Shisui was full of questions, but seeing that Uchiha Shingen had no intention of saying anything more, he could only patiently wait.
Soon enough.
Shisui learned exactly what Uchiha Shingen had been waiting for.
Not long after the crowd dispersed.
Several victims of the theft awkwardly approached the Police Force’s temporary field station to report the crime.
As they spoke, they made sure to cast apologetic glances at the surrounding Police Force members.
And the thief they described perfectly matched the petty crook Shisui had caught earlier.
“Understood.”
“We will catch him as soon as possible.”
Shingen registered the clues they provided into the ledger, then dismissed them.
He waved the record book at Shisui:
“It’s time for us to make our move, rookie.”
Operating strictly on a philosophy of slacking off whenever possible, Shingen naturally had no desire to handle this kind of chore himself.
Being lazy and enjoying a cozy life was what he truly yearned for.
In stark contrast, Shisui was overflowing with motivation.
Accepting the mission, he vanished with a Body Flicker, chasing after the direction the thief had disappeared in.
It was clear he was absolutely determined to set things right.
His gaze had become uncharacteristically sharp.
The more he recalled the commotion from earlier, the more a lingering fear settled in his heart.
Now that the Third Hokage was in power, there was a genuine intention to ease the tension between the village and the clan.
The leader of the clan’s hawk faction, Uchiha Setsuna, was detained by Konoha, and the current clan head holding power was Uchiha Fugaku, a leader who disliked conflict.
This was the absolute best opportunity to completely dissolve the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha.
If the incident from today had been blown out of proportion at a time like this, the current favorable situation would have collapsed entirely.
And judging by the practiced, skillful way Shingen, Tezuka, and the others had handled it, this was absolutely not the first time something like this had happened!
So…
Is Captain Shingen so disappointed in the village because he has seen too many things like this?!
Perhaps this is also the biggest hurdle facing the majority of Uchiha clan members who genuinely want to integrate into the village.
If I can successfully catch this man and clear the Uchiha’s name, it should prove that the village and the Uchiha are capable of mutual understanding.
It might also change Captain Shingen’s mind.
He is different from the other clan members; he’s much better suited to represent the Uchiha and integrate into Konoha.
Thinking of this, Shisui made up his mind.
His footsteps paused for a fraction of a second before he stomped heavily on the ground, his entire body abruptly shooting forward.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
Shisui’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance, quickly vanishing from Shingen’s line of sight.
Tezuka looked at Shisui’s retreating back and shook his head:
“Looks like the kid still isn’t convinced.”
Shingen wasn’t surprised by this at all.
He just kept reading his copy of Make-Out Hell.
His fingertip turned a page.
Catching sight of a particularly exquisite illustration, his breath caught slightly before he finally replied:
“You guys were way more stubborn than Shisui back in the day, especially you!”
“I had to clean up your messes three or four times before you grew a brain.
It’s a good thing this kid can at least stay somewhat calm.”
“Hey, now…”
Tezuka rubbed the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, he dropped the subject, turned around, and headed back to his designated block to continue patrolling.
…
By the time Shisui returned, it was almost time to clock out.
Walking under the sunlight, his steps were noticeably lighter.
With his strength, catching a petty thief was naturally a walk in the park.
Even if the target used to be a shinobi, they couldn’t stir up any trouble in front of an Uchiha genius.
The crook who had been stealing from the crowd during the day was brought back to the precinct with his hands securely bound.
Although some of the stolen money had been transferred away, the vast majority had been recovered.
Shingen casually plucked out the portion he had “lost,” counted it meticulously, and stuffed it back into his wallet.
Shisui waited for Shingen to finish before excitedly approaching him.
Still bearing the look of a shy youth, he gathered his courage and said:
“Captain, if we announce the results of the investigation tomorrow, perhaps it could reduce the village’s misunderstandings about the Police Force.
Then, if something like this happens again, there will be a bit more trust between us.”
Shingen saw right through Shisui’s thoughts with a single glance:
“You want to prove your innocence?!
Forgive me for being blunt, but that is completely meaningless.”
Shisui shook his head and replied:
“I want to prove the Uchiha’s innocence.”
“We didn’t do anything wrong.
We were just doing our utmost to maintain the village’s order.”
“At the very least…”
Shisui paused, his gaze landing on Shingen, his tone unyielding:
“…we shouldn’t let those who truly care about the village feel their efforts are unappreciated, to the point where they are forced to resist with a passive attitude.”
Uh…
Did this kid misunderstand something?
Shisui’s intense gaze made Shingen freeze for a moment.
Although slightly confused, he couldn’t help but feel a bit more appreciation for this Uchiha boy genius.
At the very least, he didn’t dislike a kid who was willing to work hard.
“Suit yourself.”
“Yes!”
“Captain!”
Shingen nodded, turning around to hand the interrogation duties over to Tezuka and the others.
“Don’t you know me by now, Captain?!”
Tezuka stared down at the petty thief with an incredibly cruel smile.
He viciously kicked the man, sending him flying and causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood.
And he had absolutely no intention of stopping there.
Shisui initially wanted to step in to stop him, but thinking of the potential consequences of intervening again, he killed the thought.
By the time the wails of agony began echoing from within the precinct, Shingen had already reached the front door.
After handing over his duties to the night patrol squad, he looked down at the time.
Not a minute more, not a minute less—it was exactly 5:00 PM.
Nine to five.
Never a minute late, but never working a single minute of overtime either.
Never wronging himself, yet making sure he earned his paycheck.
This had always been Uchiha Shingen’s lifelong creed.
“Phew~”
“Feels great!”
Shingen let out a long breath, feeling increasingly satisfied with his current life.
If he could just keep slacking off like this forever, that would be even better.
…
Meanwhile.
Deep underground in Konoha.
Inside the Root base.
The surroundings were dark and damp.
Sunlight could not reach this place.
Even though the lamps never went out, they couldn’t dispel the distinct, musty scent of gloom and moisture.
Danzo sat on an elevated seat, his fingers rubbing the head of his cane as he quietly listened to the report brought back by a Root shinobi.
“The operation failed, Lord Danzo.”
“However, we have thoroughly cleaned up our tracks.
The Uchiha won’t be able to trace it back to us.”
“Failed?!”
Danzo’s gaze paused slightly.
Before his eyes, the scene of his first meeting with that boy named Shisui couldn’t help but resurface.
In his more than fifty years of life, Danzo had seen countless geniuses.
From his sensei, Senju Tobirama, to the Third Hokage’s disciple Orochimaru, to the White Fang of Konoha, and all the way to Namikaze Minato who had risen to fame in recent years—all possessed talents that far surpassed ordinary people.
Shisui was not in the least bit inferior when compared to those figures.
And what made him even more special was that Shisui was the descendant of Uchiha Kagami.
Not only had he inherited Kagami’s talents as a shinobi, but he had also inherited Kagami’s Will of Fire.
As long as he could completely control Shisui, it would be the equivalent of burying the deadliest blade right inside the heart of the Uchiha clan.