After Ryo and the others left, Hajime had lunch and resumed his training.
Unknowingly, large snowflakes began falling from the sky.
Hajime didn't feel cold at all. He continued until dusk, only stopping when Ryo returned.
"Captain, there's a mission."
Hajime nodded and leapt down from the rooftop. "What mission?"
Ryo replied, "We'll set out tomorrow morning to escort a group of wounded back to Konoha."
"This time, Lord Danzō will be returning to Konoha as well."
Hajime looked up at the fluttering snowflakes. "Looks like the intensity of the war is decreasing."
Ryo nodded. "Yeah, I heard Iwagakure has withdrawn some of its forces."
"We might actually get to spend New Year at home."
Hajime nodded again.
The year was almost Konoha Year 37.
But this war was only just beginning.
Next year, Konoha Year 38, would likely be the most intense phase of the war.
Moreover, Konoha's battlefield wasn't limited to just this front.
…
That night, Hajime continued his training, repeatedly experimenting with dispersing the seeds into the air like pollen, allowing them to drift on the wind.
Before he knew it, midnight had arrived.
It was now December 21st, Konoha Year 36.
And right on time, the status panel refreshed.
"What a pity…"
Hajime sighed.
The Teleportation status was gone.
He looked at the status panel—sure enough, the permanent status no longer included [Teleportation].
Obviously, his current development level wasn't enough to permanently solidify that status.
Still, he had gained a lot during that time.
As long as he continued progressing according to plan, Hajime believed that with Wood Release as the foundation, the space-time instant movement technique he was developing wouldn't be much inferior to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In fact, once the foundation was complete, training in Flying Thunder God in the future should be much easier.
At that point, he might even be able to combine the two and create an even more powerful space-time ninjutsu.
With his thoughts settled, Hajime looked at the updated status.
> Current Status: Walk on Eaves and Walls
> Note: In this state, your body is as light as a swallow—you can move swiftly along rooftops and walls.
> Refresh Countdown: 167:58:55
At first glance, it seemed like a rather underwhelming status.
For a ninja, running along walls and rooftops was basic skill.
But knowing this golden finger's usual behavior, its descriptions were never exaggerated.
Which meant…
"My body right now… really is as light as a swallow."
Hajime stood up and leapt into the air—the feeling hit instantly.
He truly felt light as a swallow.
Using aerial footwork was significantly easier.
"Though it's nowhere near Ōnoki's Lightweight Boulder Technique, it's definitely a big help for me."
"The best part is, once this status is solidified, it becomes permanent. No chakra needed to maintain it—I'll always be light as a swallow."
"And compared to others, this status doesn't seem too difficult to solidify."
Under the dark sky, amidst the falling snow, Hajime strolled through the air.
A while later…
He returned indoors to rest.
At 9 a.m. the next morning, Hajime met up with Ryo, Ryōma, and Danzō.
Aside from Danzō and some of the Root shinobi, there were also over a dozen injured personnel.
To his surprise, Tsunade and her team were also present.
He exchanged a glance with Tsunade before saluting alongside Danzō. Immediately after, Danzō gave the order: "Move out!"
Swish swish swish!
Figures vanished from the spot in an instant.
The Root ninja split into two groups. Hajime's team, under his lead, accompanied Danzō in the front.
Two other squads followed at the rear, with Tsunade and the wounded positioned in the center.
Due to the injured, their pace was slower than usual.
By noon, they reached the border of the Land of Rain, where they rested for two hours before continuing their journey.
The Land of Fire was much larger than the Land of Rain.
By dusk, they had already set up camp within the Land of Fire's borders.
Though it was cold, it hadn't started snowing in the Land of Fire yet.
Even so, Hajime's presence remained invaluable.
In the cold wilderness, the group settled into a wooden cabin—with a fireplace, no less.
Warming his hands by the fire, Jiraiya couldn't help but exclaim, "This is the first time I've felt this comfortable during a mission!"
"If I were in the same squad as Hajime, that'd be pure bliss."
Tsunade shot him a glance. "Why don't you join the Root, then?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "I couldn't handle that atmosphere."
At that moment, Orochimaru said, "Hajime-kun probably won't stay in Root for long."
At those words, both Jiraiya and Tsunade paused in surprise. Meanwhile, the quietly seated Namikaze Minato appeared deep in thought.
Jiraiya considered it for a moment and then smiled. "That does make sense."
"Looks like we'll have a chance to do missions with Hajime in the future."
"To be honest, seeing him in a mask feels a little weird."
Minato couldn't help adding, "Hajime's entire aura changed after he joined the Root."
Orochimaru smiled. "Root has even stricter standards than the Anbu, and their missions are far more dangerous."
"You remember Kakuzu, don't you?"
Jiraiya's eyes sharpened. "The S-rank missing-nin who once tried to assassinate the First Hokage? So it was Hajime who took him down after all."
He turned to Tsunade. "Do you know how strong that guy Hajime is now?"
Tsunade shook her head. "Not really. I'm about as informed as you are."
"But judging from last time, dealing with the Third Tsuchikage didn't seem to be a problem for him."
Minato was shocked. "So Hajime already has power on par with the Kage of other villages?"
"That's incredible!"
Hajime was only six years older than Minato—and about six years younger than Jiraiya and the others.
Orochimaru added, "That's the power of the First Hokage, after all."
"But Hajime-kun's own talent is also admirable."
Minato nodded in agreement.
That much was evident from the Rasengan alone.
Even without Wood Release, he believed Hajime's capabilities would be no weaker than his teacher Jiraiya or the others.
Meanwhile...
Inside the cabin, Hajime sat face-to-face with Danzō.
Danzō asked, "You seem to value that Namikaze Minato highly?"
Hajime nodded. "The Third Hokage has good judgment. Namikaze Minato is exceptional in every way. If you become Hokage one day, Lord Danzō, he could be a valuable asset—like the White Fang of Konoha once was."
Danzō said, "But he's one of Hiruzen's people."
Hajime emphasized, "Outside of the Sarutobi clan—and even within it—loyalty isn't to the man himself."
"For the vast majority of ninja in the village, their loyalty lies with the Hokage, with the Will of Fire."
Danzō gave the faintest nod.
It was precisely this realization that had led him to gradually reform Root.
Now, the question was how to make Hiruzen...
Such thoughts couldn't help but arise in Danzō's mind.
Whenever he was alone with Hajime, his ambitions always seemed to swell uncontrollably.
Perhaps it was due to Hajime's similarly aggressive stance.
Danzō didn't even notice it himself. He looked at Hajime and thought silently, Should I really send Alpha to assassinate Hiruzen?
If the assassination succeeds, to avoid unnecessary trouble, I might have to discard this precious piece from the board as well.
That thought made Danzō suddenly realize something.
Hajime was growing far too quickly.
He was already able to contend with the Third Tsuchikage.
If things really came to that, it might not be so easy to carry out his plans.
Who could eliminate such a future threat?
"The Wood Release experiments must accelerate."
With that thought in mind, Danzō changed the subject. "How are things going with Tsunade?"
Hajime replied, "We've established a solid relationship."
"In addition to Tsunade herself, I've also strengthened ties through Nawaki."
"But to truly win her over, I'll still need the right opportunity."
Danzō asked directly, "Need my help?"
Hajime quickly said, "Lord Danzō, matters of the heart are best left to develop naturally. If it's too forced, it might backfire."
Danzō nodded, then asked, "What about Ryo and Ryōma?"
Hajime answered confidently, "Special Jōnin is probably the limit for Ryo. As for Aburame Ryōma, he's worth investing more in."
"Yesterday, he proposed a rather interesting idea. If it works out, it could benefit the entire Aburame clan."
Danzō raised a brow. "Oh?"
"What idea?"
Hajime described what had happened the previous day, including the role he had played—after all, now was the perfect time to claim credit.
After listening, Danzō nodded. "It's definitely an interesting idea."
"But executing it won't be easy."
Hajime nodded. "I believe Ryōma can pull it off. When the time comes, you'll have another sharp blade under your command, Lord Danzō."
Danzō said immediately, "In that case, you'll be responsible for training him well."
"Understood!"
…
At 7 a.m., the group set off again and finally arrived at Konoha by noon.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief—even Hajime was no exception.
After all, people weren't machines. Rest was essential.
Upon returning home, Hajime washed up, created a few Wood Clones to continue his training, then went straight to bed and slept soundly until evening.
After waking, he bought some food and sake. While digesting the feedback memories from the clones, he wandered over to Tsunade's home.
(End of Chapter)
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