Chapter 39: Chapter 39
Danzo questioned a kneeling Root elite, who had integrated into the Shimura clan, about the recent losses of operatives.
"So, we lost more than two dozen Root operatives, integrated into civilian life, and have no evidence on the perpetrator?"
The root elite, displaying no visible emotions at the loss of comrades, reported the recent events.
"Well, we lost three more operatives yesterday night, Danzo-sama, and as usual, no traces were left behind."
Danzo, frustrated, snapped the pen he held in his hand. The situation had been going awry since his exposure. The root elite continued, updating Danzo on Nono's activities.
"Regarding Nono, there is no significant information yet, but she has mentioned that she may gain access to the Nara compound soon."
A glint of interest appeared in Danzo's eyes. Uncovering the information he sought in the Nara compound could potentially turn the tide in his favour.
"Send her a message to expedite the process. Also, find out who is hunting our Root members. They must hold significant status and strength within the village to target my operatives."
Danzo issued his orders, and the root elite promptly left to carry them out.
Just as Danzo was about to resume his work, a knock on the door signaled the entrance of the Vice Clan Head of the Shimura clan, accompanied by other elders. With Danzo's consent, they entered the room, and the vice leader presented a scroll.
"Danzo-sama, this came from the village's financial department today. It bears the Elder Council's seal along with the Hokage sama's signature."
Danzo took the scroll and began reading. The more he read, the more his expression soured.
"Leave. I will take care of this matter. My subordinate will come later, so allocate more funds from the clan treasury."
As the others left the room, Danzo clutched the letter. It contained an order from the council instructing him to reimburse the funds he had embezzled over the years to strengthen Root clandestinely. If Danzo failed to return the money within a week, the debt would be collected from the Shimura clan itself. As the clan leader, if the clan couldn't pay the debt, their assets would be seized. It posed a significant challenge, and Danzo was troubled about how to resolve this new problem.
However, the vice leader and other elders hadn't left yet, and the vice leader spoke again.
"About that, Danzo-sama, the clan will not be able to bear your personal expenses anymore. Even the debt owed to the village on your behalf will be settled by selling your personal assets within the village."
The vice leader conveyed this with an undertone of fear, unsure of how Danzo would react. It was a necessary stance, as the Shimura clan, which had once ruthlessly suppressed other clans during Danzo's peak, was now facing retaliation. With Danzo's recent debt, the clan would have to deplete most of its treasury. The elders felt compelled to take a stand in the face of these challenges.
Danzo's countenance contorted into an expression of pure rage. In an immediate outburst, he seized the vice leader by the neck. Before the other elders could react, a dozen Root elites, now dressed in Shimura clan attire, surrounded them.
"If I instruct you to do something, you do it without question. I am the clan head, and the Shimura clan will follow my commands without hesitation. Soon, I will reclaim everything that I have lost."
Despite Danzo's significant contributions to the clan, the recent pressure had pushed its members to their limits. Danzo, aware that going to extremes might jeopardize the only sanctuary he had left within the village—his clan—threw down the vice clan head, collected the scroll, and left to devise a solution to the impending threat.
Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts
It has been two days since Gai's team completed the last mission, and unlike the first mission, this was a regular escort mission, and there were not significant instances that took place during the mission. The need for such escort missions has increased significantly in recent days after the current turbulent state of the Shinobi world. War was on the horizon, and everyone was waiting for the other to make the first move.
"1015, 1016..."
Torune was holding a huge boulder on his back while doing pushups, and Gai sensei was encouraging him while doing a single-hand stand next to him. From Gai's words, Torune had a disadvantage when compared to the other two, so he was giving extra care to the Aburame youngling.
A bit further away, near the waterfall, after completing their initial warm-up set by Gai, Kazuki was ready to start his taijutsu kenjutsu training. Kazuki manifested a blade using the shadows, as buying a simple blade was counterproductive as he ended up destroying them every time. As for his shadows, although he could manifest a sword, they were not as durable as a real sword. Although they could support his Kekkei Genkai infusion, the inherent nature of his Kekkei Genkai didn't have good compatibility with chakra, as it simply absorbed or corroded it.
"Ready or not, here I come." Kazuki dashed forward with blinding speed, utilising his sheer physical strength and a hint of chakra on his feet to propel himself. Having learned taijutsu from both Tsunade and Gai, he had been mastering the art of compressing and releasing chakra in an instant. Itachi, ever-improving, raised his tanto blade to block the incoming strike. Recognizing that Kazuki's Kekkei Genkai countered Genjutsu, Itachi focused on enhancing his skills in other areas, particularly in Kenjutsu, practicing alongside Kazuki.
As Itachi adapted to Kazuki's pace, he couldn't resist taunting his teammate. "Come now, Kazuki; you're getting slower. Speed up, will you?"
Grinning in response, Kazuki disengaged and readjusted his stance. "[Hachi no Kata: Arashi Tsuki]." With blinding speed, he launched a forward thrust towards Itachi's gut, transforming the shadow blade into a blunt pipe. Although Itachi could track the trajectory with his Sharingan, his body failed to react quickly enough. Just as he anticipated a trip to the hospital with potential broken ribs, Gai intercepted the thrust with his palm, the resulting shockwave throwing Itachi to the ground.
Checking his reddened palm, Gai couldn't help but commend Kazuki's technique. The kid had refrained from using chakra, and the weapon was blunted, preventing serious injury. Apologizing with a sheepish smile, Kazuki dematerialized the shadow, while Itachi quickly stood up, assuring everyone that he was unharmed.
"Kid, you need to be careful during sparring. Itachi could have ended up with broken ribs. I know you can use Iryo ninjutsu, but that doesn't mean you can use your friends as practice dummies," Gai sternly reminded Kazuki, who occasionally got carried away during training.
Turning to Itachi, Gai questioned him about his understanding of the situation. "And you, Itachi, do you know where you went wrong?"
"Yes, Sensei. I was too reliant on my Sharingan. Although my eyes could follow Kazuki's attack, my body and mind were not fast enough to react to the threat," Itachi admitted, realising the limitations of his current abilities.
With those words of encouragement, Gai returned to supervise Torune, who continued with his push-ups. Meanwhile, Itachi, standing on the side, drew his tanto and took up a stance. Kazuki smiled at Itachi's dedication to self-improvement and materialised a new blade with shadows, restarting their kenjutsu training.
After another half-hour of sparring, the team gathered by the waterfall. Kazuki carefully diagnosed each team member's health.
"Interesting. No matter how many times I see this symbiosis, every time I learn something new, it's really fascinating," Kazuki remarked aloud as he examined Torune's health. The Rinkaichu were helping Torune mend his body from the inside, a feat achievable due to their nanosize.
"Gai-sensei, I think you can increase Torune's taijutsu training up a notch; his body should easily handle the stress," Kazuki suggested. Torune gave Kazuki a bland look, and while making the suggestion, Kazuki took out a dozen bottles from his scroll, distributing the medicines among his teammates. Kazuki's proficiency in Iryo ninjutsu allowed him to help Gai eliminate internal injuries accumulated over the years. He had also crafted pills tailored to each team member's physique.
"Oh, yes. I totally forgot." Kazuki brought out a glass container divided into various partitions and passed it to Torune. Upon closer inspection, everyone realised it contained various small bugs.
"Your birthday was last week, right? We were out on a mission then, so I couldn't give you anything back then. So here you go—everyone here is special. I have mentioned it in the scroll. There are only two bugs of each type, so breeding them is up to you."
Itachi quickly pulled out a scroll from his pouch and handed it to Torune. "It's an insect-based Genjutsu technique. It should be compatible with you." Having shared Torune's birthday details with the team, they had prepared suitable gifts.
Gai picked up a scroll and pulled out a complete set of battle gear, along with an outfit. Gai had personally asked Kazuki to design it for Torune. Being an orphan, Torune didn't have anyone to take care of him beyond the basic needs provided by the Aburame clan. His Shinobi expenditures were substantial, and the Aburame clan, despite being supportive, couldn't cover the expenses. The gifts from his team were not just thoughtful but also addressed his practical needs. Grateful for the gesture, Torune accepted the items.
"So, sensei, when are we going out on the next mission? Has there been any updates from Sandaime-sama?" Itachi curiously questioned Gai about any updates because Sandaime had asked them not to take any new missions for the time being.
"Yes, I spoke to Hokage-sama in the morning. The Kumo delegation is coming to Konoha in a month; he wants us to be around and be on overwatch duty," Gai explained, explaining why they were still not taking any new missions for the time being. Gai's team was unlike other new teams that dealt with C and D-rank missions.
"Gai-sensei, isn't this something the ANBU should handle? Why is the Hokage asking us to handle the overwatch duty?" Torune, who was aware of the ANBU's workings, couldn't help but curiously ask.
"Honestly, our village is currently lacking manpower, and not just us but most of the major villages. That is one of the reasons why the war hasn't broken out yet. Currently, most of the ANBU teams are occupied, and it's not like we will be alone; there will be other ANBU teams. We are just filling the gap," Gai explained the situation to the team and continued sharing the news that he recently acquired.
"The Kumo might not have good intentions for coming to Leaf; recently, there have been rumors flying around about both Kumo Jinchuriki being temporarily incapacitated."
The team kept discussing the details of their upcoming mission, and Gai also mentioned that they would be taking barrier patrol duty while they are in the village for the month until the Kumo delegation leaves.
After the training session, the entire team split up. Although the Uchiha clan was currently next to the Nara, Kazuki was heading to the Senju clan as he had to attend an important matter.
As Kazuki walked towards the Senju clan, his senses picked up a small scuffle that was going on. Since it was snowing, the noises were muffled, but he could pick up the disturbance due to his keen senses.
And what awaited Kazuki was one of the memorable scenes from his past life. Although he realised this world was different, he couldn't help but reminisce for a second as he observed from the treetop. Little Hinata, who had run away from home, was currently surrounded by three kids and was closing in to beat up the poor girl.
Kazuki, who wanted to save little Hinata, simply didn't want to bully kids. So, he manipulated the shadows and formed snowballs, throwing them towards the kids who were closing in on Hinata. The snowballs rained down on the kids with precision.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone