"These scrolls are for you. Train well, and don't disappoint my expectations."
Danzo handed over all the ninjutsu he had developed related to the Blood Dragon Eye to En Oyashiro in one go.
Naturally, En Oyashiro was immensely grateful.
While he didn't have an obsessive desire to become stronger, who wouldn't want to grow more powerful if given the chance?
Besides, even if he couldn't master these techniques, his daughter Chino and future descendants could still use them.
In any case, accepting these scrolls was a no-lose situation.
"Also, take this."
Danzo pulled out a mask from his pocket and tossed it to En Oyashiro.
The latter picked it up and examined it. It was a dragon-shaped mask with two sharp horns at the top and red patterns on its surface.
"This is..."
En Oyashiro hesitated.
"This will be your identity in Root from now on. Your codename is Dragon."
"From today, you are a member of Root's Earthly Branch Squad."
Danzo spoke calmly.
Based on his earlier assessment, Danzo was confident that En Oyashiro currently possessed the strength of an elite jōnin.
Once he mastered the ninjutsu Danzo had given him and filled in his weaknesses, his strength would likely place him among the top tier of elite jōnin.
Not to mention, the Blood Dragon Eye's ability to create human bombs added a sinister edge to his arsenal.
Combined with En Oyashiro'a natural talent for business, giving him a spot in the Earthly Branch Squad wasn't a waste.
Hearing Danzo's appointment, En Oyashiro was thrilled.
He was no longer the clueless newcomer who had just arrived in Konoha.
Through his recent exposure to Root, he knew that the Earthly Branch Squad was the most powerful and core unit under Danzo's command.
Its members were codenamed after the twelve Earthly Branches, each one a formidable individual deeply trusted by Danzo.
They were his inner circle!
Being able to join the Earthly Branch Squad meant, in a sense, that he had entered Danzo's inner circle.
En Oyashiro, of course, wouldn't refuse.
This not only signified a rise in his status within Root but also provided a significant safeguard for Chino's future.
Thus, he immediately knelt down respectfully and said:
"I will not fail your trust, Lord Danzo!"
Danzo nodded and gave him his first task.
"Your tasks are two."
"First, master the ninjutsu I've given you and improve your strength."
"Second, join the Commerce Department and learn how Konoha's business model operates."
When Danzo mentioned the first task, En Oyashiro didn't react much.
But when he brought up the second, En Oyashiro's eyes lit up.
"Lord Danzo, leave it to me!"
After a few brief instructions, En Oyashiro happily headed off to the Commerce Department to take up his new role.
It was clear that this guy genuinely loved doing business.
Although Danzo already had a preliminary plan for reforming the Land of Fire's commerce, he needed the right person to execute it.
And En Oyashiro was the perfect candidate in Danzo's eyes.
After dealing with En Oyashiro's matters, Danzo was about to take a break.
Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a crisp voice.
"Teacher! Teacher!"
There was no doubt—it was Kabuto.
Only this kid dared to shout so loudly within Root.
Even Might Guy only dared to yell on the training grounds. He probably wouldn't dare to do so in Danzo's office.
This was one of the privileges of being Danzo's disciple.
Danzo, who had just closed his eyes, reopened them.
"What is it, Kabuto?"
The young Kabuto pushed open the office door and shouted:
"Teacher, it's done!"
"What's done?"
Danzo frowned. This kid was speaking in riddles.
But Kabuto ignored his teacher's displeasure and exclaimed:
"The train is done!"
At this, even Danzo couldn't stay seated.
His drowsiness vanished, and he shot to his feet.
"Really?"
"Really!"
Kabuto gave a firm confirmation.
This instantly excited Danzo, who grabbed Kabuto and rushed toward the factory.
It was no wonder Danzo was so thrilled.
Ever since Minato took office, Danzo had been pushing for industrial reform. He had even used his Asura Path abilities to sketch out designs from his previous life.
However, due to limitations in materials and manufacturing techniques, the train—a transportation tool with immense carrying capacity and utility—had remained elusive.
Now that it had finally been achieved, how could Danzo not be excited?
When Danzo and Kabuto arrived at the factory, the workers were gathered around a massive machine.
It stood about three to four meters tall, with most of its components made of steel and sheet metal.
At the top was a long chimney, and below were numerous drive shafts and wheels.
Inside the engine were a boiler, water tank, combustion chamber, coal chute, and other components.
The coal chute stored the fuel, which, when burned in the combustion chamber, produced heat.
This heat boiled the water in the boiler, generating steam.
The steam entered the steam engine, driving the pistons, which in turn rotated the wheels through the drive shafts.
This process converted the fuel's chemical energy into heat, and then into kinetic energy!
"What a marvelous creation."
Danzo gently touched the steel behemoth.
Although this first-generation steam locomotive looked rough and lacked the sleek, futuristic design he remembered, it possessed its own rugged, primal beauty.
The more Danzo looked at it, the more he liked it. He then asked happily:
"Who was in charge of building this?"
Before anyone else could speak, Kabuto pointed to a middle-aged worker.
"Teacher, it was him!"
Kabuto often shuttled between Konoha Hospital, the laboratory, and the factory, so he was very familiar with the personnel and research progress in these departments.
Danzo looked at the worker Kabuto had pointed out.
The man had a square face, and his large head seemed disproportionately heavy compared to his short stature, giving him a top-heavy appearance.
"If I recall correctly, your name is Tōno Tokuo?"
Thanks to his incredible memory, Danzo remembered everyone he had ever met.
This Tōno Tokuo was one of the industrial technicians Danzo had brought from the Land of Fire's capital.
He was one of the key figures in the train manufacturing project.
Hearing Danzo say his name, Tōno Tokuo's face lit up with surprise and nervousness.
"Reporting to Lord Danzo, I am indeed Tōno Tokuo."
"But..."
"But what?"
Danzo looked at him curiously and asked.
Tōno Tokuo hesitated for a moment before speaking honestly:
"Lord Danzo, the person who contributed the most to this project wasn't me, but my son, Tōno Hōsuke."
"If it weren't for his design of a critical boiler component, we wouldn't have been able to complete this locomotive so smoothly."
Hearing this, Danzo's eyes lit up as if he had remembered something.
"Hōsuke?"
"Where is he? Bring him here!"
At Danzo's words, Tōno Tokuo quickly waved to the crowd, and a boy around ten years old ran over.
"Reporting to Lord Danzo, this is my son, Tōno Katasuke."
Tōno Tokuo introduced him nervously.
He hadn't been lying earlier.
His son had shown a keen interest and talent in mechanical engineering from a young age.
So, when he was working on the locomotive, he brought his son along.
To his surprise, Katasuke flourished in the factory environment, assisting the workers in building the locomotive and even designing and improving several key components.
As for why Tōno Tokuo was nervous?
He simply couldn't gauge the temperament of the "Darkness of the Shinobi" and wasn't sure whether introducing his son to Danzo was the right move.
Fortunately, Danzo's reaction exceeded his expectations.
Almost as soon as he saw Katasuke, Danzo couldn't help but smile.
This square-faced little kid was none other than Dr. Katasuke, the genius scientist from the Boruto era who had designed scientific ninja tools!
How could Danzo suppress his joy?
After all, what Danzo needed most right now was talent.
And Katasuke, in the Boruto era, had successfully integrated ninjutsu into tools, creating a wide range of scientific ninja devices.
Not only that, he had deep expertise in industrial and biological technologies.
He was undoubtedly one of the few super-talents in the shinobi world!
And now, he had practically fallen into Danzo's lap.
"Truly, heroes emerge from the young!"
"The younger generation is formidable!"
Danzo didn't hold back in expressing his admiration for Katasuke.
This reaction delighted Tōno Tokuo.
After all, earning Danzo's favor was akin to soaring to great heights in Konoha.
"I grant you permission to join all of Konoha's industrial projects!"
"Whatever materials or resources you need, just let me know, and I'll do my best to provide them!"
Danzo made this promise to the future genius.
If Katasuke could develop scientific ninja tools as he had in the original timeline, it would be of immense significance to Konoha's military strength!
Hearing Danzo's words, Tōno Tokuo quickly pulled his son down to kneel before Danzo.
"Thank you, Lord Danzo!"
"Thank you, Lord Danzo!"
Danzo helped them up and offered a few more words of encouragement.
Then, he looked around, patted the steel giant beside him, and said to the crowd:
"Everyone, the Fireworks Festival is in a few days."
"Let's work hard and get the tracks laid into the village by then!"
"In a few days, we'll load fireworks onto the train and give the villagers a surprise!"
Danzo's proposal was met with unanimous support from the workers.
After all, they were just as eager to show the people what an incredible thing they had created!
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