Night Patrol Bureau

"Ah, since that's the case, I'll accept the brothers' kindness."

Dongfang Mao shook his head helplessly, then turned to Yasuke and spoke earnestly.

"Yasuke, you too. The brothers have only just joined us, so it's understandable that they're still adjusting. Don't be too hard on them."

"I understand, big brother."

Yasuke replied with his head bowed.

Dongfang Mao nodded with satisfaction, then looked toward the new recruits.

"I see you've all been training all afternoon. You must be exhausted, so let's call it a day. Go get some rest."

The men hadn't expected Dongfang Mao not only to feed them, but also to speak up for them and sympathize with their exhaustion.

For a moment, the contrast between Yasuke's harshness and Dongfang Mao's lenience stood out sharply in their minds.

Their hearts stirred. Ever since their families had all been killed, Dongfang Mao was practically the first person in the world to treat them well.

"Lord Mao, we may be slow-witted, but we'll train twice as hard and won't let you down!"

They shouted in unison. Their eyes were no longer as hollow and numb as they had been at the border. Now they gleamed with steadfast determination.

"Heh, I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Dongfang Mao waved with a chuckle. Only after the group had dispersed did Yasuke come over.

"Big brother, this group is pretty good, right?"

"Not bad. Fujikichiro is a talent, too, though he isn't suited to staying here. Train him for another couple of days, and if everything seems fine, send him to see me."

Dongfang Mao thought it would be a waste to have Fujikichiro drilling with the others. He could set him up in a publicity department. Then, when new recruits arrived, they'd all have to experience Fujikichiro's sob story assembly first.

"By the way, are all these people on their own?"

Yasuke nodded.

"Yes. Inumaru said we don't have much money or food, so I didn't bother with anyone who had a whole family in tow."

Dongfang Mao shook his head.

Before, he truly couldn't have afforded to recruit people who came with a whole group of dependents. But now, with a fortune at his disposal, he could spare a little food.

"The food situation is taken care of. We can loosen the requirements. If they look strong and honest, we can take them even if they have some elderly relatives, women, or children with them, as long as it isn't too much."

The elderly and children had their uses, too. As long as they weren't too old, they could serve as auxiliary troops accompanying the army. Women were meticulous, so they could be assigned to logistics.

More importantly, they were about to embark on a venture that could cost them their heads.

Having families and people to care about would give the recruits something to lose, keeping them from getting any wild ideas.

"Yes!"

Dongfang Mao nodded and patted Yasuke on the shoulder.

"Yasuke, you know what I'm planning, too. Time is short, so you'll have to work hard for a while. Train these people, and those who join later, into a proper army as quickly as possible!"

"Don't worry, big brother. I'll drill them hard. Give me a month, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Yasuke answered confidently, thumping his chest.

"With you saying that, I can rest easy. All right, I'm going to see Luzhen. Get these people training again, and don't waste any time."

Yasuke nodded, then turned to the new recruits who had only just sat down and gave them a decidedly wicked grin.

Ignoring the recruits' grumbling after he left, Dongfang Mao went to the storeroom. He took some equipment and food from a scroll and handed them to Luzhen.

Seeing this, Luzhen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Food had been scarce these past few days, and he'd been at his wits' end.

He was carrying a burden no one his age should have had to bear.

Seeing his reaction, Dongfang Mao thought for a moment, then took some ninjutsu scrolls out of the scroll and laid them in front of Luzhen.

"Luzhen, you've worked hard these past few days, too. Take a look and see if anything catches your eye."

The ninjutsu Tsunade had given Dongfang Mao was quite comprehensive, covering nearly all the lower-level Fire Release and Earth Release techniques.

Luzhen hadn't been well regarded in Konoha, and seeing so many ninjutsu scrolls piled before him left him momentarily dazed.

"Thank you, Lord Mao!"

Luzhen cried out excitedly, then began picking through the techniques.

He soon picked out two C-rank Fire Release techniques and cradled them in his arms, unable to put them down.

Luzhen knew that trying to learn too much at once would only leave him with a superficial understanding. Just as he was about to put the two techniques away, he noticed a notebook mixed in with the scrolls in front of him.

It didn't look like a ninjutsu scroll, and the handwriting was quite fresh, as if it had been written in the past few days.

Puzzled, he picked it up and looked at Dongfang Mao.

"Lord Mao, what's this?"

"I met someone from overseas by chance. I wrote down some of the things he told me about what's happening overseas. If you're interested, you can take it and have a look."

Dongfang Mao rested his chin on his hand and studied the notebook in Luzhen's grasp, his gaze difficult to read.

This wasn't actually some tale told by a traveler from overseas. Dongfang Mao had written down a rough overview of Five Thousand Years of History from his previous life, along with some especially thought-provoking examples.

He'd given it to Luzhen to see if the young man could draw any new insights from all that experience.

After all, Luzhen was probably the sharpest mind in his group at the moment. Dongfang Mao naturally wanted to nurture him and see if he could grow into the kind of scheming military adviser he had in mind.

"Overseas?"

Luzhen knew only about the Ninja World. This was the first time he'd heard that there were people overseas, and he was a little puzzled. At the same time, he grew curious about the unknown events taking place there.

He nodded and put the notebook away with the ninjutsu scrolls.

Just then, Inumaru arrived. Dongfang Mao had sent someone to fetch him.

"Big brother!"

Dongfang Mao nodded.

"Luzhen, allocate some money and food to Inumaru."

Then he turned to Inumaru.

"For the time being, go recruit people with Yasuke and the others. Pick out some who look sharp and finish filling out your scout squad. But change its name. Call it... the Night Patrol Bureau. From now on, you'll be its chief."

When Inumaru heard that Dongfang Mao was not only letting him expand his team, but also giving his scout squad such an impressive name, his face lit up with joy.

"Thank you, Lord Mao!"

"Don't thank me yet. You'll have plenty to do once the recruits are in. You need to train them as quickly as possible, then place them throughout Tsukimiura. I need to know what's happening there at all times."

Dongfang Mao's tone grew more serious.

Inumaru's expression turned solemn.

"Don't worry, big brother. If anything goes wrong, I, Inumaru, will accept any punishment!"