Dark and Damp

Shisui was full of questions, but when Uchiha Shingen said no more, he could only wait patiently.

Soon,

Shisui understood what Uchiha Shingen was waiting for.

Not long after the crowd dispersed,

several victims awkwardly made their way to the Konoha Military Police Force's temporary station to report the thefts. As they spoke, they kept glancing apologetically at the nearby Police Force members.

The thief they described matched the petty criminal Shisui had just caught.

"I see."

"We'll catch him as soon as we can."

Uchiha Shingen recorded the clues they provided, then sent them on their way. He turned to Shisui and waved the notes in his hand.

"It's our turn to act."

"Rookie."

Uchiha Shingen was the sort to let others handle things whenever possible, so he naturally had no desire to deal with a matter like this.

Lazing around and enjoying a comfortable life was what he truly wanted.

By contrast, Shisui was full of energy. The moment he received the assignment, he vanished in a flash and took off after the thief in the direction he had fled, clearly determined to catch him.

His eyes had turned unusually sharp.

The more he recalled the chaos from earlier, the more afraid he became.

Now that the Third Hokage had taken office, he was trying to ease tensions between the village and the Uchiha.

The clan's hawkish leader, Setsuna Uchiha, was in Konoha's custody, while the clan was led by Fugaku Uchiha, a patriarch who disliked conflict.

This was the perfect opportunity to finally resolve the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha.

If the day's disturbance spiraled out of control at a time like this, the promising situation would collapse completely.

And judging by how practiced Uchiha Shingen and Tezaku had been in handling it, this sort of thing had happened more than once!

"So..."

"Did Captain Shingen lose faith in the village because he's seen too many things like this?!"

"This is probably the biggest obstacle facing most Uchiha who want to become part of the village."

"If I can catch the thief and clear the Uchiha's name, I should be able to prove that the village and the Uchiha can understand each other."

"I might even change Captain Shingen's mind."

"He's different from the other clan members, and he could more easily represent the Uchiha and become part of Konoha."

With that thought, Shisui came up with a plan. He paused, then planted his foot firmly on the ground and shot forward.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Shisui's footsteps faded into the distance, and soon he was out of Uchiha Shingen's sight.

Tezaku watched Shisui's retreating figure and shook his head.

"Looks like the kid still isn't convinced."

Uchiha Shingen wasn't surprised. He simply kept reading Make-Out Hell.

His fingertips turned a page. When he saw the exquisite illustration, his breath caught for a moment. Only then did he reply,

"You lot were much more stubborn than Shisui when you were young, especially you!"

"I had to clean up your mess three or four times before you finally learned. If this kid can keep a cool head, that's good enough."

"Now that you mention it..."

Tezaku rubbed the back of his head with an awkward grin. Deciding there was nothing more to say, he turned and went back to patrol his assigned district.

By the time Shisui returned, it was nearly the end of the workday. He walked in the sunlight with a spring in his step.

Catching a petty thief was no problem for someone of his caliber. Even though the culprit had once been a ninja, he hadn't stood a chance against a Uchiha prodigy.

Shisui brought the pickpocket who had been stealing from the crowd that day back to the Police Force with his hands bound. Some of the stolen money had already been moved, but they recovered most of it.

Uchiha Shingen casually picked out the portion that had been stolen from him, counted it carefully, then put it back in his wallet.

Only after Uchiha Shingen had finished did Shisui hurry over to him. Still looking like a shy young boy, he gathered his courage and said,

"Captain, if we announce the results of the investigation tomorrow, it might also help reduce the village's misunderstandings about the Police Force. If something like this happens again, people might trust each other a little more."

Uchiha Shingen saw right through Shisui's intentions.

"You want to clear your own name?!"

"With all due respect, that won't mean anything."

Shisui shook his head.

"I want to clear the Uchiha's name."

"We haven't done anything wrong. We're only doing our best to maintain order in the village."

"At the very least..."

Shisui paused, his gaze settling on Uchiha Shingen as he continued with conviction,

"We shouldn't let those who truly care about the village lose heart, or feel they have no choice but to fight back with indifference."

Uh...

Was this kid misunderstanding something?

Shisui's expression left Uchiha Shingen momentarily stunned.

Though he was a little puzzled, he couldn't help but admire the Uchiha prodigy a bit more.

At least, he didn't dislike a boy who was willing to work hard.

"Suit yourself."

"Yes!"

"Captain!"

Uchiha Shingen nodded, then left the interrogation to Tezaku and the others.

"You know me, Captain, don't you?!"

Tezaku stared at the petty thief with a horribly cruel grin. He kicked him hard, making him cough up a mouthful of blood, but showed no sign of stopping.

Shisui had wanted to intervene, but after considering the consequences, he gave up on the idea.

By the time the wails rang out inside the Police Force, Uchiha Shingen had already reached the entrance.

After handing his duties over to the night patrol, he checked the time. It was exactly five o'clock.

Nine to five.

Never a minute late, never staying a minute longer than work required. Never shortchanging himself, while still earning his pay. That had always been Uchiha Shingen's life motto.

"Whew~"

"Now that's satisfying!"

Uchiha Shingen let out a long breath, more pleased than ever with his life.

If he could keep coasting like this forever, that would be even better.

Meanwhile,

deep within Konoha,

inside the Root base,

the place was dark and damp. Sunlight couldn't reach it, and even with the lights always on, they couldn't dispel the pervasive gloom and musty dampness.

Danzo sat at the head of the room, rubbing his fingers over his cane as he listened quietly to the report from a Root ninja.

"The operation failed."

"Lord Danzo."

"But we've cleaned up every trace. The Uchiha won't be able to trace it back to us."

"Failed?!"

Danzo's gaze paused.

The scene of his first meeting with the boy named Shisui rose once more in his mind.

In his more than fifty years of life, Danzo had seen countless geniuses.

From his teacher, Tobirama Senju, to the Third Hokage's student Orochimaru, the White Fang of the Leaf, and the recently famous Minato Namikaze, all had talents that surpassed those of ordinary people.

Shisui was no less talented than any of them. What made him special was that he was a descendant of Kagami Uchiha.

He had inherited Kagami Uchiha's talent as a ninja, as well as his Will of Fire.

If Danzo could bring Shisui completely under his control, it would be like planting the deadliest blade in the heart of the Uchiha.