"Bloodline Ninja..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled, finally seeing the first cracks in the facade.
Hiruko!
Sarutobi Hiruzen had always coveted Hiruko's Chimera Technique, a super-secret technique capable of fusing Kekkei Genkai almost perfectly.
To some extent, it was indeed proof that Hiruko had surpassed the Sannin.
"The Chimera Technique is undoubtedly the most broken jutsu in this world."
"It can directly fuse Kekkei Genkai..."
"After all..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned meaningful.
"This world is all about bloodlines."
Hiruko coveted the power of Kekkei Genkai, but he didn't understand the true nature of this world. He was merely chasing power on a superficial level.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen was different. He knew all too well which clan was this world's real cheat code.
Then Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand.
"Have Jiraiya keep an eye on him. And have Konoha's intelligence network outside the village monitor the situation closely..."
"Keep me informed of any developments..."
"Especially if the Konoha missing-nin Hiruko shows up."
For now, all they knew was that Kekkei Genkai Ninja from the various villages had gone missing or been attacked. They still had no concrete information about Hiruko.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen also knew that unless Hiruko had reached a critical stage in developing the Chimera Technique, he would probably keep hiding. He was wary of Konoha's influence, too.
Still, Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't in a hurry. Now that Hiruko had made his move, he would eventually expose himself in his pursuit of stronger Kekkei Genkai.
"Let him work on the Chimera Technique for now..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze darkened.
"Then I can harvest the fruits of his labor at just the right moment."
The Land of Fire, the capital.
Compared to modernized Konoha, the capital of the Land of Fire was far more backward, as though it had been lifted straight from an