Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Inside the lord's mansion, Lord Kurokawa Yasumasa received the two men with great courtesy, expressed his gratitude, and informed them that the city's guards had successfully apprehended the human trafficking gang before their arrival. He assured them that the mission would still be considered complete, and the subsequent reward would be paid to Konoha as usual.

When Maruhoshi Kosuke inquired about the whereabouts of the abducted children, the castle lord looked regretful and explained that the group was a criminal syndicate operating in multiple countries, and the children had been sold overseas. However, he promised to do his best to investigate and try to find them.

After hearing this explanation, Maruhoshi Kosuke said nothing more, rose to take his leave: "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord. In that case, we will take our leave now."

The two declined the city lord's further attempts to persuade them to stay and headed out of the mansion.

As he reached the door, Shinichi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He didn't turn around, but he could clearly feel that the middle-aged man dressed as a steward, who had been standing beside the city lord, was now looking at his back.

From the moment Shinichi entered the hall, this person's gaze frequently fell on him, not in a normal way, but with an unusual focus, even with a hint of urgency.

Shinichi glanced back as if he had sensed something. Although the other person immediately withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened, his eyes would still occasionally drift back from the shadows or out of the corner of his eye, as if repeatedly confirming something.

"Shinichi, what do you think?" After walking a distance from the lord's mansion, Maruhoshi Kosuke asked.

"Something's not right," Shinichi replied curtly, his gaze sweeping over the imposing mansion behind him.

"Hmm." Maruhoshi Kosuke nodded slightly, lowering his voice: "Let's talk about it when we're further away."

Inside the city lord's mansion, the heavy wooden door had just closed, cutting off outside light and sound, when Elder Takahashi's butler-like submissive mask shattered instantly.

He turned sharply to Yasumasa Kurokawa, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement, his voice low but unable to conceal the surging fervor within:

"Did you see that?! That boy... that Konoha genin named Higashino Shinichi!"

Kurokawa Yasumasa's heart skipped a beat, and his face darkened: "What are you planning to do now? I warned you not to make any rash moves!"

"No! You don't understand!" Elder Takahashi interrupted him urgently, his eyes flashing with an unusual light: "That was a feeling! It was the most direct revelation from the Holy One! The moment he stepped into the hall, the power of divine grace deep within my bloodline throbbed and called out! This is no coincidence! His body... his very existence is very likely the perfect vessel born to bear the power of the Holy One! He is a natural candidate for the Holy Son!"

He took a step closer, his voice hoarse and seductive: "Kurokawa Yasumasa, tell me, you too have been bathed in the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and the seed has been planted within you. When you saw him, didn't your heart stir? If you can seize him and complete the final ritual... the great undertaking of the Holy Spirit's descent will be realized through us!"

Kurokawa Yasumasa's eyes flickered with a complex expression, and he said with difficulty, "But he's a Konoha ninja!"

"Just a low-ranking ninja!"

Elder Takahashi scoffed disdainfully: "Look at his companion, he's still a genin even though he's in his fifties. Teaming up with him shows that this young man is completely disregarded and insignificant in Konoha! In past wars, such a person would just be cannon fodder that could be used at will. This world has never been peaceful, so it's perfectly normal for a genin to die."

He continued coldly, "We can do it cleanly. We can stage an accident and frame a rogue ninja or ronin. A mediocre old genin dies, a lowly genin with no background goes missing... In this border region, similar things happen every day. Would Konoha really go to such lengths and conduct a thorough investigation for two insignificant low-level ninjas? As long as we do it cleanly and leave no evidence, it will naturally fade away in time."

Kurokawa Yasumasa remained silent, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs, a fierce clash of weighing pros and cons in his eyes.

Seeing that he was still hesitant, Elder Takahashi's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint as he said sternly, "Don't forget your illness, Kurokawa Yasumasa! Only the arrival of the Holy Son can completely cure your illness."

He was prepared to kill Kurokawa Yasumasa if he disagreed, and then lead his followers to take action.

Thinking of his illness and seeing the increasingly dangerous look in the eyes of the person before him, Kurokawa Yasumasa gritted his teeth and said, "...Fine! Then...do it!"

Elder Takahashi nodded in satisfaction and was about to make arrangements when a disciple hurriedly slipped in and whispered, "My lords, those two Konoha ninjas... have already left the city."

"So fast?" Kurokawa Yasumasa was taken aback.

Elder Takahashi's pupils suddenly contracted, a sense of foreboding gripping his heart: "This is bad! They must have noticed something! Chase them! We can't let them get away!"

.......

The two had barely left the city lord's mansion when they slipped into a secluded, deserted narrow alley.

Maruhoshi Kosuke stopped and turned to look at Shinichi. His gaze was calm as he said in a low voice, "Now you can tell me. What did you discover?"

Shinichi calmly analyzed, "Senior, the city lord's mansion not only knew about this child's disappearance case, but was very likely deeply involved. To be more precise, the city lord Kurokawa Yasumasa himself is either their protector or collaborator."

Maruhoshi Kosuke frowned deeply: "Based on what?"

"First, his attitude is illogical." Shinichi analyzed logically: "The city lord is too enthusiastic and attentive to us, as if he is eager to give us a complete answer. The fact that the criminals were caught just before our arrival, and the children were sold abroad... all the explanations fit together perfectly, which makes them seem too perfect, as if they were repeatedly rehearsed in advance. As the city lord, he has many affairs to attend to. It is unusual for him to personally explain a simple C-level commission so quickly and in such detail."

"Given the fact that local law enforcement has made no progress in the child missing case, only a deliberate cover-up by the highest levels of government could have resulted in such a clean investigation."

"Secondly, that butler." Shin paused, recalling the gaze that seemed to be repeatedly confirming something: "He paid unusual attention to me from the moment I entered. It wasn't curiosity, it was more like... assessing some kind of quality. When I looked back at him, although he immediately concealed it, he continued to observe me secretly afterward. This is definitely not the behavior of an ordinary butler. It seems that his interest in me as a person far outweighs his attention to my identity as a Konoha ninja."

"Senior, besides being a Konoha ninja, what else do I have that would warrant his attention?"

Maruhoshi Kosuke's eyes flickered slightly, and he uttered two words: "Child."

"Yes, child." Zhen nodded, following this line of thought: "So, the truth behind the recent child disappearances in this area is likely that some force is secretly kidnapping children, trying to select those who meet certain requirements or traits. And this force is deeply cooperating with the city lord's mansion, and the city lord himself may even be a member or the mastermind behind it."