"Ah, someone's here..."
Noticing someone outside, Ringo Yūri immediately flashed into the house.
These past few days, following the principle that less trouble was better, Ringo Yūri had been using the Transformation Technique to disguise herself.
Even so, she remained extremely cautious, afraid that someone might see through her identity.
Soon, the person outside was led in by Ino Yamanaka.
"Young Master, someone from Root is here..."
Danzo's man?
Akira Sarutobi, seated in a chair in the hall, raised his eyes.
A young man with an expressionless face and sunglasses walked in.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with a purple lightning-shaped mark on his cheek.
"Danzo's right-hand man... Ryoma Aburame..."
Since he often followed Danzo around and they saw each other all the time, Akira Sarutobi naturally recognized him.
"Young Master Ryo, it has been a long time." Ryoma Aburame spoke slowly.
His sunglasses hid his eyes, making his thoughts impossible to read.
"Lord Danzo, Lord Hokage, and the others heard about your mission experience. Everyone was quite shocked..."
He had only just become a Jonin and joined the Anbu, yet he had already caused such a huge stir.
If Anbu members had not needed to keep their identities secret, the whole of Konoha would probably already have been thrown into an uproar.
Therefore.
Akira Sarutobi's mission record was currently only circulating among the upper ranks.
But no matter what.
Having killed Raiga Kurosuki, who wielded the Lightning Blades, in his very first outing meant that Akira Sarutobi could be directly judged to possess the strength to contend with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
—Even if Raiga Kurosuki had only recently acquired the Lightning Blades and ranked near the bottom among them.
Such a record was simply too astonishing.
The only newly promoted Jonin who could perhaps achieve something similar was Minato Namikaze, who was likewise shining brilliantly.
Ryoma Aburame raised his hand.
The two Root ninja accompanying him took out several items.
Anbu masks, uniforms, identification tokens, ninja tools, and... some premium medicinal herbs for treating injuries.
The earlier items were understandable, but the latter were rather thought-provoking.
Danzo... wants to win me over?
In just a few seconds, countless guesses flashed through Akira Sarutobi's mind.
"Young Master Ryo, please focus on recovering. We can discuss everything else after you return to the village."
Ryoma Aburame nodded toward Nonō.
If it had merely been a guess before, then Ryoma Aburame's complete silence regarding the manor and its businesses confirmed Akira Sarutobi's suspicions.
After this incident, the upper ranks seemed to have tacitly approved of his plan to establish a port industry around a small town here.
This kind of distribution of benefits was equivalent to a form of bribery.
Having received the signal, Nonō stopped the treatment and followed Ryoma Aburame outside.
"Wow, that guy... was Ryoma Aburame..."
Ringo Yūri sneaked out from inside.
Danzo's subordinate, his right-hand man, his most loyal lackey, and an insect user who inspired disgust and fear.
Of course, as an elite Jonin with countless military achievements, he had completed who knew how many dark missions, enough to make him infamous.
"Ryoma Aburame came all this way in person and even sought out Yakushi Nonō..."
Akira Sarutobi tapped his fingers as his thoughts turned.
Was something... about to happen?
Outside.
After leaving the manor, Ryoma Aburame looked around in all directions. Only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did he speak.
"The upper ranks have a mission for you..."
Ryoma Aburame's tone immediately made Nonō understand who had issued this order.
If it had been Lord Hokage, he would have directly said it was the Third Generation.
If it had been Danzo, he would have directly said Lord Danzo.
But the words "the upper ranks" meant that the next mission had been jointly issued by Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Danzo.
"Did... something happen?"
Nonō frowned.
Could another war be breaking out? The Second Shinobi World War had only just ended. It shouldn't be...
The spoils that the Five Great Nations had plundered from the smaller nations should have been enough to sustain them for years before they could be fully digested.
"The three upper ranks require you to do something... Listen..."
Ryoma Aburame's tone gradually turned cold.
After Nonō heard the specific arrangements, her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! You want to target Mr. Sakumo..."
"Don't be nervous."
Ryoma Aburame narrowed his eyes.
"We only want to damage his reputation a little... It won't have much of an impact..."
After all, the upper ranks did not want Konoha's White Fang to become Hokage.
But he was too much of an obstacle.
With such tremendous public support, he was simply too competitive.
Therefore... tarnishing his name and making him unable to run for the next Hokage was the upper ranks' plan.
To accomplish this, they needed to arrange a flawless mission—also a trap—for Hatake Sakumo to walk into.
"You are the village's finest spy. Only you can handle this. Depart immediately..."
Ryoma Aburame instructed.
"I... understand..." Nonō lowered her eyelids and spoke softly.
Nonō's unannounced departure made Akira Sarutobi suspicious.
Although Ryoma Aburame had found someone else to replace her in treating him, Akira Sarutobi, who did not trust them, politely declined the offer.
As someone who had transmigrated, Akira Sarutobi was deeply familiar with the plot of Naruto.
After making deductions, he quickly reached a conclusion.
"Could it be... that the upper ranks' operation against Konoha's White Fang has begun?"
To avoid further complications, Akira Sarutobi decided that after tonight, he would set out for Konoha first thing tomorrow morning.
Before that, however, there was still one matter to handle.
"Ringo Yūri."
After Ryoma Aburame and the others had completely departed, Akira Sarutobi looked at the genius girl from the Hidden Mist.
[Inject the Will of Fire into Ringo Yūri] [Progress: 39%] [Mission Reward: Ice Release Potential]
"Hm? What do you want with me, old lady?" Still unaware of her fate, Yūri wore the same teasing expression.
"Your greatest regret was that you never properly fell in love, right?"
Akira Sarutobi's blunt question left Ringo Yūri frozen on the spot.
"Is, is it really that obvious?!" Ringo Yūri cried out. She had no idea... just how familiar Akira Sarutobi was with this world.
"Yes, it is very obvious." Akira Sarutobi put on a stern face and spoke with utmost seriousness. "So..."
Ringo Yūri: "So?"
"Date me, Ringo Yūri." Akira Sarutobi said coldly.
Ringo Yūri, I want you to become my Will of Fire Weapon!
Ringo Yūri: "Ehh~~?!"
The next second, without giving her any chance to refuse, Akira Sarutobi grabbed Ringo Yūri's wrist and dragged her downstairs.
"W-wait~~! Wait!!"
Ringo Yūri struggled desperately, but as a 143-centimeter-tall little big sister, how could she possibly be a match for Akira Sarutobi?
Soon, Ringo Yūri's wail began to ring out. "I want to fall in love, but... not this kind of perverted romance~~~!"
Snow Clan · Ice Release Remains
Time passed...
The next day.
As the morning sun rose, a shadow departed.
"Hah..."
Ringo Yūri let out a long sigh, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Traces of the Will of Fire were everywhere.
Her whole body was weak and sore. She could not even lift a finger.
Outside the window, a gentle breeze blew.
In this beautiful season, the stonecrop flowers... bloomed.
In the end, with her body aching terribly, she could only sigh. "What an... asshole..."
As Ringo Yūri stared at the ceiling, a certain change was taking place upon her body.
A faint pattern silently appeared across her lower abdomen.
Slowly, it formed a leaf-like flame mark.
It seemed to symbolize a "Will of Fire Weapon."
Below the pattern, several characters forming a name were etched last... "Akira Sarutobi."
The completed pattern flashed once, then vanished from sight.
"Take care, sir..."
From the closed entrance of the house came the voice of that little girl called Crimson Lotus.
Clearly, that guy had left.
He had deceived her, then deceived her in that way too.
Even the corpse she had planned to take and sell after running away had been carried off. Seriously... sigh...
Before you continue