Chapter 159:
"...Lord Hokage, according to the latest reports, a gang of clowns robbed the Konoha Bank. After their escape, they used a cunning trap to kill three members of the Konoha Police Force. What are your thoughts on this? Also, there's the matter of the Fox Spirit Hero who's recently appeared in Konoha. Criminals are now afraid of him. Does his presence imply that the Konoha Police Force is incompetent?"
...
At the Konoha Police Force headquarters, a fox-shaped light beamed into the night sky.
The new Konoha Police Force was managed jointly by the Ino-Shika-Chō trio of clans.
"Shikamaru, you're still up this late?" Ino walked over, glancing up at the fox symbol projected against the night sky. "Is the Fox Spirit Hero really going to show up?"
Shikamaru shook his head and replied, "I'm not sure. But this is the signal he and I agreed on... Wait, he's already here."
"Him? Who? The Fox Spirit Hero?"
While Ino looked around for any sign of him, Shikamaru turned toward a dark corner nearby and said, "Come out, Fox Spirit Hero."
"...Who are those people?"
A low voice came from the shadows.
"You're still as shy as ever, Fox Spirit Hero... Aside from Uchiha Sasuke, the other clowns are just insignificant nobodies," Shikamaru said.
"I understand. I'll take care of the clowns. As for that group conducting secret deals in the village—have you found anything on them?"
"About that..."
Just as Shikamaru was about to say something, Ino suddenly warned, "...Shikamaru, someone's coming!"
Among the Ino-Shika-Chō clans, the Yamanaka clan possessed the strongest sensory abilities.
The moment Ino spoke, a man with a jar on his head and a young girl appeared on the rooftop.
"Shikamaru, Ino, and... Fox Spirit Hero. Hello," the jar-headed man said casually.
"Who are you people?" the Fox Spirit Hero asked first.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Jarlock Holmes, a private detective. And this is my assistant, Sarada Watson."
"Jarlock... Watson..." Shikamaru rubbed his chin and shook his head. "Never heard of those clans. How did you two get up here?"
"For a ninja, climbing to a rooftop isn't exactly difficult, is it?" Jarlock spread his hands in mock helplessness. "Are you done asking questions? Then it's my turn. Fox Spirit Hero, who exactly are you?"
"...I am the Fox Spirit Hero," he said firmly. "No matter who you are, since you've come to Konoha, you must follow Konoha's rules. If not, I'll personally see to it that you end up in Konoha Prison!"
Then he turned to Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, we'll talk about that matter another time."
"Alright," Shikamaru nodded.
The matter of the secret dealings in Konoha had been under investigation by Shikamaru and the Fox Spirit Hero for some time, but they had yet to uncover a single lead.
Clearly, someone from the upper echelons of Konoha was involved.
And since it might implicate the higher-ups, it wasn't something they could just tell two unknown outsiders.
After a long pause, Jarlock finally spoke. "The Fox Spirit Hero... has probably left."
Elsewhere, in an abandoned warehouse in Konoha.
"...Alpha, you'd better tell Lord Danzō that our money was stolen by a bunch of clowns."
Hyūga Neji stared at the Root ninja wearing a mask in front of him.
"Uchiha Sasuke, huh... The identity of a clown really suits him... Lord Danzō already knew about this. What matters more is that the Fox Spirit Hero has targeted us."
Yamato said this; Alpha was merely his codename within Root.
"The recent activity of the Fox Spirit Hero has unsettled many people," Neji said with a frown.
To break the Caged Bird Seal, he had gone so far as to cooperate with Danzō.
"That's why we need to find a way to eliminate the Fox Spirit Hero. Only then can your collaboration with Lord Danzō move forward smoothly."
"The Fox Spirit Hero isn't that easy to deal with..."
Even though Neji had never fought him directly, after watching footage of his battles, he could tell the Fox Spirit Hero had exceptional skill and combat awareness.
"Ah, ha, ha, ha... hoo, ee, yah, ha, ha..."
"Uchiha Sasuke! You've got some nerve showing your face around here!" Neji glared furiously at the man in front of him—the very one who had robbed the Konoha Bank.
Yamato stepped in to block Neji and stared at Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, give me one good reason not to kill you."
"Hmm... How about I show you a magic trick?"
"What?" Yamato looked at Sasuke, not quite understanding what he meant.
"Watch closely—this is a senbon. Now, I'm going to stab it into the table... Everyone, keep your eyes on it..." Sasuke activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan. His right hand made a twirl, drawing everyone's attention to the senbon embedded in the table.
Suddenly, Sasuke lunged, grabbing a nearby Root ninja's head and slamming it into the senbon.
"Hypnosis, huh..." Yamato stared at Sasuke, completely unfazed by his comrade's death. "What exactly are you trying to do, Sasuke?"
"Hm... Seems you weren't interested in my vanishing act..." Sasuke paused, licked his lips, and said, "I get it—I chose the wrong participant. How about this—I'll invite the Fox Spirit Hero to be part of my disappearing act. Sound more exciting now?"
"Go on, Sasuke," Yamato signaled his men to bring over a chair.
"Thanks." Sasuke sat down, resting his feet on the table. "Let's think for a moment. Before the Fox Spirit Hero showed up, before Lady Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, what were your lives like?"
"..."
"The Konoha Police Force? Give me a break. Back then, they were just a bunch of useless slobs. No one cared what you did. But after Tsunade took over as Hokage, and the Fox Spirit Hero appeared, what happened? You all started to cower..." Sasuke dropped his feet and slammed the table. "What's wrong with you?! Huh?! Where's your backbone?! Cowards—all of you! During that whole time, only I—only someone like me..."
"Someone like you—a freak?"
Neji snapped back. He hated being called a coward more than anything, especially since deep down, he had always felt like one when facing the main branch of the Hyūga clan.
Neji's retort drew a chuckle.
"A freak? Hm... Yeah, that's right. I am a freak..." Dangerous intent flashed in Sasuke's eyes.
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