Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, Shisui Uchiha was determined to catch up to the defector and make him face justice. As he hurried along, he remembered that he had left Konoha’s Sensing Barrier a while ago and was now entering deeper into the complicated system of forests that Konoha was famously named after. He would have to make sure that he watched where he went and didn’t trip on a wayward branch lest he lose sight of the man he was going to tear from limb to limb. However, no matter how fast he ran, jumped, or dashed, he just couldn’t reduce the distance between them. 

But he had to reduce the distance. He had to catch the culprit. He couldn’t fail the first mission assigned to him. Watching the defector’s blue sandals hop from one tree limb to the next, only worked to infuriate him more. It was as though they were taunting him. Inviting him to a chase he had no chance of winning. But if he couldn’t win this game of cat-and-mouse by normal means, then he would have to change the rules up a bit. Making the half-tiger hand seal, Shisui disappeared and instantly appeared a couple of meters in front of him before he disappeared again and reappeared right behind the defector.

Putting a kunai to the man’s neck, Shisui said “one move and you die.” Seeing him up close, Shisui noted that the man looked unassuming with spiky brown hair, a flat nose, and short height. Curiously, he still wore the distinctive green flak jacket of the village, showing that he is, or was, a Chunin.

“Fine then, get on with it.”

“Oh, no. You don’t deserve a quick, painless death. I’ll let the Torture and Interrogation Department decide what to do with you, traitor.”

“I’m the traitor? Huh! Good one, kid.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see. There’s a darkness within this village.The place’s corrupt. Heck, the whole world is corrupt, kid. But that’s not the reason you can’t kill me. You’ve never killed before have you? No, that’s not right. You have. But you’ve never killed someone from your own village. It goes against everything you believe in it, doesn’t it?”

“I can kill a two-faced traitor like you.”

“No you can’t. I can hear it in your ragged breathing. But that’s alright. I knew the moment I stepped out of the village grounds, I would be dead before I reached the nearest town. Let me help you with that.” 

As he said that, he moved his neck forwards, driving Shisui’s kunai through the soft flesh of his neck. Shisu gasped as blood dripped down his hand that was wielding the kunai and copious amounts of blood flew out of the man’s mouth as he gurgled. Even after all the years, the sight of blood still shocked him. He only got better at controlling his reaction to it. 

By the time his partner, Naori Uchiha, neared, he was mostly done cleaning up his hand and the kunai on the dead man’s shirt.

“You were supposed to wait for the rest of us” Naori said innoyed as she and an Inuzuka and a nin dog landed near him. “And you should have left him alive for interrogation.” She bent down and cut off the head of the dead culprit. Then she used a fire jutsu to burn the rest of the body.

“I might be new to the police force, but you know I’m not a rookie ninja. He killed himself” Shisui responded while putting his kunai back into the pouch attached to his belt.

“Yeah, but you obviously have a lot to learn. You should have used a stasis jutsu or just knocked him out after you captured him, not just try to interrogate him. This isn’t the Land of Tea. You’re not in a war zone anymore, Shisui” Naori tried to lecture as they all headed back to the village through the tops of the forest with the severed head in tow.

Shisui turned around to look at her. A small smile formed on his face as he stared at the square bangs that outlined his partner’s face. Before he left for Tea, he accidentally sliced her large bangs that was said to make her the most exotic beauty in the Uchiha Clan as a going away prank. After all the years he was away, he never thought she would actually keep her hair that way. “Yeah, I know. He just got me angry. Why would anyone want to betray their village, their home?” he asked rhetorically.

“Who knows. It’s not a police officer’s duty to ask why people commit crimes, only to punish them” she replied/

The Inuzuka jumped forward to reach the two Uchiha and said “His registration said his name was Bekko, a forty year old Chunin. His friends and neighbors say he became increasingly unhappy over the years and spent most of his free time drinking at bars.”

When Shisui turned to look at him, the Inuzuka scratched the back of his head nervously and said “sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Gaku and this is my partner Sabumaru” as he pointed to the large, completely brown, nin hound beside him. 

“That’s alright, sorry for getting ahead of you. I should have let you do your job and lead us.”

“It’s fine. Besides, you must have crazy stamina to get to so fast for so long. And seeing you do multiple shunshins at once made my day. How do you even do that? I have to wait at least a couple of seconds to get my bearings straight before I even attempt another one”

“It’s not that hard if you keep practicing at it. You basically have to land on one foot and twist around while using Chakra to stabilize yourself”

“Sounds complicated. I guess you really earned that name everyone’s been calling you. Shunshin no Shisui, Shisui the Teleporter” Gaku replied.

“I knew people were calling me that back at Tea, but I didn’t know people heard it all the way here in the capital” Shisui said.

“Word travels fast and everyone wants to know how the grandson of the great Kagami Uchiha is doing” Naori taunted

“And the verdict?” Shisui asked.

“Complete and utter failure” she teased.

“Don’t be such an ass. What about the Degarashi Campaign?” Shisui said.

“Everyone knows what you did in Degarashi. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise” Gaku said.

“I’m glad some people appreciate my years of service to the village” Shisui remarked.

“An Inuzuka praising an Uchiha. What has the world come to” Naori said melodramatically.

“It’s coming to an end. That’s what” Kotetsu Hagane, one of the Chunin stationed at the Village Gates, remarked as he took Bekko’s head from Naori and put it on a stake to use as a warning to any ninja or zenryo thinking of betraying the village. Shisui was surprised to see the Village Gates so early. He must have been lost in the conversation and didn’t notice that they were so close to the village… or the war had a greater effect on him than he thought. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he prepared himself for his first mission debrief as a Junior Detective in the Uchiha Military Police Force. 

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“How have you been feeling for the past few days, Naruto?”

‘Great’ he thought to himself. ‘More useless questions, he had to carefully answer or more questions could be asked.’ Why couldn’t things be easy? And he was actually looking forward to meeting his team later on.

“I’m doing well. Thank you, Inoichi-san. How are you and your family?”

“I’m doing well. My daughter, Ino, is looking forward to team placements and my wife is participating in the community pageant. Your welcome to come watch.”

“I look forward to it, thank you.”

“Are you still having the nightmares?”

“I haven’t had them for the past couple of weeks and I’ve been sleeping well. When I finally accepted what happened like you said, it was like my mind cleared up.”

“I’m glad, but I don’t want you to accept as your fault that Iruka passed away. No one could have known an academy teacher would turn on them. Is this guilt the reason you took the kunai for Hinata?”

“I guess, so. I just don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“I understand, but you shouldn’t trust that you’ll come out every incident unscathed. I want to look after yourself first. Your precious to a lot of people.”

‘As in, we need your power, so don’t die.’ 

“I’ll be more careful in the future, Inoichi-san”

“I’m glad to hear it. I would hate to lose my favorite knucklehead ninja” the Sandaime laughed as he strolled into Inoichi office.

“Hokage-jiji!” Naruto yelled in greeting to the village leader.

“Hokage-sama. What brings you here?” Inoichi Yamanaka asked.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Oh, I just wanted to stop by and say hi to little Naruto here. We won’t be able to meet tomorrow like we do every week because some important business has come up. Also Naruto, you’ve been invited to the Academy Graduation party for the Clan Heirs. Your entire class will be there. It’s at the Yamanaka Clan Estate in an hour so you better hurry up and get ready.”

“Really? An hour? Okay, see you Hokage-jiji, Inoichi-san” Naruto said as he ran out of the room.

“I see he still has boundless energy. He’s healed nicely, at least physically anyway. How’s he doing all the same?” the Sandaime asked.

“No one watches their teacher die in front of them and then take multiple kunai to the chest for the Hyuuga heiress and stay the same. He still feels guilty and responsible, but he’s actually progressing fine. If I were a sceptical man, I would say too fine.”

“That’s some good news at least.”

“What do you mean, Hokage-sama?”

“I mean the Land of Rice has undergone a coup. Ever since they closed off their borders, we couldn’t find out any information, but Jiraiya’s messenger hawk just came back. He’s coming tomorrow to apprise me of the information.”

“Doesn’t sound good. Rice is part of the breadbasket region of the continent. We should send shinobi and soldiers there immediately to re-install a friendly regime.”

“I know, Inoichi. But until, we know the exact situation, we can’t just go barging in.”

“I heard that rookie, Shisui, led half as many men as the enemy to complete victory in Tea. Just have him clean up Rice as well.”

“Too late. He’s already joined the Police Force. Tried to convince he would be useful to the village as a regular shinobi, but insisted he become an Officer. It was like something was driving him.”

“Too bad. He’s not like most Uchiha. He would have been a great asset.”

“The Will of Fire burns brightly in him. I would have expected no less from the grandson of my old teammate Kagami.”

“What will you do about Kumo. Trying to capture the Heir of one of Konoha’s Noble Clans twice amounts to a declaration of war.”

“As you know, our relationship with Suna isn’t on the best ground and our forces are stretched thin through many of the smaller nations on our borders. Kumo has the largest number of ninja in the continent and strong relationship with Iwa. We will have to tread carefully in the next few months. I fear we are on the road to another world war, this time with few allies and many enemies.”

“I’m sure it will all work out. The village has weathered worse. The Will of Fire still lives on in many of our loyal shinobi and soldiers.”

“Indeed” the Sandaime said as he looked out onto the village. “Indeed it does.”

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As Shisui reached Police Headquarters in the wealthier west-central area of Konoha inside the Uchiha District, he was shaking with anticipation that was not much different from the same feeling he would get every time he ran to battle. He knew that any Uchiha returning from war gets a welcome reception when he steps foot in Police Headquarters. It was the reason he followed Naori in her mission so he could avoid the surprise party a little more. The tradition started when the Uchiha Clan was given the Military Police as a hereditary right in the time of the First Hokage. Since then, the Uchiha were not required to serve in the world wars and smaller conflicts Fire Nation has been embroiled, instead keeping the peace in the major cities and the capital of Konoha. However, this soon caused dissention with the other clans whose members were dying copiously in the battlefields. Since then, the Uchiha Clan has collected volunteers in their ranks to represent the Clan in all major and some minor conflicts. When the High Chief in the Land of Tea and his family were slaughtered in an insurrection, Shisui volunteered to represent the Clan in taking down the insurgents who threatened the peace in Fire Nation’s borders as well as its interests in tobacco and tea. Shisui knew that something was going to happen when he entered the dazzling blue and white tripartite tower that housed the central command of Fire Nation’s chief officers for keeping internal security, he just didn’t know what and he hesitated to enter the blue and gold gates.

“Will you go, already. It’s not like everyone’s waiting in there for you” Naori told him.

“Alright, alright” Shisui replied as he stepped foot into the darkened building. As soon he entered, fifty simultaneous fire balls went into the air from the mouths of the Police Force members. Shisui stared in wonder as the numerous fireballs coalesced into three large fire balls that spun around the three way ceiling of Headquarters. Then he saw a balding man of average height step forward. Seeing the blue and white uniform decorated with gold medals, he knew it was the Police Captain of Konoha Central. 

“Tonight, we welcome our long lost son back home to his clan, his family. He went away to represent our clan, to represent us. He killed our enemies and protected our peace. He wore the Crest our Clan and the Uchiha Pride with Honor and carried out his Duty without hesitation. He burned our enemies and drank from their blood. Through Fire and Blood, he is now a hero even in the eyes of clans in our village jealous of our power” the captain described.

Then the captain raised a glass of red wine and added “For our son Shisui and the Pride of the Uchiha Clan”. Thunderous roar and applause broke out throughout the building as the music began playing and people went to enjoy the party. 

The captain then came to Shisui and offered his hand. When Shisui shaked his hand, he said “Welcome to Police Force, soldier. Heard what you did in Degarashi. People say you drank from the blood of your enemies as you slaughtered entire armies, entire villages.”

“I had good men under me, captain. I’m excited to serve under you and I plan to make you proud” Shisui said.

“Oh, we don’t have any formalities here, Detective. Call me Muzukashi. What should I call you?”

“Shisui is fine, sir. When do I start on mission?”

“From the reports I got, it seems you already started. Shame you couldn’t get some information from that traitor.”

Shisui shifted nervously. He knew he should have thought through what his game plan was going to be. “Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again” he replied.

“Ah, don’t beat yourself up about it. Things like that happen all the time. Ever since that sadistic bastard took the Interrogation Department it’s like everyone would rather die than face getting caught. What was his name? Morino was it? But you want my advice, cadet?” he said as he sipped the rest of his wine.

“Of course, sir”

“You’re not in a war anymore. We’re in a time of peace. Just catch a few bad guys here and there, get a girl, and continue the Uchiha line. I know it sounds boring, but take it from an old geezer like me, boring is good. Boring means you don’t friends and loved ones suffer. I would tell you take tomorrow off, but you’d probably be on my ass. Enjoy the rest of the night, I’ll have case lined up for you first thing.”

“Thank you, sir. Is that all sir?”

“Yeah, go enjoy yourself. It’s a celebration” the captain said as he strolled off to refill his wine glass.

As the captain left, Shisui thought about what the captain said. He couldn’t make sense of it. What did he mean just catch a few bad guys. That’s exactly what he came to do. Then again, the captain hasn’t exactly been known as someone with all his bearings completely aligned. Some said it was caused by his fading and balding hair. Perpetually being taunted as the bad-haired captain of a clan known for luscious, spiky black hair even among its men can cause even the sanest men to lose at least some of their marbles. 

“Now what are you doing here thinking alone. The party’s for you, you know” Naori said as she came to him a little tipsy.

“I never asked for any of this. I just want to find Itachi and then get home and get some rest.” Seeing her a little squeamish, he asked “Hey, are you getting drunk?”

“What, no” Naori declared as she corrected her demeanor. “I can a hold my drinks, thank you very much. “And if you keep avoiding people, they’ll soon call you Shisui the Loner instead of that other nickname. Besides, Itachi’s getting married, soon. He doesn’t have time to worry about you” she said as she poked his chest. “But we could go somewhere.”

“Wait, what? He’s getting married?” Shisui asked disbelievingly. “He’s like the most stoic, unfeeling kid I’ve ever known. Don’t tell me it’s with that girl that always looked at him funny.”

“That’s the one. Her name’s Izumi, you know.”

“Their like complete opposites. Now I have to leave this party and find him” he said as he quickly shuffled his way through the large crowd and left the building.

“Dang. Always leaving me hanging” Naori thought aloud as she watched Shisui scramble his way out. 

“Uchiha men are always clueless. Some scholars say it’s passed down along with the Sharingan” the captain said as he stepped behind Naori.

“I-I don’t know what you mean, sir” she stumbled as she tried to come up with an explanation for her outburst.

“Oh, it’s alright. I see the way you look at him. I would tell you that love-work relationships don’t work, but we can’t choose the ones we fall for. But can you do one thing for me?”

“Of Course, sir.”

“Watch him. Lead him away from the path he’s pursuing. I’ve seen the look in his eyes before. There’s a bloodlust in them that can never be satisfied. He needs to let go.”

“Yes, sir” Naori said as she remembered what the captain was likely referring to.

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Naruto found himself running out of Inoichi office, jumping through the stairs down to the first level, and out of the large doors of Hokage Tower. He only had an hour to shower and get dressed properly for the Graduation Celebration. Making a good impression with the Clan Heads of Fire Nation’s major clans and getting closer to their Heirs is pivotal to his plans. But taking the major roads to his apartment in the Lower Districts would take too long. Good thing he knew many back roads and shortcuts in Konoha due to his pranking days at the Academy. Today he would put that knowledge to good use.

Jumping over a melon trader’s cart and ducking through a milk supply convey, Naruto went under a little-known hole that got him inside the Konoha Cemetery. Getting out of the building through its back entrance, he reached one of the smaller streets that led to a maze of winding alleys and paths that Naruto had memorized years ago. It would get him quickly to the Lower Districts, a nexus of apartments and stores that the poor of Konoha were crowded into. The noise, the sheer number of people bumping into each other, and the putrid, smoky smell didn’t bother him. This is where he grew up. This is where he learned to be independant; to look after himself. Even kids here have to grow up fast if they wish to survive for long in these parts.

As Naruto turned from one alley to the next, he sensed something. He could always tell when he was being followed. His five senses and gut instinct all combined into an ominous feeling, a sixth sense that told him he was in danger. His sixth sense was always right. 

He ducked through a small crevice between two buildings and kept taking sharp right and left turns in an effort to lose his pursuers. Finally he reached the place he was looking for. A small plastic bag hidden behind one of the numerous dumpsters in these parts of the city. Inside the bag, held a change of clothes. He quickly took of his clothing and gear and replaced them with the contents of the bag. Then he hid the clothes he was wearing inside a merchant’s cart that was traveling west, the opposite direction he was going. Hopefully that would be enough to lose the trackers. He quietly the left the scene, making sure he blended in with the crowd. 

Entering the alley that led to the side entrance of his apartment, Naruto knew something was wrong. He didn’t smell or see anything unusual, but he could tell. It was too quiet. Too ominous. And then they came out. Three ninjas wearing all black clothing with no distinctive features and clear white masks. ANBU. Naruto quickly turned around and behind him he saw three more ANBU. However, the one in the middle was wearing blood-red mask instead of a white one like the others. He must be their captain, he thought. This couldn’t be good. The Hokage wouldn’t send his ANBU after he just met with him. Besides, Konoha’s masks all have animal masks, not clear ones with nothing to distinguish them. Now Naruto was shaking in panic. The reason they had no markings was probably because their from another village sent in to capture the Leaf’s resident Jinchuuriki. ‘Okay, I’m badly outnumbered. I need to buy time to come up with a plan to escape this mess.’ Turning to face their red-masked captain, Naruto said “How’d you find me. I thought I lost you.”

“That little trick was indeed impressive, Uzumaki. You had us there for a minute, but we’ve been scouting your movements for a long time. You would never be able to lose us.”

“Did Kumo send you? When that man attacked me and Hinata, it just happened. I couldn’t control it. It wasn’t my fault what happened to him.”

“Rest assured we are not from Kumo or any hostile village. We are shinobi of Konoha like you recently became.”

“Cut the crap. Konoha’s ANBU wear animal masks, not whatever you have on.”

“We are members of a… special division. Come with us and all your questions will be answered.”

“Forgive me if I don’t exactly trust you.”

“It wasn’t a request, Uzumaki.”

Naruto still needed time to charge enough Chakra to draw upon the nine tails Chakra, but it was now or never. So he acted. 

Forming the horse seal, he yelled “Shadow Clone Jutsu” as he created twenty clones, which was as many as he possibly could, considering he didn’t have any Demonic Chakra to call upon. He directed all the clones to the three in front of him. Hopefully, they would distract the captain and his two cronies long enough for him to escape from the other three. 

As soon as the clones began to rush them, the ANBU in front of Naruto slowly drew their tantos and began engaging in battle. Naruto threw the trash basket in front of him and the boxes around him at the remaining three ANBU behind him. Then he ducked under one of the many holes that served secret entrances for cats, mice, and other pests. He ran as quietly as he could, which considering his panic and metal state―not quiet at all, and took as many sharp turns as the passageways would allow. His destination was the main road that would lead him to the Konoha Hospital. Likely, those ninja would not risk exposure in the main road and certainly not in the Hospital, where real ANBU regularly patrolled. ‘I just had to make it a little farther.’

As soon as he said that to himself, he knew he was in trouble. Things always go bad right when you see the end. And true to his word, three ANBU landed in front of him, blocking his escape into the main road. 

“Come quietly or we cannot guarantee your safety” one of them said in monotone.

‘Come quietly? Yeah right. Like I would be dumb enough to do that’ he thought to himself. He saw the one in the middle nod his head and two to his sides made a fast-paced series of hand seals and Naruto’s world began to blur together as he increasingly felt more and more sleepy. ‘If only I take a quick nap or two.’ No he couldn’t. After they captured him, they would probably try to extract his Bijuu’s Chakra. As he increasingly felt groggier and groggier, he knew he probably had less than a minute of consciousness left. He would have to make the best use of the time he had left. Throwing all the kunai he had in pouch, only a dozen or so, at the ninja in front of him, Naruto ducked to his right into another alley and ran left straight to the main road. Even though his vision was swimming and his hearing getting weaker by the second, he could smell, almost feel, the busy crowds. He just had a little more.

“Don’t let him escape” yelled one of the ANBU as all three threw volleys of kunai and shuriken at the escaping Jinchuuriki.

Even as he was getting closer to his salvation, Naruto felt a dozen sharp stings in his back. “Yes, I made it” he yelled as he crashed into the traffic in front of him. But the last thing he remembered was an agonizing throbbing in the back of his head.

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