy in case things turned dire.

Bai Ye had scoffed at their political games.

Whether it was joining the coup or playing the village's pawn,

None of it concerned him.

He had spent three years solidifying his rule over the guard.

And now?

There was no "patriarch" in the hearts of these men—

Only their captain.

For example,

As he stood there,

The 2nd Division assembled before him in under a minute, awaiting orders.

Bai Ye was pleased.

He nodded.

Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he led them into the streets.

Because a proper captain never forgot his daily duties.

"Start the patrol."

"Yes, Captain!"