"I see, old man."
Although Jiraiya was somewhat reluctant, he understood the importance of the matter. The old man was clearly paving the way for his disciple.
Even though Jiraiya often stayed far from Konoha, he still kept up with its news and events from time to time.
Currently, Konoha had two standout geniuses. The most renowned was Nawaki of the Senju clan, who had inherited the power of Wood Style. With vast chakra reserves and remarkable recovery abilities, Nawaki was practically at the top of the must-kill list for every other ninja village.
No village wanted to see another Senju Hashirama emerge and dominate the ninja world. As a result, spies from rival villages frequently infiltrated Konoha to gather intelligence on Nawaki.
Despite losing numerous ninja teams in the process, they considered it a worthwhile sacrifice if they could eliminate Nawaki.
Fortunately, Nawaki had been rigorously trained by Orochimaru. Having once witnessed Nawaki's near-death and subsequently saving him, Orochimaru showed no leniency in his teachings afterward.
The second famous figure was Namikaze Minato, known for his exceptional mission record. In just over six months, Minato had completed more than 30 A-rank missions without a single failure.
His efficiency and skill had drawn considerable attention, especially as rumors of him mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique began to spread.
One ninja inherited the First Hokage's legendary Wood Style, while the other wielded the Second Hokage's iconic Flying Thunder God Technique. Both were marked as must-kill targets by the leaders of other villages.
Currently, Nawaki's bounty at the underground gold exchange stood at 70 million ryo, while Namikaze Minato's bounty was 40 million ryo.
After sending Jiraiya away, Sarutobi Hiruzen silently puffed on his pipe, his mind too troubled for rest.
The times were turbulent. Reviewing the latest Anbu report, Hiruzen noted that Uzumaki Kushina had spent the entire afternoon at Kain's house, only leaving in the evening to return home.
"We'll have to handle this carefully," Hiruzen muttered to himself. "If Tsunade has to be moved to the Rock Shinobi front lines, Jiraiya and a group of Jōnin should be enough to handle things here. As for Cloud Shinobi, once they make a move, we can send others out."
Having made his decision, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his attention to the next issue on his desk.
Recently, the controversy surrounding Hatake Sakumo had escalated. Reports indicated that a ninja saved by Sakumo had publicly accused him after drinking, claiming that Sakumo's decision to prioritize his comrades had endangered the mission.
Although the Uchiha Police Force had tried to quell these rumors, "Anbu" had seemingly fueled them instead.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a surge of anger. "Danzo," he muttered, "using Anbu's name for your own schemes again."
He sighed deeply. "Tomorrow, he must be reined in. Sakumo has already suffered enough. We need him for the war. There's no reason to push him any further."
However, another question nagged at him. Why was the Uchiha Police Force so invested in defending Hatake Sakumo, while other clans seemed indifferent? Could it be that Sakumo had ties to the Uchiha clan?
This thought gave Hiruzen pause. He suddenly understood Danzo's motivations. If Hatake Sakumo truly had some sort of alliance or connection with the Uchiha clan, then Danzo would want to suppress him at all costs.
Ever since the death of Uchiha Kagami, the previous Uchiha patriarch had become increasingly insular and family-focused. If Sakumo had indeed formed ties with the Uchiha, it could complicate matters further.
Uchiha Fugaku, the new Uchiha patriarch, is the son of Uchiha Hamada. He seems to have inherited Uchiha Hamada's will—otherwise, Hamada would likely have passed the position of patriarch to Kagami.
Eventful times!
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed heavily. Still, he found some comfort in the belief that with another 20 years of his leadership, Konoha would grow increasingly prosperous under his governance.
Early the next morning, Kain heard a sound in his house, faint yet sharp, like a suppressed gunshot. He had used Apparition to return to Konoha.
'Apparition is truly convenient,' Kain thought to himself. 'Next, I should try integrating Apparition into combat. If an opponent can't counter it, dealing with this kind of space magic would be almost impossible.'
Kain now had a habit of resting in other locations each night and returning to Konoha at dawn. In emergencies, he could instantly Apparate to any location.
With his immense magical power, Kain could traverse the entire ninja world without limits. Additionally, his ability to absorb natural energy further increased his magic's upper limit—something other wizards or magical creatures could never achieve.
This was an advantage granted by his incorporation of Hashirama's cells.
"The next step is to wait for Shinno to perfect the copied Super Soldier Serum," Kain mused. "But this he isn't the same as the one from 20 years in the future—it will take some time to achieve perfection. Orochimaru doesn't have the time to help, so should I ask Tsunade?"
The Super Soldier Serum was vital. If Tsunade succeeded in cracking the formula, the serum wouldn't remain unique to him. Yet, after considering the idea further, Kain dismissed it.
Shinno was his current priority. Providing him with the necessary support—whether in experimental subjects or assistants—was the most practical path forward.
"The search for the next world is nearly complete. Perhaps I should prepare for that. Still, I can't entirely abandon the ninja world for now; I'll have to check back periodically."
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