After Shisui received the Third Hokage's offer, Danzo had originally had no chance to get his hands on him. But Shisui's decision to join the Konoha Military Police Force had given Danzo an opening.
Through an accident, he would make the boy witness the Uchiha's evil and see the rift between the village and the Uchiha. Then he could take advantage of the situation and bring the boy over to his side.
It should have been a sure thing, but now something had gone wrong...
"What's going on?!"
The ninja reporting to him said:
"Recently, there's been an oddball in the Konoha Military Police Force. His way of doing things is completely different from the Uchiha's. The way he talks and acts is more like someone from the Nara clan..."
After listening to his subordinate's report, Danzo quickly understood what had happened. His brows drew together slightly, and he scoffed.
"The Uchiha have finally produced someone with a brain. They've even learned to advance by retreating."
Behind Danzo, Aburame Ryoma, wearing a hood and sunglasses, asked coldly:
"Should we take care of him?!"
Danzo pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"No need. He's just an ordinary Uchiha clansman. No matter how clever he is, without enough strength, he won't be able to stir up much trouble among the Uchiha."
"Besides, Hiruzen has even called Jiraiya and Tsunade back recently. The next Ninja World War isn't far off, so the Uchiha will have to take a back seat."
"Stirring up trouble between us and the Uchiha at a time like this would only give others an opening. It would also give Hiruzen an excuse to come after me."
"Yes!"
"Wait!"
Danzo lowered his head and looked at the report his subordinate had handed him. His gaze paused on Uchiha Shingen's photograph before he added:
"Put that kid under surveillance. He might be another piece we can recruit."
"Yes!"
Early the next morning, Uchiha Shingen clocked in at the entrance to the Police Force right on time.
By the time he reached South District 4, they had finished questioning the thief from the day before.
According to Tezaku's report, the man really was just a ninja who had lost the ability to work. He had only done what he did to survive.
Uchiha Shingen was a little puzzled.
A thief in his right mind wouldn't be bold enough to provoke the police right in front of them. The man's actions yesterday had seemed more deliberate.
But since Tezaku had even used genjutsu and still hadn't managed to get any useful information out of him, Uchiha Shingen had no intention of digging further.
He wrote up a report with the details and his suspicions, handed it to his direct superior, Uchiha Yakumi, and left it at that.
After all, sometimes it was better not to know too much about work.
If the man could withstand Tezaku's interrogation and genjutsu from the Sharingan, then even if someone really was behind him, and even if they could uncover the truth, it wasn't something Shingen could handle. He would only be putting his life in danger.
Better to pass the buck as soon as possible.
Shisui, on the other hand, had taken quite a blow.
He had stayed up all night with Tezaku while they interrogated the man. Then, early that morning, he had written up an explanation of what had led to the chaos the day before and posted it on the Police Force notice board in South District 4. He had even included several photos of the thief and the stolen money they had recovered.
He had expected plenty of people to come and see it. This would give them a chance to clear the Police Force's name and ease the tensions between the village and the Uchiha.
But after waiting for over an hour, not a single person came to look. The only people around were members of the South District 4 Police Force.
After yesterday's incident, the Police Force's reputation in Konoha had inevitably taken a hit, even though Uchiha Shingen had stepped in to resolve things.
Passing civilians instinctively kept their distance from the Police Force, as if avoiding snakes and scorpions.
It wasn't until nearly noon that a few people cautiously approached. When Shisui asked them about it, they turned out to be the people who had come to report the crime the day before. He felt even more dejected.
The crowds passing along the street grew thicker, bustling shoulder to shoulder. Now and then, snippets of gossip drifted into Shisui's ears.
"Have you heard? Yesterday, right here, those lunatics from the Police Force attacked someone for no reason again!"
"That's not all. I heard the man they beat up was a ninja who'd once fought for Konoha. They beat him until he was covered in wounds, then stole all his money!"
"The First should never have handed such an important department as the Police Force over to those Uchiha lunatics!"
"Do you have a death wish?!"
"Am I wrong? Apart from in wartime, they're the ones who've done the most damage to the village!"
Shisui listened to the voices around him and stared at the notice he had spent all night writing. Almost no one had paid it any attention, and the few who had only made malicious assumptions instead of believing it.
For a moment, he felt a jumble of emotions. He lowered his head and listlessly kicked at the dirt.
Then he suddenly noticed a large rice ball right in front of him.
"Here."
"Lunch from the Police Force."
Uchiha Shingen shoved a large rice ball into Shisui's hand, then casually stood to one side and began eating. His mouth was full, but he still remembered to remind Shisui:
"You need to eat your fill before you'll have the strength to work—and the energy to think about anything else."
Shisui glanced at Uchiha Shingen, then down at the rice ball in his hand. He took a huge bite, venting all his frustration on his lunch.
After finishing the rice ball in his hand, Shisui turned to Uchiha Shingen. Remembering the look Shingen had given him the night before, he couldn't help asking:
"Captain Shingen, did you see this coming all along?!"
"More or less."
Uchiha Shingen nodded.
"People only believe the truth they've already decided on. No amount of clarification after the fact will make any difference."
"And right now, the truth they've settled on is that the Uchiha are the ones causing trouble."
"So we have to wait and follow the rules and procedures."
"Or let me put it in a way you'll understand."
"Before someone reports a crime and the Police Force opens an investigation, he still has the chance to change his mind. You can't take away his right to be a good person, can you?!"
"The right to be a good person?!"
Shisui froze.
Somehow, it still felt like something was off, but the way Uchiha Shingen put it made his approach seem right.
And Shisui's impulsive actions the day before might have harmed the thief's chance to show his good side.
So that was it?!
That's right!
That was it!
Was this what Senior Shingen's ninja way was about?! Not taking away anyone's right to be a good person?!
Shisui's eyes lit up. When he looked up, he saw the cover of Make-Out Hell in Uchiha Shingen's hand.
The revealing illustrations on it now seemed to hold a different meaning in his eyes.
Shisui muttered under his breath:
"Senior Shingen said this book holds the secret to becoming Hokage. Maybe I should..."
"Shisui, how can you even think that... You're shameless!"
"But..."
"Surely there's no harm in secretly buying a copy to read, right?!"
"No one will find out..."
"Captain, don't go filling the kid's head with nonsense!"
Tezaku, who had come over to cadge some lunch, had overheard most of their conversation. The corner of his mouth twitched violently.
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