Right now, Byakuya just needed to play the hand he was dealt.
Complaining about bad luck wasn't his style.
Besides, with his "Destiny System" in play, his strength was only going to grow. Sooner or later, he'd take his fate into his own hands.
Of course, bringing Hiroya to heel was just a small step forward.
Byakuya had figured out that Hiroya was a man driven purely by profit, so he used that greed as leverage.
There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.
Once Byakuya showed enough power, a guy like Hiroya would roll over and beg like a lapdog.
Byakuya sat back in Hiroya's office chair. It was genuinely comfortable; the guy certainly knew how to enjoy the finer things.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Byakuya instinctively grabbed a rag and started pretending to wipe down the desk.
"Principal? I have a report for you."
"Sorry, the Principal had to step out."
"Oh my, it's Byakuya."
The visitor was Izumi, the baby-faced teacher. She walked in with her usual bubbly smile. "Byakuya! I haven't seen you around lately. Don't tell me you were sick again?"
"Ms. Izumi, you're a good guesser. My Ninjutsu training backfired a bit, caught a nasty chill, and had to rest up at home for a while," Byakuya lied without skipping a beat.
Izumi clasped her hands behind her back and sauntered over to him with a cat-like stride. "My, you've gotten taller, Byakuya."
"You think so?"
"My eyes never lie. Just like when I first saw you—I knew right away you were going to be someone special."
"I hope your prediction comes true then, Ms. Izumi."
"Oh, come on, don't be so cold. It hurts my feelings when you brush off my kindness," Izumi said, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness.
Byakuya tapped his forehead, acting as if he'd just remembered something important. "That reminds me—didn't you once mention you were a mole for the Hokage, planted here to spy on Vice-Principal Hiroya?"
Izumi's face went pale. "I never said that! Byakuya, don't you dare slander me!"
"True or false, that's for Hiroya to decide. But let me ask you this: do you think he'll believe me, or you?"
"Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore. You always make these terrible jokes."
"You sure? Don't want to grab some barbecue together?"
"No thanks, I'm not hungry."
Izumi turned and fled the room.
Byakuya waited a moment, then tossed the rag aside and headed back to the warehouse.
He pulled out a bamboo recliner, leaned back, and sighed. A peaceful life really is the best, he thought. I'd rather be a nobody in peacetime than a hero in a war zone. It was a shame that in the Hidden Leaf Village, "peace" was just an empty promise. He didn't understand why people were always so obsessed with fighting and killing.
Over the last few days, the timed quests from his System had given a small boost to his Taijutsu aptitude and sensory abilities.
He pulled up the interface.
[Fortune Favors the Diligent]
Time Limit: 2 Days
Task: Practice Shadow Clone Jutsu (50/50)
Status: Complete
Reward: Minor increase in Ninjutsu Aptitude
...
Meanwhile, Hiroya was standing in front of Danzo Shimura, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
The four sealed scrolls had been opened.
After reading the intelligence contained within, Danzo's face darkened instantly, looking as gloomy as a storm cloud.
Standing beside him, Nono Yakushi whispered, "Lord Danzo, should we..."
"No. The situation in the Hidden Sand isn't looking good. Rasa isn't an idiot; he won't be that impatient."
Although the intel in the scrolls didn't explicitly say the Sand was attacking the Leaf, it detailed their troop movements.
A significant number of Sand Ninja were stationed within the Land of Rivers. The three ninja Byakuya had killed were actually messengers heading back to the Sand Village to report on their unit's status.
The report stated that due to a shortage of supplies, the Sand Ninja in the Land of Rivers were demoralized and clamoring to return home.
"What else did he say?" Danzo asked coldly.
Hiroya, terrified, knelt on the floor to report. "He... he said he has intelligence worth the value of an S-Rank Jutsu."
"Heh." Danzo let out a low, dry chuckle. "I see."
Now he was certain. Byakuya the Crane was a cautious little fox hiding his tail.
This intelligence was exceptionally valuable, which was why Byakuya felt bold enough to use it as a bargaining chip.
However, Byakuya had handled it well. He knew how to share the credit so he wouldn't become a public target. Look at that idiot Hiroya's face—he had probably already willingly become Byakuya's lackey.
It was nothing more than the carrot and the stick. People like Hiroya were fair-weather friends; they would run whichever way the wind blew if it benefited them.
"Go. Bring him to me."
"Yes, sir."
Hiroya bowed and backed out of the room. He didn't dare break into a run until he was far away from the Root's underground base.
Danzo took a detailed file on Byakuya out of his drawer.
The report covered every minute detail of Byakuya's recent activities and included an analysis of whether he was worth grooming.
Danzo handed the report to Nono. "The little fox likes wearing that mask of the 'Shuten-doji .' From now on, his codename within Root will be Shuten-doji ."
"Understood."
"Last time, 'Shuten-doji ' asked for Tobirama-sama's Water Style: Water Formation Wall. Since he claims to have intel worth an S-Rank Jutsu this time, it seems he's aiming for one of the S-Rank techniques developed by the Second Hokage."
Nono looked skeptical. "An S-Rank Jutsu? With his current strength..."
"He successfully eliminated Sand spies, fought Pakura in the forests of the Land of Rivers, and managed to escape back to the Leaf alive. His strength has exceeded my expectations."
"I understand."
Danzo turned his head and stared at her, asking abruptly, "Do you know why you are better than Ryoma Aburame?"
"I do not know."
"You have self-awareness. You don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."
Nono immediately lowered her head further.
---
When Byakuya walked into the Root underground base and entered the meeting room, only he and Danzo were present.
Danzo stared at the demonic "Shuten-doji " mask on Byakuya's face. He didn't ask him to remove it. Instead, he pointed to a document on the desk.
It was a handwritten Application for Anbu Training Division External Personnel.
"With this application, which you are signing 'willingly,' your only place in the Hidden Leaf is in the Root. Do you regret it?"
"I regret it."
"Regret what?"
"I regret not having enough power to refuse signing it."
Danzo spoke indifferently, "Ninjas from noble clans can refuse to join Root without consequence. But not you. You are a commoner with no background. In front of me, you currently lack the power to say no."
"Yes, sir."
"Your codename in Root is now Shuten-doji . You answer directly to me. Vice-Principal Hiroya will continue to relay your missions. Aside from delivering this 'intel worth an S-Rank Jutsu,' there is no need for us to meet."
"Understood."
"Tell me about your experience in the Land of Rivers."
Byakuya reported everything in detail—eliminating the spy Sanshan, fighting Pakura, evading the Sand and Stone ninja pursuing him, running into the giant black snake, and so on. He even revealed his Kekkei Genkai, the Storm Release.
There was no point in hiding these things. Pakura was still alive; with Root's intelligence network, they would find out eventually.
For all he knew, Danzo already knew about the fight with Pakura.
The only thing he kept strictly secret was his Destiny System. Not a word about that slipped out.
Danzo furrowed his brow. "The value of this intelligence is indeed equivalent to an S-Rank Jutsu. If you were sitting in my chair, what would you do?"
"I would wait for the Hidden Stone Village to fail, then form an alliance with the Hidden Sand."
"A treaty is just a piece of paper. There is no guarantee the Sand won't turn around and attack us once they know the true state of the Leaf's rear defenses."
"But a temporary treaty would be enough to relieve the tension on the front lines."
After a moment, Danzo nodded.
Would the Sand Village give up on attacking the Leaf without an alliance? No.
The Land of Wind was barren, while the Land of Fire was rich. Humans are driven by profit; that was a fundamental conflict.
Of course, both of them knew the Hidden Stone was destined to fail. Byakuya knew it because he had a "god's eye view" of the plot, while Danzo knew it because his spies had discovered the Sand Village's trump card.
The One-Tailed Beast, Shukaku.
That incredibly old monk seemed to have become the perfect Jinchūriki for the One-Tail.
"Which Ninjutsu do you want?"
Byakuya spoke slowly. "Lord Second's Water Style: Water Severing Wave."
He had really wanted the Flying Thunder God, but after thinking it over, he chose the Water Severing Wave.
Right now, what he lacked most was a high-damage offensive spell.
Silence hung in the air for a long time.
Finally, Danzo withdrew his gaze from Byakuya and said, "I will give you Water Style: Water Severing Wave. And I will also give you Minato Namikaze's signature technique, the Flying Thunder God."
From Danzo's perspective, Byakuya was a kid with a clean background who had proven his worth. He was worth investing resources in.
Byakuya didn't celebrate. Instead, he asked, "What is the price?"
Danzo turned his back to him, looking up to admire the calligraphy on the wall that read "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain."
"Your parents died for the Leaf," Danzo said. "I hope you possess that same conviction—to die for the Leaf."
This was the complete opposite of Byakuya's philosophy of survival at all costs.