"Not much. One each, just enough to fill your stomachs..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he handed out the rice balls, then feigned surprise. "Save one for me!"
The Patrol Force burst into laughter.
Shimura Danzō silently walked over to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side and surveyed the squad before him.
After a full day of inspection, Shimura Danzō had come to understand the organizational thinking behind the Patrol Force.
Teams consisted of three to five members who were not skilled in combat but excelled at reconnaissance, led by experienced veterans as captains. They conducted cross-pattern patrols along the village's outer defenses.
Their wages were paid directly by the village, including the cost of specially made uniforms and worn-out Ninja Tools.
Shimura Danzō had just asked Hiruzen Sarutobi whether the village could bear the financial burden this brought.
The Hokage's answer was that this was actually making money for the village...
In the broader environment of the Shinobi World, a stable job with a sense of honor and disgrace, one that covered equipment losses, was exceptionally attractive—even if its pay was only one-half to one-third of what one could earn by taking missions independently.
However, this balance of stability and income was generally something Chunins and injured veteran soldiers were willing to accept.
Jonin-level shinobi preferred lucrative and dangerous missions.
By that logic, the village did not need to invest much in the Patrol Force, while its existence could greatly prevent enemy infiltration and sabotage. That, too, was a form of revenue generation.
It was simply invisible—not hard cash in hand—so it was easy to overlook instinctively.
"Has the work been going well?"
"You've all seen the current situation in the Shinobi World..."
"Spies and scouts from every faction could infiltrate at any time. The responsibility on your shoulders is heavy!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi encouraged them. "Report any unusual situations promptly. And if you need further support from the village, don't keep it bottled up. I'll make adjustments."
A Chunin from the Inuzuka Clan repeatedly shook his head. "Lord Hokage, things are already great! We all really like this job..."
"Quite a few clan members envy me and regret not signing up! Even a Jonin has said so..."
This Inuzuka Chunin was not strong in direct combat. He had only a basic grasp of his clan's secret Gatsuga technique.
But the Patrol Force's work perfectly highlighted his talent for reconnaissance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled without saying anything.
This proposal was meant to strengthen the village's security with maximum efficiency, not to use blades as shields.
So, even though most Jonin had initially shown little interest in the job,
there had been a small number who wanted it. But Hatake Sakumo had strictly followed Hiruzen Sarutobi's wishes and turned them down.
This was the optimal allocation of resources.
"Kid, is it tasty?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave this Aburame Chunin's shoulder a slightly firm pat. "Not bad. Very quiet! You're good material for counter-reconnaissance..."
The Aburame Chunin, wearing sunglasses and a Patrol Force uniform, appeared expressionless, but his pupils trembled as he shouted inwardly:
Lord Hokage actually noticed me? I do have a presence!
The Aburame Clan possessed a peculiar aura—it was easy for others to overlook them.
In truth, Hiruzen Sarutobi had not noticed him either. But as a mature Hokage, he naturally could not favor one person over another during a visit like this.
As they chatted, something occurred to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Under normal circumstances, he should have spoken a little more with the captain leading the team.
This captain was clearly an Uchiha. He looked rather old and had only one arm.
He had obviously been wounded on the battlefield...
But the problem was that an Uchiha of this age might not have received his injury for Konoha. It could also have happened during the Warring States Period...
And during the Warring States Period, who was most likely to have left him disabled?
Not hard to guess.
So Hiruzen Sarutobi only discussed work with him and did not mention his missing arm.
But Shimura Danzō, standing beside him, seemed to have overlooked that point.
Hmph. This kind of Uchiha is obviously the most rebellious sort...
Forget it. Hiruzen said we should win over and divide the Uchiha. I have to learn to do that too!
Shimura Danzō forced out an ugly smile and said in what he considered a friendly but was actually stiff tone, "You lost that arm for the village, didn't you?"
"Konoha will not mistreat anyone who has contributed to the village. Keep up the good work!"
The moment those words came out, the atmosphere abruptly plunged into an awkward whirlpool.
This Uchiha was named Hono.
He was a genuine old-timer. In terms of age, he was actually a little older than Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō...
He was one of the few surviving elders of the Uchiha Clan from the Warring States Period.
And this arm of his had been severed by someone's Water Release in the final battle between the Uchiha and Senju...
Few people remembered it, because to a certain white-haired Hokage, it had merely been something done in passing.
But from then on, this Two-Tomoe Uchiha had withdrawn from the front-line combat ranks.
For the vast majority of shinobi, losing an arm was crippling, even for Dōjutsu users.
And after the Konoha Military Police Force was established, his pride would not allow him to join it.
The newly established Konoha Military Police Force sent only elite Uchiha on field assignments and front-line missions, in order to present the clan at its strongest within the village.
The clerical work arranged for him stung Uchiha Hono's competitive pride. So he simply made Ninja Tools, collected the clan's meager stipend, and lived a quiet, secluded life.
Because of that, he had instead become one of the longest-lived Uchiha, and his physical condition remained excellent.
This time, he had joined the Patrol Force.
On one hand, Uchiha Isshin had asked him to infiltrate it and find out what Konoha's upper echelons were really planning...
On the other hand, after Hatake Sakumo spoke with Uchiha Fugaku, he personally sought out Uchiha Hono and hoped he could contribute some strength to the village.
That long-forgotten feeling of being needed moved Uchiha Hono deeply.
And after joining the Patrol Force, he had been living quite comfortably.
The younger members of the Inuzuka and Aburame Clans greatly respected him as an elder who had lived through the Warring States Period. Many details and decisions during reconnaissance relied on his planning and adjustments.
They also loved listening to him tell stories.
Thus, this squad had a very harmonious atmosphere, and the others had also learned why he had only one arm...
But when he looked at Shimura Danzō's corpse-like face wrapped in bandages, heard that deliberate tone, and remembered all the surveillance he had imposed on the Uchiha over the years,
Uchiha Hono felt blood rush to his head and blurted out, "Thank you for your concern, Advisor. I will give everything I have to stop the enemy for the village."
"But I cannot claim honor that does not belong to me."
"My arm was not cut off by an enemy. The Second did it."
The already awkward atmosphere could now be described as tense.
Shimura Danzō dangerously narrowed his eyes.
The shinobi of the Inuzuka and Aburame Clans instinctively swallowed.
The instant Uchiha Hono finished speaking, he regretted it.
But as an Uchiha, words once spoken could not be taken back. He stiffened his neck and said nothing.
"Hey, Danzō..."
A thought struck Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he broke the suffocating atmosphere. "If I remember right, didn't your grandfather cut down my father once?"
Shimura Danzō froze.
Hey, Hiruzen, you little brat, you hold grudges that badly?
You still remember that?!
Before you continue