Night Patrol Bureau

"Sigh, since that is the case, I shall accept this gesture from you brothers."

Dongfang Mao shook his head helplessly, then looked toward Yasuke at his side and said earnestly.

"Yasuke, you as well; these brothers have just joined and are still adjusting, which is understandable. Do not be overly harsh."

"I understand, Big Brother."

Yasuke replied with a submissive and obedient expression.

Dongfang Mao nodded in satisfaction and looked toward the new recruits in front of him.

"I see that everyone has been training all afternoon, and I imagine you are all quite exhausted. You may disperse for now and go get some rest."

The group in front had not expected that Dongfang Mao would not only provide them with food but also speak up for them and show concern for their fatigue.

In an instant, the contrast between Yasuke's previous harshness and Dongfang Mao's tolerance formed a sharp distinction in their hearts.

This sent a tingling sensation through their minds; Dongfang Mao was practically the first person in this world to treat them well since their families had all perished.

"Lord Mao, although we are dull-witted, we will definitely train twice as hard and will not let you down!"

They shouted in unison. At this moment, their eyes were no longer hollow and numb as they had been at the border, but instead carried a flicker of fervent determination.

"Hehe, then I look forward to your performance."

Dongfang Mao waved his hand with a chuckle. After the group dispersed, Yasuke walked up to him.

"Big Brother, this group is not bad, right?"

"Not bad. That Tokichiro among them is quite a talent, but he is not suited to stay here. You train him for another two days, and if you feel there are no issues, have him come find me."

Dongfang Mao felt it was a waste to keep Tokichiro in this squad for drills; he could set up a propaganda department for him. When new recruits arrived, they would all have to go and experience one of Tokichiro's "grievance sessions" first.

"By the way, are all these people alone?"

Yasuke nodded.

"Yes, Inumaru said our funds and grain were limited, so I didn't pay attention to those who had families in tow."

However, Dongfang Mao shook his head.

If it were before, he truly could not afford the burden of recruiting people who brought along a group of dead weight. But now, with his vast wealth, he was not short on such rations.

"The issue of funds and grain has been resolved. You can relax the criteria. For those who look physically fit and have an honest appearance, even if they bring along some elderly, weak, women, or children, as long as it isn't too excessive, you can take them in."

The elderly, weak, women, and children had their own value. As long as they weren't decrepit, they could serve as auxiliary troops, and women were meticulous and could be placed in logistics.

More importantly, the business they were about to engage in was a life-threatening one.

Having family and ties would give the new recruits concerns, preventing them from letting their minds wander.

"Understood!"

Dongfang Mao nodded and patted Yasuke on the shoulder.

"Yasuke, you should know what I intend to do. Time is tight, so you will have to work hard during this period. Train these people, and those who will join later, into an army as quickly as possible!"

"Rest assured, Big Brother. I will drill them ruthlessly. Within a month, I guarantee a satisfactory answer!"

Yasuke's face was full of confidence as he patted his chest heavily in response.

"With those words from you, I can rest easy. Go on, I am going to find Luzhen; you hurry up and get these people training. Don't waste time."

Yasuke nodded, turned to look at the new recruits who had barely sat down, and revealed a malicious grin.

Ignoring the complaints of the new recruits after he left, Dongfang Mao arrived at the storehouse, took out a portion of equipment and grain from his scroll, and handed them to Luzhen.

Seeing this, Luzhen let out a sigh of relief; after all, he had been overwhelmed by the grain shortage these past few days.

It could only be said that he was bearing pressures inappropriate for his age.

Seeing this, Dongfang Mao thought for a moment, then pulled a stack of ninjutsu scrolls from his storage and placed them in front of Luzhen.

"Luzhen, you have worked hard these days. Take a look and see if there are any you fancy."

The ninjutsu Tsunade had given Dongfang Mao were quite comprehensive, covering almost all lower-level Fire and Earth Style techniques.

Luzhen had not been well-regarded back in Konoha, and seeing so many ninjutsu piled up before him, he felt a moment of daze.

"Thank you, Lord Mao!"

Luzhen shouted excitedly and began to sift through the techniques.

Soon, he picked out two C-rank Fire Style ninjutsu, clutching them to his chest as if he couldn't bear to let them go.

Luzhen understood the principle that one shouldn't bite off more than one can chew. Just as he was about to put the two techniques away, he suddenly noticed a notebook tucked into the pile of scrolls.

It didn't look like a ninjutsu manual, and the handwriting was very fresh, written within the last few days.

He picked it up with some confusion and looked at Dongfang Mao.

"Lord Mao, what is this?"

"This is something I compiled based on what an overseas traveler told me when I happened to meet him. It details some events occurring overseas. If you are interested, you may take it along to read."

Dongfang Mao rested his chin on his hand, watching the notebook in Luzhen's hands with a look of deep intrigue.

This was naturally not some tale of travelers from overseas, but rather a rough summary of five thousand years of history from his past life, along with several cases particularly worthy of contemplation, all written down by Dongfang Mao.

He had handed it to Luzhen wanting to see if this kid could glean something unique from such a wealth of experience.

After all, Luzhen could be considered the sharpest mind in his current team, and Dongfang Mao naturally wanted to cultivate him well to see if he could grow into the kind of brilliant strategist that suited his vision.

"Overseas?"

Everything Luzhen knew concerned the Ninja World; this was his first time hearing that there were people living overseas, and he felt a sense of bewilderment while simultaneously developing a curiosity about the events occurring in those unknown lands.

He nodded, tucking the notebook away along with his ninjutsu scrolls.

Just then, Inumaru, who had been summoned by Dongfang Mao's men, arrived.

"Big Brother!"

Dongfang Mao nodded.

"Luzhen, allocate some funds and provisions to Inumaru."

He then looked toward Inumaru and said, "For this period, you are to go with Yasuke and the others to recruit people. Pick out those who look sharp and flesh out your scout squad. However, change the name—let's call it... the Night Patrol Bureau. From now on, you are the Chief Commissioner of the Night Patrol Bureau."

Upon hearing that Dongfang Mao was not only letting him expand his manpower but had also given his scout squad such an imposing name, Inumaru was instantly beaming with joy.

"Thank you, Lord Mao!"

"Don't be so quick to thank me. Once the recruitment is finished, you'll have your hands full. You must train these people as quickly as possible and then infiltrate them into Tsukimiura. I need to know the situation inside Tsukimiura at all times."

Dongfang Mao's tone grew heavier.

Hearing this, Inumaru's expression turned solemn.

"Rest assured, Big Brother. If there is any slip-up, I, Inumaru, will accept whatever punishment you deem fit!"