My name is Uchiha Touhuan, and I beat the villagers so badly they cried out in pain.

"Please enlighten me, Chief Dou Huan," said You Nu Zhiwei.

"I wouldn't call it guidance. After all, when it comes to managing a clan, compared to a senior clan leader like Clan Chief Zhiwei, I'm just a newcomer who has just taken over the Uchiha clan," Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile. "However, if you put yourself in my shoes, I do have a suggestion."

"Please speak, Chief Dou Huan," said You Nu Zhiwei.

"What the village and its residents want to see is simply this attitude," Uchiha Touhuan said. "Otherwise, even if the Aburame clan could produce evidence that they have nothing to do with Danzo's criminal group, I doubt they would believe it."

"As for this attitude..." Uchiha Touhuan chuckled, looking at Aburame Shii, "What could be more convincing than the Aburame clan personally taking action and participating in the process of thwarting Shimura Danzo and his criminal gang's conspiracy?"

After Uchiha Touhuan finished speaking, Aburame Shiki also fell silent.

After a while, Aburame Shiki finally sighed and said, "I understand."

Then, Aburame Shiki turned to a Jonin of the Aburame clan beside her and said, "Go and bring Torune here."

Aburame Shiki felt utterly helpless. Their clan's insect control technique was incredibly useful for both reconnaissance and assassination. Since the Warring States period, ambitious figures in the ninja world had never ceased harassing their clan. If it weren't for their clan's secret technique, which guaranteed that only their bloodline could establish a connection with insects, the Aburame clan would probably have been wiped out during the Warring States period. This was also why the Aburame clan was among the first ninja clans to respond to Hashirama Senju's call to establish a village.

However, they hadn't enjoyed a few good years after the village was built. With the passing of the first and second leaders, schemers like Danzo emerged and set their sights on the Aburame clan.

Now that Danzo is dead, it's likely that Uchiha Touhuan, who came knocking on our door, had the same idea.

Over the years, the Aburame clan has naturally developed its own way of survival. Whenever faced with such an irresistible request, they would send away a talented child from their clan in exchange for a period of peace and protection.

Soon, a little boy who looked no more than eight or nine years old, wearing sunglasses and a face mask so that his expression could not be seen at all, was brought into the reception room.

"What does the Aburame clan leader mean by this?" Uchiha Touken asked, frowning.

"Chief Dou Huan, this child Qu Gen has an innate affinity for nano-sized poisonous insects due to a bloodline mutation. How about having him represent our Aburame clan in the security department?" Aburame Zhiwei said.

Seeing this, Uchiha Touhuan smiled helplessly and said, "I think Clan Chief Shiki has misunderstood. I just wanted to invite a ninja from the Aburame clan to work in the Security Department. What do you want with a kid who hasn't even finished the Ninja Academy? The Security Department doesn't hire child laborers."

Upon hearing this, Aburame Shiki was taken aback. What did she mean? Didn't you ambitious people train your assassins from a young age?

"Clan Chief Aburame, do you perhaps mistake me for an ambitious schemer like Danzo?" Uchiha Touhuan's face showed displeasure, and the entire reception room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"I was being presumptuous, please forgive me, Chief Dou Huan!" You Nu Zhiwei resolutely bowed her head to apologize, then turned to let You Nu Qu Gen leave.

"Chief Aburame, as you know, our position in the Security Department often involves direct face-to-face interaction with the villagers. Misunderstandings are inevitable during law enforcement, so some unpleasant rumors inevitably circulate within the village. However, our Security Department's guiding principle has always been to serve the village wholeheartedly under the guidance of the Will of Fire, so we haven't paid much attention to these rumors. I never expected that Chief Aburame would misunderstand us," said Uchiha Touhuan.

"Clan Chief Touhuan possesses the Will of Fire, making him a role model for us Konoha ninjas. I was being petty." Although she still didn't understand what Uchiha Touhuan was trying to do, Aburame Shiki could only bow her head and apologize decisively at this moment.

"Never mind, it's not the Shiki clan chief's fault." Uchiha Touhuan waved his hand. "If you want to blame someone, blame that wolfish Shimura Danzo. If he hadn't forced the Aburame clan to hand over their geniuses, Shiki clan chief wouldn't have misunderstood me like this."

Uchiha Touhuan casually tossed a huge scapegoat to Danzo.

"Yes, yes, it's all that damned Shimura Danzo's fault!" Aburame Shii quickly chimed in.

"Then, Clan Chief Shiki, why don't you consider my suggestion? The Security Department has always provided generous treatment to talented ninjas," said Uchiha Touhuan. "Moreover, given the current situation, if we want to dispel the villagers' doubts, I think there is nothing more suitable than having the Security Department captain from the Aburame clan lead the team to crush the crimes of Shimura Danzo's criminal group."

"I understand," said Shiki Aburame. "I will send one Jonin from my clan, along with some special Jonin and Chunin, to serve in the Security Department."

Uchiha Touhuan's offer was indeed quite good. He had heard about the current treatment of the Uchiha clan's captain position, and in his opinion, Uchiha Touhuan was truly sincere. More importantly, they had absolutely no other choice at the moment.

However, at this moment, Uchiha Touhuan spoke up again: "However, although that's what I say, if the position of captain of the security department is directly assigned without any merit, the subordinates will be dissatisfied. After all, the security department is not my personal fiefdom."

"The Aburame clan will do everything in its power to help its members who join the security force achieve merits that will convince the public as soon as possible," Aburame Shiki said.

"There's no need for such trouble," Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile. "Out of consideration for the stability of the village, and as fellow ninja clans, we Uchiha don't want to see the Aburame clan get into trouble. So, I've already prepared some achievements for you that will convince the public. That's why I'm visiting you in a private capacity."

As he spoke, Uchiha Touhuan took out the evidence he had obtained from Yamamoto Taro and placed it in front of Aburame Shiki.

After taking it, Aburame Shiki glanced at it a few times and then looked up. Although Aburame Shiki wore sunglasses and a mask according to his clan's custom, his slightly trembling hands still betrayed his inner turmoil.

The charges on this incriminating evidence were even more serious than the part about Aburame Ryoma that Uchiha Touken had shown him earlier. Furthermore, it showed evidence of the involvement of the Utatane and Mitomon clans, causing Aburame Shii to break out in a cold sweat. If it only contained evidence of the Shimura clan's crimes, Aburame Shii would have agreed without hesitation. After all, with Danzo's death and the Uchiha's revenge, the Shimura clan was now practically insignificant compared to stray dogs. But the involvement of the other two clans…

Aburame Shiki understood that if they wanted to extricate themselves unscathed from the Aburame Ryoma affair, they had to offer a sufficiently substantial pledge of allegiance, and this was probably Uchiha Touken's true objective.