Konoha Military Police Force

Facing Feng An's humiliation, Taiyo's entire body convulsed, but he did not say a word.

It was not that he did not want to speak, but that the pain was too unbearable for him to utter a sound. His mind was blank, and every nerve in his body was sounding the alarm.

Seeing that his opponent had completely stopped resisting, Feng An suddenly found it dull.

He got to his feet and headed toward Yudzuki and Fūka.

"How about calling our squad the Brave Team?"

Before Yudzuki could answer, Fūka nodded like a pecking chick.

"I think the name Feng An suggested is great!"

After seeing Feng An make his move, he had gone straight from "hmph" to "big brother" in her heart.

The corners of Feng An's lips curled up slightly.

This girl's change in attitude before and after was truly a perfect grasp of the essence of Sichuan Opera Face-Changing.

Just then, several figures wearing Konoha ninja uniforms suddenly appeared.

There were five of them in total. One stopped the crowd that was about to leave, while the remaining four split into two groups and went respectively to the man lying on the ground and Taiyo.

The man at the entrance stopped everyone.

"Please wait where you are."

Though he had said please, his tone carried unmistakable force.

From the murmurs around him, Feng An learned that they were from the Konoha Security Department.

Ever since the Uchiha Clan had been exterminated, Konoha's security department had been made up of all sorts of capable people.

To put it plainly, anyone could join the security department.

This was also Hiruzen Sarutobi's tacit way of limiting the security department's power, preventing another situation where a single family held exclusive control like the Uchiha Clan had.

Yudzuki and Fūka looked at Feng An with concern.

These Security Force officers had most likely come because of what had just happened.

Yudzuki moved closer to Feng An and quietly apologized. "I got you involved."

Feng An waved it off and said calmly, "It's fine. I was acting in self-defense."

Yudzuki looked back at Taiyo, who was still sprawled on the ground, then looked at Feng An again.

This... should count as excessive self-defense, right?

In Feng An's eyes, this was self-defense. He could not exactly wait until a dog bit him before beating it to death, could he?

Would that still count as self-defense? By then, it would be called taking revenge.

After the Security Force used Medical Ninjutsu to treat him, the unconscious man was the first to recover.

On Taiyo's side, however, they seemed to have run into a problem.

One Security Force officer grabbed the shoulder of another man who was treating Taiyo and asked anxiously, "What do we do? Can it still be saved?!"

The man treating Taiyo shook his head and sighed. "No. From now on, it'll probably only be able to live with its head lowered."

"Bastard!"

The man cursed, seemingly venting his frustration.

Hearing the familiar greeting, everyone turned to look at the Security Force officer.

"Taimeng, what's wrong?" the man blocking the exit asked with a frown.

As the man approached, Feng An found his appearance strangely familiar.

He looked so much like Taiyo, as though they had been cast from the same mold.

Could he be his son? No, he was his father?!

At last, Taiyo's earlier shout of "You wouldn't dare!" had a reasonable explanation.

Feng An had been puzzled at the time. Normal people screamed "Don't!" when begging for mercy, but Taiyo had uniquely shouted, "You wouldn't dare!"

He was either truly stupid or had someone backing him.

It was the same sort of thing as saying, "My father is Zhang Erhe."

Then Taiyo's father, Taimeng, burst into tears.

"Captain Shimura Shunta, you have to stand up for me!"

"Tell me what happened."

"He's my son. H-His junk was kicked crooked by someone. Boohoo... It'll never be able to raise its head again."

Everyone lowered their heads and stifled their laughter.

They thought he deserved it.

Especially the unconscious man. When he heard that Taiyo's junk could no longer raise its head, he practically sprang back to life. His back no longer hurt, and his legs were no longer sore.

He got to his feet and burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Nobody else was laughing, yet you were?

Taimeng cried out, "It must have been him who hurt my son!"

As captain, Shimura Shunta snapped, "What are you crying for?! Keep crying, and go home to do your old job!"

Hearing that, Taimeng immediately fell silent and did not dare make another sound.

He himself was only at genin level. To get into the Security Force, he had sold off nearly half his family's assets.

He knew that as long as he obtained an official position, even if he was weak, his status alone would ensure that no one dared bully him or his son again.

Unfortunately, he had not expected that this would make his son arrogant and tyrannical, leading to today's situation.

Shimura Shunta then ordered the other two, "Bring that man over."

The man being held down by the Security Force was utterly confused.

I'm obviously the victim. Why are they restraining me?

Shimura Shunta looked coldly at him. "Were you the one who hit him?"

The man shook his head blankly.

"He hit me. I didn't hit him."

"Then who hit him?"

"I dunno. I've been lying on the ground the whole time."

Shimura Shunta's face darkened as he said impatiently, "Take him back and detain him for a week!"

"Why? I'm the victim! I'm the victim!!"

"Detain him for a month! Charge him with interfering with the Security Force in the execution of official duties!"

Hearing that, the man's face turned ashen. He allowed the two men to drag him away.

The man who had been treating Taiyo shouted, "Captain, he looks like he might not make it!"

Seeing his son in danger, Taimeng hurried over, slung him onto his back, and ran toward the hospital.

Shimura Shunta watched him go, his eyes full of disdain.

The current security department had become even more detestable than the Uchiha Clan.

When the Uchiha had been in charge, they had at least been equally strict with everyone in the village outside their clan.

But now, every clan and even the civilians had their own people in the security department, making crime control increasingly difficult. Favoritism and settling private grudges under the guise of official business happened all too often.

Shimura Shunta let out a long breath and swept his gaze over the crowd.

"Do any of you know what exactly happened just now?"

The crowd looked at one another uneasily. No matter which side it was, they did not dare offend either one so easily.

Taiyo's fate was still fresh in their minds, and they had just witnessed the Security Force's methods.

Seeing that no one spoke, his face darkened as he threatened, "I'll count to three. If nobody talks, all of you will be taken back and detained for a week on charges of harboring a criminal."

"Three."

"It was him!" One man in the crowd lowered his head, trembling as he pointed at Feng An.

"Because Taiyo insulted those two girls, he attacked and crippled Taiyo."

Seeing someone take the lead, the others immediately nodded and chimed in.

"That's right, he was the one who did it."

"Yes, that's right."

Feng An swept a cold gaze over the crowd. As his eyes passed over them, the noisy voices gradually fell silent.

Shimura Shunta turned and stared at Feng An, asking in a low voice, "Do you have anything to say?"

Feng An raised his head, casually glanced at him, and replied indifferently, "No."