"But can the Uchiha, a clan of great love and great hate, really manage flexible law enforcement and find a balance between the rule of law and human sentiment?"
Aokawa's words kept echoing in Uchiha Shisui's mind.
He thought of those clansmen whose faces would flush with emotion over the slightest trifle, and he shook his head inwardly.
But the authority of security patrols—especially this year, with the jurisdiction expanded to include civil disputes—was the compensation proposed by Advisor Danzo after the clan's many fruitless struggles with the Village.
If they just gave it up for nothing, he feared the clansmen's reaction would be immense; after all, not every Uchiha was highly gifted or aggressive.
There were also those with little talent; the broader the Police Force's jurisdiction, the more positions could be provided for these less capable individuals.
Currently, his influence within the clan wasn't high; if he rashly proposed relinquishing this part of their authority, it would be difficult to convince others.
But if they held onto it, the rift between the Uchiha and the civilians would only grow wider. It was a difficult dilemma.
He didn't know why the Village higher-ups would even consider letting the Uchiha handle such troublesome matters as civil disputes.
Seeing Uchiha Shisui hanging his head with a worried expression, Aokawa didn't speak further.
Turning his head, he saw Might Guy squatting under a tree, hugging his knees with his head down, looking completely dejected.
What's this about?
One after another... Guy, why are you acting so withdrawn?
He walked over and asked, "Guy! What's wrong?"
Might Guy looked up. "Aokawa, tell me, for a commoner like me, does all the hard work of countless days and nights even matter when it can't compare to a single glance from geniuses like you? Is there still any point in trying?"
Great!
He's been shut down by the speed at which I just learned the Shadow Clone technique.
Aokawa let out a long sigh and said, "Guy, isn't your dream to prove that hard work can surpass Genius?"
"It's true that your Aptitude for Ninjutsu is mediocre, so it's normal to be easily overtaken by others."
"But in Taijutsu..." Aokawa patted Might Guy's shoulder. "Guy, in my eyes, you are the person with the greatest talent for Taijutsu."
"Aokawa, stop trying to comfort me." Might Guy was still a bit depressed.
"What do you think of my talent?" Aokawa asked.
"Your talent is naturally excellent, Aokawa. Even Kakashi, who I consider the most gifted, is sometimes not as good as you."
"Then think back. Even someone like me, who you see as extremely talented, still frequently fails to keep up with you during training, even with the boost of Sage Mode."
"Have you ever thought that you are a Genius of hard work!"
"A Genius of hard work?"
"What's hidden beneath your high-intensity training volume is your terrifying recovery ability."
"Really?" Might Guy's expression brightened.
Aokawa nodded. "I once tried to follow your physical training for an entire morning. By the end, I was completely paralyzed."
"But you went home, took a shower, and could do it all over again in the afternoon with the same intensity. The next day, I couldn't even walk, yet you could train as usual."
"Now that you mention it..." The light in Might Guy's eyes grew stronger, and he slapped his thigh. "It really does seem that way. I didn't realize I was a Genius too."
Aokawa patted Might Guy's shoulder. "Keep it up, Guy! One day, you will become the strongest Ninja in Taijutsu!"
"You might even surpass the First Hokage-sama in Taijutsu!"
"Yosh! Even though I know you're just encouraging me, Aokawa, this is what burning youth is all about!" Might Guy leaped up with a somersault and gave a thumbs-up.
Seeing him regain his vitality, Aokawa also laughed.
"I'm not just encouraging you; this was personally certified by a certain show-off!" he added silently in his heart... Once the three of them had rested sufficiently, they set off to return to the Konoha front-line camp.
The camp gates were tightly shut. Shisui crept to the front, exchanged signals with a whistle, and submitted the mission documents before the three were allowed inside.
The camp was quiet at night; aside from the guards and patrol personnel, most others were resting.
The three then returned to their respective Barracks.
The next morning.
Inside the Command Headquarters' tent.
Orochimaru held the battle report while listening to Uchiha Shisui's briefing.
The interest in his golden slit pupils grew stronger and stronger.
He looked at Aokawa standing before him, his hoarse voice carrying a unique rhythm. "Aokawa-kun, you truly are a very special person."
He extended his long tongue and licked his lips. "This way of fighting is very interesting."
Aokawa's expression remained normal; he was already mentally prepared for such a searching gaze.
Initially, he wanted Shisui to gloss over his abilities in the report, but he couldn't help the fact that the Soul-Cutting Blades had been revealed.
Manufacturing Soul-Cutting Blades required many Materials; if he didn't report his abilities, there would be no way to explain how they completed such a high-difficulty mission.
Moreover, his ability had nothing to do with immortality. Orochimaru's interest in him was more due to the emergence of something novel; at most, he might test his DNA, which wouldn't affect him much.
Sure enough.
In the next second, Orochimaru proceeded to acknowledge their contribution. "Being able to find the real warehouse and destroy it has, to a certain extent, greatly reduced Kumogakure's combat effectiveness."
"Several months' worth of supplies will be enough to make Kumogakure feel the sting for a while."
Aokawa took the opportunity to speak up. "Lord Orochimaru, I need some Materials for Ninja Tools."
Orochimaru did not refuse and nodded readily.
In this regard, Uncle Snake was beyond reproach; as long as his goals were met, he was always generous with rewards.
He quickly scribbled a note on the table and handed it to Aokawa. "The Logistics Department will fulfill your request."
Seeing that their goal was achieved, the three didn't linger. They took the note and went to the logistics warehouse as usual to pick out what they needed... Ten days later.
In his Barracks, Aokawa felt a sense of relief as he looked at the five Soul-Cutting Objects on the table.
"Finally, I've made them."
The Broken Light Formation requires five Soul-Cutting Objects to activate, which cost him quite a lot of Materials.
As a result, he used up all the credit from this mission, and Uchiha Shisui and Might Guy didn't get anything.
Although they said they didn't mind, Aokawa still felt bad about it.
He wrote down the Kumogakure Kenjutsu he had obtained earlier and gave it to Shisui.
As for Might Guy, Aokawa was already prepared to teach him the Lightning Release Body Forging Method, so there was no need to worry about this bit of credit.
He picked up one of the Soul-Cutting Blades and focused his mind.
A streak of high-frequency vibrating blue energy extended from it. With a gentle swing, a corner of the table fell off silently.
"It really is sharp!" Aokawa was very satisfied.
He put the five Soul-Cutting Objects into his Ninja tool pouch, adjusting their positions for easy access during combat.
Just then.
A shout rang out from the square outside.
"All members of the Patrol Squad, assemble at the headquarters immediately..."
...
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