Breaking the Agreement

Main Attribute Panel

Name: Shimura Danzō.

Age: Twenty-one.

Strength: B

Body: A-

Speed: A+

Mind: A+

Skills:

Strength Amplification (Activated) Critical Hit (Passive Skill) Damage Amplification (Not Activated)

Body Amplification (Activated) Endurance Amplification (Passive Skill) Brass Body (Passive Skill) Refined Iron Body (Not Activated)

Speed Amplification (Activated) Sprint (Active Skill) Potential Unleash (Not Activated)

Mental Amplification (Activated) Mental Resistance (Passive Skill) Mental Projection (Not Activated)

Skill Points: 81

After activating Brass Body, Danzo's physical strength had reached A-. Ordinary ninja tools could no longer harm his body, and his stamina had also increased slightly.

As Danzo had expected, the subsequent skill, Refined Iron Body, required a thousand Skill Points to activate.

One thousand points.

Danzo stared worriedly at the Skill Points on the panel.

The battle report had already been sent back to Konoha, yet it had only brought him four points of profit.

Had the news been sealed off?

That thought surfaced in Danzo's mind, along with Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face.

The battle report had stated it clearly: he had slain Lava Release Dodai alone and secured victory in the war. There was no reason for that man not to suspect him.

"Hmph."

Danzo snorted coldly. Though somewhat displeased, he did not take it too seriously. Once the war ended and he returned to the village, the news would be impossible to suppress. By then, his Skill Points would surge all at once.

"Lord Danzo, the Kirigakure people have broken the agreement and begun attacking Kumogakure." Ryoma lifted the tent flap and approached Danzo quietly.

"I know."

Danzo nodded. He had expected this long ago.

The one currently in power in Kirigakure was the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, a pitiful man controlled by Uchiha Obito for revenge.

For the sake of vengeance, Uchiha Obito had turned Kirigakure into a complete mess. His goal was to throw the ninja world into chaos. Only if every nation descended into disorder would Akatsuki have room to survive.

Danzo had seized this opportunity to negotiate cooperation with Kirigakure. Obito harbored considerable hostility toward every nation and would not allow any single one to dominate.

Ever since Minato's death, Konoha's situation had been far from optimistic. Meanwhile, Kumogakure had consistently remained the strongest among the Five Great Nations.

Just as Danzo had expected, Obito agreed to the alliance and took the opportunity to strike at Kumogakure, weakening its strength.

But Danzo's money was not so easily taken.

A sharp glint flashed through Danzo's eyes. On the surface, the Fire Country Daimyo had been negotiating the alliance, but Danzo had been the one secretly providing the supplies.

He had even given the Fire Country Daimyo quite a few good things before he agreed to this deployment.

"A message came from Konoha. They said you are not to leave your unit without authorization again. Otherwise, the Hokage will personally take the battlefield and assume command. They also want you to write a letter apologizing to Lord Mitokado," Ryoma added.

It seemed Mitokado Homura had said quite a few bad things about him after returning.

Danzo curled his lips. He would never write an apology letter. The mountains were high and the emperor far away; Sarutobi could do nothing to him.

Once he returned to the village this time, covered in merit, he would be a hero. Sarutobi would have even less justification to move against him.

"Have Shisui head over here as soon as possible. Leave Konoha's affairs to Tenza and Nonō for now," Danzo said after thinking for a moment.

"Yes."

I wonder how that brat Naruto is doing.

Thinking of Konoha made Danzo think of Naruto.

Although he had spent quite a long time in Konoha and regarded it as his home in this world, he did not have many close relationships there. Naruto was one of the people he cared about more.

After all, Naruto was the protagonist.

And just as Danzo was thinking about Naruto, Naruto was about to have the most important encounter of his life.

Ever since Danzo had made him declare his dream before everyone in the village before leaving, the villagers had no longer rejected him as fiercely as before.

They were still cold toward him, but at least they would not refuse to sell him things or throw stones at him.

"This is so hard!"

Naruto sat beneath a large tree with a troubled expression. Beside him were Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.

Other than Naruto, the other three were sprawled lazily across the grass, basking in the sun.

"What have you been doing lately? Haven't you already finished your Chakra control training?" Ino asked with a yawn.

The four of them had progressed at different speeds, but all had completed the Chakra control exercises of tree climbing and water walking.

Naruto looked troubledly at the leaf in his hand. "I'm training in Wind Style Chakra Nature Transformation."

"Chakra Nature Transformation?" Ino sat up from the grass and looked at Naruto. "What kind of training is that?"

Naruto scratched his head and thought for a while before answering, "Actually, I'm not sure how to explain it. Simply put, there are five basic attributes within the human body. Because of those attributes, we can extract Chakra of the corresponding nature and perform ninjutsu."

"Can you understand what I mean?"

Ino shook her head. She could not understand what Naruto was talking about at all.

"The Chakra Nature Transformation Naruto mentioned should be new knowledge you only learn when advancing to Chunin," Shikamaru interjected with half-lidded eyes.

"This kind of training greatly tests talent and ability. Most Chunin can't learn it, which is why they can't advance to Jonin."

As he spoke, he looked at Naruto curiously.

Perhaps because of the environment he had grown up in, Naruto was the most mature person Shikamaru had seen among their peers, and also the first to pursue strength so early.

"That amazing?" Ino widened her eyes and looked at Naruto curiously.

But she discovered that Naruto seemed surprised as well.

"So this is training only Chunin undergo? Actually, Uncle Dan gave me this goal before he left the village. If I can master Wind Style Nature Transformation, he promised to teach me a very powerful ninjutsu," Naruto said with a smile.

A ninjutsu developed by his father.

Naruto did not say the latter half aloud. Uncle Dan had strictly forbidden him from telling anyone about his parents, so he had never mentioned their existence to anyone else.

"Uncle Dan?"

Shikamaru snapped out of his lazy state and sat up as well, looking at Naruto. "You mean Lord Danzo? Come to think of it, how did you get to know Lord Danzo?"

Shikamaru had wanted to ask Naruto about this for a long time, but since Danzo had left the village and they had not met again, he had never had the chance.

Shikamaru often heard his father mention Danzo's name. He was supposedly a very troublesome man.

And not a good person.

That was his father's assessment. But Shikamaru had only met Danzo twice and did not personally hold any ill will toward him.

He was simply afraid Danzo might have some purpose in approaching Naruto.

Was it because of his parents?

The two of them had merely met by chance, yet Uncle Dan had treated him so well after only one encounter.

Shikamaru was very smart. If Naruto casually brushed him off, Shikamaru would probably see through it.

If he was not honest with his friend, would he lose that friend's trust?

Naruto's expression stiffened. He did not know how to explain how he had met Uncle Dan.