Ever since the Residency Training Center got on track, Soji had finally become a crucial piece in Konoha's puzzle of power.
This meant that the path to power he had painstakingly plotted had finally achieved a provisional victory. It also meant that the various promises made in the early stages had finally come due...
Among them, Inoue Li was undoubtedly an important figure the "Yamada Faction" could not afford to overlook.
In accordance with his earlier promise, Director Yamada had thoroughly severed Inoue Li's ties with Danzo's Root. Not only had he openly transferred to become the head of intelligence gathering for the Special Equipment Unit, but in secret, he had also become one of the Third Hokage's confidants...
Holding such a position meant that, at least until Konoha underwent its next major shift in power, his personal safety was essentially assured. Yet the change in status also brought a change in his duties.
As a vital bridge between Sarutobi and Yamada, between the Hokage faction and the Residency Training Center, it was clearly no longer appropriate to keep sending him on behind-enemy-lines reconnaissance and assassination missions at the drop of a hat.
It was not that they feared Inoue Li himself would develop any psychological burden...
But assigning such an important operative to high-risk special operations meant that, should anything happen, the cost of rebuilding the organization's internal personnel network would be far too great. By both sentiment and reason, the occasions on which Inoue Li could be deployed needed to be reconsidered.
Under such circumstances, Kato Dan, who likewise possessed the Spirit Transformation Technique, became the most suitable replacement.
Moreover, Kato Dan and Inoue Li were brothers in all but blood. Even without considering his romance with Princess Tsunade in the original story, he could still provide an