Tsunade Hugs, Joins the Police Force

"Senju... Tobirama!"

Longya and the others turned their heads, exclaiming in surprise.

The group shivered. They knew a little about Tobirama's personality, and one of his biggest pet peeves was people discussing matters behind his back.

"Hmph!"

As expected, Tobirama glanced at Longya and the others, who wore awkward expressions, let out a cold snort, and then ignored their presence, turning his gaze to Mito and Tsunade.

"Tobirama."

Mito suppressed her physical discomfort for a moment, stood up, and smilingly led Tsunade forward by the hand.

"What brings you here today? You have time to visit me."

"Granduncle," Tsunade said prettily from the side.

Seeing the two, although Tobirama's face remained stern, his eyes softened considerably.

He first tapped Tsunade's forehead and said with mock annoyance:

"You little brat, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Not sleepy," Tsunade giggled and made a face at him.

(¬_¬)

Tobirama shot her a sideways glance, too lazy to bother with her anymore. His expression turned somewhat serious as he looked back at Mito.

"Sister-in-law, did you just have the thought of personally going to Uzushiogakure to help?

Don't hide it from me. I have informants throughout the entire Village. You can't leave without my permission."

As for forcing his way out, he believed Mito had the strength, but she wouldn't do it.

This Village was Elder Brother Hashirama's life's work. For that reason alone, Mito wouldn't dare to defy public opinion.

"..."

Mito knew he must have arrived earlier. After a moment of silence, she forced a smile and said, "Nothing escapes you. Since you're here at such a convenient time, you must have overheard our conversation.

I know the Village's recent situation, but Uzushiogakure is my hometown after all. If it's inconvenient for you to get involved directly, I can fund Longya and the others to increase the mission commission, which should attract some Jonin from the major clans in the Village.

Would that work?"

"Eh..."

Tobirama looked at the hopeful eyes of the other party and sighed, "If it were really that simple, with my current status and influence, I wouldn't even need Sister-in-law to pay. If I forcibly appointed them, I'm sure the ninjas from those great clans wouldn't dare to refuse.

But Sister-in-law, have you considered this: if Konoha were to dispatch ninjas from the village to help the Uzumaki Clan, and Kumogakure learned of it, wouldn't they take advantage of our vulnerability and launch a direct surprise attack on the village?

As far as I know, Kinkaku and Ginkaku of Kumogakure have long coveted the Nine-Tails within you. At that time, with a hollowed-out Konoha, how many top-tier ninjas could the two of us handle?

Ten, or a hundred?

What's more..."

As he spoke, he cast a meaningful glance at Mito's navel, saying:

"At that time, Sister-in-law, how much of your combat power could you exert?"

"...I, I."

Mito was speechless for a moment. After all, she had stayed at home for too long and didn't understand the situation in the Shinobi World as thoroughly as Tobirama.

If it was as Tobirama said, then her idea just now was indeed a bit too impulsive.

"Lord Mito..."

Seeing that Mito's expression was no longer as resolute as before, Longya and the others became anxious and were about to speak.

"You all shut up!"

Tobirama's eyes turned cold, and he suddenly turned his head. His Chakra instantly erupted, like a tsunami, fiercely crashing towards Longya and the others. He berated:

"You guys still have the nerve to beg Sister Mito? When Konoha was founded, we invited the Uzumaki Clan to join Konoha countless times.

And you, confident in your superior sealing techniques and numerous ninja beasts, consistently refused to join, even establishing a place called Uzushiogakure!

Establishing Uzushiogakure is one thing, but after I became Hokage, didn't I still invite you to send outstanding children to study at the Ninja Academy?"

Tobirama sneered, "And the result? You still refused!

If there were even a few Uzumaki Clan Jonin in the village now, whether within the village or outside, and Konoha helped you, no one would dare to say anything!

Now you know to come begging?

It's too late!"

With that, Tobirama flicked his sleeve, turned his back, and no longer looked at them.

"..."

Longya and the others moved their lips but couldn't say anything.

What he said was correct. Their Uzumaki Clan had indeed been wary of Konoha all these years, resulting in little deep connection between the two sides, apart from the exchange of information for certain missions.

Furthermore, this request for aid was actually just his personal assertion. The other clan members, including the current Clan Head of the Uzumaki Clan, were not very willing.

They still advocated relying on Uzushiogakure's own combat power to eliminate the ninjas from the surrounding major ninja villages.

"...Apologies for disturbing you."

After understanding this, Longya said no more. He could only bow to Mito with a bitter expression and bid farewell.

"..."

This time, Mito didn't say much more. She merely nodded at the group with vacant eyes.

Although she loved her homeland, she loved her children and the adorable granddaughter in her arms even more.

If her actions plunged Konoha into dire straits and affected her own children, she would not be able to rest in peace even in death.

Tsunade reached out, wanting to say something more, but Mito covered her mouth and gently shook her head.

Seeing this, the light in Tsunade's beautiful eyes also dimmed.

Drip!

A few hot tears fell onto Tsunade's forehead.

Tsunade looked up and saw her grandmother pursing her lips, trying hard not to cry out loud, but tears were streaming from her eyes.

Mito understood that if Konoha didn't help, Uzushiogakure's demise was only a matter of time.

But even so, it was still her hometown.

"Grandma..."

She reached out, wanting to comfort Mito, but couldn't reach her. In a childish voice, she said:

"Don't be sad, Tsunade will hug you."

She was using the way her grandmother used to comfort her when she was little to comfort Mito.

"Sigh..."

Tobirama sighed when he saw this. His heart finally softened, and he called out to Longya and the others who had not yet left the room.

"Wait!"

Mito and Tsunade were startled, then looked at Tobirama with surprised eyes.

Longya and the others exchanged glances, as if they understood something, and quickly turned back to flatter him.

"Thank you, Hokage..."

"Don't get happy too soon."

Tobirama's face remained cold. He raised a hand to interrupt, "The village still won't send Jonin, but we can give you one Chunin."

Longya and the others exclaimed in shock, "Chunin?! But that Cloud Village outpost has six Chunin guards alone, plus three Jonin. How can one Chunin possibly..."

"Hmph hmph..."

A cold smile played on Tobirama's lips. "Judging by your reaction, you don't want it?"

As he spoke, he pointed towards the door. "If you don't want it, you can leave now. I won't give you a second chance. I'll give you thirty seconds to consider."

"Hokage..."

Longya and the others tried to speak, but Tobirama ignored them and began counting down:

"30, 29..."

"Tobirama."

At this moment, Mito stepped forward. Wiping away tears, she asked on their behalf:

"May I ask the name of this Chunin?"

She knew that if Tobirama agreed, he wouldn't deliberately make things difficult.

"..."

Tobirama was silent for a moment, then finally squeezed out some information. "Uchiha Ao."

The reason he chose Uchiha Ao was simple. Since the other party could escape from the Land of Lightning and return, he should be very familiar with Cloud Village's ninjutsu.

Furthermore, with his newly awakened Sharingan, if utilized properly, his strength would be no weaker than an average Jonin, possibly even surpassing them.

Most importantly, Ao's official status was still only Chunin. Even if the major ninja villages investigated afterward, they would likely only suspect Uzushiogakure of doing this under Konoha's name.

Whether the mission succeeded or failed, Konoha would suffer no losses.

"Teacher Sou?!" Tsunade exclaimed.

Mito and the others exchanged glances, all looking at Tsunade, whose face was filled with surprise.

"Little Tsunade, you know this person?"

Teacher...

Could the other party be a Ninja Academy teacher? But as far as they knew, most of the teachers inside weren't very strong, with the strongest being only a Special Jonin.

And even then, a Special Jonin with a lot of fluff.

Even for a great clan like the Uchiha, their strongest members were likely limited.

"Mhm, mhm!"

Tsunade nodded repeatedly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with little hearts. "Teacher Sou is so handsome! He's practically the most handsome ninja I've ever seen!"

Handsome?!

Longya and the others exchanged strange glances.

What good was just being handsome? Could the other party really fight enemies to death with his looks?

Mito didn't make a hasty judgment. Instead, she first glanced at Tobirama, who remained expressionless.

She knew that Hashirama's younger brother was someone who appeared cold but had a warm heart. Since he had decided to help the Uzumaki Clan, he wouldn't act without reason.

Perhaps this Uchiha Ao was indeed very strong.

"So handsome."

Thinking this, she crouched down, patted Tsunade's little head, and smiled gently.

"It seems I need to invite this handsome guy over."

As she spoke, she looked at Longya and the others, blinking her beautiful eyes.

"What do you guys think?"

Longya and the others were stunned at first, then quickly reacted and nodded vigorously.

"Yes, yes, yes! We'll choose this ninja. No more picking, no more picking!"

They mistakenly thought Mito wanted to give him some offensive techniques before he went to Uzushiogakure, thus indirectly helping the Uzumaki Clan. Naturally, they were a hundred percent willing.

Tobirama naturally saw their little actions, but he didn't care. He simply commanded coldly.

"You guys go to the village entrance the day after tomorrow. I will arrange for this Uchiha Ao to meet you then."

With that, his figure flashed, and he disappeared from the room.

All that was left were the stunned individuals, who then swarmed around little Tsunade, asking for information about the mysterious powerhouse, Uchiha Ao.

The next morning, at the Hyuga Clan Compound.

"Thank you for the information. This is a small token of appreciation from our Main Family."

In front of the gate of a Japanese-style courtyard, a middle-aged man in a gray kimono gratefully handed a stack of banknotes to a young, handsome man.

"If this information leaks, our clan might lose a few more members."

"It's what I should do."

Uchiha Ao smiled as he took the banknotes. "We're from the same Village, so helping each other is only right. Besides, I have a favor to ask. If it weren't for the fact that I've been helping several elderly people recently and am a bit tight on funds, I really shouldn't accept this money from someone in the same Village..."

As Ao spoke courteously, he swiftly stuffed the banknotes into his pocket.

"..."

The middle-aged man opposite him twitched at the sight of his actions. Good heavens, who said the Uchiha Clan cared about appearances? This one's got a thick skin too!

However, considering the other party had indeed helped the Main Family, he forced a smile and said politely, "Not at all, it was just a matter of picking a time to spar in taijutsu. A small matter, I'll arrange it right away!"

After a few more pleasantries, Ao left the courtyard.

Watching Ao's departing back, the middle-aged man's smile vanished as he walked inside.

As soon as he entered, he bowed towards a shadow and said, "Clan Leader, that Uchiha clansman has left. The 500,000 Taels reward you instructed me to give has also been handed over."

"Mm."

In the shadow of the main seat sat a man with disheveled hair. Though his face couldn't be seen, his voice was surprisingly magnetic.

"The information the other party provided is over ten days old, but it's accurate. This indicates that Cloud Village is indeed making deployment plans against our Hyuga Clan recently. Also, inform all members of the Main Family to try and avoid leaving the Village before the great war with Cloud Village begins."

"Understood."

The middle-aged man replied. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "That person just requested that someone from our clan spar with him in taijutsu at a certain time today. I've tentatively agreed. I wonder who the Clan Leader thinks would be suitable?"

"Spar in taijutsu?" The Hyuga Clan Leader's tone was strange.

"Yes, he said he's been researching Taijutsu recently, and heard that we are proficient in Gentle Fist and other close combat techniques, so he wants to ask for some pointers."

"...What a freak, a Uchiha researching Taijutsu..."

The Hyuga Clan Leader pondered for a moment and arranged, "Hmm... send Kaita from the Branch Family. Members of the Main Family should stay out of sight recently."

"Hyuga Kaita?!"

The middle-aged man suddenly looked up, his face filled with astonishment. "Isn't that a bit too much bullying for that Uchiha?

Although Kaita is from the Branch Family, when it comes to Gentle Fist, very few people, even in the Main Family, can defeat him."

"It doesn't matter."

The Hyuga Clan Leader waved his hand, his tone indifferent. "If he can't win, he can use Ninjutsu too.

For years, the Village has been saying that the Hyuga Clan is far inferior to great clans like the Senju and Uchiha. This sparring match is a good opportunity to slap those people in the face."

Of course, even if they lost, no one would know about a secret sparring match. That Uchiha loves money so much, at most they'll just give him some money to shut him up.

If they win... it's perfectly normal for news like this to "accidentally" leak and spread throughout the Village.

Uchiha Clan Compound.

"Good Luck Come, that Good Luck Come..."

Uchiha Ao hummed a little tune while walking leisurely down the clan path, hands supporting the back of his head.

Earning 800,000 Taels in just a few days was enough for him to Ke nearly three months' worth of Ration Pills.

As for daily expenses, there was the salary from the Ninja Academy and the Police Force, and Orochimaru's tuition...

"With my fixed income, I would have been considered a Senior White-Collar in my previous life."

Every month, without doing anything, he had a fixed income of around 200,000 Taels. This income probably surpassed that of more than half the ninjas in the ninja village.

Tsk tsk, public meals really are the best.

As for the sparring match with the Hyuga Clan, it wasn't because he was bored and looking for trouble, but because the Sharingan had the ability to copy Taijutsu.

The Hyuga Clan had spent years refining their Gentle Fist. In terms of Combat Skills, almost no one in the entire Village could compare to them.

Although Brute Force has its uses, it depends on the person.

With Ao's current Physical Quality, although he had an advantage against most ninjas, when facing troublesome opponents or Taijutsu Masters of the same level, the importance of Technique became apparent.

"If I could steal another Hyuga clan secret technique, Reincarnation, it would be even more perfect," Sou muttered softly.

After all, that technique was a perfect defense in the truest physical sense.

It was worth noting that during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Reincarnation had even managed to deflect the arm of the Ten-Tails, an entity that could be called the strongest energy aggregate!

"Even if I don't have the Byakugan, I should be able to learn this ninjutsu relying on my destiny!"

Lost in thought, Sou had already stepped into the Police Force headquarters.

The Police Force headquarters wasn't particularly large, a two-story small building. The first floor was office space, and the second floor was a resting place for the formal members of the Police Force.

It was just that the building design was a bit strange, looking like a human face wearing a mask.

"This aesthetic..."

Sou grumbled, walked through the hall, and went all the way to the end of the corridor to a room door labeled "Logistics Department," then stopped and knocked.

Hearing a voice from inside say, "Come in," Sou pushed the door open.

Upon entering, a wood-colored long table spanned the room. Several stacks of documents lay on the table, and behind the table sat two ninja wearing Uchiha Clan Uniforms, diligently reviewing some documents.

Seeing Sou enter, one of them glanced at him before continuing to review the documents. The other, though he put down his documents, spoke with a somewhat indifferent tone:

"It's Sou. It's not time to collect basic ninja tools yet today. What brings you here?"

After speaking, he lowered his head to review the documents again, as if Sou didn't exist.

The original owner's personality was solitary, and his strength was weak, so very few people in the entire clan had a good relationship with him.

"..."

Sou curled his lips and couldn't be bothered to chat further with these two. He directly took out the scroll Qiongyue had given him from his embrace and threw it on the table.

"I'm here to collect a set of advanced ninja tools. This is the document signed by Clan Leader Qiongyue."

"You?"

"Advanced ninja tools?"

The two simultaneously looked up and exchanged glances, their eyes filled with doubt.

It was worth noting that such items could be considered strategic materials within the clan. If one were to purchase them at a ninja tool shop, it would cost at least hundreds of thousands of taels.

Higher quality ones, like this set of advanced ninja tools, could even cost 1,000,000 taels.

Even for a newly joined member of the Police Force, they would only receive a set of basic ninja tools.

Could it be... that Sou had performed some great merit and joined the Police Force?

Otherwise, how could someone like the Qiongyue Clan Leader, who is so stingy... ah no, who considers the bigger picture, suffer such a huge loss?

"Wait a moment."

One of them immediately took it and carefully examined the scroll, while the other forced a smile out of his deadpan face and pointed to a chair nearby.

"Have a seat first. If the documents are real, we'll get you the matching ninja tools according to the procedure later."

Rip...

Cang pulled over a chair and sat down. "Okay."

A moment later, the person had read the documents several times. Finally, he put down the paper he had crumpled into a ball. Then, he looked at Cang with a complex expression and said:

"Welcome to the Police Force."

The reason his expression looked like his mother had died was that neither of them were actually members of the Police Force yet, only reserve personnel. Otherwise, they wouldn't just be sitting here handling miscellaneous tasks.

The real members of the Police Force were already out patrolling various places, busy carrying out commissioned missions.

Although the other person also couldn't believe it, everything that had just happened proved that these were all facts.

That useless Cang had actually risen above them in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, the two of them struggled to stand up and bowed slightly to Cang, saying:

"Please wait a moment. We will get you the Advanced Ninja Tools shortly."

However, Cang's gaze was not on the two of them at this moment.

A flicker of humiliation flashed in the eyes of the two, but they didn't dare to say anything more. They could only silently turn around to prepare the ninja tools for this newly promoted Police Force member.

This was because Formal Members of the Police Force had the status to influence the Clan Leader's opinion. If the other party so much as opened his mouth, they could lose their status as reserve members and their monthly salary of sixty thousand taels.

"Wait."

Just as the two were about to turn away, Cang suddenly called out to them, looking eagerly at the iron rack behind them. He asked:

"Does that Chakra Blade count as a component of Advanced Ninja Tools?"