Uchiha Itachi's shout instantly silenced the commotion at the village gates.
The Konoha villagers and gate guards watching all stared at Uchiha Itachi as though he were an idiot.
What a tragedy!
How had the Uchiha Clan's young prodigy, Clan Head Fugaku's eldest son, developed such poor eyesight at such a tender age?
The woman opposite him had such an enormous pair of lethal weapons on her chest that her clothes were nearly bursting, and he couldn't tell whether she was male or female?
Feeling the strange looks coming from every direction, even someone as precocious and composed as Uchiha Itachi flushed bright red.
To complete the undercover assignment the Third Hokage had given him, he had thrown away a lifetime's worth of dignity today!
Yet Uchiha Cong, standing beside him, nodded in satisfaction.
Look at that!
Now that was the bearing of a great commander!
One shout had silenced the entire crowd and shattered the other side's momentum!
The captain had a sharp eye. This kid was destined for great things!
Uchiha Cong made up his mind to give Uchiha Itachi special attention from now on and train him into the Konoha Military Police Force's second-biggest show-off, right behind himself!
"Are you fucking blind?!"
After that brief, deathly silence, the Kumogakure delegation erupted!
The Kumogakure ninja trembled with rage, veins throbbing on their foreheads.
This was going too far!
Who didn't know Lady Samui was a famous beauty in Kumogakure?
Running up and demanding that she state her sex was blatantly insulting their entire delegation to their faces!
Samui's younger brother Atsui lost his composure on the spot, darted out of the group, and pointed straight at Uchiha Itachi's nose as he hurled abuse at him.
"Hey, hey, hey! Who do you think you're pointing at?"
Uchiha Cong's expression darkened, and he pulled Uchiha Itachi behind him.
Whatever else he might be, Uchiha Itachi was now a member of his Third Squad.
Bullying one of his men right in front of him, the squad captain-wasn't that a slap in his face?
"What the fuck's it to you if I curse him out? Get lost!"
Atsui was furious and made no attempt to be civil.
His own sister had been publicly harassed. If he swallowed this insult, how would he ever hold his head up in Kumogakure again?
Behind him, Samui recovered as well. She watched coldly without speaking up to stop him.
Let them make a scene!
This was the perfect excuse to escalate things and see whether Konoha really dared to clash head-on with Kumogakure!
Lord Raikage had sent her as chief envoy precisely because he wanted the resolve to cow Konoha!
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"
Uchiha Cong's temper flared, and he pointed at Atsui as he cursed:
"Open your damn eyes and look! This is Konoha! Captain Xuanye's the only one in this whole village who gets to throw his weight around like that. Who the hell are you?"
In the past, the Uchiha Clan had put on airs and acted like aloof experts in the village, only to keep suffering in silence.
Now that he followed Xuanye and had his captain backing him, Uchiha Cong had long since learned to deliver the foulest insults in the most arrogant tone!
Besides, he had only been promoted to Third Squad captain at noon today. His seat wasn't even warm yet, and someone already dared to act like the boss in front of him?
How could he stand for that?
Seeing Atsui step forward with a dark expression, Uchiha Cong struck first!
Thud!
With a dull impact, Atsui was kicked off his feet by Uchiha Cong before he could even react, then pinned facedown in the mud!
Everyone gasped!
The villagers watching nearby nearly popped their eyes out, while the members of the Kumogakure delegation were collectively dumbstruck.
What was going on?!
Hadn't Lord Raikage said before they left that Konoha's Third Hokage was a pushover, and that Konoha would obediently bow and back down as long as they acted tough enough?
How had one of their own ended up ground into the dirt before they had even stepped through Konoha's gates?!
Samui's expression changed sharply. She had never expected these white-cloaked Konoha ninja to attack at the slightest disagreement!
Before she could order them to stop, the hotheaded Kumogakure ninja behind her charged forward with bloodshot eyes. "Bastards! You dare attack the Kumogakure Envoy Mission? You're asking to die!"
The two sides collided instantly!
Samui did not immediately join the fight. Instead, she fixed her eyes on Uchiha Genya, who stood at the very front of the group.
She could tell at a glance that this young man with his arms folded was their leader!
Was Konoha planning to tear up the peace talks altogether? Or had the Third Hokage secretly ordered this?
Samui's mind raced, and for the first time, she felt uncertain.
The spies previously embedded in Konoha had suddenly lost contact, and now she had run into this vicious bunch right at the village gates. Had their entire earlier plan been exposed?
While Samui studied Xuanye, he was looking her up and down too.
He had to admit that the woman had an incredible figure. With her short blond hair and tight-fitting clothes, she was an absolute knockout.
But being beautiful did not give her the right to throw her weight around in front of him!
Seeing his men already fighting the Kumogakure ninja, he naturally had to take on the opposing leader as their captain!
Whoosh!
Xuanye's figure flickered, and he appeared directly in front of Samui!
Samui's pupils contracted sharply. She was about to draw her sword to defend herself when a large hand clamped around her wrist like an iron vise!
The next second, her world spun!
Thud!
Samui's body slammed heavily into the ground. Xuanye twisted both her arms behind her back with one hand, then unceremoniously sat astride her waist!
Less than two minutes had passed between the outbreak of the clash and its end.
The fierce Uchiha members of the Konoha Military Police Force had taken down every member of the Kumogakure Envoy Mission in short order!
An exceptionally spectacular scene now filled the main road outside the village gates:
The dozen or so elite ninja of the Kumogakure Envoy Mission lay neatly in a row, facedown in the dirt.
Their proud, coolly beautiful Envoy Samui was pinned beneath Police Force Captain Xuanye, unable to move so much as an inch!
Standing nearby, Uchiha Itachi stared in complete disbelief, his head buzzing.
Were these people... really the Uchiha clansmen he knew?
Why were they completely different when working under Xuanye from their usual lifeless selves back at the clan compound?!
"Bastard! Let me go! Aren't you afraid of triggering an all-out war between our villages and facing Kumogakure's wrath?!"
Lying on the ground, Samui shouted as she struggled desperately, humiliated and furious, her chest heaving.
"Kumogakure's wrath? Who do you think you are, trying to scare me with that?"
Xuanye scoffed. Holding a freshly lit cigarette in his free left hand, he moved it above Samui's blond hair and casually flicked off the ash.
Utter, blatant humiliation!
Samui trembled with rage, but it was as though all her strength had been drained away. She could not break free of Xuanye's grip at all.
"I don't care who you are, or who's backing you."
Xuanye lowered his head and said evenly:
"Once you enter Konoha's territory, you follow the rules of our Konoha Military Police Force. Keeping order in the village is my job."
At that, a cold glint flashed in Xuanye's eyes. Holding the burning cigarette butt, he turned his hand and pressed it straight into the clothing on Samui's back!
Sss!
The smell of scorched fabric spread, and the searing pain drew an involuntary, muffled groan from Samui.
Xuanye casually tossed the cigarette butt away, stood up, and planted his right foot directly on Samui's head!
Why bother showing courtesy to enemies from another village?
If he didn't thoroughly beat these outrageously arrogant bastards into submission, who could he turn to if they caused trouble all over the village and held up his daily check-in tasks for the system's settlement?
If they wanted to haggle with the Konoha High Command at the negotiating table, that was none of Xuanye's business.
But if anyone dared disrupt order on Konoha's streets, he would dare to chop off their claws!
"Do you understand? Here, I am the rules!"
Xuanye looked down at the woman beneath his foot, his voice utterly cold:
"Since this is your first offense, I'm only leaving you a mark today to help you remember."
"Keep these rabid dogs of yours in line. If I catch you attacking Police Force members unprovoked again like you just did, none of you will be returning to the Land of Lightning alive!"
Just as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded from the far end of the street.
Dispatched by the Third Hokage to welcome the delegation, Shikaku Nara arrived at the scene with a reception team in tow.
At the sight of the Kumogakure Envoy Mission sprawled all over the ground outside the village gates, Shikaku Nara stopped short and nearly fell apart on the spot.
Xuanye did not even glance at him. He leisurely withdrew his foot and waved broadly to the men behind him:
"Move out!"
"Yes, Captain!"
More than a hundred Police Force members roared in unison, their voices shaking the sky, their eyes filled with fervent admiration as they looked at Xuanye!
Following a captain like this was just so fucking empowering!
Before you continue