Chapter 242 – Danzo's Funeral
Neither the economy nor education can be rebuilt in a single day.
Thanks to the White Lotus Sect, Naruto doesn't have to handle everything personally.
He can even be a completely hands-off boss.
When the meeting ended, Naruto and Sasukeslipped away, but En Yui stayed behind to hammer out the details with Tsunade.
The easiest first step: rebuild the schools.
Konoha's Ninja Academy will be expanded and renamed Konoha Comprehensive University.
Three extra years will be added after the original six, for advanced study.
Fields like scientific research, economics, natural sciences, teacher training, and medicine, for example.
More specialized knowledge.
Because they didn't want to rush, only three additional years were added.
In other words, the academy will no longer exist solely to produce Ninja.
After all, many people don't want to step onto a battlefield and live a life of constant bloodshed.
You could see it even in the original story: Geninwere little more than cannon fodder.
Especially the Ninja who graduated early during the Great Ninja War—children thrown onto battlefields with terrifying death rates.
Besides this school in Konoha, every existing academy in the Land of Fire will undergo the same reform.
But it will take time.
It can't be done overnight.
There aren't even enough Ninja instructors.
And to be honest, true prodigies among civilians are rare.
If restrictions were lifted, most people would still peak at Genin.
For now, the Tianming Organization doesn't need them; it needs people versed in White Lotus doctrine.
Since Konoha won't pay for the renovations or the students' tuition, Tsunade agreed readily.
The economic side, however, is trickier.
The Tianming Organization—and Naruto—plan to hire Ninja as laborers for mining and similar work.
After all, Ninjutsu comes with built-in demolition power.
They can reach heaven or dive underground; nothing is impossible.
Right now the organization holds mining rights in both the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
A mountain of wealth.
Tsunade, though, has a different idea.
She wants the great clans to serve as contractors.
That way Konoha keeps the initiative, not the Tianming Organization.
Naruto would bet money this was Jiraiya's suggestion.
The White Lotus Sect's resident double-agent.
It also proves Jiraiya really has studied the doctrine closely.
Still, Naruto will never agree to Tsunade's proposal.
Hand the veins of the economy to Konoha's Ninjaclans? That's just privatization in disguise.
The lifeline has to stay with the Tianming Organization.
In short, a long round of negotiations begins.
Naruto skips the haggling.
He draws a bottom line and leaves the rest to En Yui.
He stays home and plays couch potato.
Lunchtime.
Hinata unlocks the door with her key.
Seeing Naruto, she hesitates for a few seconds—remembering her father's instructions—and says, "Father asks that you come to our place for meals from now on."
"Huh?"
Naruto looks up, thinking for a moment.
Could Hiashi have finally lost patience with me spiriting his daughter away every day?
"Father says eating together is livelier,"
Hinata tilts her head. "And Hanabi really wants me to join them too."
A lie, of course.
Hanabi does feel that way, but the main push is Hiashi's.
His reason sounds reasonable enough:
"Naruto's an orphan; in the future he'll be family. Even after you two marry and move out, you'll still visit often—so why not move in now and let him get to know the Hyuga Clan."
Hiashi's abacus clicks loud enough to hear.
"Sure,"
Naruto nods under Hinata's hopeful gaze. "But we'll still come back sometimes—after all, there are moments when we don't want a third wheel."
Hinata freezes for a second.
Realization hits; cheeks pink, she dashes into his room. "I'll help you pack. Father's prepared a room for you in the Hyuga Compound."
Naruto rubs his chin.
This father-in-law sure is eager to sell his daughter.
Half an hour later he checks in, suitcase in hand, and scores a luxury suite.
Hiashi lays out a feast to welcome him.
Even Neji and Hanabi look at Naruto with something odd in their eyes.
One sentence sums it up:
Well, well—someone's cruising for a sentencing.
After the meal Neji asks for a private word.
"Uh, Neji, Hinata and I are innocent—nothing beyond our years, I swear,"
Naruto blurts the moment they're alone.
"..."
Neji's expression turns strange. "That's not why I wanted to talk."
"Oh, you should've said so sooner."
Naruto pats his chest.
"So you actually did something to Hinata?"
Neji slips the question in.
"Of course not!"
Naruto protests. "Do I look like that kind of guy to you?"
Neji says nothing.
You know the answer; the scoundrel's been chasing my sister since who-knows-when.
"..."
Naruto tugs at the corner of his mouth.
Brother-in-law, your imagination's running wild.
"Forget it—get to the point."
"You have the Mangekyo Sharingan, right? I want you to help me run some experiments."
Neji has a hunch:
His Byakugan has reached its ceiling.
Another layer waits beyond—but it feels like an invisible membrane.
Breaking through may require lifting the Caged Bird Seal.
The Sharingan and the Byakugan share common ground; they can learn from each other.
And the Mangekyo Sharingan goes a step further—some aspects surpass even the Byakugan.
"No problem."
Naruto has nothing urgent lately.
He'll serve as his Brother-in-law's lab rat for a while.
Meanwhile Sasuke teams up with a pretty kunoichi on missions, hunting any trace of Itachi.
Of course they find nothing.
Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki are currently in the Land of Water, collecting Tailed Beasts.
The Three-Tails' Jinchuriki is Chōjūrō, kept close by Mei Terumī; chances to isolate him are slim.
If it comes to it, the pair may have to stage a frontal kidnapping.
The Hidden Mist Village hasn't recovered its strength; with their power, success is likely—even if it costs them.
Still, Itachi prefers to conserve energy.
He wants to save his Dōjutsu strength for his little brother.
Half a month drags by.
Naruto spends every dull day in the lab with the taciturn Neji and Sasori, wondering which of them will go mad first.
But the first to snap isn't him—it's Danzo.
[Congratulations, host: you have unlocked the active achievement "I Have No Interest in Being Hokage."]
[Reward: one targeted summon, one normal summon, ten stat points, one special buff, three destiny stones.]
[Special Buff: When fortune smiles, heaven and earth conspire—tonight you are the chosen one, the only one.]
[Note: this Lucky Buff lasts one week.]
A windfall if ever there was one.
Naruto never expected to clear this particular achievement.
Now that he has, he really does feel like heaven's favorite.
And the timing couldn't be better.
His destiny-stone gacha pool refreshes in two days.
Perfect for a summoning spree.
Naruto dumps the stat points first; his defense bonus now sits at 78%.
His stash of destiny stones reaches 150—enough for five ten-pulls.
As for the precious targeted summon, he has no idea whom to pick.
He'll save it for now.
Today's big question: what gift to send Hana Rin?
More precisely, a gift for her and Kakashi's baby girl.
He thinks of Tsunade's First Hokage necklace.
Not the necklace itself—
That thing's cursed.
But something similar.
The First's necklace is a Chakra crystal.
Extremely rare, like top-grade spirit stones in xianxia novels.
Naruto plans to craft a Chakra crystal, seal a defensive jutsu inside, and add a Flying Thunder God Mark.
At least the Hatake line will stay protected, generation after generation.
Chakra crystals don't form easily in nature.
The First Hokage's necklace is a crystal formed from Hashirama's Chakra.
In other words, anyone with vast Chakra could theoretically create such a crystal artificially.
If Hashirama could do it, so can I.
Provided I know the technique.
With that thought, Naruto activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared outside the Hokage Office.
He knocked, and after Tsunade granted permission, he entered.
"Sis Tsunade, you look a little tired."
"Who else is to blame but you?"
Tsunade yawned. "If your Tianming Organizationdidn't keep asking for less paperwork, I wouldn't be this exhausted."
"Well, the Tianming Organization isn't mine alone."
Naruto shrugged, indicating there was nothing he could do.
"I came today to ask—does Konoha have a way to crystallize Chakra?"
"Chakra crystallization?"
Tsunade instinctively lowered her gaze to the First Hokage's necklace hanging at her chest.
"Yes. I want a gift for Kakashi-sensei's daughter."
Naruto explained.
Besides, he planned to make a few more.
One each for Hinata and the two Uchiha siblings.
"I see."
Tsunade smiled. "You're thoughtful. With your power you should manage. Wait here."
She stood and left.
A few minutes later she returned and tossed Naruto a scroll.
"Thanks."
Naruto turned to leave, but Tsunade called him back.
"Something else?"
Tsunade was silent for a few seconds, then unclasped the First Hokage's necklace from her neck.
"I've never given you a gift. Take this."
"???"
Naruto reflexively shook his head. "You wear that necklace all the time; it must be precious. I can't accept it."
No need for this.
The Tianming Organization only made her a bit tired.
There's no reason to repay kindness with a treasure.
"Let me tell you a story."
Tsunade let the necklace dangle before her eyes and began speaking of the First Hokage, Nawaki, and Kato Dan.
"I hope you'll inherit the Will of Fire."
"My wish isn't to be Hokage; I only want to spend the rest of my days quietly with Hinata."
Tsunade stared, stunned.
Had Naruto not been utterly serious, she wouldn't have believed him.
If your dream is that lazy, why create the Tianming Organization?
"Then who do you think should be the next Hokage?"
Tsunade could only rephrase the question.
She hadn't asked on a whim.
These past few days she had deeply sensed how different the Tianming Organization was.
It wasn't a mere military group; it was a terrifying entity reshaping the world step by step according to plan.
She knew neither she nor Konoha could outplay it.
That much was clear from the White Lotus Sectdoctrines Jiraiya had shown her—
far too meticulous.
"That decision is yours, not mine. Just don't pick me."
Naruto waved, closing the office door behind him.
Tsunade sat in a daze, then laughed in spite of herself.
She really couldn't figure that guy out.
"He's just like you said."
As the words fell,
Jiraiya climbed in through the window.
"I've spent so much time with him; I know him. He's not like Danzo, hungry for power."
"I feel the same."
Tsunade rubbed her temples. "If only En Yui were half as indifferent to fame, our negotiations would've ended long ago."
"No choice. Perhaps Naruto doesn't realize that as the Tianming Organization and the White Lotus Sect grow, his subordinates will never be as unconcerned as he is."
Jiraiya spoke gravely.
Tsunade nodded slightly.
Of course.
Yet as long as Naruto remained strong, his ship would never capsize.
"Langya Pavilion returned Danzo's body. How do we handle it?"
Jiraiya asked, recalling the recent report.
"Hold a standard funeral."
Tsunade was silent a moment. "He did serve Konoha, after all."
After leaving the Hokage Building, Naruto went home and unrolled the crystallization scroll, reading it through.
The method wasn't difficult.
But almost no one could perform it.
It required two things: a near-oceanic amount of Chakra and mastery of a nature transformation to its extreme.
Naruto met the first requirement; for the second, only wind was familiar.
He thought a moment and headed to the hospital.
"Kakashi-sensei."
Naruto knocked and set the fruit and flowers he'd bought to one side.
Hana Rin lay resting on the bed.
Kakashi sat beside her, cradling his daughter.
Seeing Naruto, he smiled. "You and Sasuke are famous lately—the youngest hokage advisors in Konoha's history. Everyone says the next Hokagewill be one of you."
Only a handful in Konoha knew of the Tianming Organization and the White Lotus Sect.
Kakashi had stayed with Hana Rin and hadn't spoken with Tsunade, so he was still in the dark.
Though Hana Rin was a White Lotus follower, she had only met the masked "Merlin" who was Narutoin disguise.
She had no superior, no subordinates,
and knew very little.
Naruto intended to let things run their course.
Eventually the Tianming Organization, the White Lotus Sect, and Konoha would merge.
But not yet.
There was still much to do.
For now, Kakashi and Hana Rin could enjoy their happy days together.
They weren't needed yet.
"All hype."
Naruto chuckled, brushing it off.
Kakashi sighed with feeling.
In the blink of an eye his student had become a big shot,
while he remained a slacker.
Still, that was fine.
"What's the little one's name?" Naruto asked.
"Still deciding." Kakashi smiled. "I want something meaningful."
He was thinking of his old teammates—
Obito and Rin.
"Have you tested her Chakra nature?"
"Why ask? Usually we wait until after the Ninja Academy."
"I want to give her a gift."
Naruto explained briefly.
Kakashi didn't object.
After testing, the baby's primary nature turned out to be lightning.
Naruto pondered, then ran to ask Sasuke for help.
After several tries they finally succeeded, crafting a small crystal into a necklace for the little girl.
The sky was gray, as if someone had been crying.
Before Konoha's Memorial Stone, Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu truly wanted to cry.
Two days ago they had planned to meet Danzo; today they attended his funeral.
Life really is rise, fall, fall, fall, fall.
Black-clad Ninja stood all around.
Tsunade and Jiraiya stood at the front, wreaths lining both sides.
Koharu had been given the role of officiant, reading the eulogy.
It praised Danzo's contributions and called him a practitioner of the Will of Fire,
words heartfelt and sorrowful.
Tsunade was surprised—were they really that close?
"Wait—who sent the black pot?"
She spotted a black cooking pot among the wreaths and frowned. "Whose prank is this?"
"I'll check."
Jiraiya stepped forward, saw the two lines beneath the pot, and his mouth twitched.
"Not all heroes stand in the light. To the greatest 'shadow pot' of the Ninja World—Shimura Danzo. From Uzumaki Naruto."
The hell is 'shadow pot'!
He didn't know the exact meaning, but it definitely wasn't a compliment.