After the induction ceremony, the newly joined Police force members went home excitedly with the ninjutsu scrolls handed out by the vice-captain.

  When Makoto returned to his office, he found Fugaku sitting in his chair with a gloomy expression.

  "Makoto…"

  "Fugaku, I’ll earn more money on this mission." Makoto cut straight to the point, guessing that Fugaku was going to ask about the budget. The 6,000 ryo transportation subsidy he promised earlier wasn’t a small figure. Combined with saries, the funds they acquired from the Yamanaka cn wouldn’t st long.

  "Which cn is it this time? The Utatane cn? Or the Mitokado cn?" Fugaku asked.

  "Ninja cns? How much money do they really have?" Makoto smiled. "Let’s think bigger. Fugaku, who are the wealthiest people in the ninja world?"

  Fugaku’s pupils shrank. He hadn’t expected Makoto to be this bold. This was a complete challenge to the existing order of the ninja world. Compared to what Makoto pnned, even the Uchiha’s attempted rebellion felt like child’s py.

  Looking at Makoto’s calm expression, Fugaku wanted to stop him. But recalling the increasingly bright future his Mangekyō Sharingan had shown since Makoto took charge—and the glory of the Uchiha that now surpassed even their ancestors—Fugaku suppressed his doubts and simply said, "Be careful."

  "I will. So, Fugaku, I’m counting on you to look after the Police force while I’m away," Makoto replied.

  "Understood." Fugaku nodded, stood, and turned to leave.

  "Oh, and Fugaku—have someone deliver 10 million ryo to me ter. In cash. I’ll need it for the mission."

  "Ten million? That much? What kind of mission are you taking on?" Fugaku was stunned.

  "It has nothing to do with the mission itself. What matters is making the participants feel the goodwill of the Uchiha."

  "Alright, I’ll have it sent to you shortly." Fugaku nodded and left.

  After a short while, someone delivered the 10 million ryo. Makoto sealed the money into a scroll, then packed up and got ready to head home.

  Outside the Police department building, Makoto ran into someone unexpected—Shisui, standing in front of the entrance.

  "Want to talk?" Makoto raised an eyebrow and invited the cn genius who had once been his equal.

  Shisui nodded and followed.

  Under the setting sun, the two walked together toward the cn compound in silence.

  After-school children ran past them in waves, ughing and pying. The sight stirred something in Shisui, prompting him to finally break the silence.

  "Makoto, what’s your goal?" Shisui asked hesitantly.

  "Didn’t I already tell you?" Makoto said, stopping to buy two skewers of glutinous rice balls. He handed one to Shisui and started eating.

  "You just said that to mess with me, didn’t you? Everything you’re doing is to bring the cn and the vilge closer, to make sure they coexist peacefully."

  "Really? Or maybe what I said at the beginning was the truth?" Makoto said with a teasing tone.

  "Makoto, now’s not the time for jokes. Don’t lie to me." Shisui's voice grew firm. "You were right back then. I was too arrogant. The power of my Mangekyō Sharingan is too dangerous. If I lose control, both the cn and the vilge could be doomed."

  Makoto looked at Shisui and couldn’t help but sigh internally. His cousin really was too naive.

  "By the way, why were you at the Police HQ today? You've always been on the roster, but you rarely show up ever since joining the Anbu."

  "The Third Hokage asked me to return and keep an eye on unstable elements in the cn," Shisui said.

  Makoto ughed. "So you finally remembered your spy assignment? And by unstable element, do you mean me?"

  "No," Shisui shook his head. "Lord Third believes you carry the Will of Fire."

  Makoto smiled faintly. "Really? Either way, I still need to thank you. If you hadn’t stepped up today, that situation would’ve been tough to wrap up."

  "It’s the least I could do. You're doing it all for the harmony between the cn and the vilge."

  "Well, since you’re back, work hard with the Police force," Makoto said, giving Shisui a pat on the shoulder.

  They parted at a crossroads. After returning home, Makoto entered his study and took out a scroll.

  It contained the addresses of Fire Nation nobles and wealthy merchants with ties to the Shimura cn—intel recently gathered by the interrogation department. Makoto marked a few locations they would pass during their mission, then put the scroll away and began checking his gear.

  …

  The next morning, Makoto met up with Inabi and Zaito, who were already waiting at the cn’s gate. The three headed toward the vilge entrance.

  By the time they arrived, the other mission members had already gathered.

  Though the group wasn’t rge, it was clearly divided into smaller cliques.

  The two civilian ninjas without cn backgrounds stuck together. The ninjas from the Utatane and Mitokado cns grouped up. Meanwhile, the Gekko Hayate–Uzuki Yugao duo mingled with a ninja from the Inuzuka cn, casually chatting while stroking a big, jet-bck dog.

  The two Hyuga members stood aloof and dignified on their own.

  As for the team leader, Kakashi was crouched under the eaves of a small shop by the gate, flipping through his favorite book.