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"Root."
After most people had left with their Pokémon eggs, two ninjas appeared at the store entrance and presented their credentials to Chaton.
"If you're from Root, we don't sell to you."
Chaton assumed these Root ninjas were there on behalf of Danzo to purchase Pokémon eggs. He immediately rejected them and turned to head towards his recliner. After working all morning, he was ready for a break.
Dak had already informed him earlier about who in Konoha should not be allowed to own Pokémon. Danzo and all of Root were on that list, and even most of the Shimura clan, to which Danzo belonged, were excluded.
On the other hand, those influenced by the "Will of Fire" were generally acceptable, especially the younger generation and those without a clan. Despite the lofty and vague nature of the "Will of Fire," it had indeed optimized the mindset and quality of the ninjas, making them more suitable to become trainers.
"Lord Danzo requests your presence."
The Root ninjas, like machines, ignored Chaton's words and silently carried out Danzo's orders to escort Chaton.
"I'm tired, not interested."
Chaton had been mentored by Borsalino, and his attitude towards others naturally reflected Borsalino's nonchalant demeanor. If it were someone from Sakazuki's faction, these two ninjas would likely already be on the ground.
"Please come with us."
The two ninjas moved closer, looking up at Chaton. While Chaton might seem short compared to others in the pirate world, he still stood over two meters tall, towering over the average ninja who stood at around 1.7 meters. In Konoha, Chaton was a giant.
"Quick Attack."
Chaton didn't even look at the two ninjas, simply muttering a command as he continued toward his recliner.
"What?"
The Root ninjas were momentarily confused, not understanding what Chaton meant. The next moment, they understood. The two seemingly harmless Pokémon suddenly transformed into streaks of white light, hurtling towards them at incredible speed.
Boom! Crack.
Raticate and Bibarel reappeared where the two Root ninjas had stood. Unfortunately, their Quick Attack missed as the ninjas used a substitution jutsu at the last second to escape, leaving behind two logs that were smashed to splinters.
This showed that the Pokémon weren't holding back—they had intended to kill the ninjas. This behavior stemmed from Chaton's training methods. He rarely let his Pokémon fight, but when they did, he trained them to kill.
As a result, both Pokémon had developed an instinct: either don't fight or fight to the death.
The Root ninjas were now drenched in cold sweat. The flash of light had reminded them of Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, whose white chakra blade had terrorized the ninja world. His speed was faster, but the Root ninjas were not elite, so the pressure from these Pokémon was immense.
"Store manager, you'd better consider the consequences of attacking us."
"That's right, just come with us to Root. You won't regret it."
The two Root ninjas were still trying to negotiate. But Chaton didn't respond. The two Pokémon didn't stop either. The ensuing battle saw Chaton remain silent while his Pokémon fought independently.
First, the two Pokémon used Double Team, throwing the ninjas into chaos. They never expected the Pokémon to know the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, a forbidden technique.
"Retreat."
One of the ninjas, realizing they were outmatched, ordered a retreat. But as they turned to flee, they felt electric waves in the air, followed by a sudden paralysis. Their bodies became sluggish, and they collapsed to the ground.
Paralyzed Status.
Though this status lasted only a moment, it was enough for Bibarel to launch an attack. The ground exploded as Bibarel emerged, biting into one ninja's head with Crunch, leaving a gruesome scene. Meanwhile, Raticate also used Crunch but was too far away. The other ninja managed to escape with a Body Flicker Technique, vanishing into the crowd on the streets.
"Raticate," Raticate growled, ready to give chase. With its keen sense of smell, tracking the ninja would be easy.
"Don't chase; you've learned that lesson at the Pokémon Academy."
Chaton stopped Raticate. Chasing into Root's lair would be dangerous. Raticate was initially a helper Pokémon at the Pokémon Academy, later brought out by Chaton.
"Clean up the mess."
Chaton pointed to the corpse on the ground, then began to doze off. Both Hiruzen and Danzo would undoubtedly hear about this. If Danzo dared to confront him, Chaton would respect his bravery. But Hiruzen would likely prevent his old friend from making a suicidal move.
Sure enough, that night, Hiruzen stood at the entrance of the Shimura clan's compound, stopping Danzo from going out under the cover of darkness.
"Don't get yourself killed; the Pokémon Alliance isn't something we can handle."
"Are you saying I should swallow this and let these outsiders shit on my head?" Danzo was furious.
But Hiruzen, having known Danzo for decades, understood his real intentions. If Danzo were truly angry, he'd be silent and act from the shadows, not making such a public fuss.
"What do you want?"
Hiruzen knew Danzo was seeking compensation.
"I have no interest in those bizarre beasts. But this morning, I heard your shop sells potions that can quickly heal external wounds and instantly dispel genjutsu?"
Danzo revealed his true intentions.
"You want that?"
"Yes, I want the recipe. My Root will modify it and produce better ones. I'll have the Shimura clan run a pharmacy to sell them, giving you and the village a 20% share."
Danzo hadn't fully grasped the power of Pokémon yet, so he wasn't interested in them. But the potions intrigued him, especially for Root's experiments. These potions could extend the lifespan of subjects and increase the success rate of experiments.
Of course, Danzo wouldn't tell Hiruzen this. He'd claim he wanted them to make money.
"..." Hiruzen believed Danzo, trusting that he wouldn't harm the village. "I can't directly ask for the recipe, but I can have someone buy them and analyze them at Konoha Hospital, then give you the formula."
"Fine, just send over the ingredients."
Danzo nodded impatiently. But in reality, he felt he had gotten a great deal. Trading a Root ninja's life for these potions was worth it.
Danzo suspected Hiruzen had badmouthed him to the Pokémon Alliance and made a mental note to remember this.
Danzo had never intended to go head-to-head with the Pokémon Alliance. Sending the Root ninjas was just a test—to see if the Shimura clan could trade with them and to gauge how much they valued their Pokémon.
Now he had his answers. The Pokémon Alliance had strong reservations about the Shimura clan and Root, and they valued their Pokémon highly. Knowing this, Danzo knew how to proceed.
After all, he wasn't called the "Darkness of the Shinobi" for nothing.
(End of Chapter)