After breakfast, Aozora put on his combat leathers and headed out with Shisui to Training Ground 11.
To the Uchiha, joining the Police Force was an honor, and the Flying Tigers were the elite of that force. So it was no surprise that clan members flocked to Training Ground 11 to witness the competition.
Moreover, although the selection for the Flying Tigers was an internal matter for the Police Force, the department hadn't kept it a secret either.
As a result, besides the Uchiha, other idle or suspicious ninja had gathered to watch the event unfold.
This caused the training ground atop the mountain to fill up long before the competition officially began.
Aozora wasn't particularly well-known, but as the youngest contestant in this selection, he drew plenty of attention the moment he stepped onto the field.
When he reached the battle training area at the summit, he found the eight earthen ring platforms gone, replaced instead by one massive arena. Around its perimeter stood tiered stone steps, packed with spectators eager to see the contest unfold.
Sitting in their assigned seats and chatting idly, Aozora suddenly lifted his brow slightly. Something caught his attention—he turned his gaze behind him.
Standing not far away, Shinki—who had attacked him during Hatsuhinode—was glaring at him with clear malice.
Seeing Aozora look back, Shinki scowled and sneered, "Hope I get to see your toy sword today!"
Aozora narrowed his eyes briefly, then shook his head lightly, muttering, "Childish."
With that, he turned his back completely on Shinki.
Does this guy think I'm just some naive kid? Trying to provoke me like this!
Being called childish by someone younger than himself enraged Shinki, who saw himself as hardened through real battles. Just as he was about to stand and shout, a middle-aged shinobi beside him pushed him back down firmly.
Ryoichi shot a sharp glare at Shinki and said coldly, "Only those with dull blades resort to verbal fights. Instead of wasting breath, focus on getting stronger."
Shinki grunted in frustration and turned his head away.
Ryoichi had already been guarding Kintai for quite some time before Shinki even became his bodyguard. To Shinki, Ryoichi was both a senior and a mentor—someone whose reprimand he dared not argue against.
But as his power grew, so did his arrogance, and his respect for Ryoichi gradually faded.
After withdrawing his gaze from Shinki, Aozora swept his eyes across the crowd once more.
That's when he noticed several non-Uchiha figures seated in the central section of the stadium—the Third Hokage, Tsunade, and Torifu.
The three of them sat alongside Fugaku and Kintai in the top-tier viewing seats.
Surrounding them were shinobi from other Konoha clans. Aozora faintly recognized representatives from the Hyuga, Yamanaka, and the Ino–Shika–Cho alliance among them.
Just as Aozora glanced toward the central stand, Tsunade's eyes swept in his direction.
Their gazes met briefly before both looked away at the same time. Aozora quickly lowered his eyes, while Tsunade continued scanning the area around him, as if searching for someone.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated beside her, noticed Tsunade's odd behavior and followed her line of sight until it landed on Shisui and Aozora.
He asked pointedly, "Tsunade, are you looking for someone?"
By now, the Shadow Guard Team had returned, having failed to locate Danzo, and reported their mission status to him.
Danzo and Shisui's strength shocked him, but once the initial surprise passed, his attention shifted to the unfamiliar bounty hunter.
Tsunade claimed this bounty hunter was a friend she'd met while traveling through the Ninja World, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't believe it.
He checked Black Market records, where several Fire Release users were documented, none of whom matched the techniques used by this individual.
Fire Release... Land of Fire. (Black Hawk became distracted by enemies and failed to notice Aozora's throwing knife)
These two factors immediately raised suspicions about the Uchiha clan in Hiruzen's mind.
He speculated Shisui might have leaked information, prompting the Uchiha clan to secretly dispatch ninja to protect him.
But he couldn't figure out when Tsunade had started colluding with the Uchihas.
Tsunade casually said, "I came because I wanted to see how Shisui Uchiha was recovering."
"Is that so?" Hiruzen replied, "I thought you were looking for your old friend?"
Tsunade turned around and retorted, "How many old friends do you think still exist for me in Konoha today?"
Sarutobi fell silent. Tsunade had been away from the village for many years, and had basically lost contact with everyone.
"The Hokage is here too?" Following Aozora's gaze, Shisui immediately expressed surprise.
His voice held both astonishment and subtle nervousness.
Although he hadn't directly leaked mission details, sensitive information about Danzo's Capture Team did get exposed, and he couldn't even blame his younger brother who went to secretly guard him at the gambling den.
Shisui's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
Seeing Shisui's expression, Aozora worried his brother's mind might spiral downward into dark places, so he deliberately changed the subject.
"Brother, when I go up there later, remember to cheer for me! I'm not well-known in the clan, and I fear my reception won't be very impressive!"
When his younger brother made that request, Shisui immediately pushed those troubling thoughts aside and nodded in agreement. "Alright! I'll cheer loudly for you!"
As the brothers conversed with laughter, spectators finally filled the surrounding stands. Then Fugaku stood upon the central platform, instantly triggering deafening cheers from the gathered Uchiha clan members.
Fugaku raised his hands to quiet the enthusiastic crowd before scanning the audience and declaring, "The time has arrived. It's time to start the competition for instructor positions in the Police Force's Flying Tigers unit."
Immediately following Fugaku's announcement, a middle-aged ninja appeared on the arena stage, bluntly announcing, "The rules are simple. Sixteen candidates will randomly draw opponents. Victory secures advancement until we reach our final four instructors. The ultimate winner will become the chief instructor of the Flying Tigers."
After explaining the rules, he wasted no further words, instead directing everyone's attention toward the high wall above the entrance gate.
Everyone saw an enormous screen mounted there.
"To ensure random selection, we've specially borrowed equipment used during the Chunin Exams. Please watch the big screen now!"
Hardly had the words finished echoing than names began rapidly flashing across the screen.
Watching those scrolling names, the audience erupted into excited discussion, especially among Uchiha clan members.
Whoa! This instructor competition is fiercer than contests for captains or division leaders! Just look at these names on the screen—I'm stunned!
You said it!
"They're all qualified to compete for the captain position – Ryoichi, Mukashi, Hidemi, and Junping..."
"You just don't see it yet, do you? Sure, the captain and vice-captain have more authority, but..."
"Ah, you see, while strength commands respect here, without enough seniority or experience, how can one earn others' recognition? Being an instructor is different — as long as you're strong enough, you qualify. Plus, instructors in the Flying Tigers enjoy more freedom. I heard they only have to report in once a week."
"Seriously? It's that relaxed? I wish I had known earlier — I would've signed up too!"
"Well, this round has plenty of strong contenders too. I roughly counted at least six or seven Jonin-level experts participating."
"By the way, I just saw Uchiha Aozora. Is he the rumored 'Prodigy Aozora'?"
"Yeah, originally appointed directly by the Clan Leader. But now that we're switching to elections, I guess his chance is slim."
"But isn't he already someone who has defeated multiple Jonin-level shinobi? Shouldn't his strength be considerable?"
"Aozora's definitely not bad — truly a genius. What about Ryoichi, Mukashi, or Junping? Are they any weaker? Compared with other seniors, he still lacks experience!"
...
While everyone was talking animatedly, the list for the first round of competition was already out.
"Uchiha Aozora VS Uchiha Mukashi!"
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