Loyal Oranges or Green Garlic (Part 2)

"Please enlighten me, Clan Head Douhuan," Aburame Shibi said.

"Enlighten you would be overstating it. Compared to an experienced clan head like you when it comes to managing a clan, I'm still a newcomer who has only just taken over the Uchiha Clan," Uchiha Douhuan said with a smile. "However, if I put myself in your shoes, I do have a little advice."

"Please speak, Clan Head Douhuan," Aburame Shibi said.

"What the village and its people want to see is nothing more than an attitude," Uchiha Douhuan said. "Otherwise, even if the Aburame Clan can produce evidence proving it had nothing to do with Danzo's criminal organization, I doubt they would believe it."

"As for that attitude..." Uchiha Douhuan chuckled as he looked at Aburame Shibi. "What could be more convincing than the Aburame Clan personally taking action and participating in the destruction of Shimura Danzō and his criminal gang's conspiracy?"

As Uchiha Douhuan finished speaking, Aburame Shibi fell silent as well.

After a while, Aburame Shibi finally let out a long sigh. "I understand."

Then Aburame Shibi turned to an Aburame Clan jonin beside him. "Go bring Torune here."

Aburame Shibi felt utterly helpless. Their clan's Secret Insect Technique was simply too useful, whether for reconnaissance or assassination. Since the Warring States Era, ambitious figures in the Ninja World had never stopped harassing their clan. If their secret technique had not required their bloodline to form a connection with insects, the Aburame Clan might have been wiped out during the Warring States Era. That was also why, when Hashirama Senju first proposed building a village, the Aburame Clan had been among the first ninja clans to answer his call.

Yet they had barely enjoyed a few good years after the village was established when, following the deaths of the First and Second, schemers like Danzo began poking their heads out again and setting their sights on the Aburame Clan.

Now that Danzo was dead, Uchiha Douhuan, who had come knocking, presumably had the same intentions.

After all these years, the Aburame Clan naturally had its own way of surviving. Whenever they encountered demands they could not refuse, they would send out a gifted child from the clan in exchange for a period of peace and protection.

Soon, a little boy who looked no older than eight or nine was brought into the reception hall. He wore sunglasses and a face mask, making his expression completely unreadable.

"What does Clan Head Aburame mean by this?" Uchiha Douhuan asked with a frown.

"Clan Head Douhuan, due to a bloodline mutation, this child Torune was born with an extraordinary affinity for nano-sized venomous insects. How about letting him represent our Aburame Clan in joining the Military Police Force?" Aburame Shibi said.

Uchiha Douhuan smiled helplessly. "I think Clan Head Shibi may have misunderstood. I merely want to invite Aburame Clan ninja to serve in the Military Police Force. Why have you brought a child who has not even finished the Ninja Academy? The Military Police Force does not hire child labor."

Aburame Shibi was also stunned. What did he mean? Didn't ambitious people like them all train their loyal agents from childhood?

"Clan Head Aburame, could it be that you took me for an ambitious schemer like Danzo?" Uchiha Douhuan's expression darkened, and the entire reception hall became silent enough to hear a pin drop.

"I was presumptuous. Please forgive me, Clan Head Douhuan!" Aburame Shibi immediately lowered his head in apology, then turned and told Aburame Torune to leave.

"Clan Head Aburame, as you know, the Military Police Force often has to deal with villagers face-to-face. Misunderstandings are unavoidable during law enforcement, so some unpleasant rumors within the village are inevitable. But the Military Police Force has always followed the principle of serving the village wholeheartedly under the guidance of the Will of Fire. We have never cared much for such rumors. I never expected them to cause Clan Head Aburame to misunderstand us," Uchiha Douhuan said.

"Clan Head Douhuan embodies the Will of Fire and is a model for all Konoha ninja. I was the one who judged you with a petty heart." Though he still did not understand what Uchiha Douhuan truly wanted, Aburame Shibi could only lower his head and apologize again.

"Forget it. I do not blame Clan Head Shibi." Uchiha Douhuan waved his hand. "If anyone is to blame, blame that wolf-hearted Shimura Danzō. If he had not previously forced the Aburame Clan to hand over one of its geniuses, Clan Head Shibi surely would not have misunderstood me this way."

Uchiha Douhuan casually dumped the blame on Danzo.

"Yes, yes, it is all that damned Shimura Danzō's fault!" Aburame Shibi hurriedly agreed.

"Then Clan Head Shibi may as well consider my proposal. The Military Police Force has always offered generous treatment to capable ninja," Uchiha Douhuan said. "And given the current circumstances, nothing would be more appropriate for dispelling the villagers' doubts than an Aburame Clan Military Police Force captain leading the effort to crush Shimura Danzō's criminal organization."

"I understand," Aburame Shibi said. "I will send one jonin from the clan, along with several Special Jonin and chunin, to serve in the Military Police Force."

The terms Uchiha Douhuan offered were indeed quite good. Aburame Shibi had heard of the benefits attached to the Uchiha Clan's current captain positions. In his view, Uchiha Douhuan was genuinely sincere. More importantly, they had no room to choose otherwise.

However, Uchiha Douhuan spoke again at that moment. "That said, if someone is directly appointed as a Military Police Force captain without any accomplishments, the people below will be unconvinced. After all, the Military Police Force is not solely my domain."

"The Aburame Clan will do everything in our power to help our clansmen who join the Military Police Force quickly earn accomplishments sufficient to convince everyone," Aburame Shibi said.

"There is no need to go to such trouble." Uchiha Douhuan smiled. "For the sake of the village's stability, we Uchiha, as a fellow ninja clan, do not wish to see the Aburame Clan fall into trouble. So I have already prepared accomplishments sufficient to convince everyone for you. That is also why I came to visit in a private capacity."

As he spoke, Uchiha Douhuan took out the Evidence of Crimes he had obtained from Yamamoto Taro and placed it before Aburame Shibi.

After taking it, Aburame Shibi looked over it a few times before raising his head. Though he wore sunglasses and a face mask in accordance with his clan's customs, his faintly trembling hands still exposed his inner turmoil.

The crimes listed in this evidence were even more serious than the portion concerning Aburame Ryoma that Uchiha Douhuan had shown him earlier. There were also signs that the Utatane and Mitokado clans had been involved, causing cold sweat to pour down Aburame Shibi's back. If the evidence contained only the Shimura Clan's crimes, Aburame Shibi would have agreed without a second thought. After Danzo's death and under the Uchiha's retaliation, the current Shimura Clan was no different from stray dogs by the roadside. But this implicated two other clans...

Aburame Shibi understood that if they wished to emerge unscathed from the matter of Aburame Ryoma, they had to offer a pledge of allegiance with enough weight. And this was likely Uchiha Douhuan's true objective.