After Yihe left Hokage's office, a shadowy figure stepped forward from the darkness. It was none other than Danzo, his gaze filled with ambition and determination.
"Hokage-sama, shall we proceed with our plan? Using Reiki to keep Tsunade close could work just as well as Kato Dan," Danzo said, his tone sharp. "If Reiki grows as expected, he could be even more valuable than Tsunade as Orochimaru's ally."
Hiruzen gave a weary nod. "I understand. But if Kato Dan is capable of handling it, we'll stick with him for now. I don't want any rift with Tsunade just yet. Let's also have Orochimaru make some preparations. He's been too reclusive, and his absence is being noticed."
Danzo nodded knowingly, a rare smirk crossing his face before he vanished into the shadows.
As Danzo left, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked out his office window at the familiar streets below. A conflicted look crossed his face.
"If only things hadn't come to this," he murmured before gathering his robes to head home.
---
Back in the Sarutobi household, Sarutobi Asuma was in a sour mood, barely looking at his father as they spoke.
"No way, Father. I'm not going to make nice with Reiki. He stole my team and humiliated me. Now you want me to befriend him?" Asuma scowled, still nursing his wounded pride from their last encounter.
Hiruzen sighed, calm but stern. "Asuma, you're my son. If you let pride and immediate grudges cloud your judgment, you'll never reach your full potential. Don't let your self-esteem hold you back."
"Just watch, Father. I'll become an excellent ninja, all on my own," Asuma retorted, storming out of the room.
Watching him leave, Hiruzen's wife, Sarutobi Biwaku, looked at her husband with dismay. "You expect too much from him," she said quietly, pain flashing across her face. "Shinnosuke's death… it still haunts me."
Hiruzen's expression hardened. "What would you have me do?" he snapped. "I need him to learn the cost of weakness. If we don't prepare him now, he'll be lost to his own recklessness."
---
Back in the interrogation department, Reiki was already at work with his latest assignment, a captured ninja suspected of stealing powerful relics.
The prisoner sneered, his wild eyes flickering with amusement at the young ninja before him. "Really? They sent a child to do their dirty work?" he laughed, his voice edged with mockery. "You think I'll break so easily?"
Reiki ignored him, performing a precise series of medical jutsu that quickly healed the man's injuries. The ninja's smirk began to falter as he realized that his wounds were closing, his vitality returning far faster than before.
"Think healing me will make me talk?" he sneered, masking the unease creeping into his tone. "I'm no child; your attempts at kindness won't work on me."
Reiki's gaze was steely. He wasn't expecting gratitude. As he completed the healing, his system notification popped up:
> **[Ding! Congratulations on completing the healing. 21 healing points, 32 chakra points, and B-level lightning ninjutsu acquired.]**
Reiki's lips twitched into a slight smile. The lightning technique he gained was a powerful one, "Lightning Style: Electric Flash," which converted chakra into lightning, amplifying speed and piercing power.
The ninja eyed Reiki warily, his facade of defiance beginning to slip. Before he could say another word, Reiki struck.
"Lightning Style: Electric Flash!" Reiki unleashed a jolt of energy into the man's body. The low-level jutsu caused a searing pain but no lasting harm. His previous mental repairs had heightened the ninja's sensitivity, amplifying his pain response.
The prisoner howled in pain. Despite his bravado, the intensity was something he hadn't prepared for.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Reiki taunted, raising his hand to deliver another jolt.
The prisoner, gritting his teeth in pain, managed a shaky laugh. "You think this'll make me talk? You're just a—"
"Lightning Style: Electric Flash!" Reiki repeated, watching the man's body jerk in response to the lightning surge.
In the adjacent room, Shisui watched Reiki's calm efficiency with a mix of awe and unease. There was no doubt now—Reiki had grown into a formidable force within Konoha, and his ability to seamlessly combine healing with combat skills was unlike anything Shisui had ever seen.
Reiki's interrogation method was unconventional, even unorthodox, but effective. As he stood over the writhing prisoner, it was clear that Reiki had found his place in the cycle of strength, resilience, and loyalty to the village.
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I want to thank Raja_Sihir for the MC's name change :)
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Gimme Power stones I'm Poor