Pilfer

The Land of Rivers had always been a "major power" in metal ore production, but aside from that, it was a standard small nation in every other respect.

On the battlefield of the Land of Rain during the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzō had once set his sights on the Land of Rivers, aiming to rise and become the sixth hidden village of the shinobi world. However, Konoha and Sunagakure caught wind of it and, almost in unison, launched their war in the Land of Rain. After a single campaign, Hanzō's ambitions were crushed.

The Land of Rivers was a nation sandwiched between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain. Though rich in metal ore resources, it had no shinobi village of its own. While the Daimyo's Mansion was guarded by samurai and a few ninja, it was nowhere near a proper military force.

The Yunhe Iron Mine had only recently been opened, reportedly the largest iron mine in the Land of Rivers.

Once this news spread, the Daimyos of both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind grew restless, eager to reach in and claim a share of the spoils.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire wanted a larger cut, and since he had married a cousin of the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, he tried to leverage that connection to secure more shares. But the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers refused him repeatedly, and after several rejections, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire flew into a rage.

So the Daimyo of the Land of Fire turned to Konoha!

He wanted them to eliminate the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers and kill two of his heirs. That way, the nephew of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's wife could become the new Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, and the Yunhe Iron Mine's shares could be redistributed in his favor.

With an iron mine this large, even a single share could bring in one or two hundred million ryo a year—more than enough to tempt the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent Mitokado Homura personally to the Daimyo's Mansion to negotiate. Konoha had to take on this mission, but the Daimyo's Mansion shouldn't be stingy with next year's funding.

The shinobi world was growing increasingly turbulent. The major villages kept testing each other, and the fragile peace forged after the Second Shinobi World War was on the verge of shattering. Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to prepare for the worst.

Meanwhile, in Root, Danzo was also brooding over the Yunhe Iron Mine affair.

Danzo had never forgotten the humiliation the Uchiha had dealt him. He also remembered the Second Hokage's policy toward the Uchiha—an unstable clan. Even if there were shinobi like Kagami Uchiha who cared for the village, they were only a minority within the Uchiha.

"An unstable clan like that, a threat to the village, should be confined to a corner, watched with utmost vigilance. Or even eliminated!"

Thinking back to that day's humiliation at the Security Force, a blaze of anger always flared in Danzo's heart. Dozens of clan members, tens of millions of ryo in goods, and the disgrace of being stripped of his position as Hokage's Assistant...

"Hatake Sakumo."

Just thinking of him filled Danzo with fury. He refused to believe that Hatake Sakumo couldn't see that the evidence was a frame-up. Yet Sakumo had still chosen the Uchiha.

If Sakumo succeeded in this mission, he would not only gain immense prestige in the village but also at the Daimyo's Mansion...

"Kō, notify the Root operatives outside. Have them infiltrate the Land of Rivers ahead of time. Then... make contact with the Sunagakure spies."

"Yes!"

A Root ninja acknowledged and immediately vanished with a Body Flicker Technique. Though Hiruzen Sarutobi had ordered the Anbu to take over Root, he had returned it to Danzo within just a few days.

Only Danzo could handle Root's methods. Even if the Anbu took over, it would take at least a month or two of restructuring before they could make proper use of it.

A thought flickered through Danzo's mind, and his eyes turned cold as he muttered, "Only I can lead Konoha to eliminate war..."

[Pilfer]: Once per day, you have a chance to steal. Through physical contact, you can steal any single item from the target.

This ability...

Uchiha Yoichi studied it carefully. It seemed pretty impressive on the surface, and there were no obvious 'side effects.' It could definitely be used in combat.

If he made contact during a fight and the enemy's weapon suddenly vanished, wouldn't they be done for?

"Time to test it out."

Yoichi glanced out the window. It was already early morning, but it looked like Uzumaki Mina was still awake. So he left his bedroom and headed downstairs.

In the living room, Uzumaki Mina was eating a late-night snack. She had cooked a pot of ramen, along with three sushi rolls and a plate of sashimi—a considerable amount.

When Mina saw Yoichi coming downstairs, her face flushed red. Embarrassed, she said, "Lord Yoichi, I didn't eat enough for dinner, so I made myself a little snack."

But inside, she panicked and regretted, thinking, I should have eaten this in my room. Now Lord Yoichi knows how much I eat...

"You don't need to explain that to me. Using chakra every day means you have to replenish your nutrients. Next time, keep more meat in the house."

Yoichi waved his hand dismissively. He was a big eater himself. When shinobi consumed too much chakra, they often used food to replenish it.

Given how long he trained every day, plus the fact that the Godzilla inside him was still growing, his food requirements had multiplied several times over.

"By the way, Mina, come here and shake my hand."

"Shake hands?"

Though confused, Mina still extended her hand. But she felt a little shy inside. Why would Lord Yoichi suddenly want to hold my hand? Could it be...

Before the thought could fully form in her mind, a wave of weakness suddenly washed over Uzumaki Mina. Her entire body went limp, and she collapsed to the floor.

And Uchiha Yoichi, who was shaking her hand, suddenly felt a surge of chakra pour into his body, filling him with power from head to toe.

Chakra was an energy refined from the mixture of Physical Energy and Spiritual Energy. To a shinobi, it was like a tonic.

Mina spoke weakly, "Lord... Lord Yoichi, I have no strength left..."

Hearing this, Yoichi immediately opened the Superpower Roulette. On the Pilfer ability, he saw a notification.

[Ability activated successfully. Stolen: 'Uzumaki Mina's Chakra' x1.]

Even something like chakra could be stolen, and it could even be fed back to him. Truly impressive.

"...Lord Yoichi?"

Hearing Mina's weak call, Yoichi snapped back to reality. He helped her up and said, "I was testing a Secret Technique just now. Sorry, Mina. You've lost some chakra. You need to rest now."

Mina didn't blame Yoichi after hearing that. She tried to stand up, then spoke again, "Lord Yoichi, I don't think I have the strength to get up."

"I'll take you back."

With that, Uchiha Yoichi picked Uzumaki Mina up—he felt a bit embarrassed, honestly, using her as a test subject and leaving her completely weak and limp.

"Then thank you, Lord Yoichi."

Uzumaki Mina buried her face in her chest, and while in Uchiha Yoichi's arms, she pretended to casually tilt her head and rub against him.

Back in the room, Uchiha Yoichi laid Uzumaki Mina on the bed. Just as he was about to cover her with a blanket and leave, he heard her softly remind him, "Lord Yoichi, it's not great to sleep in socks."

"Then I'll help you."

White silk over-the-knee socks? Why are you wearing something like that for a midnight snack?

When Uchiha Yoichi looked at Uzumaki Mina with a puzzled expression, she had already turned her head toward the inside of the bed.

"Get some good rest!"

As Uchiha Yoichi left, he hesitated for a moment but still left the white silk socks behind. It wasn't that he wanted to take them back—he was wondering if he should drop them in the laundry basket on his way.