The Police Department's private training ground had originally been set aside for training newly recruited Police Department ninjas. But now, twenty sturdy Ninja Dogs, each as tall as a person's waist, had arrived.
At their head was a huge black dog, even more imposing in appearance, with bright, alert eyes and a thick coat.
The appointed time had arrived, and Qingguang and Yashiro had finally welcomed the Ninja Dogs they had been waiting for.
When Yashiro saw who was leading them, he was overjoyed. He hurried forward with a little slide, ran up to her, took her hand, and led her over to Qingguang.
"Captain, the Inuzuka Family's Ninja Dogs are here!" Yashiro said, but he didn't look at Qingguang at all. His gaze stayed fixed on Akiya, the woman he loved.
Yashiro's gesture left Akiya a little embarrassed. She pulled her right hand free and punched him on the shoulder. "What are you doing? We're here to take care of business. It's not like we've never held hands before. Why are you so worked up, like a monkey?"
Her shoulder stung a little. After all, Akiya was an Inuzuka ninja, and her physical fitness and Taijutsu were even better than Yashiro's.
But Yashiro acted as if nothing had happened, grinning foolishly. "That ponytail you're wearing today looks really nice."
"Quiet. Stand straight!"
"Yes!"
Akiya sounded fierce, but her bright red earlobes said it all.
Qingguang smiled from the bottom of his heart, though his eyes rested on Black Wind. He asked Akiya, "Akiya, why did Black Wind come along too?"
"Ah, he said he was worried the pups might be rusty after going so long without any real combat, so he insisted on coming along to supervise them."
"But I think he just got excited after hearing the story you told yesterday. He wants to be the Black Dog Sheriff himself."
As she spoke, Akiya glanced back at her father's Ninja Dog.
Black Wind sat at the head of the group, deliberately puffing out his chest and holding perfectly still.
Only the excited tail spinning behind him gave him away.
"That's fine, too. I know how capable Black Wind is. With his help, the investigation will definitely go more smoothly."
Over the next three days, Qingguang and Yashiro trained the Ninja Dogs alongside Akiya, teaching them the Police Department's procedures and regulations.
The case had struck Qingguang as suspicious. It might even have ties to one of the great nations.
Konoha was the leading village in the Shinobi World and the most prosperous place on the continent. Even the capital of the Land of Fire couldn't compare.
Yet despite its tight security, the vast barrier maintained by the Uzumaki Clan outside the village, and the Uchiha Police Force and Anbu Ninja lurking within, someone had managed to smuggle in several batches of counterfeit medicine and low-quality grain.
At the least, some ordinary people who got caught up in it might end up with upset stomachs and have to visit Konoha Hospital.
But at worst, if Hanzō had started a war soon after the Kazekage humiliated him, Konoha would certainly have been dragged into it. That grain could have become a deadly threat to the ninja on the front lines.
On the day of the operation, before dawn, the merchants were on the verge of opening for business. It was also market day, when the streets were at their busiest.
Every member of the Police Department, except for the teams still out on their usual patrols, had gathered at the training ground.
Qingguang stepped before the crowd, his expression solemn.
Behind him, Akiya led the Ninja Dogs, with Black Wind at their head. They stood in two lines, each wearing a vest emblazoned with the Police Department insignia.
"Fellow officers, there have recently been several cases of food poisoning and accidental ingestion of medicine at Konoha Hospital. The Criminal Investigation Unit has conducted a discreet investigation and obtained samples."
"To get to the bottom of this and bring the culprits to justice, Minister Fugaku asked me to invite the Inuzuka Clan's Ninja Dogs to assist with the investigation."
"Their noses have earned them great merit on missions before, and they'll be our best weapon in this operation."
"Each team will be assigned a Ninja Dog to lead them. If it barks three times, move in immediately, seal off the shop, and arrest everyone involved. Question them one by one. If anyone resists, subdue them with your batons. If there's no cause for suspicion, the Ninja Dog will bark once, and you'll move on to the next location."
"Now is the time the people of Konoha need us. Are you ready?"
Uchiha Yashiro stood in the front row. He immediately puffed out his chest, put his left hand behind his back, clenched his right fist, and thumped it against his chest as he shouted, "Always ready!"
"Always ready!!!" All the members followed his lead, shouting in unison.
"Woof! Woof!"
Even the Ninja Dogs behind Black Wind held their heads high and barked twice in perfect unison.
"Move out!" At Qingguang's command, all twenty-one Ninja Dogs, including Black Wind, immediately set off. The Police Department's ninjas split into twenty-one teams and followed them.
After three days of training, the ninjas had seen the dogs in action with their own eyes. They moved in perfect unison, and once they knew a scent, they could locate the sample no matter where it was hidden—even underwater.
Ninja Cats were undeniably cute, but when it came to helping the Police Department with investigations, even the ninjas had to admit that Ninja Dogs were better suited to the job.
Each team had a Ninja Dog in front and a Police Department member close behind, while the other ninjas followed from the shadows to avoid causing a commotion among the people.
Black Wind was a veteran Ninja Dog who had seen his fair share of battles. He was far faster and stronger than the others.
As he raced along the street, he drew plenty of attention from passersby.
The children were especially delighted when they saw the huge, handsome black dog, clapping excitedly.
Some of the sharp-eyed ones even spotted the Police Department insignia on his vest.
"That's the Police Department's symbol!"
"A Ninja Dog from the Police Department?"
"He's so big! He must be really strong. They should call him the Black Dog Sheriff!"
The children's cheers thrilled Black Wind. He sped up even more, flashing down the street like a black whirlwind.
"Black Wind, slow down!" Akiya called, barely able to keep up with him.
Suddenly, Black Wind caught a familiar scent—the exact same as the sample he had smelled during the past three days of training. He stopped in front of a pharmacy and turned to bark at Akiya. "There's Venti here!"
"Seal off the area! No one inside the shop is allowed to leave!"
"The Police Department is conducting an investigation! Keep back!"
Qingguang and Yashiro leaped down from the rooftops by the roadside. They immediately stretched a cordon across the entrance, while the other members surrounded the shop from every direction, keeping a close watch on all the exits and windows to stop anyone from slipping away in the confusion.
Black Wind darted into the shop, weaving past the bystanders and heading straight for the source of the scent.
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