Hiruzen Sarutobi distinctly remembered that the last time Natsuhiko selected a technique from the Book of Seals, it was the Spirit Transformation Technique!
So, how did he suddenly master the Explosive Tag Multiplication Technique?
Could it be that Lady Mito knew this technique and taught it to Natsuhiko?
Due to this technique's immense power, Hiruzen had no choice but to ask Natsuhiko for the truth.
Natsuhiko simply shrugged and said, "Lady Mito didn't teach it."
"In fact, I just cobbled together this knockoff version after reading the description of the Explosive Tag Multiplication Technique in the Book of Seals' index, and it's still just a half-finished product."
Just... a half-finished product?
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, a wry smile appearing on his face.
If Danzo heard this, he'd probably die of anger.
After all, a mere half-finished product had already collapsed the Root's base—what if it had been completed?
Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a bit fearful.
He didn't expect that, based on the brief descriptions in the Book of Seals, Natsuhiko could recreate the Explosive Tag Multiplication Technique to this extent.
He truly lived up to his reputation as the Copy Ninja Natsuhiko.
Fortunately, he hadn't included those forbidden techniques that violated human decency in the Book of Seals...
Having gained a deeper understanding of Natsuhiko's copying abilities, Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat and brought up one last matter with him.
"Natsuhiko, you're probably aware that while we've publicly declared that last night's explosion was due to the development of a new ninjutsu, the truth is that your gaming device caused it."
"However, what you might not know is that while the explosion took place at a location nominally under ANBU's control, it was actually the Root's base, fully under Danzo's jurisdiction..."
"So, I'm very sorry to say that it was Danzo who ordered the Eleven Rohan to steal your gaming device."
After pinning the blame squarely on Danzo to prevent affecting Natsuhiko's view of him, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Although Danzo has suffered a heavy loss this time, his plot to steal your sealing technique can't go unpunished. I will impose a severe penalty on him and demand that he give you a satisfactory explanation."
"I assure you, this won't happen again in the future..."
...
After a long while, the door to the Hokage's office opened again, and after bidding a reluctant farewell to the Third Hokage, Natsuhiko left the office.
Once he was far away, Natsuhiko smirked inwardly.
Although the Third Hokage vowed to severely punish Danzo, Danzo's real power lies in the Root, those ninjas who follow his orders without question.
Even if the Third Hokage were to disband the Root, it wouldn't cause Danzo much harm.
So, at most, the Third Hokage might cut Danzo's funding a bit, making things difficult for him. But apart from making Danzo hate him more, it wouldn't accomplish anything!
As expected, while the Third Hokage is pretty dependable in most areas, he's completely unreliable when it comes to dealing with Danzo.
After years of manoeuvring, Danzo's "roots" have penetrated every aspect of Konoha and formed a community of interests with many ninja clans.
So even though the Third Hokage has noticed the threat Danzo poses, it's difficult for him to make the tough decision to cut him off completely.
To completely resolve the situation, the only options are to either directly behead him with overwhelming force or uproot his entire network of influence, turning him into a lone figure.
Since Natsuhiko couldn't currently achieve either of these, he could only shake his head helplessly and leave the Hokage building.
...
A few nights later, at the Ninja Tavern.
The theft that occurred a few days ago hadn't caused much damage to the tavern's interior.
So, within a couple of days, the tavern had reopened.
In fact, most customers didn't even realise that the gaming device in front of them had caused the massive explosion a few days ago.
If they knew, their reactions would be priceless.
It's worth mentioning that seeing the tavern's business booming, Natsuhiko took the opportunity to convert the tavern to a 24-hour operation.
He also had Might Duy hire a batch of employees working in three shifts.
At this moment, Natsuhiko, sitting at the bar, was drawn to a new employee serving drinks to customers.
The girl appeared to be around his age, with long, light-yellow hair. A pair of round glasses added a touch of warmth to her appearance but also concealed her beautiful features.
It made one wonder what she would look like without those glasses...
However, Natsuhiko wasn't admiring a pretty girl; he felt that she looked familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had seen her.
So, he asked Might Duy, who was wiping glasses behind the bar, "Mr. Duy, what's the name of that waitress over there? I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."
Might Duy put down the freshly wiped glass and chuckled, "Mr. Natsuhiko, you shouldn't use such outdated lines to flirt with someone, you know."
You, who wear a green spandex suit every day, have no right to say that!
Natsuhiko grumbled inwardly, then remembered that even Might Duy had once had a wife while he was still single.
He suddenly felt like he might be the one who wasn't qualified to speak...
Then he heard Might Duy say, "That's Miss Nono, who just joined our tavern today."
"These past few days, you asked me to hire some people, and Miss Nono applied. I didn't see any issues with her background, so I hired her."
Nono?
Upon hearing the name, Natsuhiko finally remembered who she was.
The Root's ace spy, known as the Walking Priestess, is the most potent female spy, Nono.
In the original work, her more significant role was as the orphanage director who adopted Kabuto Yakushi, serving as his mother figure.
Unfortunately, due to a particular troublemaker's scheme, she eventually encountered Kabuto on the battlefield. She died at his hands, never recognising that the one who killed her was the boy she had raised...
This led to Kabuto's descent into darkness, joining Orochimaru and eventually becoming a tomb raider who dug up the dead...
Since Nono only appeared briefly in Kabuto's memories in the original work, Natsuhiko hadn't recognised her at first.
Once he realised, Natsuhiko couldn't help but feel a bit sarcastic.
Mr. Duy, what do you mean there's no issue with her background?
She's clearly highly suspicious!
Rather than calling her the Walking Priestess, she's more like a walking half-million!
And didn't the Third Hokage promise that this kind of thing wouldn't happen again?
How did Danzo manage to plant someone in my tavern just a few days later?
At this point, Might Duy added sympathetically, "I heard Miss Nono has had a tough time. Apparently, she was a ninja before but recently gave up her ninja status to work in an orphanage."
"Recently, it seems the orphanage has had funding issues, so she had to come out to work and make ends meet."
"She's truly an admirable young woman."
Hearing this, Natsuhiko began to doubt his earlier judgment.
Could it be a coincidence?
After all, the logic behind her taking a job to support the orphanage due to a lack of funds seemed reasonable.
And since the pay here is good and the hours are manageable, if Nono really didn't want to be a ninja anymore, this job would indeed be a good choice.
Moreover, it's normal for the orphanage to be short on funds now—after all, the Root's base was just destroyed. Danzo would need to use any available funds for rebuilding, leaving little for the orphanage, right?
However, the logic that Danzo sent Nono to spy on the tavern and gather intelligence also made sense.
Unable to conclude, Natsuhiko decided to stop overthinking it.
Instead of guessing, it would be simpler just to test her directly.
When Nono came near, Natsuhiko called her over with a warm smile and said, "Miss Nono, hello, I'm the owner of this tavern, Natsuhiko Amou."
"Natsuhiko... Nice to meet you, boss... Is there something you need? Did I do something wrong? If so, I'll correct it; please don't fire me."
Nono's expression was nervous. With her large round glasses, she looked delicate and timid, making one want to tease her.
She truly lived up to her title as the Walking Priestess—you'd never guess she was acting.
Natsuhiko, knowing her true nature from the original work, knew this was just a facade. Underestimating her would be a mistake.
"We're about the same age; just call me Natsuhiko."
Natsuhiko smiled and then posed his test:
"Actually, after hearing about your situation from Mr. Duy, I'm deeply impressed. So, I've decided to offer a small contribution—I plan to donate 500,000 ryō annually to the orphanage. What do you think?"
(End of Chapter)
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