61: Chapter 61 The Funny NewcomerIn the Hokage's office, Jiraiya was scratching his head, looking at a mountain of documents, trying to find the one about the border patrol's funding approval from a pile of reports on "increasing the supply of luncheon meat to the Ninja Academy" and "the Naka River water quality improvement plan".
Suddenly, there was a knock on the office door.
Two ANBU ninjas with subtle expressions walked in and knelt on one knee.
"Fifth Boss, emergency report."
Jiraiya looked up, his heart skipped a beat.If the Anbu came knocking on his door, it couldn't be anything good.
"Speak, what is it now?Did that old man Danzo insult me at the meeting again?"
One of the ANBU members took a deep breath and spoke with a deliberately trained calm: "Reporting to the Hokage, according to an emergency notification from within Root."
"Elder Danzo Shimura died last night at the base.while conducting a high-risk forbidden technique experiment.Unfortunately, he lost control and suffered a backlash.It has been confirmed that he died."
"puff--!"
Jiraiya spat out the mouthful of tea he had just taken a sip of, soaking the proposal in front of him to "increase the supply of luncheon meat".
His eyes widened, and he picked at his ear: "You.what did you say?Danzo?Dead?Backlash from the experiment?"
That reason.is utterly bullshit!Danzo, that old cunning bastard, as cautious as a thousand-year-old tortoise, would he die from an experimental backlash?You're kidding me!
But seeing the "it's the truth, believe it or not" expression on the Anbu's faces, Jiraiya understood.
This is the unified narrative within the "roots," a reason that everyone knows is false, but they have to accept it reluctantly.
The "root" part cleaned up its own mess.
A chill ran down Jiraiya's spine.
He certainly disliked Danzo, and could even say he loathed him, but a "Root" that could quietly eliminate his leader was undoubtedly more dangerous and uncontrollable.
"Then… 'Root' now…" Jiraiya asked tentatively.
Another member of the secret service interjected, "The 'Root' branch is currently under the temporary leadership of Aburame Torune."
According to the internal emergency regulations of 'Root', in the event of the leader's unexpected death and the absence of a clear successor, the highest-ranking existing member with the ability to maintain the stability of the organization shall temporarily take over.
Aburame Torune, an elite Jonin, possesses forbidden nano-level poison insect techniques.His strength and experience are enough to command respect, and.the characteristics of his abilities effectively ensure the internal.stability of 'Root'.
The Dark Division spoke in a very tactful way, but Jiraiya understood the subtext: Aburame Torune's poisonous insects were quite frightening, and he could monitor and even eliminate internal unstable factors at any time, so everyone "respected" him.
This is less a recommendation and more a result of a balance achieved under deterrence.
Jiraiya rubbed his temples, feeling his head ache even more.
Danzo's death is a good thing, but what kind of good thing is it that a more unpredictable "Root" leader using poisonous insects has emerged?
He waved his hand weakly and said, "I understand.Let's follow the rules.Let the oil maid take the root.Let's stabilize the situation first."
After the Anbu withdrew, Jiraiya looked out the window and muttered to himself, "Old man, the mess you left behind.it's really terrible.What role did that Naruto kid play in all this?"
He had a vague feeling that Danzo's death was definitely related to that blond boy in the Land of Waves.
Meanwhile, Naruto finished processing the last document regarding the allocation of supplies for the joint defense base with Sunagakure and rubbed his temples.
Within the sea of consciousness, a slight fluctuation occurred through the soul link with Aburame Torune, the new leader of Konoha's "Root" division, conveying the confirmation that Danzo was dead and that power had been smoothly transferred.
Everything is going according to plan.
A few days later, at the training ground outside the headquarters of the Apocalypse Chamber of Commerce.
Tie Zhou is conducting basic swordsmanship training for the newly recruited armed personnel of the Chamber of Commerce.
The rhythmic shouts and the clash of wooden swords echoed in the air.
"Keep your wrist steady!Apply force thoroughly!You're chopping people up, not tickling them!" Tie Zhou's voice was as calm and stern as ever.
Naruto's gaze swept across the edge of the training ground, where a staggering figure struggling to drag a weapon case taller than himself caught his attention.
With his orange swirling mask and tall, thin frame, who else could it be but Ah Fei?
He was wearing a gray short coat typical of a merchant guild servant, covered in dust and grass clippings.He was huffing and puffing as he followed the instructions of his deputy, Iron Boat, to move training equipment such as wooden swords and kunai from the storeroom to the edge of the training ground.He was exhausted, looking like a dead dog.
"Hurry up!Afei!What are you dawdling for!The training equipment hasn't been wiped down yet!" a guard squad leader shouted at him.
"Hey~ Hey~ Almost done!Ah Fei, I'm going to be the king of logistics!"
Ah Fei responded, but his voice was weak and listless.He bent down to pick up another box and accidentally tripped over a fallen wooden sword.
"Wow!>3
He lunged forward, about to fall flat on his face, and the box he was holding was about to fly out of his hands.
In that instant, his body twisted at a very subtle and strange angle, allowing him to barely regain his balance.The box in his arms only swayed slightly, and the ninja tools inside did not fall out.
The whole process was so fast it felt like an illusion.
After regaining his balance, Ah Fei patted his chest and said in his signature exaggerated tone, still shaken, "That scared me to death!I almost tripped and fell flat on my face!Luckily, Ah Fei is quick!"
Several guards who were resting nearby let out good-natured laughter.
"That silly boy, he works really hard, but he's so clumsy." "You bet, yesterday he almost dumped the washing bucket on Lord Tiezhou's head!"
Naruto took in everything, especially Tobi's instinctive adjustment of his movements.
Tie Zhou noticed Naruto's gaze, walked over, and whispered, "Chairman, this kid came to us a few days ago, saying he wanted to join the Chamber of Commerce and start from the bottom."
"I think he.although"Although his words and actions were strange, he was a reliable worker, and no problems were found, so he was temporarily assigned to odd jobs in logistics.
Naruto nodded, his face expressionless, his gaze still fixed on the orange figure wiping away sweat as he continued to move things.
He knew it perfectly well.
Obito, or rather Tobi, chose to infiltrate in this most discreet way, even at the cost of doing menial tasks, simply to better conceal himself, observe the core of the Chamber of Commerce up close, and look for loopholes or opportunities.
"The martial arts world isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social dynamics, my friend.It's always better to be under my nose than to be causing trouble in the shadows, right?"
He pretended not to see through it either, and instructed Tie Zhou: "Since he is willing to start from the bottom, let him do a good job."
"The Chamber of Commerce does not support idlers; no task that is not assigned can be omitted."
Oh, and tell him that he'll be responsible for the routine maintenance of all the equipment in the training area from now on.
"clear."
Naruto turned and left the training ground, his mind racing.
Obito wants to play the infiltration game?Wants to be an undercover agent?
Alright, let him clean swords, move stones, and tidy up the training ground every day.Let's see what kind of tricks he can pull off, and we can also keep an eye on him at the same time.
A venomous snake that thought it was well hidden, but was actually being observed and kept in a glass tank?
Let this "Uchiha Madara" representative experience the daily life of a working person.
At that moment, Tobi, who was diligently wiping a training kunai covered in mud, stopped and quietly watched Naruto's departing figure, a gentle breeze ruffling his servant's robes.
This Naruto Uzumaki is even more troublesome than he expected.
The strength and cohesion of the Tianqi Chamber of Commerce far exceeded his expectations.
But that's alright, he has plenty of time and patience.
Hiding in the shadows, slowly decaying—that's the kind of game he excels at.
But.this damn kunai, no matter how I wipe it, it still smells like sweat?
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