New Reward: Summoning Yakushi Kabuto!

Hidezawa's words truly left everyone stunned into silence.

Yet no one could offer any rebuttal. On the contrary, the more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became—what Hidezawa said seemed to be completely correct!

From a ninja's perspective, it really was entirely different from viewing things from the village's perspective.

Ninjas only needed to fight, but a village had far more to consider.

After leaving Yugao behind to watch over Pakura, who still wore an expression of disbelief but had fallen completely silent, Hidezawa and Shisui stepped outside.

"You tricked her?"

After struggling with it for quite a while, Shisui finally asked curiously.

"No. I said it was all just my speculation."

Hidezawa shrugged indifferently.

"But I think things are very likely to develop in that direction. Sunagakure can't hold out for that long.

War isn't just about manpower; it also depends on financial resources. I heard that the Fourth Kazekage had to pan for gold himself. Senior, do you know what that means?"

"It means the Daimyo reduced Sunagakure's financial support?"

Shisui was, after all, from the Uchiha Clan. Even if he was a little naïve, there were still some things he knew.

"That's right. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in such dire straits."

Hidezawa nodded. Looking at the land bathed in silver moonlight, he turned and smiled.

"The environment of the Wind Country means they have to buy vast quantities of supplies, and that takes money. Training ninjas takes money too, and war costs even more, so..."

"They really might do as you said—settle one conflict and focus all their strength on facing Iwagakure, making the Third Tsuchikage afraid to act recklessly!"

Shisui completely understood at that moment, but the way he looked at Hidezawa had changed somewhat as well.

How did this guy think of so much?

Back in Konohagakure, Hidezawa had already choked him with those words. Though Shisui hadn't taken it to heart, he really had felt uncomfortable at the time.

But thinking back on it now, hadn't Hidezawa already understood the Hokage's intentions back then—intentions that everyone else had misunderstood, that even the elders of his clan had failed to grasp?

"Hidezawa-kun, where exactly did you train before?"

Thinking of this, aside from admiration, Shisui could no longer hold back his curiosity. But he soon seemed to realize something.

"Wait... if it's inconvenient, Hidezawa-kun, you don't have to tell me."

"Then I won't."

Hidezawa nodded decisively. Shisui was an old hand in the Anbu, and as an Uchiha, it was difficult for him not to know certain things.

"Fine, then what should we do next?"

Shisui did not dwell on it. Once you entered the Anbu, you learned that some things should not be asked about. He directly changed the subject.

"Your speculation may well be true, but we don't have any further evidence yet, so..."

"No rush. That Pakura probably doesn't know much either. To be safe, Senior should try it personally."

Hidezawa rubbed his chin. Though Shisui was nominally the captain, this guy was somewhat unreliable.

But unreliable was exactly what he wanted!

Hidezawa hoped Shisui would just be the one issuing orders, so that if anything really went wrong, he could take the blame. As for everything else, Hidezawa could handle it himself.

As for Pakura, Hidezawa already had an idea. It was not mature yet, but she was still rather important.

"Senior, it would be best to keep Pakura alive for now. She might have a greater use."

"Mm."

Shisui nodded seriously, his expression incomparably earnest.

"If things really proceed according to your speculation, then she truly cannot die. She can be exchanged for peace!"

"..."

Hidezawa pursed his lips. He now somewhat understood why Shisui had foolishly told Danzo about the secret of his Mangekyo.

This kid had a screw loose.

But Hidezawa did not explain further. He casually waved a hand and headed outside.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Senior. I'll go take a look around and see if I can find a water source."

"Sorry to trouble you. And be careful."

Shisui nodded. He now trusted Hidezawa completely. After giving him a simple reminder, he turned and walked back inside.

Hidezawa slowly wandered through the ruined village, which had most likely been massacred by Sasori. At the same time, he opened his panel.

Mission Complete: Obtain useful intelligence from Sunagakure and Kirigakure ninjas

Mission Rating: C

"..."

Looking at his panel, Hidezawa was equally bewildered. He had sensed the system notification earlier, but he simply had not focused on it.

Yet when he checked it now, the system had given him something huge?

It seemed that he had not gathered that intelligence at all. He had simply said it outright under the pretense of it being a "speculation," hadn't he?

"A true example of 'it doesn't matter how you complete it, as long as you complete it.'"

Hidezawa pursed his lips. His intelligence was one hundred percent accurate, so counting this as "completing the mission" did seem perfectly reasonable.

If even this counted as completion, then he had even more confidence in some of his upcoming plans.

If they succeeded, Lord Danzo would truly become famous throughout Sunagakure...

Reward Obtained: 1 Free Point

Special Reward Obtained Due to Causing an Uncontrollable Impact

Scorch Release Experience and Insights

"Scorch Release experience and insights?"

Hidezawa frowned slightly, but after examining it carefully, he immediately understood what this reward was about.

He truly could not obtain a Kekkei Genkai, but there were two types of bloodline limits in the ninja world. One was possessed by a very small number of people from birth, fused into their bloodline.

For example, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, and the Senju Clan's absurd physique.

These were inherited from the Otsutsuki, or rather, came from mutations of the fruit.

The other type was obtained through the acquired fusion of Chakra, thereby creating a Kekkei Genkai. This kind of power could be artificially controlled.

Hidezawa had long had thoughts in this direction, since it was also his only path. He had not expected to receive such a reward now.

This reward contained Pakura's own insights and experiences when using Scorch Release, and those insights and experiences could help Hidezawa when he fused Chakra himself!

"This really is a good thing."

Hidezawa's eyes lit up. With something like this, he could greatly save time and enormously improve the efficiency of fusion!

It was a successful example, after all. It was a "formula problem"—there was absolutely no issue with directly using it.

"But I still need more help right now."

Although he was excited, Hidezawa knew what he needed to do.

Reining in his thoughts, he took out a scroll and quickly entered some information into it.

Forming hand seals with both hands, the scroll disappeared from before his eyes moments later, and his gaze turned toward the distance.

"Hurry up. I'm waiting for you now..."

Hidezawa murmured. What he had used was a technique he had unexpectedly obtained after completing a Root mission to wipe out an entire family.

As for the other person who used this technique, he was the future dream-maker, one of the masterminds behind the ninja world, one of the classic cases of someone being whitewashed, and the menace who had screwed Hidezawa over when they were children—

Yakushi Kabuto!

Although a minor matter between them—such as Kabuto "merely" tricking Hidezawa into joining Root—had led Hidezawa to pummel him relentlessly at the Training Ground for years, they had both come from the Orphanage, and Kabuto carried some guilt in his heart. Their relationship was still relatively decent.

Most importantly, Hidezawa knew Kabuto's potential, so he had given this technique to Kabuto.

Aside from occasionally allowing them to exchange information about Yakushi Nonō that Hidezawa had learned in Konohagakure, it could also bring them closer together.

And now, this technique seemed capable of serving an even greater purpose.