Setting out before their seats were even warm—without even a moment to take a sip of hot water—was undoubtedly exhausting. However, for Hatani, this order represented one thing: Gold.
Thanks to Aburame Shikuro's "generous contribution," Hatani had 812 Gold left after unlocking the Phantom Lancer. While that seemed like a significant sum, it looked paltry compared to the 4,000 Gold required for the next hero, the Juggernaut.
Moreover, before he could unlock him, Hatani needed to find a kenjutsu instructor. Learning the fundamentals of swordsmanship would not only build a necessary base but also significantly reduce the Gold required for the Juggernaut's unlock.
But a proper apprenticeship required a respectable entrance gift. Even in ancient times, students knew to bring a tuition fee to their masters. As a civilian-born orphan with nothing to his name but his talent, Hatani had nothing high-end to offer.
After much deliberation, his only option was to lean on the System. He planned to spend about a thousand Gold in the System Shop to buy a decent blade as a formal gift.
He was currently eyeing two items: the Falcon Blade for 1,100 Gold and the Blade of Alacrity for 1,000 Gold.
The Falcon Blade, which increased mana regeneration and health, would be perfect for Kosuke Maruboshi, the "Eternal Genin" who integrated swordsmanship with illusionary arts.
The Blade of Alacrity, which boosted Agility, was ideal for Sakumo Hatake, a man who pursued raw speed and one-hit kills.
He favored Kosuke. Despite his status, Kosuke was a master swordsman without a weapon truly worthy of his skill. If Hatani used the Falcon Blade to cater to his interests, combined with Kosuke's kind nature and his close ties to the Hokage's lineage, Hatani—the Sandaime's "grand-student"—would have a high chance of securing him as a teacher.
Furthermore, since he planned to master the blade himself, Hatani would eventually need a superior weapon of his own once he unlocked the Juggernaut. He already had his eye on two: Yasha, a short sword that vastly increased Agility and movement speed, and Shadow Blade, a longsword that allowed the wielder to turn invisible.
Better items, however, meant higher prices. Yasha cost 2,050 Gold, and Shadow Blade was a staggering 3,000 Gold.
Therefore, he desperately needed to farm.
Now, with the support of nearly ten thousand Konoha shinobi, sweeping the area for Hidden Stone scouts was a safe and efficient way to "get the bag."
Inside Danzo's Tent
A Root operative wearing an abstract black-patterned mask knelt on the ground, delivering a rapid, low-voiced report to Danzo's back.
"Is the news reliable?"
Upon hearing the report, Danzo whipped around, his eyes flashing with ill-concealed excitement.
"There is no mistake," the Root ninja replied with absolute certainty. "Lord Orochimaru and Lord Jiraiya are currently heading this way with the remaining six hundred shinobi."
Clearly, the intelligence delivered was the news of Orochimaru and Jiraiya's defeat and retreat from the Land of Earth.
Danzo didn't speak immediately, but the joy in his lone eye betrayed his thoughts. This failure would deal a heavy blow to the prestige Orochimaru had gained by defeating the Hidden Sand.
With his momentum blunted, Orochimaru would lose his leverage to be assertive, allowing Danzo to seize the dominant position in their future cooperation.
Furthermore, this defeat would likely silence the whispers of Orochimaru being the next in line for Hokage. Danzo no longer had to worry that if something happened to Hiruzen during this war, Orochimaru would be the overwhelming choice for successor, completely eclipsing Danzo's own influence.
"Spread this news secretly and immediately," Danzo commanded, finally suppressing his excitement and returning to his usual stony, expressionless mask. "I want every one of the ten thousand shinobi in this camp to know the truth of their reckless failure before Orochimaru and Jiraiya even arrive."
"Understood!"
Despite knowing that spreading such news would tank morale and cast a shadow over the upcoming conflict, the Root ninja didn't hesitate. He bowed and vanished. In Root, Danzo's word was law; questioning him was never an option—even if the order was to ambush the Hokage himself.
Hatani was starting to fall in love with the Land of Grass.
In just two short hours, he had increased the Gold in his system from 812 to 1,152. More importantly, because the Land of Grass was exactly what its name implied—a land of endless plains without a single tall tree—the wind blew with absolute freedom.
Despite its name, the Land of Fire was less about fire and more about trees. It was dominated by ancient, towering giants so thick it would take five men to circle them. Hatani often wondered if Hashirama Senju had found the landscape too dull and decided to "slap his hands together" and engage in some aggressive reforestation.
While wind, like water, has no fixed form and flows where it will, the dense layers of forest in the Land of Fire acted as a barrier, gradually weakening great gusts into mere gentle breezes. To truly feel a strong gale back at the village, Hatani had to climb to the top of the Hokage Rock or the highest canopy.
In the Land of Rain, there were fewer trees, but the constant downpour mixed so much water into the air that the wind felt heavy, damp, and soft.
Only here in the Land of Grass, where man-high weeds swayed wildly in the unobstructed air, could he truly feel the exuberant spirit of the wind.
Even more wonderful was that under the influence of this soul-piercing gale, his understanding of the Phantom Lancer's traits deepened.
Sometimes, when he let his body merge with the wind and allowed himself to sway like the grass, a phantom would flicker into existence at the spot he had just occupied. Though the image lasted less than half a second—appearing more like a trick of the light—he knew it was real. For that brief half-second, an illusion had truly manifested.
Once he could make that phantom linger longer and possess a physical form like a Shadow Clone, he would have truly mastered the Phantom Lancer's essence.
He was certain that day was not far off.
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