A True Genius?!

"They're actually all dead?"

Shimura Danzō looked at the report in his hand, feeling as if his heart were bleeding.

Ever since, more than ten years ago, he had gone to the Rain Country in high spirits with a group of Root ninja to win over Demigod Hanzo and add leverage to his bid for Hokage.

And then—

There had been no "then"!

All of Root's elites had died there, and even he had nearly failed to make it out.

Forced to "start a new file," Danzō had gone through no small amount of anxiety before finally producing an "A" who possessed Wood Release.

He had pinned all his hopes on that boy, hoping he could help Root rise again and allow him to make a push for the Hokage's seat.

But not only had the assassination of Hiruzen Sarutobi failed, the man had then turned around and had private feelings drawn out of him by Kakashi?

Even more infuriating was that afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi had come directly to demand the person from him!

Faced with such a situation, Danzō immediately backed down.

If you want the man, then take him. But what is the meaning of bringing a crowd of Anbu to surround Root?

If you ask, would I not give him to you?

Thus, "A" was gone, and now his name had been changed to "Tenzō."

However, even under such a heavy blow, Danzō had not sunk into despair. In secret, he and Orochimaru had studied the power of Wood Release thoroughly, and afterward, he had even fulfilled his teacher's long-cherished wish by sending the entire Uchiha away.

He thought that level of achievement ought to count for something, but who would have expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to turn around without even unhitching the millstone and slaughter him like a donkey!

Root was temporarily disbanded, and he was temporarily suspended. Even though he had still retained quite a few people, it could no longer compare to the past.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that, after his limited reinstatement for special reasons, when he hardened his heart and sent the remaining elites to Kirigakure to investigate Obito Uchiha's intelligence in advance or seize the Mangekyō Sharingan—

In the end, his own people had vanished soundlessly again, as if they were nothing more than dogs by the roadside?

And every last one of them was gone!

"Those naturally evil Uchiha."

Danzō cursed angrily. His forehead kept twitching, and the hand holding the intelligence was clenched tight.

There were not many people left in Root now. Aside from his personal guards and a small number of capable people, the rest were all brats who still needed training.

"Root still needs to replenish its talent."

Danzō's mind was a mess, but just then, Yamanaka Fu carefully came up behind him and spoke in a low voice.

"Lord Danzō, the Hokage has sent someone over again..."

"Here to rush me again?"

Shimura Danzō frowned. He did want to curse a few times, but looking at the scroll in his hand, he ultimately chose to keep his mouth shut.

He no longer had many cards left, and the plan had failed. It was time to give Hiruzen Sarutobi an explanation.

"If you're in that much of a hurry, then I'll let you get a look at everything over in Kirigakure too."

Thinking of this, Shimura Danzō turned to look at Yamanaka Fu and spoke in a deep voice.

"Go tell that fellow to bring Hiruzen a message."

"Root has fulfilled its mission and already obtained enough intelligence."

Konoha, at a training ground.

Kitagawa Gen had just run over to report in when he saw Kakashi and Jiraiya standing together.

"Teacher Kakashi."

Kitagawa Gen nodded to Kakashi, then looked at Jiraiya with a puzzled expression.

"Eh, Lord Jiraiya, you're here too?"

"What kind of tone is that, brat? Can't this great sage come take a look at you?"

Jiraiya snorted twice before continuing.

"You little bastard, because of you, Kakashi and I have been getting grabbed by the old man and scolded all the time lately. You're really something."

"Ha..."

Kitagawa Gen smiled indifferently, but when he thought of Naruto coming back from school these past few days with that utterly dejected look, he found it a little funny.

Clearly, that kid had probably been trained pretty miserably by Iruka at school...

And probably not just him. None of the students could escape, right?

"Gen, here."

At this moment, Kakashi took out a short blade and handed it to Kitagawa Gen.

"Graduating smoothly, completing your first mission—these are all things worth remembering.

"But I've never had any gift for you. This time, consider it making up for that.

"This blade was once my father's sword, and I used it for a period of time too. It's just that I no longer use it now.

"And since you've learned my sword techniques, I'll pass it on to you. I hope you can use it well."

"Sakumo's blade?"

Jiraiya blinked, and in his mind, that spirited man from back then, known as the "Konoha White Fang," seemed to appear again.

Unfortunately, too many things had truly happened back then, and he was not in much of a position to judge.

He actually agreed very much with Sakumo's actions. Companions were the existence a ninja most needed to cherish.

But during wartime, missions came first. One could not abandon a critical mission just to save a companion, because that would lead to even more ninja dying in battle.

So he could only sigh, then laugh in a teasing tone.

"No way. You're really giving this blade to this brat?"

"Mm."

Kakashi nodded, and the eye exposed outside his mask curved into a crescent.

"I don't use it anymore. Rather than leaving it at home to gather dust, it's better to hand it to someone more suitable."

"Thank you, Teacher Kakashi."

Kitagawa Gen accepted the blade and nodded seriously. Only then did he slowly draw the short blade out.

The blade was not long, but it was extremely sharp, and it even faintly reflected the sunlight.

Clearly, Kakashi had gone to some effort to find someone to repair it and had it polished again as well.

Moreover, Kitagawa Gen could feel that this blade seemed to conduct Chakra quite well. Thinking of this, the Chakra within his body stirred slightly.

Szzzz—

In an instant, the blade was covered in a layer of purple lightning!

"Its compatibility with Chakra is extremely strong too. And the more Chakra there is, the more the sharpness and toughness of the blade improve?"

Kitagawa Gen silently muttered to himself after feeling it for a moment. Now he even somewhat suspected that the reason Kakashi's blade had been broken back then was because he had not infused enough Chakra into it.

Shaking his head, he cut off his Chakra, then put the short blade away. Only then did he bow slightly to Kakashi.

"I won't let this blade gather dust, Teacher Kakashi."

"All right, all right, you two. You're making it weirdly sappy."

Jiraiya pursed his lips and shook his head, cutting the two of them off. Then he smiled and said,

"Use that blade well, kid. Just don't embarrass yourself. After all, its previous owner... was a hero."

"Mm."

Kitagawa Gen nodded, then asked with some confusion.

"Right, Lord Jiraiya, did you come over to give me a gift too?"

"Tch, wait until you become a chūnin or jōnin."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes before continuing.

"The old man demanded it. He told me to come take a look at your cultivation progress.

"Honestly, that's the Flying Thunder God. If it were really that simple, it wouldn't—"

"I've made some progress."

However, before Jiraiya could finish speaking, Kitagawa Gen directly interrupted him.

"Hmm?"

His words instantly made both Jiraiya and Kakashi's eyes widen.

"Progress? You mean..."

"Lord Jiraiya said that the difficulty of the Flying Thunder God lies in control over Chakra, and of course, also in sensing space."

Kitagawa Gen smiled and took out a kunai. After he gripped it tightly, the Chakra within his body began to surge faintly.

"That sort of thing is mysterious and abstruse. It really does leave people confused. But my luck is pretty good. I've already found a bit of that feeling."

As he spoke, he stood the kunai upright. Under Jiraiya and Kakashi's stunned gazes, a peculiar Cursed Seal had already appeared on the kunai!

"So."

The next instant, Kitagawa Gen threw the kunai behind them.

Along with a surge of Chakra, in a flash, Kitagawa Gen's figure had already vanished from before their eyes, while that guy's voice came from behind them!

"I think I can use this technique in a simple way now!"

"."

Kitagawa Gen's voice was not loud, yet it seemed to shake the two of them into speechlessness.

They turned their heads blankly and looked at Kitagawa Gen, who had already caught the kunai. For a moment, a golden figure surfaced in both their minds.

"Minato..."

"Teacher..."

The two of them each murmured softly, their gazes filled with recollection, longing, and disbelief!

But right at that moment, an Anbu hurried over.