At Root headquarters in Konoha—
Arin arrived late at night after being summoned.
The place was already gloomy to begin with. At night, it felt even more like a haunted house. The candlelight along the walls flickered dimly.
His shadow twisted and stretched—
Like a clawing demon.
He walked into Danzo's office.
Danzo stood with his back turned, staring at a map of Konoha.
Just that silhouette alone—
Anyone would call him a final boss.
After all, nine out of ten of Konoha's shady deeds were his doing—
And the tenth would probably get pinned on him anyway.
And he still wanted to become Hokage?
Arin curled his lip.
Maybe in the next life.
At best—
He could be a "half-Hokage."
"Pot-shadow Hokage" suited him better.
"Hyuga Arin, I have a difficult mission for you," Danzo said, turning around.
Arin didn't bother acting like a subordinate. He casually pulled out a chair and sat down, looking troubled.
"Danzo-sama, you know my situation. I've basically been suspended from ninja duties for almost a year now. My position still hasn't been restored."
Mainly because—
Hiruzen still didn't know the Kazekage was dead.
Sunagakure had hidden the news extremely well. Everyone still believed the Kazekage was alive.
Danzo knew the truth—
But had no intention of telling Hiruzen.
Which meant—
Arin was still suspended.
That old man didn't seem worried at all about losing combat strength.
"You won't act as a Konoha ninja, but as a Root operative," Danzo said.
Root and Konoha were separate systems.
Their mission records weren't shared.
"Well… that could work," Arin said in a bureaucratic tone. "Though we talked about this before, times have changed. Honestly, early retirement isn't so bad."
A vein twitched on Danzo's forehead.
He knew exactly what that meant.
Pay up.
Who in Root would dare talk to him like this?
Demanding more benefits?
Was this even a Root ninja anymore?!
But—
Thinking about Arin's ability to assassinate the Kazekage—
Danzo suppressed his anger.
With that level of strength—
Anything was negotiable.
"What do you want?" Danzo asked.
"Impure World Reincarnation."
Arin answered without hesitation.
Danzo frowned.
This time, he wasn't as firm in rejecting it. Instead, he asked,
"What do you even want it for? That jutsu isn't complete."
He understood it well.
Tobirama had never fully perfected it.
Hashirama had sealed it away in the Forbidden Scroll.
Why didn't Konoha use it?
Not because they respected the dead—
But because it was useless.
The summoned dead were weak.
Limited in number.
Full of restrictions.
Only later—
Orochimaru would perfect it.
"That's not your concern," Arin shrugged. "Give me Impure World Reincarnation, and everything's negotiable. Otherwise, find someone else."
What did he want it for?
Simple—
Summon monsters.
Farm experience.
Late-game enemies like Edo Tensei shinobi and White Zetsu were basically EXP goldmines.
White Zetsu required plot progression—
But Edo Tensei didn't.
With a high enough level—
You could summon powerful NPCs.
Even tame them as pets.
And with current EXP requirements—
Hundreds of thousands barely made a dent.
Danzo fell silent for a moment, then said,
"Complete this mission, and I'll give you the jutsu."
"Deal."
That was enough.
But—
Arin's eyes drifted to Danzo's right arm.
It was hidden within his robe.
Different from before.
Suspicious.
Danzo subtly shifted his body, hiding it further.
Arin's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
If that arm had already been implanted—
Then Danzo had reached his peak.
Which meant—
He was ready to be harvested.
Wood Release.
Sharingan.
Mangekyō.
Izanagi.
A walking treasure chest.
"Now, what's the mission?" Arin asked, turning serious.
No need to guess—
It was about Sakumo.
Danzo lowered his voice.
"I've prepared a trap for Hatake Sakumo. You'll ensure it succeeds."
Arin didn't care about the details.
"Can I just kill him directly?"
Danzo's face darkened.
"No."
He wanted to ruin Sakumo—
Not cripple Konoha.
"Just don't expose yourself," Danzo warned.
If Arin was discovered—
Suspicion would lead straight back to him.
"Relax. I'm a professional," Arin smiled.
Publicly, he used Fire Release.
But in truth—
He also had Wind Release and Yin Release.
Sakumo wouldn't suspect him.
…
Arin now wore Sunagakure attire—
Even a Suna headband.
Leading a disguised Root squad, he secretly infiltrated the Land of Wind.
"Sunagakure really has it rough," he muttered.
First, he killed their Kazekage.
Now—
They were being framed.
In the end, no one would know the truth.
Only that—
Hatake Sakumo failed a mission.
"How interesting… a no-win scenario."
Arin held the "script" for this operation.
A forced choice—
Mission or comrades.
If Sakumo chose the mission—
He'd be branded as someone who sacrificed his teammates.
Danzo believed that was the most likely outcome—
And had prepared follow-up moves.
But Arin knew the truth.
Sakumo would choose his comrades.
And that choice—
Would destroy him.
"No matter what you choose… you lose."
Arin looked into the distance.
Through layers of sand—
He seemed to see it.
Hatake Sakumo—
Leading a Root squad into the Land of Wind.
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