Dark and Damp

Shisui was full of questions, but seeing that Uchiha Shingen had nothing more to say, he could only wait patiently.

Very soon.

Shisui realized what Uchiha Shingen had been waiting for.

Not long after the crowd dispersed.

Several victims of the thefts came sheepishly to the temporary Police Force station to file reports, not forgetting to cast apologetic glances at the surrounding Police Force members as they spoke.

The thief they described matched the petty crook Shisui had caught earlier.

"Understood."

"We will apprehend the culprit as soon as possible."

Uchiha Shingen registered the clues provided by the individuals, dismissed them, and then waved the record in his hand at Shisui:

"It is time for us to act."

"Newbie."

With an attitude of doing as little as possible, Uchiha Shingen naturally had no desire to deal with such matters.

Slacking off and enjoying a comfortable life was what he truly longed for.

In contrast, Shisui was full of drive; having accepted the mission, he flashed away, pursuing the direction in which the culprit had vanished, clearly determined to see this through.

His gaze became uncharacteristically sharp.

The more he recalled the chaos that had just occurred, the more he felt a lingering fear.

Now that the Third Hokage had taken office, there was an intention to ease the relationship between the village and the clan.

The leader of the clan's hawk faction, Setsuna Uchiha, was being detained by Konoha, and the one in power within the clan was a patriarch like Fugaku Uchiha, who disliked conflict.

This was the best time to completely dissolve the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha.

If the chaos from earlier in the day were to escalate at such a time, the current favorable situation would completely collapse.

And judging by the practiced response methods of Uchiha Shingen and Tezaku and the others, such incidents had definitely happened more than once!

"So..."

"Is Captain Shingen disappointed in the village because he has seen too many things like this?!"

"This is perhaps the greatest hurdle faced by most people within the Uchiha clan who want to integrate into the village."

"If I can successfully catch the culprit and restore the Uchiha's reputation, it should prove that the village and the Uchiha can understand one another."

"It could also change Captain Shingen's mindset."

"He is different from the other clansmen, and it would be easier for him to represent the Uchiha and integrate into Konoha."

Thinking of this, Shisui made up his mind. He paused for a moment, then stomped heavily on the ground the next instant, his entire body suddenly darting forward.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

The sound of Shisui's footsteps gradually faded, and he soon disappeared from Uchiha Shingen's line of sight.

Tezaku looked at Shisui's retreating figure and shook his head:

"This kid still doesn't seem convinced."

Uchiha Shingen was not surprised by this, continuing to read his copy of Make-Out Hell.

His fingertips turned a page, and upon seeing an exquisite illustration, his breathing paused slightly before he replied:

"You lot were much more stubborn than this kid Shisui back in the day, especially you!"

"I had to clean up your messes three or four times before you finally grew a brain. It's a good thing if this kid can stay calm."

"That's a bit much..."

Tezaku rubbed his head with a sheepish laugh. Feeling awkward, he stopped talking, turned around, and returned to the district he was responsible for to continue his patrol.

By the time Shisui returned, it was nearly time to clock off, and his steps were much lighter as he walked in the sunlight.

With his strength, catching a petty thief was naturally no problem; even if the opponent had once been a ninja, they couldn't stir up any trouble in front of an Uchiha genius.

The thief who had been pickpocketing in the crowd during the day was brought back to the Police Force with his hands bound, and although some of the stolen money had been transferred, most of it was recovered.

Uchiha Shingen took out his own share from the pile, counted it carefully, and tucked it back into his wallet.

Only after Uchiha Shingen finished doing all this did Shisui approach him excitedly, still wearing the look of a shy youth, and mustered the courage to say:

"Captain, if we publish the investigation results tomorrow, it might reduce the village's misunderstandings about the Police Force, and there could be more trust between us if such things happen again in the future."

Uchiha Shingen saw through Shisui's intentions at a glance:

"You want to prove your own innocence?!"

"Forgive my bluntness, but this is meaningless."

Shisui shook his head and said:

"I want to prove the innocence of the Uchiha."

"We have done nothing wrong; we are merely doing our utmost to maintain the order of the village."

"At the very least..."

Shisui paused, his gaze landing on Uchiha Shingen as he spoke with a firm tone:

"We should not let those who truly care for the village feel disheartened, or force them to adopt a passive attitude of resistance."

Uh...

Did this kid misunderstand something?

Shisui's expression left Uchiha Shingen momentarily stunned.

Though he felt some confusion, he couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for this young Uchiha genius.

At the very least, he did not dislike a youth willing to put in such effort.

"Suit yourself."

"Yes!"

"Captain!"

Uchiha Shingen nodded and turned to hand the interrogation over to Tezaku and the others.

"Don't you know me by now, Captain?!"

Tezaku stared at the petty thief, smiling with extreme cruelty. He delivered a vicious kick that sent the latter vomiting a mouthful of blood, yet he had no intention of stopping there.

Shisui initially wanted to intervene, but upon considering the consequences, he abandoned the thought.

By the time the wails echoed through the Police Force headquarters, Uchiha Shingen had already reached the door.

After handing over his duties to the night patrol squad, he glanced down at the time; it was exactly five o'clock, not a minute more or less.

Nine-to-five.

Not a minute late, and not a minute of overtime for work—never wronging himself while still earning his keep—this had always been Uchiha Shingen's life creed.

"Haa~"

"Refreshing!"

Uchiha Shingen let out a long sigh, becoming increasingly satisfied with his current life.

If he could just keep being this much of a slacker, it would be even better.

Meanwhile.

Deep within Konoha.

Inside the Root base.

The surroundings were dark and damp; sunlight could not reach here, and though the lights never went out, they could not dispel that lingering scent of gloom and moisture.

Danzo sat above, his fingers rubbing against his cane as he listened quietly to the report brought back by a Root ninja.

"The operation failed."

"Lord Danzo."

"However, all traces have been cleaned up; the Uchiha won't be able to trace it back to us."

"Failed?!"

Danzo's gaze faltered slightly.

The scene of when he first saw the boy named Shisui couldn't help but resurface in his mind.

In his fifty-plus 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 rising Minato Namikaze, all possessed talents that surpassed ordinary people.

Compared to them, Shisui was no less inferior, and what made him even more special was that he was a descendant of Kagami Uchiha.

While inheriting the ninja talent of Kagami Uchiha, he had also inherited that same Will of Fire.

As long as he could completely control Shisui, it would be equivalent to burying the most lethal blade directly into the heart of the Uchiha.