Even if theft occurs in the village, they won't come to the Hokage's office building.
Since they took on this job, they haven't encountered any special situations while working the night shift, which is why they've always been on duty with adequate rest.
"Um?!"
Suddenly, the two guarding ninjas opened their eyes, their gazes filled with confusion, and then both focused their attention in the same direction.
Under the cover of darkness, Konoha was only illuminated by the dim moonlight. In the alley in front of the Hokage's office building, a long shadow cast by the moonlight suddenly appeared in their sight.
Immediately afterwards, the sound of light, rapid footsteps clearly reached their ears.
The two men immediately realized someone was coming and became alert, but they didn't take it too seriously. After all, they hadn't had any problems since they started their shift, and maybe it was just someone passing by.
but...
Such thoughts are nothing more than numbing oneself.
The Hokage's office building is located at the end of the alley. Further ahead is the Hokage Rock, which is engraved with the images of the Hokage of all generations. Unless you are going to visit the top of the Hokage Rock, there is no route that requires you to pass by the Hokage's office building.
In an instant, the figure that the two people had been staring at with doubt stopped at the entrance of the Hokage's office building under their gaze. After a brief pause, it walked straight towards the main entrance of the Hokage's office building.
Chapter 14: There really are Hashirama Cells here!
Konoha: Nobody knew I could use Wood Release! Chapter 14: There really are Hashirama Cells here!
The two ninja guarding the tree branch exchanged glances, understanding each other's thoughts. Neither of them immediately moved to stop the newcomer, but instead further controlled their auras, concealing themselves to see what the newcomer's intentions were.
However, they were unaware that Araki had known of their presence even before he arrived.
That figure was none other than Araki.
Araki had no intention of playing hide-and-seek with the two gatekeeper ninjas. Entering through the main entrance of the Hokage's office building was his best option, which would inevitably lead to him being seen by the two men.
Since that's the case, we might as well be straightforward and quickly knock them both unconscious before slowly examining Hashirama Cells.
But...
To Araki's surprise, the two guards remained silent until he reached the entrance of the Hokage's office building.
That's quite impressive how patient you are!
Araki's lips curled into a slightly wicked smile. In the current situation, it was also a problem if these people didn't come out.
There's nothing we can do.
The only solution is to take the initiative.
With that thought in mind, Araki stood at the entrance of the Hokage's office building, neither approaching nor leaving, and just stood there.
"???"
Araki's actions left the two gatekeeper ninjas completely bewildered. They had no idea what Araki's purpose was, and they hadn't even seen Araki face.
In their view, Araki had come with his back to the moonlight, his face hidden in the darkness, making it impossible to see clearly. Now, he was facing away from them again, and they could only see his back.
Immediately, the two exchanged another glance.
Without exchanging words, the two understood each other's thoughts simply through a change in their gazes, and even discussed it briefly.
He cannot show himself yet.
This person was just standing at the entrance of the Hokage's office building, doing nothing. If he said anything at this time, there would be no evidence, and at most it would just be them being paranoid.
We still need to catch them in the act...
Huh?
What happened?
As the two were exchanging glances, they suddenly noticed that the other's appearance was becoming blurred, and even their bodies were becoming light and airy. Then, nothing more happened; their consciousness vanished.
Thump! Thump!
With two thuds, the two ninjas guarding the entrance to the Hokage's office building crashed to the ground. They remained unconscious and were not awakened by the violent impact.
"If you guys just jumped out directly, I could save some medicine."
Araki muttered to himself, and just as he spoke, two half-figures that looked exactly like Araki retracted back into the tree trunk where the two people had been standing. They were holding packets of paralyzing poison in their hands.
These two people were drugged!
Araki then reached out and touched the two guard ninjas lying on the ground. Soon he found a bunch of keys, one of which was the key to the Hokage's office building.
He took the key and opened the door.
Araki swaggered in through the main entrance.
" Tsunade-sensei said that Hashirama Cells are located underground in the Hokage's office, meaning they are below ground level, not just on the ground floor."
Araki squatted down and tapped the ground. You couldn't tell from his posture that his thoughts were racing as he analyzed Tsunade's words.
" The Hokage's office is located on the second floor of the Hokage office building. I'll go check the corresponding floor first. If it's not there, it might be somewhere further down on the first floor."
"Perhaps there really is a basement!"
"However, I have no idea where the basement entrance is, so I have no choice but to use the most direct method."
"Let's go take a look first!"
Araki immediately headed up to the second floor. He rarely visited the Hokage's office building, so he had almost no memory of the layout and needed to quickly check it out.
He sensed the surrounding atmosphere while increasing his speed.
Araki quickly spotted the Hokage's office sign at the innermost part of the semi-circular corner on the second floor. After confirming its location in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional terms, he quickly headed back to the first floor.
Araki stopped abruptly after reaching the area below the Hokage's office, and then he roughly understood why Tsunade-sensei had said that.
There are no rooms beneath the Hokage's office.
This is a wall!
and...
It's right at the entrance of the Hokage's office building.
"I think I understand."
Araki stared intently at the wall in front of him, then raised his hand and struck it heavily. The response contained a faint hollow echo, indicating that there was a hidden room inside.
"This was definitely done by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju!"
"The secret room is designed as a mezzanine at the entrance of the Hokage Building. Even the most curious people who come and go from the Hokage's office building on a regular basis would never stand at the door and rummage around."
"This method of placing the entrance to the secret room right in front of everyone is simply ingenious; most people would never think of such a thing!"
"Only..."
How do I open it?
Araki carefully observed the wall; the darkness did not obstruct his vision at all. Meanwhile, his hands continued to touch the wall, and a soft green Chakra spread across it. He found no clues what appeared to be an entrance or mechanism.
"That's strange."
"Is this just a simple wall?"
"This..."
"It can't really just be a wall, can it?"
Or rather...
As Araki thought of this, he suddenly looked up. Tong Kong's eyes narrowed slightly as he realized something. "The entrance to the secret room is inside the Hokage's office!"
"Why..."
Araki spread his hands and sighed. There was no other way now; he could only deal with it in the simplest, most direct, and most brutal way.
Araki wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary, as it would cause damage to the Hokage's office building and wouldn't be able to get away with it. However, it didn't matter when it came to Hashirama Cells.
Instantly.
Araki slammed his hands together.
Then, terrifying green Chakra surged from his body, and he pressed his hands against the wall, sending dense Chakra rushing into the wall.
" Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Accompanied by Araki's indifferent voice, vines surged and grew rapidly from the unseen inner layers of the wall. As the dense vines spread out, they immediately conveyed a joyful and excited emotion.
Hashirama Cells!
"There really are Hashirama Cells here!"
"Finally found it!"
Araki's eyes widened in shock. The last time he felt such jubilation from Wood Release Ninjutsu was in Orochimaru's laboratory, when he was absorbing Hashirama Cells. Now, it was as if the scene was being recreated.
Chapter 15 Earthquake?
Konoha: Nobody knew I could use Wood Release! Chapter 15 Earthquake?
suck!
With a thought, Araki immediately controlled the Wood Release he had created, releasing a unique suction force.
This power is not inherent to Wood Release, but rather is a unique property of Araki himself. Through this property, it continuously absorbs Hashirama Cells stored here.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Almost instantly, the entire Hokage's office building trembled. A powerful force surged upward from the ground, as if it were about to break through all obstacles in its path.
The tremor caused the area around the Hokage's office building to shake, and the surrounding buildings to sway as well. Fortunately, it was late and there were no people around. The surrounding buildings were the core office area of Konoha's power, and everyone was resting at the moment.
Throughout this process, Araki kept monitoring the surrounding atmosphere. His expression became extremely serious and solemn because there was a lot of aura gathered not far from here, which looked like a dormitory. Considering the location, it was very likely the location of the village's Anbu.
Hopefully, those people won't find out!
Araki silently muttered to himself, "At this point, let alone the Anbu, even if the Third Hokage came, I would never back down. This is no longer a case of 'the arrow is on the bowstring and must be released,' but rather 'the arrow has already been released from the bow.'"
At this moment, he could clearly feel the Hashirama Cells underground, as if they had been awakened. The density of these cells exceeded his imagination, far surpassing the amount he had absorbed in Orochimaru's laboratory. It was an absolutely exaggerated level.
If one can absorb these Hashirama Cells, it will undoubtedly elevate one's body to an unbelievable level, and one's overall strength will inevitably advance by leaps and bounds.
Araki hadn't even absorbed these Hashirama Cells yet, but he was already imagining what it would be like after he did.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The tremors from beneath the ground continued incessantly, growing stronger with time, teetering on the brink of exploding.