Shimura Danzo couldn't help but feel a sense of respect as he faced Gojo Kaigetsu.
Danzo had always believed that everything he did was for the sake of Konoha, but he never thought of Konoha as an extension of his own life.
Gojo Kaigetsu, however, had achieved something that Danzo couldn't.
With a gruff voice, Danzo said, "Fine, I'll trust you this once."
"But if I find out you've done anything to harm Konoha, you won't escape my wrath. You have your resolve, and I have mine. Today, you've passed the test."
"Let's move out!"
Danzo declared his retreat, attempting to maintain his dignity, as he led his Root operatives away from the Uchiha compound.
On the way back to their headquarters, one of the Root ninjas cautiously asked, "Danzo-dono, we haven't figured out the details of the 350 million ryō plan. Should we retrieve the documents from the Hokage's office?"
"350 million ryō..."
Danzo narrowed his eyes, recalling what Gojo Kaigetsu had mentioned earlier. "It's just 350 million ryō; it's not worth the risk of crossing the Fourth Hokage. Send the funds to Gojo Kaigetsu tomorrow. I want to see what he and the Fourth are really planning."
Danzo wasn't truly concerned with the amount. He had controlled the Root for years and had seen far more money.
In the black market, the bounty for a Jonin's head was roughly 35 million ryō, depending on their reputation, unique jutsu, village, and the employer's level of hatred. The bounty could go even higher.
350 million ryō was just the price of ten Jonin heads.
Danzo had been using this as an excuse, a pretext to challenge the Fourth Hokage and Gojo Kaigetsu. Now that he had achieved his goal, all that remained was to wait for Gojo Kaigetsu's next move.
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[3. Shimura Danzo, intimidated by your strength, has reined in his darker impulses and canceled some secret plans. Prosperity +50]
"This Limitless Technique is useless!"
Back at home, Gojo Kaigetsu fiddled with the Limitless Technique for a while, realizing that the basic level of the technique was utterly ineffective. Even with a kunai pressed against his neck, the "infinitesimal space" didn't activate.
He lifted the hem of his shirt, looking at his well-defined eight-pack abs, trying to figure out how Mahoraga's sealing technique was integrated into his body.
His chakra circulated throughout his body, and he could sense an unusual chakra sealed within him.
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But that was all.
Extracting Mahoraga's chakra was still too advanced for Gojo Kaigetsu at this stage.
"According to the system, Mahoraga's chakra can be extracted, which means I'm now a Mahoraga Jinchuriki?"
"…Skipping ahead, maybe in the future, I could develop a relationship with Mahoraga similar to Naruto and Kurama, unlocking the Mahoraga Chakra Mode or even the Gravitational Particle Mode."
Although he had used his words to repel Danzo, like any true ninja, he wished his fists could do the talking.
Deep down, Gojo Kaigetsu was committed to peace. He preferred to use diplomatic means to bring everyone to the negotiating table and discuss the future of the ninja world together, focusing on long-term development.
But in the world of ninja, strength is everything. Powerful techniques are the foundation for making someone like Danzo speak rationally.
"If I hadn't secured the Uchiha as a strong ally today, that guy Danzo might have really broken the rules and dragged me off to the Root."
"Power, I need more power…"
Gojo Kaigetsu realized that the potential of his current body, despite having a chakra capacity barely reaching the level of a Jonin, was limited in its ability to learn Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, or Genjutsu. The body's limit was that of a Chunin at best.
To improve his strength and protect himself in the chaotic ninja world, he could only rely on the system.
Military, culture, politics, economy.
Konoha's military matters were too advanced for a mere Chunin like him, and his political influence was similarly limited by his rank. Aligning the Uchiha clan firmly on his side was already the extent of his current capabilities. To advance further, he would need to wrestle power from the Third Hokage and other remnants of the old era.
So, the only immediate changes he could effect were in culture and economy.
"In that case, I'll have to push the workers at the printing factory a little harder."
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One week later.
A weary Samui finally arrived at the gates of Konoha. Having mastered the Cloud Village's secret stealth techniques, she had little trouble passing through the checks at Konoha's entrance.
The Hyuga clan ninja stationed at the gate lingered on Samui for a few extra seconds, particularly on her impressive chest, before allowing her to pass.
Outside of wartime, the presence of the Byakugan allowed Konoha to maintain relatively relaxed entry policies. Compared to villages like Kirigakure or Sunagakure, Konoha was indeed a beacon of civilization in the ninja world.
As long as someone's chakra levels weren't dangerously high, they were free to enter and exit Konoha.
'arrogant Konoha. They rely on the Byakugan for such lax security. Konoha's defenses are practically full of holes,' Samui thought, silently evaluating Konoha's defenses.
The Konoha ninja would never suspect that Kumogakure had developed a countermeasure to the Byakugan's abilities: a stealth technique specifically designed to avoid detection.
'But why are they taking so long?' Samui noticed something felt off under the scrutiny of the two ninjas.
But… the Cloud Village's secret techniques don't fail!
Forcing a cool expression, Samui asked, "Excuse me, is something wrong, ninja-san?"
"Miss, may I ask your name?"
"Gojo, Gojo Ai"
Samui calmly responded, using the identity crafted for her mission by Raikage A and the Raikage's advisory council.
Their instructions were clear.
"Even in a covert operation, as a member of the Cloud Village, you cannot start from the lowest rung like a coward."
"According to our intelligence, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Namikaze Minato, has a close friend and advisor named Gojo Kaigetsu."
"In addition to these roles, Gojo Kaigetsu is also the Minister of Culture for Konoha and the Vice Principal of the Ninja Academy, holding significant respect among ordinary ninjas."
"But… this ninja, despite his position, is only a Chunin. During both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, he stayed in the rear and didn't participate in any battles, making him undoubtedly a weak ninja."