"You're saying that you sense the future of Konoha in the talents of these children?"
Danzo raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised at the man standing before him, En Yashiro.
He had expected En Yashiro to stay, but he hadn't anticipated that it would be for this reason.
"Yes, Elder Danzo," En Yashiro replied respectfully.
Compared to his initial caution and wariness, he now seemed to have accepted his fate.
"Children are the future of a clan... no, the future of a village!" En Yashiro expressed his view.
"Over the past few days, I've learned about the various ninja villages in the shinobi world through the newspapers, and I've also gained a deeper understanding of Konoha."
"I believe that Konoha is indeed the most suitable place for my daughter and me to settle at this stage, without a doubt."
Danzo nodded slightly upon hearing this, clearly agreeing with En Yashiro's words.
This wasn't just self-praise; the other villages all had their own issues.
Kirigakure, for instance, was about to enter its infamous "Bloody Mist" era.
Surviving there, let alone growing up, was a challenge in itself.
As for Sunagakure, it was simply too poor.
If even the Kazekage had to mine for gold, how could one expect any decent development?
Iwagakure wasn't much better, having just been defeated by Konoha and losing its tailed beast.
Only Kumogakure could somewhat compete with Konoha.
Of course, proximity played a role, and Konoha, as the victor of the three Great Shinobi Wars, was indeed the best choice in every aspect.
"In that case, which department in Konoha would you like to join?" Danzo asked.
He was eager to recruit En Yashiro into his own ranks, but he still had to consider the man's wishes.
What if En Yashiro simply wanted to be an ordinary ninja in this new era?
Fortunately, En Yashiro was quick to understand the situation and immediately expressed his loyalty.
"I am willing to serve Elder Danzo," he said, kneeling on one knee.
This was a gesture of loyalty that had been practiced since the Warring States period, a symbol of a ninja pledging allegiance.
Danzo quickly helped him up, though a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.
"However, Elder Danzo, I have a small request," En Yashiro added.
"Go ahead," Danzo said, looking at his new subordinate with interest.
En Yashiro rubbed his hands together and looked at his new superior. "Would it be possible for Elder Danzo to take my daughter as his disciple?"
Through his recent observations, En Yashiro had come to understand Danzo's position within Konoha, the largest shinobi force in the world.
He was second only to one person, standing above even the retired Third Hokage.
Even the current young Hokage relied heavily on Danzo.
Moreover, from what En Yashiro had observed, Danzo had already amassed considerable power behind the scenes.
Just within the Root organization, En Yashiro had sensed several auras that sent chills down his spine.
This was the most important reason En Yashiro had chosen to align himself with Danzo.
If he had to pledge loyalty to someone, why not choose the strongest?
It was a simple logic.
If his daughter, Chino, could become Danzo's disciple, then his position as a direct subordinate of Danzo would be even more secure.
"It seems you've already gathered quite a bit of information about the village in just a few days," Danzo said, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
En Yashiro was, after all, someone who had built a vast commercial empire from scratch in the original story.
In just a few days, he had keenly grasped the internal power dynamics of Konoha.
This kind of person not only had a sharp sense for business but also a high level of political acumen.
"I can accept Chino as a nominal disciple. Whether she becomes a formal disciple will depend on her future performance," Danzo finally replied.
Although Chino had shown considerable potential in the original story, meeting Danzo's standards for cultivation, taking on a disciple was a serious matter.
There was no guarantee that she wouldn't stray from the path, so it was better to observe her as a nominal disciple first.
This answer relieved En Yashiro.
It seemed that his new leader wasn't overly opposed to outsiders like them.
He quickly agreed.
"I thank Elder Danzo on behalf of Chino!"
Although it wasn't a formal discipleship, being a nominal disciple still provided a layer of protection for Chino.
Danzo, being experienced, could easily see through En Yashiro's thoughts.
But he didn't mind.
Regardless of En Yashiro's motives for joining Konoha, as long as he could bring sufficient value, that was enough.
"From now on, you'll be directly assigned to Root. After completing the induction training, I'll assign you to a suitable position," Danzo said, turning to a masked Root member beside him.
"Ox, his induction training will be your responsibility."
The Root member wearing the ox mask was none other than Kakuzu.
As a bounty hunter, he had quickly integrated into Root and had even completed several missions at an astonishing speed.
Training a newcomer like En Yashiro would be a breeze for him.
"Understood," Kakuzu's muffled voice came from behind the mask.
However, En Yashiro, holding his daughter in his arms, looked troubled.
"Elder Danzo, what about Chino?"
Danzo had already made arrangements for this.
"Place her in the orphanage. Trust me, Nonō will be a suitable 'mother'."
"I understand."
Having visited the orphanage, En Yashiro had been impressed by Nonō's reliability.
He felt confident leaving Chino in her care.
After En Yashiro and Kakuzu left for training, Shisui's figure emerged from the shadows.
"Lord Danzo, what about Senior Rabbit?"
Although En Yashiro had joined Konoha, Pakura was still guarding the remaining 17 members of the Blood Pool clan in Hell Valley.
"Since En Yashiro has made it clear that he wants no further connection with them, we'll arrange suitable identities for them and relocate them to Konoha," Danzo said.
Danzo had no intention of giving up on the Ketsuryūgan, a powerful kekkei genkai.
He planned to follow the example of the Raikage and bring them to Konoha.
As for their refusal?
That was out of the question.
Life in Konoha was far better than in Hell Valley.
Only a fool would refuse!
Shisui nodded, then added, "But creating so many identities out of thin air might draw the Hokage's attention."
Danzo wasn't concerned about this, as he had no intention of hiding it from Minato.
"Don't worry, I'll explain the situation to Minato."
Soon, Danzo's orders were carried out in an orderly manner.
When everyone had left, Danzo opened the system that only he could see.
"Detected gratitude from En Yashiro."
"Received skill point *1."
"Drawing skill package..."
"Congratulations, obtained skill package [Ketsuryūgan]."
Huh, En Yashiro's drop rate is this high?
He actually dropped the Ketsuryūgan right away.
Danzo was quite surprised.
"Please select the transplantation location."
The system prompted Danzo to choose a location.
Danzo frowned.
Since he already had an eye on his forehead, he decided to place the Ketsuryūgan in the palm of his right hand.
As soon as Danzo made his decision, a blood-red pattern appeared on his right palm.
The pattern opened, revealing a crimson eye with a horizontal pupil!
At the same time, a powerful surge of Yin-release energy emerged within Danzo's body.
Under the influence of this energy, Danzo's two Mangekyō Sharingan activated automatically, releasing a powerful ocular force.
Even the entire Root organization could sense this cold, oppressive aura.
The surrounding darkness seemed to grow denser.
"Is this... a breakthrough?"
Danzo checked his system panel again.
Sure enough, his Yin-release talent, which had been at A+, had now risen to S- without any additional points.
He had just saved 10,000 points!
Danzo was practically beaming with joy.
He hadn't expected that recruiting En Yashiro would bring him such a pleasant surprise.
It almost made him want to call En Yashiro back and officially take Chino as his disciple.
"However, this means my Yin-release chakra has become too strong," Danzo thought to himself.
With two Mangekyō Sharingan, one Ketsuryūgan, and his Yin-release chakra now at S-, his Yang-release chakra, still at A+, was causing a slight imbalance in his body.
Fortunately, the imbalance wasn't too severe and could still be suppressed.
A few days later, just as the 17 members of the Blood Pool clan were settling in, a letter arrived in Danzo's hands.
The message was simple:
The Akatsuki was about to make its move.
_
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