Chapter 86: Infamous Reputation (Please Vote)

"Here it comes!"

In the great forest west of Konoha, a four‑person squad, eyes alert, trekked through the dense woods.

All around was silent; after passing countless traps that blocked countless attacks, they finally neared their objective, utterly exhausted in body and mind.

But then, several specialized shuriken swooped in from numerous sharp angles.

The four kept watch on each other and reacted the instant the shuriken were launched.

They swung kunai and tachi, striking down the shuriken one by one.

The shuriken seemed a signal; the ground beneath the four split open, dozens of sharp wooden spikes burst up, forcing them apart, then several thick tree stumps swung in on ropes.

In almost an instant, the four were completely separated.

Immediately, a roar of breaking air rose from all directions; silhouettes arrived from unknown points, and counting them revealed over ten squads, who hurled massive shuriken and kunai, then raised tachi to encircle the four.

"Damn it! Why did so many appear all of a sudden?"

The four were shocked; they had been fully divided and could no longer fight together.

"Damn it, we were so close!"

They dodged shuriken while sparring in taijutsu with approaching foes; even a friendly fire occurred, a comrade hit by their own shuriken, which exploded with a bang and vanished into smoke.

But soon, more reinforcements rushed in from afar.

The four charged forward, already at the end of their strength; without team coordination they were quickly taken down one by one, halted before the finish line.

When the last person was also pinned to the ground, a voice rang out from above.

"That's enough, I declare Squad Seven defeated!"

Shisui dropped from the tree, laughing as he announced the trial's failure.

He was startled; he had assumed that banning the Copy Wheel Eye and ninjutsu, then laying numerous traps plus other clan members' Shadow Clone Jutsu interference would easily block them, yet they nearly reached the finish.

"Ahahaha~"

"What a pity, so close~"

"Huh? Didn't someone just say it could be passed easily? Who was it?"

Unlike the four's regret, everyone around laughed heartily; to prevent their success, almost everyone gave their all at the last moment, only lacking the bodies themselves to draw swords, yet they managed to block the four at the finish line.

"Damn! Haven't we already beaten you many times? How can you regroup and arrive so fast?"

For fairness, the real bodies of those blocking stayed around the forest edge; after their Shadow Clone Jutsu were destroyed, they had to chase again from outside.

"Hahaha, that's thanks to me; using clone technique together with transformation, you thought you eliminated every squad, but aside from the first time, the others were three of our teams impersonating us."

Hui crossed his arms, a haughty expression on his face, and stepped forward.

His action prompted the four to curse, "Damn, you despicable guys! I'll see how the four of you get through!"

Hui snorted coldly, disdainful, yet his eyes involuntarily flicked toward Shisui, his mind in turmoil.

Shisui could only reply with a smile, then averted his gaze.

"The time isn't right yet, be patient."

This special training, aside from boosting squad cooperation and taijutsu, had no particular effect; if it had a trait, it was a single word.

Hard! Thus, Day Five.

"Uncle Yi, here's the latest intel; keep an eye on it. If anything, have Jin Huo come to the Police Department to find me. It's my turn on duty today, I have to leave, or that woman will call my name again."

At Shisui's house, Hui delivered the intel and turned away, muttering, "Who came up with this training method? These people are too ruthless, it hurts me to death."

Seeing Hui limping, Sima Yi chuckled, then opened the intel and read it carefully.

"The villagers are almost ready, the ordinary clan members here are set up; we can proceed to the next step," Sima Yi thought for a moment, then called Jin Huo and ordered, "Take them to recruit workers in the clan, finalize the plan today, go shopping for supplies first thing tomorrow morning, start construction in the afternoon; the specifics don't matter, the point is to keep them busy, so they have food."

"Um."

Jin Huo scratched his head, not fully understanding, but nodded and recorded everything.

"Go ahead, I'll find someone to help you."

"Yes!"

"Don't run around. If you're disobedient again, I'll have the Police Department lock you up."

Just as he entered the inner street, Hui heard a harsh shout; turning, he saw a woman tugging a child's ear, scolding him.

"Haven't been here for days, and the Police Department is already this terrifying?"

Besides his duty day, he trains all day and at night rushes to the Police Department to interrogate prisoners, leaving no time to heed the villagers' reactions.

Hui, with a strange expression, looked around; the street was clean, odorless, and stalls on both sides were neatly arranged without overlap.

Occasionally two people bumped into each other, bowed, apologized, then quickly separated.

Even the stall owners had replaced the scales in the vendor shops with new ones.

Everything was harmonious and beautiful, albeit slightly oppressive.

"Sir, sir, when will the Uchiha people return?"

Hui walked the street; the distant bao shop owner whispered his sales, and upon seeing him, hurriedly reached out cautiously.

"Uchiha?"

Hui glanced around, shook his head, and said, "Isn't that fine? Look, even the children are well‑behaved now."

"Oh dear, sir, we can't be without the Uchiha. No one is as good as the Uchiha; we all hope the Uchiha return to the Police Department!"

"Yes, yes!"

The nearby stall owners, hearing the commotion and seeing the clan emblem on Hui, gathered around.

Hui was amazed; he hadn't expected that within just a few days, the Uchiha had become the people's hope.

"What are you doing? During the morning market you may not gather on the street, block traffic, disturb others; disperse immediately!"

Hui was about to speak when a Police Department officer approached from afar, his expression impatient as he pointed at the crowd and shouted.

The crowd's faces changed, they scattered quickly, and Hui was pulled aside by the bao shop owner.

He said with a pained expression, "Sir, look, these people have gone too far; you should hurry back, Muye cannot be without you!"

Hui raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "It seems you haven't been captured before, so why are you also joining in rejecting them?"

He released everyone; he remembers who went in and who didn't.

Except for the truly heinous criminals, other minor offenses are lifted high and gently set down, so that benevolence can be widely bestowed.

Moreover, in the Uchiha teachings, this rule exists; they are merely following the regulations.

The bun shop owner couldn't help but scoff, "I'm an upright person, of course I didn't go in, but my son did; he just came back yesterday, and fortunately it was only a fine."

"But my son is also an honest man; he just accidentally shouted at the Police Department staff, he was a bit agitated at the time, truly by accident."

"Accidentally insulted someone?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" the bun shop owner nodded vigorously, his earnest expression left Hui rather speechless.

"Almost done, just these two days left."

Leaving a glimmer of hope, Hui decisively left; as for the reason behind the other party's son's insult of the Police Department, he had no interest in learning, since everyone had already emerged.

(End of Chapter)