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"Such a hassle."
Danzo looked at the scroll in his hand inside the Root base in Konoha while his mind wandered elsewhere.
Lately, his ears had been feeling hot, making him suspect someone was cursing him.
But when he thought about it, being cursed seemed perfectly normal—after all, his enemies could probably form a ring around Konoha and still not be enough.
On top of that, he had plenty of things to worry about lately.
"That Kinoe"
He had sent someone to track Kakashi and seize his Sharingan at the right opportunity.
But to his shock, the mission had failed?! Worse still, instead of completing the task, the agent had helped Kakashi escape after he was poisoned.
Such blatant disobedience was something Danzo absolutely could not tolerate!
To top it off, that guy had even said, "I am not just a member of Root, but also a shinobi of Konoha. I should not harm my comrades."
Was he completely disregarding Danzo's authority now?
"It seems Kakashi's Sharingan is no longer an option," Danzo muttered, furrowing his brows.
Instead, he decided to transplant Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan and strengthen his control over Kinoe.
Both genjutsu and cursed seals would be necessary—he could not afford to let Kinoe develop any sense of self-awareness!
Aside from that, there was also the matter of Shuuzawa.
"That brat is back as well. It seems he's with Hiruzen right now. I wonder how things will turn out this time..."
Danzo wasn't entirely sure about the outcome of Shuuzawa's mission, but reports from his informants in Sunagakure suggested that things over there had been quite chaotic.
"What happened exactly? Is Pakura dead? And what about Uchiha Shisui?"
Danzo had confidence in the operatives under his command and believed Shuuzawa had a real chance to accomplish the mission.
But whether or not Pakura was killed wasn't the key issue—his main concern was still Uchiha Shisui, that troublesome young Uchiha.
"Danzo-sama, we have intel."
As Danzo was lost in thought, Aburame Ryouma approached him respectfully, holding out a scroll.
"Hm."
Danzo nodded absentmindedly, but the moment he saw the mark on the scroll, his expression darkened.
Wasn't this from Kabuto, who had been stationed undercover in Sunagakure? What had happened on his end?
However, as soon as he opened the scroll and skimmed through its contents, his face instantly turned grim.
"That brat actually came back? Who gave him the guts? Who allowed him to leave Sunagakure?!"
A Root operative abandoned their designated post and returned to Konoha before the mission ended—this was outright betrayal!
But as Danzo contemplated how to deal with Kabuto, his eyes caught the latter half of the report.
In that instant, his entire body froze.
At the same time, inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stared in shock at the report before him.
He then turned to examine the three individuals standing before him carefully.
For a brief moment, he found himself utterly bewildered. Such a major mission... had been completed by these three kids?
He wasn't sure how long he had been lost in thought before finally escaping it. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke.
"You have done an excellent job on this mission. However, there are a few things I would like you to clarify for me."
Even as he said this, he couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
After all, Shuuzawa and his team had just returned from the Land of Wind, covered in dust from the long journey.
They had already provided a detailed report on the mission. And yet, he acted like he hadn't understood any of it.
But at the same time, this proved how unbelievable the situation was!
After taking a moment to compose himself, Hiruzen's gaze landed on Shuuzawa.
"Shuuzawa, I heard that you were the one leading this operation. I'd like to hear your thoughts."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Shuuzawa nodded decisively. He had already anticipated this situation.
Besides, he had thoroughly prepared his 'truthful deception' strategy on the way back.
"I want to know how you determined Sunagakure's true motives," Hiruzen asked.
"Additionally, according to the report, you escorted Pakura back. I'd like to understand more details about that."
At the mention of this, Shisui and Yuugao instinctively glanced at Shuuzawa, their expressions showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
The final phase of the mission had been carried out by Shuuzawa alone, and he had effectively 'kicked' them to the border of the Land of Rivers.
While they weren't far from him and had been assigned as the backup team, anyone would feel somewhat left out in such a situation.
"Actually, Captain Shisui already explained the reasoning quite well."
Shuuzawa was aware of their feelings and chuckled slightly before responding.
"I based my judgment on Pakura's abilities, Kirigakure's supply lines, and their mutual hostilities."
"Of course, the Hyuga Clan's operation from a year ago also played a role in my calculations—"
"Ahem! I understand!"
Before Shuuzawa could finish, Hiruzen immediately coughed and interrupted him.
Although Shuuzawa's logic was sound, and Hiruzen could piece it together by identifying the key points, he wished he wouldn't bring up the Hyuga matter...
"As for my meeting with Ebizō, I made sure Pakura was conscious and expressed my views from Konoha's standpoint," Shuuzawa continued.
Hiruzen frowned slightly.
Shuuzawa nodded to himself, thinking, 'You were the one who sent the Hyuga Clan on that mission, and now you don't want me to mention it?'
'No wonder no one saves you in the future.' But he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pressed on.
"Hokage-sama, I have always believed that an alliance with Sunagakure is unreliable."
"The person who trained me holds the same opinion. Since they intended to use Pakura as a bargaining chip, I knew we could not allow that.
"And as luck would have it, we encountered Sasori of the Red Sand. I informed Ebizō that Sasori's whereabouts had already been reported. If anything happened to me—"
Before Shuuzawa could finish, Hiruzen completed the explanation himself.
"The intelligence on Sasori would spread throughout the Land of Wind. You had also fought him before, and he feared your abilities. Meanwhile, Shisui and the others remained hidden, ensuring your safety."
Then, he let out a long sigh. This kid was far more outstanding than he had imagined.
Not only could he think from Konoha's perspective, but he also had remarkable strategic skills. He dared to take action when necessary, without hesitation or fear.
Even though he was a civilian, there was no doubt—he was a genius. A visionary genius.
For a fleeting moment, Hiruzen felt like he was seeing the shadow of the youngest Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
"I need to move quickly."
Originally, he had been focusing on Naruto's situation. But now...
Shuuzawa and his team had performed so well that they had far exceeded his expectations!
He could not let this kind of talent remain under Danzo's influence.
Joining the Anbu would make them his subordinates.
"You've done well." A smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"Your mission was executed exceptionally. Considering both this and your previous performance, I will grant you greater rewards. For now, take a well-earned rest, heroes of Konoha!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
At the word heroes, both Shisui and Yuugao were visibly excited.
Receiving the title of 'hero' during peacetime was no easy feat.
But this time, they had been personally acknowledged by the Hokage himself. It was an incredible honour!
Shuuzawa, however, found it somewhat tedious—until he suddenly noticed something.
A refreshed update from his system appeared in his mind.
[Side Mission Completed: Investigate Sunagakure's Secrets]
[Mission Rating: S]
[Reward Earned: 8 Free Points]
[Due to facing immense danger and surpassing expectations, a special reward has been granted]
[Title Acquired: Doctor of Shinobi World]
...
The Land of Rain. The downpour remained torrential. Sasori strode toward a village, his face clouded with frustration.
He hadn't expected to be ambushed! He wasn't afraid of those from Sunagakure, but being surrounded and overwhelmed by a large group was something he couldn't even endure.
He had no other choice but to abandon his attempt to collect "materials" and ended up in the Land of Rain.
"You look a bit battered, Sasori."
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out. Sasori looked up to see the leader of their organization, Pain, standing on the eaves, gazing down at him.
"Ran into some trouble, but don't worry, no one-tailed me," Sasori replied indifferently, shaking his head.
He hadn't intended to say much, but the thought of how badly he had been set up made it hard to hold back. "Pain, do you know a man named Danzo?"
"Danzo." Pain was momentarily stunned, while in a hidden tower, Nagato's expression instantly darkened.
"You encountered Danzo?"
"No, I ran into one of his subordinates—an extremely devious man," Sasori corrected, his eyes burning with anger.
"And he had a teammate who used a strange chakra colossus, making them difficult to deal with. I let them escape, and they caused me quite a bit of trouble!"
"Danzo, huh?" Pain's face remained unreadable, but he fell silent for a moment.
After a while, he finally spoke. "I see. We'll deal with that man properly in time—he won't escape!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Pain's figure vanished.
Sasori eyed the spot where Pain had disappeared with a peculiar expression.
He could tell that Pain despised Danzo, but he had no intention of prying further.
This mission had already cost him several of his puppets—he needed to take his time recovering.
"A chakra colossus? Like an Earth Release beast akin to a Tailed Beast?"
Meanwhile, in Kirigakure, Obito stared at the report in his hand, lost in thought.
...
Shuuzawa hadn't expected the rewards this time to be so generous! Eight free stat points—this was no small amount.
It was enough to significantly improve his physical attributes, with some left to spare! In addition, he had acquired something rather interesting.
"[Doctor of the Shinobi World]?" Shuuzawa had rarely received special rewards before, and from the description, it seemed to have dropped from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Upon closer inspection, Shuuzawa's eyes immediately lit up!
Simply put, this was a one-time reward modelled after Hiruzen Sarutobi, with some modifications made to the system.
By using it, Shuuzawa could master any jutsu he studied as long as he understood its theory.
Moreover, it allowed him to enhance a technique "to its current maximum level—LV6!"
That was what excited Shuuzawa the most. He could save himself from spending 21 stat points if he learned a technique!
The only drawback was that this ability was locked to his current "base settings"—in other words, his present stats.
However, LV6 wasn't bad at all. He was already on par with a jōnin at that level, just one step away from an elite jōnin.
Considering Shuuzawa was a statistical anomaly, once he factored in enhancements like the Cursed Seal, his overall combat strength was anything but weak.
"I never imagined we'd become 'heroes' just like that." Upon leaving the Hokage's office, Yuugao still seemed dazed.
She felt she hadn't done much, so how had she suddenly become a hero? "It is quite unexpected,"
Shisui admitted, his mind still buzzing—it didn't feel real to him either. Shuuzawa, however, had no such doubts.
He figured the two were simply experiencing the side effects of their overwhelming sense of responsibility.
Shuuzawa thought that if he could slack off and still earn a steady paycheck, that would be ideal.
However, that mindset was hard to accept for people with strong moral compasses. Fortunately, Shuuzawa knew how to handle them.
"Alright, stop overthinking it. Now that we're back, let's prepare for a get-together tonight—to celebrate our first successful mission."
"A celebration?" Shisui tilted his head. After a brief moment of thought, he smiled and nodded. "That's a good idea. We should celebrate."
As teammates, Shisui already trusted Shuuzawa. After everything they had been through, that trust had only deepened.
This mission had forced him to use a power he had long kept secret—the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had never told anyone about it, and for now, no one knew. He wasn't ready to reveal it yet, but faced with a formidable enemy, he had no choice.
What surprised him, however, was that Shuuzawa didn't seem to care. He had barely mentioned it in his report and his conversation with the Hokage.
Shisui figured Shuuzawa probably didn't recognize the Mangekyō Sharingan, but either way, his impression of Shuuzawa had improved significantly.
That said, he still needed to consult with the elders.
"No problem," Yuugao agreed, seeing that Shuuzawa wasn't overthinking things.
After hesitating, she added, "But let me treat you both tonight. I didn't contribute much during the mission, so I should at least cover the celebration!"
Shuuzawa had no reason to refuse a free meal. As a former member of Root, he often suspected that Danzo had skimmed off his mission rewards.
His wallet was always alarmingly "clean." By contrast, Yuugao, a pure ANBU operative, seemed much better off financially.
"Damn it, they're all the same. The last mission's reward was delayed until now?!"
Though he was cursing internally, Shuuzawa maintained his usual warm smile as he bid farewell to Shisui and Yuugao.
He still had other matters to attend to.
For one, he had to deal with Danzo and Kabuto.
Kabuto should already be outside the village if everything was going as expected, and he had likely sent intel to Danzo by now.
Unlike the sloppy reports he used to deceive Hiruzen Sarutobi, the intel he delivered to Danzo would undoubtedly be more detailed.
"Hm?" Shuuzawa suddenly noticed Kakashi hurrying toward the Hokage's office with a grim expression as he walked.
He considered greeting him but then remembered that he still hadn't paid for the ramen from last time.
Maybe it was best to wait. "No idea what's going on, but whatever."
Shaking his head, Shuuzawa shifted his focus back to his system.
Including the one point he had left over, he now had nine free stat points—he needed to make good use of them. "System, increase my physical attributes."
[Overall Physical Attributes Increased to LV7]
As soon as all his free points were allocated, Shuuzawa instantly felt a change in his body! "This is…"
He was momentarily taken aback. At LV6, his [Overall Physical Attributes] had already granted him incredible benefits—enhanced physical functions, chakra recovery, speed, strength, perception, and more.
But upon reaching LV7, he found these abilities had improved even further!
His perception, chakra control, and other aspects saw a significant boost. Additionally, he discovered something intriguing.
"It feels like there's a force I can control… And I think I can use it to heal my injuries?"
Shuuzawa clenched his fist lightly, sensing an overwhelming energy coursing through his body. That strange force was now resonating within him!
At that moment, a new notification appeared in his vision.
[Body Development Has Reached a Certain Threshold—Previous Limitations Removed—New Ability Acquired]
[Yang Release LV1]
Seeing the message, Shuuzawa froze for a moment. A strange thought crossed his mind.
"Breaking past my body's original limits, enhancing everything, and now gaining Yang Release?"
"Am I heading toward becoming Asura?"
While pondering this, he suddenly noticed Aburame Ryouma standing in a shadowy corner nearby…
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