Uchiha Shingen didn't go out of his way to curry favor with Shisui, but he at least didn't want to sour things with someone who so clearly had a bright future ahead of him.
He took the occasional bite of the rice ball in his hand, his thoughts gradually drifting.
Speaking of geniuses...
What was the clan head's eldest son called again?
Itachi?
No, no, wasn't it Itachi?!
Last time I saw him from a distance, that kid threw kunai more accurately than I did...
You're telling me he's three?!
Anyway, after that, Uchiha Shingen had gained a deep understanding of the geniuses in this world.
It had also made him even more determined to slack off in the Police Force.
What a joke.
If he actually went to the battlefield, who could guarantee the enemy wouldn't suddenly spawn a freak like those two?!
It wasn't that he couldn't win, but it would be a huge hassle.
Wasn't it better to stay safe and comfortable in the rear, working as a patrol officer?!
"Senior Shingen!"
A young voice interrupted Uchiha Shingen's thoughts.
He looked down.
A little boy with a round nose stood stiffly in front of him.
Compared to the hard-edged features of most Uchiha, this boy's face was much softer.
He looked more like a member of the Senju than an Uchiha.
"Shisui?!"
Uchiha Shingen asked tentatively.
"New recruit Shisui Uchiha reporting for duty!"
"Please take good care of me!"
As Uchiha Shingen sized up Shisui, Shisui was sizing him up, too.
As a one-of-a-kind figure in the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Shingen was much more famous than he realized.
Ever since he joined the force, he had held the top spot on its positive-review rankings, and he still did.
The whole Uchiha Clan had benefited from it, and its reputation in the village was showing signs of turning around.
That was also why Uchiha Shingen had been promoted to squad leader ahead of schedule, not long after joining the Police Force.
After graduating from the Konoha Ninja Academy, Shisui had originally planned to accept the Third Hokage's invitation and join the Hokage Direct Anbu.
But Uchiha Shingen's existence had made him change his mind.
Perhaps he could find a way to resolve the conflict between the village and the Uchiha by looking to this senior, a few years older than himself, whose talent was nothing special, yet who had managed to improve the Police Force's reputation through his own efforts.
Uchiha Shingen wasn't interested in Shisui's thoughts.
As long as they didn't interfere with his slacking off in the Konoha Military Police Force, nothing else mattered to him.
Uchiha Shingen casually pointed toward his subordinates, who were huddled together chatting nearby.
"Tezaku, explain our rules to him..."
Noticing the anticipation on Shisui's face, Uchiha Shingen immediately changed his mind.
"Never mind. I'll do it myself."
Uchiha Shingen checked the time.
It was already past 8:50. The Second Squad, which had been responsible for patrolling South District 4 at night, was gradually returning to the Police Force.
After handing over their work to Uchiha Shingen's squad, they yawned and headed back to their homes.
"I'll explain as we go."
Uchiha Shingen immediately led everyone toward South District 4.
There wasn't much time left, so he instinctively picked up the pace.
A few of the older members of the squad struggled to keep up, while the youngest, Shisui, seemed the most at ease.
He wasn't even breathing hard.
He followed close behind Uchiha Shingen, always half a step back.
Uchiha Shingen had expected as much and showed no reaction.
As they went, he explained quite a few of the Police Force's regulations to Shisui, along with the things to keep in mind when carrying out missions.
Seeing how attentively Shisui listened, he added, "That's about all you need to know about the Police Force's rules. Now I'll tell you about our squad's rules."
"There's only one."
Shisui perked up, even slowing his steps for a moment. Once he realized what he was doing, he quickly caught up with Uchiha Shingen.
But the answer he got left him bewildered.
"Don't meddle in other people's business."
"What?!"
Shisui almost thought he'd misheard.
When he looked up and met Uchiha Shingen's lazy gaze, he realized he had heard correctly.
What kind of rule was that?!
Ever since he was a child, whether among the Uchiha, at the Konoha Ninja Academy, or from the Third Hokage's constant lectures, what he had heard most was how to train, how to work hard to become a ninja, and even how to become a tool of the village.
Calling Uchiha Shingen's answer unconventional would be putting it mildly.
"Captain, isn't that a little... inappropriate?"
Shisui put it tactfully.
Uchiha Shingen understood him perfectly. He didn't answer, simply saying nothing more.
For the precocious geniuses who were so common in the Shinobi World, changing their ingrained ways of thinking was difficult.
Uchiha Shingen didn't believe he could do it, and he had no interest in trying.
People don't learn when you tell them. They learn the first time life teaches them.
Tezaku noticed the tension between the two and immediately spoke up to smooth things over.
"You'll understand later, Shisui."
"The captain's rule is good for both the village and the Uchiha."
Shisui lowered his head and said no more.
He just regretted a little his decision to turn down the Anbu and join the Konoha Military Police Force instead.
If that was Uchiha Shingen's answer, he couldn't accept it.
Before long,
Uchiha Shingen and the others arrived in South District 4.
After a quick division of duties, everyone except Shisui, whom Uchiha Shingen kept by his side, split up to patrol their assigned streets.
Shisui was looking forward to his assignment when he saw Uchiha Shingen turn and walk straight into a bookstore.
When he came out, Uchiha Shingen had a magazine in his hand. He leaned lazily in the shade and began flipping through it.
From Shisui's height, he could just make out the title. He read it aloud, one word at a time.
"Make-Out Hell?!"
"What? Interested?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Uchiha Shingen's face.
By his standards, the book was quite ordinary.
It had no tension, no emotion.
But its illustrations were beautiful and vivid.
Uchiha Shingen casually flipped to a particularly lifelike illustration and waved it in front of Shisui.
The little boy's face flushed bright red. He hurriedly turned away, stammering and unable to get a word out.
"So innocent."
"Have a look through this book. You might find the secret to becoming Hokage."
Uchiha Shingen joked with a smile. Teasing this little boy, who acted so grown-up, was a pleasant way to kill time.
The sun gradually rose.
The streets grew crowded with people, and the shops along the way began opening one after another.
The area became increasingly packed, and the bustle of everyday life grew louder.
The joking was over. Shisui switched into work mode and carefully scanned the crowd.
Even without activating his Sharingan, the Uchiha's eyesight was far beyond that of ordinary ninjas. Shisui was an exceptionally rare genius, even among his own clan.
He was young, but his perceptiveness as a ninja already surpassed that of ordinary ninjas by far.
Before long,
Shisui spotted something.
A short, scrawny thief was weaving through the crowd.
He deftly picked wallets from one civilian after another, took the cash inside, then slipped them back.
It all happened so quickly that ordinary people could hardly react.
"Don't meddle in other people's business."
Before Shisui could act, Uchiha Shingen's lazy voice reached him.
"Our job is to keep the peace, not catch thieves."
Shisui turned to look.
Uchiha Shingen was still looking down at the Make-Out Hell in his hands, yet he seemed fully aware of what was happening in the distance.
For the first time, Shisui felt that this seemingly unremarkable Police Force squad leader, who looked more like a member of the Nara than an Uchiha, was far more than he appeared.
Shisui forced himself to resist the urge to step in, wanting to see what Uchiha Shingen had in mind.
Before you continue