Night fell as Shisui dragged his stiff legs back home.
Pushing open the gate, warm light spilled out, dispelling the gloom of his entire day.
"Brother, you're back!"
Aozora peeked from inside the house before performing an exaggerated welcoming gesture.
"Welcome back, Shadow Guard Team member and future Konoha leadership—Shisui Uchiha!"
Aozora added a formal bow after speaking.
Shisui paused slightly when Aozora bent over, his expression stiffening for a moment before he managed a smile. "Aozora, what are you joking about!"
Aozora didn't respond but led Shisui into the house. "Brother, you've worked hard all day. Rest well! I'll go prepare dinner for you!"
Shisui tried to rise and help, only to be gently pressed back down by Aozora.
"You carry heavy responsibilities. I only had a short meeting this morning, but you've been working hard all day."
With that, Aozora went alone into the kitchen.
Shisui stared at Aozora's retreating figure, his hand half-raised as if wanting to say something—but words failed him.
How could he disappoint his little brother? Could he really admit he'd spent the whole day standing guard in the cold autumn wind?
Besides, this was guarding the Hokage himself.
At the beginning, one had to start with the simplest tasks—how could he possibly jump straight to the top?
Shisui tried to comfort himself with these thoughts, and by then, Aozora had already finished cooking.
Looking at the lavish meal laid out on the table, Shisui said with concern, "It must have been so much trouble. You didn't need to cook anything so elaborate—just enough to fill our stomachs would've been fine."
"That won't do at all!"
Aozora immediately shook his head. "I can live on coarse food and simple meals, but you can't. As a member of the Shadow Guard Team, you are learning through the Hokage how to handle Konoha's important affairs. Your mental focus and energy get heavily drained. What if poor nutrition caused you to mess up something vital for the village?"
Forcing a cheerful smile, Shisui replied, "Come on! I'm just a junior member of the Shadow Guard. Not much ever happens anyway!"
Frowning in confusion, Aozora said, "That doesn't seem right. Even as just an assistant to the Police Force Director, I deal with various police matters often and attend weekly meetings. As a Shadow Guard Team member, you should be even busier."
Shisui's expression darkened slightly as he remained silent.
Seeing this, Aozora nodded understandingly. "The Hokage hasn't given you any real tasks yet? Don't worry—everyone starts out watching and learning. Although I've never served in the Shadow Guard, I did work as the Director's assistant."
Shisui simply gave a soft "Hmm" before lowering his head to continue eating.
Aozora placed a plate of fish in front of him.
"Brother, eat more fish head—it's great for your brain! Helps sharpen your thinking! You'll need sharp wits while working under the Hokage and learning how to handle village affairs. Once the Elders retire, it'll be your turn to take full responsibility..."
Smiling, Shisui thanked Aozora, took the plate, and devoured the fish head in just a few bites.
Aozora continued, "So, Brother, what issue did the Hokage deal with today?... Wait, that's classified. Don't answer me—you shouldn't have to tell me that."
Looking up, Shisui forced another smile. "Truth is, I don't know anything classified either!"
Winking exaggeratedly, Aozora whispered, "I understand! I understand completely!"
Upon seeing this, Shisui gripped his chopsticks tightly—nearly snapping them.
Taking a deep breath, he lowered his head again, hoping to finish dinner quickly.
Shisui remained silent, but Aozora had plenty to say.
"Brother, I've got good news! The chief assigned me as the instructor for the Flying Tigers. The Flying Tigers...you don't know about them, let me explain."
"I wonder what the chief sees in me, actually entrusting me with training the Flying Tigers...I'm still so young. How can I be an instructor for the Clan's elite?"
"Hokage-sama has great expectations of you; I'm sure a mission will come your way soon. As the Clan Head said, cultivating the next generation isn't just about sending them on missions, it also involves teaching them how to handle affairs."
...
A long while later, Shisui finished his meal, neatly arranged his chopsticks, and clasped his hands together saying, "I'm full!"
Then he left the dining room like he was escaping, heading straight back to his bedroom.
Only after Shisui completely disappeared from sight did Aozora finally look away, calmly collecting the dishes.
"Enjoy these few days of comfort while you can. Once you finally see through Sarutobi's true face, all our family's dishes will be your responsibility!"
...
The next morning, early dawn.
Aozora once again gave Shisui that look usually reserved for sending one's son off to Harvard as he sent him out the door.
After Shisui left, Aozora retrieved the scroll sealing Two-Tails' Yū Fire and headed toward the Police Force headquarters.
After experimenting for several days, he found [Tai Hua Yi Xing] too difficult. He decided to try a simpler and more straightforward approach to overcome the limitations of Lightning-Fire Golden Body.
Upon entering the Police Force headquarters, Aozora sensed something unusual.
It took him two scans before realizing the workaholic Kyudai wasn't even at work today.
Fugaku looked up at Aozora and said, "Have I fallen into Genjutsu today? Kyudai taking leave and Aozora volunteering overtime—at the same time? That's two miracles!"
Aozora noticed that since Danzo's defection from the village, the Clan Head had changed dramatically—not only losing his previous bitterness and deep grudges, he occasionally even cracked jokes now.
Aozora shook his head and smiled, saying, "Chief, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not here for overtime today!"
Without sitting down, Aozora simply walked up to Fugaku and waited for him to finish processing paperwork.
Soon enough, Fugaku closed the file and put away his brush, asking, "What is it?"
Aozora spoke directly: "I intend to cultivate a Secret Jutsu. Whether it succeeds or fails, I might suffer serious injuries. I want you to help me find an exceptionally skilled Medical Ninja."
Frowning, Fugaku asked, "Secret Jutsu? Your strength already stands among the best. Don't rush things recklessly."
Secret Jutsu often meant great power—but also carried grave risks. Some were even considered forbidden arts.
He was afraid that in his pursuit of power, Aozora might end up walking down a dangerous path.
Meeting Fugaku's gaze, Aozora replied, "Rest assured, Clan Head. My Secret Jutsu comes from legitimate sources."
Thinking about it, Fugaku considered Aozora could have only learned this Secret Jutsu from Kagami or Shisui—so it likely posed no issues.
He stood up then and said, "Let's go."
Aozora quickly responded, "No need to trouble you personally! I can find someone myself or just ask any Medical Ninja to come along."
Fugaku shook his head and walked out of the office.
Aozora had no choice but to follow behind.
Before long, Aozora followed Fugaku to Training Ground 35—the area originally allocated by the village for the Uchiha.
After the handover was completed, this training ground had been sealed shut. Aozora hadn't entered to take a look ever since.
Dashing through the trees, Aozora glanced at the hidden Hebi, Usagi, Wolf, and Tora among the woods, guessing the layout of this training ground.
After passing through the forest, Aozora saw a circular building about three stories high.
"This is the center of Training Ground 35. It will serve as the Flying Tigers' outpost. The Police Force's top medical team and facilities have been stationed here," Fugaku explained.
Aozora gave a slight nod. In the Ninja World, excellence always took priority. As the elite unit of the Police Force, the Flying Tigers naturally received the best resources available.
Entering the building, Fugaku led Aozora to a room on the right side of the second floor.
"Commander!"
As they walked in, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat rose to his feet.
Fugaku nodded slightly before introducing, "Gekko, this is Aozora. He'll be practicing a secret jutsu which might cause injuries. Your team might need to treat him afterwards."
"Of course, no problem at all!"
Gekko nodded, then turned to Aozora and asked, "Can you describe what kind of injuries to expect? We can prepare the necessary medical tools and medicines ahead of time."
Aozora hesitated briefly before replying, "[Great Fireball Jutsu] explode inside your body?"
Frowning upon hearing this, Gekko realized that internal injuries, especially those affecting meridians, were the most difficult to heal.
"How bad could it get?"
Aozora thought for a moment, answering uncertainly, "Maybe something like having a [Great Fireball Jutsu] explode inside one's body?"
Gekko's face darkened instantly. "Then there's no need to prepare."
"Why not?" Aozora asked, confused.
Rolling his eyes, Gekko retorted, "If he's already dead, what's the point of saving him?"
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