Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

One of the "doorman" explained with a smile and in a friendly, older brother-like tone.

"What?! There's such a thing! Our teacher is Master Masato, you two seniors. When does Master Masato usually like to leave the village?"

Yusaku Kudo hadn't expected there to be so many intricacies involved in leaving the village. He quickly put down his lunchbox, pulled out paper and pen, and turned to a new page, asking questions like a model student. Yekura, standing beside him, did the same. Indeed, traveling ten thousand miles is worse than reading ten thousand books! Staying in the village all this time, he had no idea that even high-ranking ninjas had so many habits, including liking to walk at night. Weren't they afraid of encountering ghosts...?

"puff!"

"Shin...Shin-shin-sama? Your teacher is Shin-shin-sama? Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

The doorman, who had been acting like a friendly older brother, instantly lost his composure. He was startled by Kudo Yusaku's words and felt a chill run down his spine. At the same time, he secretly thought to himself that the experience passed down by his seniors was not without reason!

Who would have thought that these two rookies, who looked like they'd just graduated from the Ninja Academy and didn't have any clan crests, were actually Master Shinto's students? They almost made a huge mistake... -_-||.

435. Master Shindou is just that easygoing.

"Yes, seniors, may I ask what bad habits he has... uh, when does he usually go out? (⊙_⊙)?"

Kudo Yusaku and Hakura were already used to the two "doorman's" reactions. Whenever someone heard that their teacher was Shinto-sama, they would either eat several pounds or be shocked. So they were used to the "doorman's" reactions.

"Well...we've worked here for so many years, we'd know a thing or two about other people's habits, but if you're asking about Lord Masato...we really don't know where to begin. Why haven't we said anything? Lord Masato is quite spontaneous, he doesn't have a fixed routine. When he goes out or what he does depends mainly on his mood. But I reckon you two are in for a while. We don't know when Lord Masato goes out, but everyone knows he likes to sleep in. He won't get up until almost noon. It's 5 a.m. now, I estimate you'll have to wait here for several more hours. Just wait patiently...-_-||"

After learning that the two brats were Master Shinto's students, the two gatekeepers dared not think of beating anyone anymore. They were filled with envy. The village had been abuzz with rumors recently—it turned out these two brats were Master Shinto's students. However, looking them over, they couldn't see any difference between them and the two brats; everyone had two ears and one mouth...

Luck is also a part of ability. If they had been so lucky back then, they wouldn't have wasted so many years as gatekeepers.

They had no idea about Lord Masato's habits. Lord Masato was a notorious shut-in; in all these years, they'd never seen him leave the village through the main gate when it was their turn to be on duty... -_-||

"What?! Hours?"

"Well, that's just how capricious Master Shinto is..."

Upon hearing the "doorman's" words, Kudo Yusaku jumped up. He had left home so early precisely because he was afraid of being late. Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, making him unable to eat his bento. Slowly, with a "thud," he collapsed to the ground without warning, and a series of snoring sounds followed...

Yecang is doing alright. Although she counted a lot of sheep last night, she did fall asleep eventually. She can hold on for a while, but she is envious of her friends who fall asleep instantly and have super good sleep quality.

.....

"Huh? Senior Meichuan, when did you arrive?"

When the sun was high in the sky, the doorman had already changed shifts. Kudo Yusaku groggily opened his eyes. Sleeping with the sky as his blanket and the ground as his mat was indeed quite restful. Seeing his senior in a wheelchair arrive, Kudo Yusaku rubbed his eyes groggily.

"You guys... you've only been here a short time, but you're here pretty early... -_-||"

Looking at the girl beside him, Yekura, who was nodding incessantly, her eyelids almost dry, and Kudo Yusaku, who had just woken up after a nap nestled against an incredibly large bundle, he was sweating bullets. Thankfully, his grandfather, knowing his teacher's habits, had reminded him last night not to go out too early, but to wait until the sun was up... -_-||

It wasn't his first time going out, so he wasn't so excited last night that he couldn't sleep. It was just that his first experience leaving the village had given him several nightmares, and he wasn't in a good mental state. When he was about to leave this morning, his old clan chief came over and inexplicably reminded him not to leave too early, and he inexplicably listened and went inside.

When I arrived here, I saw two friends, one nodding non-stop and the other lying on an ridiculously large package snoring away. It's true that the one who knows you best is always your enemy!

Grandpa has really figured out Masato-sensei... -_-||

"Honestly, why isn't Shinto-sensei here yet? It's already past noon!"

Looking at the scorching sun in the sky, Kudo Yusaku complained that it was already autumn, but in the Land of Wind, there was no distinction between spring, summer, autumn and winter. No matter when, the daytime temperature was as high as 30 or 40 degrees Celsius, but once night fell, the temperature plummeted to below zero. Now was truly the hottest time of the year.

"Wait a minute, the teacher should be here soon."

Seeing his friend's constant complaining, Mei Chuan Neiyi comforted him, saying he understood the feeling; waiting was the most agonizing thing, especially in this kind of weather, making it even easier to get irritable...

"Wow, I didn't expect you to arrive so early. I thought I'd have to wait for you. It's so nice to be young!"

Just as Mei Chuan Neiyi finished speaking, a figure with a toothpick in his mouth, wearing a wrinkled floral shirt and shorts, and with messy blond hair, swaggered over with an arrogant gait. Seeing Yekura and Kudo Yusaku looking listless, and even Mei Chuan Neiyi's own poor spirits, he teased her.

"What the hell! Teacher, don't you look at the time? Ye Cangtian and I came before dawn. Honestly, you made us wait all morning."

Kudo Yusaku said speechlessly.

"This is your first lesson. If you don't have the overwhelming power of your teacher, then you should understand all the circumstances before doing anything. Everyone in the village knows that I don't have the habit of getting up early, except you guys who didn't know and stupidly came here to wait all morning. It's only in peacetime that you're saved. If this were on the battlefield, charging in without even knowing the enemy's level would be like handing them a death sentence. It doesn't matter if you die, but if I lose face, that would be a big problem! Holy crap! Kudo-kun, are we going camping?"

After much lecturing, Masato finally realized that both Hagura and Umekawa were empty-handed, while Kudo Yusaku had an excessively large package next to him, and the smell emanating from the package indicated that it was full of bento boxes.

"What?! My mother stayed up all night preparing this for us!"

Kudo Yusaku stood up and said.

"What a great mother's love! We appreciate your mother's kindness, but we're going to play games, not camp. Let's leave these things behind; they'll spoil in this hot weather without a refrigerator. Sigh! It's all your fault, Lord Kazekage. I've suggested to him before that we should promote cultural education, but he just won't listen. This stuff won't be edible tomorrow."

Masato said speechlessly, "If this kid keeps eating like this, I don't know if he'll turn into a fat Akimichi clan member, but he'll definitely lose half a tube of blood..."

436. The teacher is a professional in team fighting and jungling.

"Teacher, what is our task this time?"

Upon hearing the mission details, the three of them perked up and looked over. After all, this was their first high-level mission in their professional careers, and a poor performance would be a black mark on their future records. Therefore, the three of them took this mission very seriously, and were also a little nervous, since they had never even done a C-level mission before and had suddenly jumped to A-level.

"Let's talk as we walk..."

"Our mission this time is to raid the Land of Fire. Hey! Don't look at me like that. Your Kazekage did this kind of thing back in the day. There's nothing dishonorable about it. For the sake of the village, we'd do anything, even massacre an entire city, let alone raid. Listen up, you three. The Land of Fire is Konoha's stronghold, so if the Konoha ninjas find out, it could easily become an S-rank mission. Whether your whole family becomes rich or you end up with nothing depends on yourselves."

As they walked across the vast desert, Masato talked, and when the topic turned to raiding the Land of Fire, the three children all gave him resistant looks. Yekura and Kudo Yusaku, still naive and idealistic rookies, viewed the ninja world as something wonderful, and were somewhat resistant to such petty theft. Umekawa Nai-i, having witnessed the cruelty of the ninja world, couldn't accept it either; he thought it was some kind of ambush or assassination mission.

"What? Teacher, aren't you coming with us?"

Mei Chuan Neiyi seemed to have picked up on something unspoken, and asked with wide eyes, "What do you mean by 'relying entirely on themselves'? If the teacher is protecting them, this kind of mission is not difficult at all. Even if they are surrounded by Konoha ninjas, the teacher can still carry them away. But now the teacher says they have to rely on themselves, doesn't that mean the teacher won't be with them?"

"Of course, your teacher will be with you, but this wilderness expedition is a mission given to you by the Kazekage. It's a test of your courage and skills. Your teacher also has a mission. After we reach the border of the Land of Fire, we'll separate for a while. Until I complete my mission, you'll have to rely on yourselves. If you don't even have this much courage, you should just go home and listen to your mothers. Ninjas are inherently living on the edge. Our Sand Village isn't as well-off as other villages. Like I told you before, if you want to gain the village's attention and rise in rank, you must first show the village the value you demonstrate. If you can't even survive in the Land of Fire for a while, what great things can you achieve in the future? You're carrying the expectations of that old man, Umekawa Hakuchi. If you can't even do that, how will you support the entire clan in the future? With great power comes great responsibility, and conversely, with great responsibility comes great responsibility... Kids, don't let your teacher down!"

Masato patted Umekawa Neiyi on the shoulder, poured a full bowl of chicken soup down the throat of the three of them, and then shifted the blame to Sunagawa. Anyway, this old guy probably doesn't have many years left to live. He wondered when his nephew would make a move on him and use him as a specimen for human body art. Although his nephew's methods were still a bit lacking, he had already honed his ability to use underhanded tactics.

Whether the three believed it or not, he himself felt incredibly motivated and was determined to go to Konoha and cause a major upheaval...

"Sogga! Don't worry, teacher, we won't let you down! We'll definitely be alive and waiting for you to come back!"

Kudo Yusaku, whose mind was almost too simple to be true, nodded seriously, looking very enthusiastic. It was just about surviving in the Land of Fire for a while without his teacher's protection, right? This was too easy for a commoner like him who had to do everything himself. He could even start a fire by rubbing sticks together. Surviving until his teacher returned was a piece of cake. This was practically his home turf!

"Boom!"

"...Kid, don't think it's that simple. What I mean is that you need to survive in the Land of Fire for a while, not that you're making a survival movie. -_-||"

Shinto, who rarely uses Observation Haki to eavesdrop on others, used it on "Conan's father" for the first time. The kid's confident demeanor made him want to see where his confidence came from. Upon listening, he was surprised to find that the kid was planning to turn this wilderness survival event into a Naruto-style survival show, even using fire-making techniques.

With a scorching ninja around, what good is your fire-making technique...? -_-||

"Teacher, what should we do?"

Yecang, slowly accepting reality, asked.

These fresh graduates were encountering a mission like this for the first time, and they had no idea how this so-called "wilderness raiding" even began. They had absolutely no experience in this area. They couldn't very well rob a ninja tool shop, could they? Aside from the fact that there were only three of them, how much could they possibly steal? And if the Konoha ninjas discovered them, with three rookies, one of whom was in a wheelchair, they wouldn't even have a place to run. Their teacher wasn't heartless; if he had assigned them this task, he must have had a plan in mind. Instead of complaining, they should face reality and ask their teacher for advice. Accepting this mission would make them good kids; refusing it would mean going home, listening to their mothers, and finding a good family to marry into...

"You've hit the nail on the head! Don't worry, the teacher might not be able to teach you much in other areas, but when it comes to team fighting and jungling, the teacher is an expert! I'm second to none! ヾ(^Д^*)/"

"First, there are only three of you. Your advantage is speed, but if you are discovered, you're doomed. The Land of Fire is Konoha's stronghold, and the number of border guards alone is at least in the five figures. However, they are in the open while you are in the shadows—this is your biggest advantage. Therefore, when choosing a target, don't be greedy and choose big cities. Instead, target small towns. When you strike, you must be quick, accurate, and ruthless. Escape quickly before the Konoha ninjas discover you, fully utilizing your advantage. Also, don't stay in one place for too long; hit and run, then move on." "Don't stick to a fixed route, and remember, don't act during the day. It's best to do it around 3 or 4 AM, when most people are in deep sleep. Even if the Konoha ninja discover you, their reaction won't be too quick. Also, when choosing items, only pick the expensive ones, not the heavy ones. Ideally, use explosive tags, Akimichi-brand rations, or rare medicinal herbs—things that are scarce in Sunagakure. Here, this is a sealing scroll. Be careful not to break it. This is a sealing scroll from the Uzumaki clan, and it's already discontinued. If it's broken, it's gone forever…!"

After making them squat down, Masato made sure they all understood by writing in a flamboyant manner on the sand with his fingers. Then, he gritted his teeth, tossed the three Uzumaki clan sealing scrolls he carried to the older and more composed Umekawa Nei, and gave her some special instructions.

437. Danzo received a transplant of Hashirama cells but there was no reaction.

"Orochimaru, I've had the First Hokage's cells transplanted over a month ago, why hasn't my Wood Release awakened yet? (▼he▼メ)"

At the foot of Konoha, Danzo, looking displeased, stormed into Orochimaru's laboratory early in the morning and spit on Orochimaru, who was studying a bunch of dense symbols that would make ordinary people feel hopeless.

Today, Danzo's appearance is completely different from his previous appearances. In addition to his right arm being wrapped in bandages, the words "Strive, Fight!" that used to be written on his forehead are gone. In their place, his forehead to his right eye is completely wrapped in bandages. In any case, he looks like a bad guy.

During this period, Danzo was very confused and lost. All his subordinates had submitted to the Land of Water, and his leader was outside using the name of the Konoha Children's Foundation to "adopt" and train orphans. Although he had brought some orphans, they were all a bunch of thin and malnourished children. It would take time for them to grow. Those with good talent would need at least five years. Originally, he had time to wait. After all, he was still young and could wait for ten or twenty years without any problem, let alone a mere five years!

But he never expected that he would be completely humiliated in the battle against the Land of Water, and not only would his past achievements be completely wiped out and he have to start all over again, but unexpectedly, White Fang became even more popular, and in a way that even physical fire extinguishers couldn't put out. The ninja world's year name has even become the White Fang Year, which shows just how popular he is.

Moreover, because Orochimaru entered Root to help him, his good friend Hiruzen Sarutobi seems to have given up the idea of ​​letting Orochimaru succeed him. However, he also seems determined to retire and has turned his attention to that damned White Fang!

Although White Fang neither agreed nor refused based on his subtle probing, this only fueled his excitement.

While Orochimaru might have a way to drag him down, there's truly no way to drag White Fang down with him. Since the age of nine, White Fang has been fighting on the battlefield, risking his life for the village. Over the years, his achievements have surpassed even the criminal record left by Golden Lion in Konoha. Moreover, as he gets older, his mature masculinity grows stronger, making him irresistible to all ages. Whether among the villagers or among ninjas, his popularity has reached its peak, even surpassing his Hokage best friend. Furthermore, the Hatake clan members are essentially tools; their straightforward personalities lack Orochimaru's many schemes, making it virtually impossible to outmaneuver White Fang.

Furthermore, once White Fang takes over, removing him will be even more difficult than dragging his best friend down with him. If Orochimaru or Jiraiya had become Hokage, at least a small group of people would have reservations. But White Fang's rise to Hokage is truly well-deserved and widely expected. People will simply say that he's been a half-sleeved Hokage for so many years; it's his turn now...

So he had no patience to wait any longer. White Fang was a generation younger than him. With White Fang's skill of fighting through ten thousand armies without getting a single leaf on his body, he could definitely live to be a hundred years old and work with his good buddy for twenty years without any problem. And in twenty years, even if his roots had developed well, the outside world might have already changed!

Ultimately, it all comes down to practicality and strength!

If he were stronger, and could hold his own against the Mist Ninja in the Land of Water, White Fang wouldn't have a chance to show off. The slight feeling he had about White Fang saving his life vanished instantly; he was determined to increase his strength!

The most direct and fastest way to enhance strength is, of course, to transplant the First Hokage's cells and awaken Wood Release. If he awakens Wood Release, he won't need to do so many unnecessary tricks. Wood Release is too special for Konoha. As long as he awakens Wood Release, becoming Hokage will be a piece of cake for him. So, if we can't wait, we can't wait any longer. We must complete the transplant and awaken Wood Release before White Fang agrees to his best friend and successfully intercept him!

However, since his underlings were gone and all that remained were a bunch of useless brats, and he didn't have the spare money to hire Kakuzu to expand Root, he was also worried that it wouldn't be good for him to have too many weaknesses in Kakuzu's hands. After all, Kakuzu was an old hand who was even older than them, and he was really worried. His own leader was out searching for orphans for him all over the world, and Ryuma's strength might not be enough to deal with the three-tomoe Uchiha by himself. So Danzo thought it over and over and realized that only Orochimaru in his Root could help him deal with the three-tomoe Uchiha.

He was thinking that Orochimaru already had the First Hokage's cells, so what could he offer to persuade Orochimaru to help him? After all, there weren't many things that could move someone like Orochimaru. He was even prepared to give him all his possessions to choose from. But he didn't expect Orochimaru to want the forbidden technique that the Second Hokage hadn't even perfected yet.

He had heard of the forbidden technique, Impure World Reincarnation. He remembered how the First Hokage had severely criticized the Second Hokage over it. Although the First Hokage had ordered the Second Hokage to destroy the technique, based on his understanding of the Second Hokage, he knew that even if the Second Hokage destroyed it in front of the First Hokage, he would have left a backup. It was impossible for it to be completely destroyed. So, after Danzo painstakingly found this forbidden technique that he couldn't understand at all and handed it over to Orochimaru, Orochimaru, being a man of his word, spent a few days dismantling several three-tomoe Uchiha for him.

We've already got the Sharingan, so what are we waiting for? Let's transplant it!

Although he didn't have a kaleidoscope, Danzo decided to grit his teeth and give it a try for his lifelong dream. If he didn't give it his all now, he'd be left with nothing but regrets in his old age...

Orochimaru's skills were quite good; the transplant was incredibly successful. Because of the overwhelming presence of the three-tomoe gems, Hashirama Senju's cells didn't rebel. Although Danzo, who had just woken up from the surgery, hadn't yet awakened Wood Release, he could clearly feel the difference within himself. While his appearance hadn't changed, he truly felt as if he were at least ten years younger, and he could faintly sense an explosive life force within his body. Danzo was extremely excited and went home with cheerful steps. He had a feeling that the day that explosive life force within him erupted would be the day he awakened Wood Release and reached the pinnacle of his life! ヾ(^Д^*)/

After returning home, Danzo bathed and changed his clothes, burned incense and offered sacrifices to the heavens. Learning from the lesson of the last time in the Land of Water, he bought a basket of various vegetables and fruits, hoping that the heavens would bless him to awaken Wood Release as soon as possible. Whether it would work or not depended on this time. To be on the safe side, he also secretly put the Mangekyou Sharingan that had been sealed away for many years into his right eye.

I have to say, gouging out someone's eyeballs really hurts horribly....

But... a month has passed, and despite feeling that explosive life force within his body, the Wood Release still won't activate. Danzo is furious! Seeing his best friend constantly running off to the Hatake clan, who knows how long White Fang can hold out...?

438. This guy doesn't look like a good person at all.

"Hehe, Advisor Danzo is really impatient. But I explained to you before the transplant that although enough three-tomoe Sharingan can allow you to transplant the First Hokage's cells, a three-tomoe Sharingan is still just a three-tomoe Sharingan. It doesn't have much Yang Release chakra to contend with the First Hokage's cells. As for whether you can awaken Wood Release, that depends on you, Advisor Danzo."

Snake looked at Danzo, who was dressed like the best villain of the year, with a flicker in his eyes. There was not a trace of disgust or disdain in his eyes. It was as if he was admiring a perfect work of art.

It's not surprising that Danzo would suddenly clutch Orochimaru's right eye; after all, every Hokage in their generation had their share of quirks. Danzo clutching his right eye probably meant he'd seen something he shouldn't have and gotten a sty...

"...If we had more Tri-Tomoe, could we transplant more First Generation cells?"

Danzo felt a chill run down his spine under Orochimaru's gaze. As the saying goes, like teacher, like student. Although Orochimaru was very knowledgeable in scientific research, who knew what other hobbies he might have... However, considering that the damned Wood Release hadn't been unleashed yet, he could only suppress the urge to burst out the door and patiently ask.

He's no match for Orochimaru now, and his right-hand man isn't around. If Orochimaru attacks, should he grant his wish...?

"Having more of the three-tomoe Sharingan isn't necessarily better. Danzo, your body has already reached its limit. The Uchiha Sharingan contains Yin Release chakra. If too much is transplanted, your body won't be able to handle it. You might be affected by that Yin Release chakra, which could lower your intelligence and even turn you into an idiot. Besides... aren't you afraid that our teacher will notice? The Uchiha have already become wary recently."

Orochimaru explained with a wicked smile that if Danzo hadn't been his first live experiment, he wouldn't have cared whether he lived or died. But now he needed to observe the changes in Danzo and collect data. Before he finished collecting the data, anyone could die, but Danzo absolutely could not die.

"...So, to increase the amount of First Hokage cells transplanted, one needs the Mangekyou Sharingan to awaken Wood Release?"