The Generous Private Collection of the 5.5th Generation

Inside the Root base, the last three guards had all fallen. Confirming they wouldn't wake anytime soon, Namikaze Yoru lingered no longer and strode swiftly past the unconscious men.

As for the blood-soaked Root squad leader, Yoru could only hope the man was tough enough to survive.

As for why he didn't bother to offer aid out of village camaraderie—it was purely because the faint, unmistakable aura on that man, so reminiscent of Danzō, disgusted him. That person was likely a clansman of Shimura Danzō.

Arriving before the core stone room, the heavy door stood tightly shut, as if proclaiming its master absent.

Reaching out to touch it, he could clearly sense the sealing barriers laid upon the door. Without the correct method, forcing it open would not only fail but likely trigger a chain of traps.

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But so what?

"Pawn."

[Ding! Special door covered in barriers... Valuation: 0]

"Confirm pawn."

In an instant, the stone door vanished without a sound, as if it had never existed.

A faint smile tugged at Yoru's lips. No matter how meticulously Danzō schemed, before a "cheating player," every arrangement was futile.

Staying alert, he stepped into the core stone room. His eyes swept the surroundings, and inexplicably, a sense of familiarity struck him.

"This... why does it feel like I'm looking at the Hokage's Office?" he couldn't help but mutter.

He was certain the layout here was strikingly similar to the Hokage's Office—except the style was gloomier, bearing Danzō's personal touch. Not quite identical, but close enough to call it a copy.

"As expected of Konoha's 5.5th Hokage—already setting things up early."

With that thought, a guess formed in Yoru's mind. He walked straight to the desk and scanned the bookshelf behind it.

It was piled high with all kinds of scrolls, too many to estimate. If he had to search through every one, it would take considerable time.

The thought barely surfaced before Yoru dismissed it. He didn't have that kind of time—he was still inside the Root base, and ninjas could return at any moment.

"Pawn."

[Scan complete. Pawnable items detected as follows:]

[Ding! Intelligence scrolls *52... Valuation: 0]

[Ding! Blank scrolls *10... Valuation: 0]

[Ding! Forbidden Jutsu: Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique... Valuation: 50]

[Ding! Forbidden Jutsu: Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal... Valuation: 50]

[Ding! Forbidden Jutsu: Self-Retribution Sealing... Valuation: 50]

[Ding! Forbidden Jutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique... Valuation: 100]

An endless stream of jut scrolled across his vision, dazzling Yoru's eyes. Staring at this 5.5th Hokage's office, he could only sigh:

"Danzō, I knew you old bastard played dirty and hid deep."

This terrifying collection of forbidden techniques—even the Uchiha, Konoha's premier clan, might not compare.

"Pawn everything."

[Current Pawn Points: 2860]

"Beautiful."

In an instant, every scroll on the bookshelf, including those hidden in secret compartments, had been scanned by the system and pawned on the spot.

He even discovered several items that shouldn't have been here—things even Hiruzen Sarutobi likely didn't know existed.

Gazing at the now-empty bookshelf, then at the endlessly long redeemable list in his system, Yoru's face broke into a genuine smile.

He could imagine the look on Shimura Danzō's face when he returned to find these secret compartments stripped bare, leaving only the barriers behind.

Confirming nothing was left on the bookshelf, he turned to leave. Out of habit, he expanded his Mind's Eye of the Kagura for a final sweep.

Then he noticed it—a strange stone wall in the office. It wasn't particularly conspicuous, easy to overlook entirely.

But his Mind's Eye couldn't penetrate it, which piqued Yoru's interest.

Estimating he still had some time, Yoru approached the stone wall. Even under visual inspection, he could detect nothing unusual.

"Pawn."

[Ding! Special Metal stone wall... Valuation: 50]

"There's a hidden layer? Pawn!"

The fact that the stone wall was actually made of Special Metal inside immediately sparked Yoru's intense curiosity.

Special Metal was expensive, typically used in small amounts in chakra weapons to enhance conductivity.

Using it to build an entire stone wall was absurdly extravagant. Yoru grew even more eager to see what lay behind it.

The stone wall vanished like the door before it, revealing a cramped hidden chamber behind.

The room had poor ventilation, carrying a faint, musty odor. Its layout was extremely simple—just a few niches carved directly into the stone walls, each holding a single item.

Without the stone wall blocking it, the chamber could no longer resist Namikaze Yoru's sensory probe. Confirming there was no danger inside, he stepped in.

He casually picked up a glass bottle from a niche, labeled with the character "Mirror," and found inside a rare pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

"???"

He looked at the other niches. Some bottles held unlabeled fragments of unknown tissue floating in fluid, but their mere existence said enough.

"Pawn."

[Scan complete. Unclaimed pawnable items detected as follows:]

[Ding! Uchiha Bloodline Product (Three-Tomoe Sharingan)... Valuation: 50]

[Ding! Senju Clan High-Concentration Bloodline Flesh (very small amount)... Valuation: 10]

[Ding! Forbidden Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation... Valuation: 100]

"What the hell, I really cleaned out Danzo's stash."

Only then did Namikaze Yoru recall a detail he'd overlooked earlier—when he'd encountered Danzo at the Hokage Building, both eyes were intact, not yet wrapped in bandages like in the future.

He quickly sealed the three items into a Sealing Scroll, deciding to figure out what to do with them later.

Exiting the secret chamber, he raced back through Danzo's "Hokage's Office." Just as he neared the exit, Mind's Eye of the Kagura suddenly detected a Root Squad returning from the entrance!

With no time to overthink, right before they'd meet, Namikaze Yoru transformed into the Root squad leader he'd attacked earlier and swaggered forward to meet them.

The Root ninja were startled to see him coming up from below, but Namikaze Yoru struck first, his tone harsh:

"What's the situation in the village?"

"Shinsei-sama." The Root ninja immediately bowed before reporting:

"The assassin hasn't been found yet, but current leads point to the Kaguya Clan of the Mist."

"Shimura Shinsei" erupted in fury: "A bunch of useless trash! With Danzo-sama absent, does Konoha just let outsiders come and go as they please?!"

The other Root ninja dared not respond. The squad leader hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where are you headed, sir? It shouldn't be time for shift change yet."

"Shimura Shinsei" reacted swiftly, his tone severe: "Danzo-sama sent a secret order. I need to return to the Shimura Clan Compound immediately to handle it."

With that, he pulled the storage scroll from his robe, waved it, and walked off without another word.

Seeing him invoke Danzo's name, the Root Squad dared not press further and continued deeper into the base.

But before they'd gone far, a strange smell like burnt meat, mixed with a hint of blood, caught their attention. Following the source, they found their comrade slumped unconscious against the wall.

They instantly realized they'd been tricked and spun around to give chase, but that "Shimura Shinsei" was already long gone.