A few minutes later, Danzo’s group completely retreated, and the chakra lingering in the surrounding air gradually dissipated.
Shisui let out a long breath, only then realizing in shock that he was completely drenched in cold sweat:
“We’re saved!”
“I really thought I was going to die!”
Recalling everything that had just happened, Shisui’s heart was filled with nothing but lingering, profound terror.
He knew the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha higher-ups—especially Danzo—was tense, but he never imagined it had degraded to this terrifying extreme.
A single disagreement, and a brutal battle to the death could erupt instantly.
Uchiha Shingen felt the exact same way, and his realization was far deeper than Shisui’s.
He originally thought that as long as he kept a low profile at the Police Force, lived a repetitive, predictable life, and steadily clocked in every day to slowly build up his strength, he could perfectly avoid any potential danger.
But looking at it now, he wasn’t just wrong; he was catastrophically wrong.
This world was fundamentally different from his past life.
Endless wars raged, and superhumans like shinobi walked the earth.
In the end, the only thing that truly dictated anything was the raw power held in one’s own hands!
Shingen couldn’t help but turn his head and look at Jiraiya beside him.
If I possessed that kind of absolute power, those Root bastards wouldn’t have even dared to show their faces tonight.
If I truly want to sit back, relax, and slack off at the Police Force without a single worry in the world, I must possess the overwhelming strength to instantly crush any potential crisis.
After all, living life exactly as you please is a privilege reserved exclusively for the strong!
I can’t waste my free time anymore.
Special training and intense cultivation must be put on the schedule immediately.
Otherwise, with my current strength, if I encounter a situation like this again, there might not be another Jiraiya conveniently around to step in.
“Scared?!”
Jiraiya led the two of them back toward the Uchiha clan compound.
His gaze fell upon Shingen.
After a moment of thought, he said:
“Speaking of which…”
“I bear a portion of the responsibility for this incident.
If I had considered this political angle beforehand, you two might not have encountered such a lethal crisis tonight.”
“Of course you have to take responsibility!”
Having finally figured out the whole picture, Shingen shot him a thoroughly annoyed glare.
Only now did he fully realize why Jiraiya had looked so familiar to him in the first place.
After all, he was one of the legendary Sannin whose name shook the entire shinobi world, and he was the absolute prime candidate most likely to become the Fourth Hokage in this era.
Even if Shingen hadn’t met him personally, he must have seen his photo in some obscure corner of a textbook or newspaper.
He just hadn’t paid any attention to it at the time.
Moreover, as the Third Hokage’s direct disciple, Jiraiya privately making contact with a rising Uchiha super-rookie was inherently an incredibly sensitive political move.
It was no wonder Danzo had reacted so violently and excessively.
Shingen held up two fingers and waved them emphatically:
“I want a twenty percent increase on my cut of the royalties!”
He immediately refused flat-out:
“That’s daylight robbery!”
“No way!”
“Heh.”
Shingen looked at him sideways with intense disdain:
“I originally thought the legendary Sannin Jiraiya would possess a grand spirit matching his monumental reputation.
Who would have thought that a grand author whose name shakes the shinobi world is nothing more than a vulgar miser blinded by petty coin.”
The corner of Jiraiya’s mouth twitched violently.
He could tolerate insults to his Sannin title.
After all, the way they obtained that title wasn’t exactly glorious, and in some ways, it could even be considered a humiliation.
But his reputation as a grand author?!
He absolutely refused to tolerate even a sliver of insult!
Seeing Shingen maintaining that utterly contemptuous expression, Jiraiya gritted his teeth:
“Ten percent at most!”
“Deal!”
Shingen agreed instantly, almost as if he was terrified Jiraiya would go back on his word.
Amidst their bickering, the originally grim, deadly atmosphere gradually thawed.
Only then did Jiraiya refocus his attention entirely on Uchiha Shingen and ask seriously:
“Regarding the situation between Konoha and the Uchiha…”
Before he could finish, Shingen immediately cut him off:
“That is a massive political issue reserved exclusively for big shots like you to worry about.
I am merely a tiny, insignificant cog in the Police Force.
The only thing I can do is diligently stand guard during my designated shifts.”
The air instantly went completely dead silent.
Jiraiya recalled the scenes of Shingen aggressively skipping work just to intensely debate erotica plots with him, and found it physically impossible to reconcile the man standing before him with the righteous words he had just spoken.
Shisui also looked at Shingen, opening his mouth several times but finding no words.
So…
to become a man like Captain Shingen, is mastering a completely shameless thick skin a mandatory prerequisite?
For a brief moment, Shisui genuinely considered giving up on his admiration.
Putting it like this, Jiraiya completely understood Shingen’s firm stance on the matter.
However, in many cases, these political whirlpools weren’t something you could avoid just because you wanted to.
Jiraiya said pointedly:
“Once the events of tonight spread, you will no longer be considered a ‘tiny, insignificant’ figure.”
“A thirteen-year-old Jonin.”
“Even that freak Orochimaru wasn’t as strong as you are when he was your age.”
Shingen didn’t reply.
He just lowered his head and kept walking, his heart far from calm.
Soon enough. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
The grand gates of the Uchiha compound appeared before them.
The highest-ranking officers of the Police Force, led directly by Clan Head Fugaku, had already gathered there en masse.
Seeing Jiraiya personally escorting Shingen and Shisui back, Uchiha Fugaku was slightly surprised, but he maintained protocol and nodded politely at Jiraiya:
“Thank you.”
“Ma~”
“This brat is considered a friend of mine, after all.”
Jiraiya patted Shingen’s shoulder.
Seeing that the situation was fully under control, he immediately turned and walked away, vanishing back into the deep darkness within seconds.
Only then did Uchiha Fugaku focus his heavy gaze entirely upon Uchiha Shingen and Shisui.
Tonight, when the clan discovered that both Shingen and Shisui were missing, voices calling for an immediate, violent riot had instantly erupted.
After all, one of them was the most terrifyingly talented genius the Uchiha had seen in decades, and the other was the highly anticipated rising star of the Police Force.
If anything catastrophic happened to them, it would be an incalculable, devastating loss for the entire Uchiha clan.
Fortunately, shortly after the incident broke out, Fugaku and the elders received direct word from the Hokage’s Anbu that Jiraiya had already intervened.
Only with this crucial piece of information did he barely manage to forcefully suppress the boiling rage within the Police Force.
Now, seeing Uchiha Shingen and Shisui standing before him completely unharmed, Uchiha Fugaku instantly let out a massive sigh of relief.
“Come with me.”
“I have a few questions to ask you both.”
Fugaku spoke with a calm, commanding tone.
He immediately dismissed the gathered Police Force members and led Shingen and Shisui directly toward the towering Police Force Headquarters.
…
Click—!
Inside the Police Force Commander’s office, the warm, dim lights flickered on, illuminating the entire room.
After gaining a brief, comprehensive understanding of the night’s events, Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Shingen, his eyes filled with absolute astonishment:
“You’ve already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?!”
“If I remember correctly, you are only thirteen years old this year…”
As the Clan Head, Fugaku naturally understood the sheer, monumental weight behind that statement.
His satisfaction with Uchiha Shingen skyrocketed to unprecedented heights.
As the Commander of the Police Force, it was impossible for him not to notice Uchiha Shingen.
After all, the maturity and political finesse Shingen displayed when handling crises were far beyond what a teenager should possess.
However, the Uchiha clan operated very differently from other shinobi clans.
The right to speak wasn’t determined by intellect or bloodline; it was determined exclusively by raw power.
The previous Uchiha Shingen had brains and a maturity that transcended his age, but his absolute lack of raw combat strength made it impossible for him to command the true respect of the masses, let alone become a core pillar of the Police Force.
But now, with Uchiha Shingen demonstrating the terrifying immediate combat capability of an elite Jonin, that final, massive obstacle had been effortlessly shattered.
A Police Force rookie with a crystal-clear mind, masterful crisis management skills, Jonin-level combat power, and a visibly boundless future of continued growth…
the profound implications of his existence needed no further explanation.
This man was destined to be the true, unbreakable backbone of the Uchiha in the future!
…Of course, the absolute prerequisite was unwavering loyalty!