Resolve

"Dōton, you're the finest assistant I've ever had, and the finest ninja. The other members of the Hand don't even compare to you."

The Leader looked at Akimichi Dōton ahead of him, a satisfied expression on his face.

He knew Akimichi Dōton had been assigned to keep an eye on him, but he didn't care. The Hand and the remnants of Umbrella were nothing to worry about.

Even Hydra were nothing but a bunch of swine in The Leader's eyes.

The only people he thought highly of were Stark and the sorcerer who had thwarted his plans last time.

"You're too kind."

"I know you're following me under orders to keep watch, and I don't mind. If there's anything you need to report but don't know about, just ask me. I'll tell you."

The Leader could see the deep-seated loyalty to the mission in Akimichi Dōton. He was the sort who stayed faithful to the end—a perfect enforcer.

To win over someone like him, The Leader had to treat him with sincerity.

Only then, after his former employer died, might he truly be able to bring him over to his side.

In The Leader's eyes, a talent like Akimichi Dōton was far more valuable than the Hand or Madame Gao.

He wasn't any good at fighting, and he needed someone to handle basic security and daily affairs.

There weren't many people he could truly trust. Once he had Akimichi Dōton on his side, the man would be more than capable of taking on important responsibilities!

Madame Gao was still alive, of course, so Akimichi Dōton wouldn't betray her.

But everyone died eventually!

"The Hand's five fingers can use special methods to come back to life. You can tell Madame Gao that I can crack their formula and drastically reduce the