"Hehe, very good. Then go home and wait for the official transfer order in the next couple of days."
Receiving Tatsuya's confirmation, the Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction.
In Konoha, although Anbu members had no right to choose or refuse missions, if one strongly objected, even the Hokage couldn't easily force the issue, especially when the subject was someone like Tatsuya, who was both a meritorious servant of Konoha and a prodigy of the Akimichi clan.
Compared to Uchiha Shisui, the Third Hokage was more inclined to trust a true-blue, Hokage-aligned ninja like Tatsuya, even though the latter also harbored quite a few secrets.
But who didn't have a few secrets?
"Hokage-sama, may I bring two ninjas with me to the Police Force?"
Hearing this, Tatsuya didn't immediately get up to leave. Instead, he asked the Third Hokage.
"Oh? Who do you want to bring with you to the Police Force?" The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly.
"My former teammates from Squad Thirty-One, Sakawa and Yuuhi Teru," Tatsuya replied.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Third Hokage's eyes. "Why them? Sakawa and Yuuhi Teru are still only genin."
Tatsuya shrugged. "I heard recently that their sensei, Ichikawa Shin, died in action. They don't have a suitable team to go on missions with right now. I thought I might as well bring them along. I can even give them some guidance in my spare time."
"Hmm! That's a good idea. I will send someone to ask for their consent. If they don't object, I will allow them to join you in the Police Force."
The Third Hokage pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama! I'll take my leave then."
Tatsuya's face lit up with joy. He stood up and bowed respectfully to the Third Hokage.
After speaking, Tatsuya turned and walked out.
Just as he stepped out of the Hokage's office, someone came walking down the hallway towards him.
Seeing Tatsuya emerge from the Hokage's office, the newcomer's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Recognizing the approaching figure, Tatsuya was also slightly surprised.
It was none other than Tatsuya's future superior, the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku!
"Fugaku-sama."
Thinking that they would be colleagues soon, Tatsuya took the initiative to greet him.
Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku merely nodded slightly and then entered the Hokage's office without a word.
Tatsuya pursed his lips slightly, but he didn't mind.
Leaving the Hokage Building, Tatsuya pondered the Third Hokage's intentions in transferring him and Shisui to the Police Force while walking towards the Akimichi clan compound.
He needed to inform his clan about the Third Hokage's sudden arrangement.
"What? The Hokage-sama wants to transfer you to the Police Force?"
Back at the clan compound, when clan leader Akimichi Ryota and Akimichi Rouu heard Tatsuya's explanation, they were also shocked.
In Konoha, ever since the establishment of the Police Force, there had been very few precedents of sending non-Uchiha ninjas to serve there.
Even the few who had been sent were insignificant, ordinary ninjas.
But there had truly never been a case like Tatsuya's, a ninja with such great strength and even greater potential.
For a moment, Akimichi Ryota and Akimichi Rouu were both taken aback by the Third Hokage's decision.
"Tatsuya, what do you think about this?"
After a moment of silence, Akimichi Ryota asked.
Tatsuya thought for a moment and said, "The Hokage-sama's decision is probably related to Shisui."
"Uchiha Shisui?"
Hearing this, Akimichi Ryota and Akimichi Rouu looked puzzled.
Tatsuya nodded. "Yes! Shisui will be transferred from Anbu Team Eleven along with me. He will be the captain of the Third Division of the Police Force, and I will be his second-in-command."
"Putting you together with Uchiha Shisui, who possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan? The Hokage-sama is using you as a pawn!"
As soon as Tatsuya finished speaking, Akimichi Rouu immediately voiced his displeasure.
The delicate relationship between the village's higher-ups and the Uchiha clan was clear to all three of them. The Third Hokage's arrangement of Tatsuya and Shisui together was clearly not out of good intentions.
Was this to have Tatsuya monitor Shisui? Or to suppress the Mangekyo Sharingan of the Uchiha clan?
No matter how you looked at it, this assignment was putting Tatsuya on the spot!
Akimichi Ryota and Tatsuya remained silent.
It was conceivable that in the self-proclaimed kingdom controlled by the Uchiha clan, the Police Force, Tatsuya would inevitably face considerable exclusion and targeting if he were to take up his post.
"What do you plan to do?"
After a long pause, Akimichi Ryota finally spoke again.
"Take the position, and mind my own business!"
Tatsuya's lips curled slightly, revealing his plan.
On the way back, Tatsuya had already thought it through. No matter what the Third Hokage's intentions were in transferring him to the Police Force, he wouldn't be a vanguard in this open and hidden struggle between the village and the Uchiha.
As long as he could use this opportunity to get Shisui out of the Anbu, Tatsuya's goal would be achieved.
Anyway, the Police Force could function perfectly well without him. He would slack off when he could, and goof off when he felt like it.
This was an opportunity for Tatsuya to take some time for himself, instead of being constantly busy with missions.
"Hmm! That's a good idea!"
Hearing Tatsuya's answer, Akimichi Ryota pondered for a moment and then nodded.
He also harbored dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage's decision.
He didn't want the outstanding young talents of his clan to be involved in the conflict between the village's leadership and the Uchiha clan.
That evening, in the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama, I implore you to reconsider!"
Shisui knelt respectfully on one knee before the Third Hokage, requesting in a low voice.
"Shisui, this decision was made after discussions between me and your clan leader, Fugaku. It cannot be easily changed."
Looking at Shisui kneeling before him, the Third Hokage spoke gently.
"Hokage-sama, do you not trust my loyalty to the village? Or are you worried that the Uchiha clan will launch a rebellion?"
Shisui's voice was filled with sincerity and helplessness.
"Shisui, you are a heroic ninja who has rendered meritorious service to Konoha. How could I not trust you? The conflict between the village and the Uchiha clan is due to long-standing misunderstandings. I believe there is a way to resolve this. Keeping you in the Anbu will only make Fugaku suspicious of you. It is precisely because I trust you that I am transferring you and Tatsuya to the Police Force. It is so that you can better restrain and monitor Fugaku and the others, and ease the tensions between them and the village. Even if you are no longer in the Anbu, you must report any developments within the Uchiha clan to me immediately."
Hearing Shisui mention the possibility of clan rebellion, a sharp glint flashed in the Third Hokage's eyes, and his expression became solemn.
Shisui lowered his head, remaining silent.
The Third Hokage's reassurance did not ease his mind.
Shisui understood that the Third Hokage must have harbored concerns to make such an arrangement.
Once he left the Anbu, there would be no buffer between the clan and the village.
Disaster could strike at any moment!
After a long silence, Shisui left the Hokage's office, filled with disappointment.
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