"That Akatsuki organization is extremely dangerous. You know about Konoha's Nine-Tails Incident, right? The person responsible for it may well have been Uchiha Madara, and according to Konoha's investigation, Uchiha Madara is currently hiding within Akatsuki."
"My mission this time is to get to the bottom of this. That's why I faked my defection from Konoha, to make things easier. I'm also investigating whether Uchiha Madara has ties to the Uchiha Clan."
Danzo spoke without hesitation.
He cast himself as a martyr, and whenever he had a chance to badmouth the Uchiha, his mind became exceptionally sharp.
Besides, telling the story with nine parts truth made it easier for people to believe.
He didn't believe Hanzo would remain unmoved after learning that Uchiha Madara was hiding in Akatsuki. After all, he knew that this man, like himself, couldn't tolerate any threat to his position.
"What did you say?!"
Sure enough, even the Demigod of the Shinobi World couldn't stay calm at the name Uchiha Madara.
Hanzo raised a hand, and someone immediately removed the curtain between them. Danzo could now see Hanzo, and he noticed that Hanzo did look considerably weaker than the last time they'd met.
Still, Danzo knew it was a matter of age. Like him and Hiruzen, Hanzo was no longer in his prime.
"Uchiha Madara is hiding in Akatsuki."
"The organization has also recruited many people. Its outer ranks operate like a mercenary group, but almost nothing is known about its core members."
"All we know is that the leader is called 'God,' and a woman is known as God's Envoy."
Danzo no longer hesitated. He revealed the information he'd struggled to uncover over the past few days.
Amegakure was only a small ninja village. It was far behind Konoha in both talent and manpower, and its investigations were limited to the area around the village. It simply lacked the resources to gather intelligence over a wider area.
"Uchiha Madara... has he joined forces with that cripple and that woman?!"
Hanzo's expression turned grave.
He didn't think Danzo was lying to him. After all, it wouldn't take much investigation to confirm this.
If Danzo had come to ask him for help against Konoha, he would never have believed him. But this was about Akatsuki!
The shock that boy had given him after Hanzo crippled both his legs was the main reason he hadn't dared show his face in recent years.
"I don't believe Uchiha Madara is just an ordinary member of this organization!"
"We need to work together on this. Akatsuki is an enemy of both Amegakure and Konoha!"
Danzo spoke to Hanzo.
"I hope you haven't deceived me. If this is true, then an alliance is naturally the best option."
"I'll have my people verify the situation. If it checks out, we'll form an official alliance."
Hanzo's old, keen presence surfaced once more.
He was like an aging lion. His strength had declined, but his authority was no less imposing than before.
"Of course!"
"I'll cooperate with you!"
Danzo nodded and answered with a solemn expression.
But inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. At last, he'd found a force he could use. Without Konoha's support, many of his schemes had been impossible to carry out, much to his frustration. Now, at least one problem had been resolved.
Chapter 47: Squeezing Child Labor and Training Sasuke
While things were bustling outside Konoha, the village itself was just as lively.
The assignments Uchiha Gin had distributed had sparked plenty of discussion. After all, missions that paid well and were safe were highly appealing to ninja.
Konoha had more than fifteen thousand ninja. Those working in support departments such as Medical, Sealing, and Barrier made up roughly fifteen percent of the total.
Medical ninja were rarely short of work. But the Sealing and Barrier departments didn't get many missions outside the village, and they weren't much help in direct combat. They were more useful on the battlefield, so daily missions ranked B or higher almost never included ninja from those two fields.
Aside from subsisting on their regular stipends and completing assignments issued by Konoha, the Sealing and Barrier ninja mostly only had access to C-rank missions outside the village. Only those with combat skills could take on B-rank missions, and almost none were qualified for A-rank ones.
So when a mission appeared that was nearly risk-free and gave priority to Sealing and Barrier ninja, it was an immediate hit.
The two departments probably had fewer than five hundred ninja combined, since most support personnel were Medical ninja. Even so, there were more than enough applicants for the number Uchiha Gin needed.
Nearly fifty people came to the first week's exam, including spies placed there by Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The exam had been put together by the Ninja Tool Development Department, using the questions Orochimaru had written earlier along with some of their own ideas. The final question was an extra-credit problem drawn from an issue they'd encountered recently. Anyone who solved it could join immediately and receive a ninjutsu reward. These additional rewards were listed in the final question.
"This exam is meant to select suitable candidates. Don't try to cheat. Answer the questions carefully on your own. If the proctors catch you cheating, you'll be disqualified immediately."
Uchiha Gin addressed the people below from the lectern.
He also gestured toward the Uchiha standing in the four corners of the room. All of them had their Sharingan activated as they watched the examinees.
"You have two hours. You can hand in your paper as soon as you're finished!"
Uchiha Gin concluded.
The people below quickly began skimming the exam to gauge its difficulty. Many frowned as soon as they saw the questions.
Uchiha Gin didn't stick around for the rest. He left it to the Ninja Tool Development Department and walked out.
They were using the Military Police Force's conference room for the exam. There were a lot of people, and the Ninja Tool Development Department only occupied a four-story building. There wasn't enough room there to hold the exam.
"When the papers are ready, you'll be in charge of grading them."
Outside the room, Uchiha Gin spotted Itachi standing nearby and spoke to him directly.
"Got it!"
Itachi nodded.
Dark circles had formed around his eyes. He'd been busy nonstop lately.
During the day, he worked at the Ninja Tool Department developing new tools. At night, he went to Orochimaru's Laboratory to conduct human experiments.
He was busy all day long, with only a few hours to rest during lunch and after returning home in the evening. He had to work at least sixteen hours a day.
For a child who was almost nine, it was far too exhausting.
Uchiha Gin didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for him. If he didn't work Itachi like a beast of burden, the boy might awaken all of a sudden and then stab the whole family twice. That would be a real problem.
Uchiha Gin had spoken with Itachi once about Shisui. After explaining that Shisui was working for the clan and hadn't truly defected, Itachi's somewhat gloomy expression finally lifted.
"How are things with Sasuke?"
"He's almost four now. It's time to start training him seriously and build a solid foundation."
Uchiha Gin asked Itachi.
He was already preparing the materials for his Mystic Code, and he'd need to sell some magical items to cover the cost.
His target customers were the nobles. Uchiha Gin could engrave simple barriers onto gemstones, then leave some magical energy inside so the gems could activate them.
He had two kinds in mind: one that could sense killing intent, and another that created a defensive barrier. Both would be very useful to nobles.
Rich people were most afraid of dying. They had so many pleasures to enjoy, after all, that they were naturally willing to pay for insurance. Uchiha Gin planned to sell gemstone barriers of different strengths, divided into tiers. If he couldn't make twenty or thirty times his costs, he wouldn't bother selling them.
So, with this free time, Uchiha Gin planned to keep a close eye on the Uchiha Clan's future head and train him properly, rather than letting him slack off at the Ninja Academy.
"Father and Mother have already agreed. You can arrange everything whenever you like, Captain Gin."
Itachi felt a little sorry for his brother, but he understood Sasuke's special circumstances. It was important for him to be able to protect himself.
The more Itachi learned, the more he understood how important it was to have enough strength to protect everything.
After arranging the exam, Uchiha Gin dispelled his Shadow Clone. His thorough search over the past few days had dealt with quite a few problems, and things had been peaceful lately, with no sign of danger. His real body had been training at home to strengthen his physique.
At home, Uchiha Gin spotted a white-scaled snake in the courtyard.
When the snake saw Uchiha Gin, it opened its mouth and spat out a scroll. Mucus was smeared across it, making Uchiha Gin frown.
After spitting out the scroll, the white-scaled snake slithered away and quickly disappeared from sight.
"Couldn't you deliver it a little more cleanly?"
He complained, but still picked up the scroll and wiped it with his sweat towel before opening it to read.
"So the Blue Pill is finished. The human trials are done, too. No wonder it's Orochimaru."
Uchiha Gin was a little surprised, and a hint of delight appeared on his face.
Scientific Ninja Tools were a bet on the future and a tool for the present, but this was what could make money right now. When a man reached middle age and found himself struggling, he hoped he could perform; if he could perform, he hoped he could get even stronger; and if he was strong, he hoped he could get stronger still.
It was simply in a man's nature.
"But it's not time to use it yet. Still, one worry has been taken care of. Now we just have to wait for Sarutobi Hiruzen to get a headache."
Uchiha Gin put away the scroll, already prepared for his next move.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had also received a letter from Danzo. After learning that Danzo had brought Hanzo on board to deal with Akatsuki, Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated for a long time. In the end, he decided to send Danzo some manpower. After all, in his eyes, both Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara posed a major threat.
The Uchiha Clan's problems were still manageable for now.
His top priority was to deal with Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki!
"Sunset, you'll be in charge of this. Make sure Danzo is dealing with Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara. If he turns against the Uchiha instead, stop him. The situation isn't suitable for that right now."
Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke to his eldest son.
Sarutobi Sunset was the head of Anbu and the person he trusted most. [Fictional; no reliable information. The sources say he was one of Konoha's Twelve Guardian Ninja, but that's fictional. He hasn't died yet at this point, and Konohamaru is about to be born.]
Kakashi had been trained by Minato to eventually take over from Sarutobi Sunset, but that time never came.
Chapter 48: Sasuke's First Day of Training
Danzo had sent back news, but Shisui had no such opportunity.
Arranged by Obito, he'd met Konan and Deva Path Pain directly.
He officially became a member of Akatsuki and received the ring Vermilion!
As part of his probation, Obito had also told him outright that someone would be assigned to watch him, and warned him not to act rashly. Shisui had also noticed that something seemed to have been left on his body, but he'd immediately removed it.
"Is this the White Zetsu that Gin mentioned in his intelligence?"
Shisui wasn't completely in the dark. Uchiha Gin had given him a great deal of information. Aside from Obito's identity, he'd told him almost everything.
Shisui was now essentially an intelligence agent like Jiraiya, able to make the most of his abilities.
Gin had told him about Pain's and Konan's abilities, along with those of Pain, Konan, "Uchiha Madara," and Black Zetsu.
After all, Uchiha Gin wasn't sending Shisui to his death. He'd sent him outside Konoha to keep his attention on external threats and stop him from causing trouble in the village. At the same time, Shisui could keep an eye on Obito and give him a little trouble.
Knowing he couldn't pass on information, Shisui had no choice but to give up for the time being. He knew he'd get the chance to go on missions later, and he should be able to send information to the village then.
"What a dangerous organization. Should I tell the village about this intelligence?"
That was the question Shisui was most uncertain about now.
His faith in the Konoha High Command had already crumbled. After much hesitation, Shisui decided to leave the choice to Uchiha Gin.
He thought that if the Konoha High Command learned all this, they would probably focus on dealing with Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki. They would also learn that this man had caused the Nine-Tails Incident, and that the Uchiha had nothing to do with it. But he no longer believed the village would so easily leave the Uchiha alone.
In the end, he decided to let Uchiha Gin make the call.
Of course, he didn't know that this intelligence was useless to Uchiha Gin. But Uchiha Gin wanted Shisui to agonize over it and get caught up in the political infighting. He just had to avoid making a rash decision for the greater good and choosing Konoha first.
Early one morning, Uchiha Gin waited at the entrance to the Fugaku family home.
Sasuke came out with Itachi, yawning.
"I'm so sleepy, Big Brother!"
Sasuke was still rubbing his eyes. As soon as he finished speaking, he yawned.
It was only six in the morning. Sasuke was still growing, and usually didn't get up until after seven.
"You're going to train with Captain Gin today. We talked about this yesterday."
Itachi crouched down and spoke gently to Sasuke.
"Huh?"
"Are you coming too, Big Brother?"
Only then did Sasuke come around. He hurriedly pressed him for an answer.
Itachi shook his head, and Sasuke's lips immediately drooped.
Before you continue