Back at Root's base, Ryoma had been patiently awaiting Danzo's arrival.
"Danzo-sama."
Seeing Danzo enter the room, Ryoma greeted him respectfully. Danzo waved his hand, took a seat, and picked up a piece of information next to him to read.
"Is there still no way to uncover the specifics of that organization?"
"No, Orochimaru keeps the secret very strictly." Ryoma shook his head.
Despite Orochimaru's continued cooperation, only a select few within the Roots were privy to this information.
It was just that since Orochimaru left Konoha, his interest in cooperating with the Roots has diminished significantly.
So, Ryoma couldn't find a good solution. Orochimaru had left Konoha, they no longer had any other means to restrain his development as before.
Danzo tapped his finger on the table while looking at the information, seemingly contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of continued cooperation with Orochimaru.
Although Orochimaru's ambiguous attitude left him dissatisfied, considering Orochimaru's importance to the Root, he refrained from extreme measures.
Informing Hiruzen of Orochimaru's involvement in a certain organization was also to divert Hiruzen's attention. Capturing Orochimaru wouldn't be so easy for Anbu. If Orochimaru were captured easily by Anbu, Danzo would be disappointed.
"When Orochimaru left Konoha, he secretly learned many forbidden jutsu from the Book of Seals. You can continue to cooperate with him, but you need to also maintain a certain degree of vigilance."
"Yes," Ryoma nodded, then inquired, "Is there still no way to resolve the situation with Uchiha Itachi?"
"Hiruzen's side is very tight. Even after I revealed there was a problem with the Jonin Minazuki, he didn't consider changing teams for Uchiha Itachi."
Rather, placing Itachi under the command of a jealous Jonin perhaps made it easier for Hiruzen to control Itachi, an unfinished weapon.
"That's strange."
Ryoma frowned. Although the Jonin's strength was good, but because of his jealous nature things he would teach Itachi must be insignificant.
It stands to reason that the Third Hokage, who had learned of this, would take immediate action to thoroughly investigate the Jonin, then transferring Itachi to a different team for his training to strengthen Itachi's sense of belonging to the village.
You know, from his time in the academy, Root and the Third Hokage began observing Uchiha Itachi. But Root had discovered the genius first.
Thanks to Danzo's sensitivity to 'darkness', he could tell at a glance that Itachi belonged to the root side.
If it was to prevent the Root, then it would be more conducive development to transfer Itachi to reliable people as soon as possible. However, the Third Hokage didn't do this, so the truth behind why should be interesting.
"Uchiha Shisui."
After Danzo closed his eyes, he thought of something, and opened his eyes suddenly..
"Uchiha Shisui? The Teleporter?"
"Yes. He is a descendant of Kagami, and Hiruzen has been in contact with him for a long time. According to our intelligence, Itachi and Shisui seem to have a good relationship."
So, it didn't matter if the Jonin was serious about guiding Itachi or not. The Third Hokage had already arranged people to guide Itachi. Guided by people from the Uchiha clan, it would be easier to control Itachi.
Even if he knew there was indeed a problem with the, The Hokage wouldn't be in a hurry. For him, it didn't matter whether there was a problem, a thorough investigation was just to cover up other actions.
Itachi's guide is the Uchiha with the title of "Shisui The Teleporter."
"If that's the case, it's a bit of a hassle."
The intelligence system identified Shisui as an undoubtedly tricky and troublesome individual. His body flicker is highly distinctive, swift, and fierce, reminiscent of White Fang and Yellow Flash, both powerful ninjas who excel in speed.
Moreover, Shisui also possesses the Sharingan. It's rumored that his mastery of genjutsu surpasses even his instant body flicker.
During a battle against him, focusing solely on his flicker and neglecting his Sharingan genjutsu would undoubtedly result in significant losses.
As an experienced ninja, Ryoma lacked the confidence to face against Shisui. This revelation discouraged him. Konoha's younger generations have always been exceptional 'monsters'. Uchiha Ruri, Hyuga Ayane, Namikaze Minato, and now Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui, and the yet-to-mature Uchiha Itachi.
The Uchiha clan alone attributed for three of these monsters.
Ryoma was truly amazed; the Uchiha clan's power was truly overwhelming. Since the Senju Clan's decline, the Uchiha have become Konoha's most powerful clan.
Contacting Uchiha Itachi, with the Uchiha as support, was a gamble.
"Among the younger generation, Kakashi is probably the only one who can deal with Shisui."
Danzo nodded. As Kagami descendant, Shisui has received rigorous ninja education from an early age, surpassing ordinary Uchiha ninjas. Unfortunately, such talent doesn't belong to Root but stood with the Third Hokage.
"Even if it's Kakashi.. I'm afraid, the chances of winning are not great."
"Kakashi is an important pawn, so we can't act rashly at this time."
"I understand. Now is not the time to utilize Kakashi."
"Well, is there anything else in the village that can recruit talented individuals?" Danzo asked, intentionally or unintentionally.
Due to the Hyuga incident, Root was under close scrutiny by Anbu. Even so, Root couldn't remain passive, they needed to continue expanding their power.
Root was currently in need of talents. They urgently need to absorb fresh blood.
Hearing Danzo's words, Ryoma suddenly recalled something, "Within the Aburame clan, there is a rather special young one. He has an unusual physique for breeding insects."
"Who is it?"
Ryoma, also a ninja from the Aburame clan. As one of the few powerful Jonin in the clan, he had considerable authority in the clan so he easily identify talented individuals. However, not everyone was qualified to join Root. Without the discerning quality in their eyes, adding just anyone to Root might prove detrimental.
What Root seeked were talents with distinctive characteristics. Otherwise, regardless of their power, Root had no use for such talents.
"Aburame Torune, who just entered the academy this year. His body can accommodate poisonous insects at nano-size. Although his control isn't yet proficient, he holds great potential."
"Is he eligible to join Root?"
"Yes, his ability was even shocking even among the adults in the clan ."
"Shocking?" Danzo murmured.
It's truly uncommon for a group of adults to be in awe of a child's strength. If what Ryoma mentioned about Aburame Torune was accurate, then he has considerable untapped potential.
"Let's recruit him after he graduates from the academy. He'll still need to pass the Root examination."
The Roots holds the 'darkness' of Konoha, and only those possessing the essence of 'darkness' can undergo Root's training. Otherwise, dissatisfaction among subordinates and fierce resistance toward superiors may arise, potentially causing Konoha to lose an exceptional ninja.
"I understand. I'll arrange for someone to follow up."
Torune belongs to the Aburame clan. Following up on him won't be as troublesome as monitoring Uchiha Itachi, which required extensive procedures. Furthermore, bringing such a formidable young talent into the Root will ease concerns among some clan members.
For exceptionally unique talents, entering a specialized department allows them to unleash their full potential. Despite reservations that many ninjas hold against the Root organization, they regularly send talents for special training each year.
....
"Then, thank you for the information you've provided, Jiraiya-sama. We'll take our leave."
In an inn in the Land of Hot Springs, an Anbu bowed slightly to Jiraiya, then departed with their subordinates to continue their mission.
After the Anbu departed, Jiraiya stroked his chin.
"Has the village also caught wind of the situation with the unknown organization? I didn't anticipate Sarutobi-sensei to act so quickly..."
Originally, he intended to relay this information to the village in the near future, but to his surprise, Konoha had already taken action, deploying Anbu for a search operation on that mysterious organization.
The reason was one of the organization's members - Orochimaru.
From Jiraiya's perspective, a group of individuals sitting down for a friendly tea party seemed improbable. There had to be some ulterior motive. However, details such as the organization's name, purpose, and the number of members remained unclear.
Originally, Jiraiya roamed the world with the intention of investigating Orochimaru. Along the way, he stumbled upon information about Hyuga Ayane and the other two. Unfortunately, he didn't get anything concrete about them. While he followed up on Orochimaru, he discovered he had joined a mysterious organization.
Teaming up with him was a puppeteer with difficult abilities. In a one-on-two situation, Jiraiya refrained from making any hasty moves against the puppet master, whose strength was evidently on par with Orochimaru. In the course of a battle, it could endanger his life.
At this point, Jiraiya no longer harbored any expectations for Orochimaru's return to Konoha. His focus lay in unraveling the secrets of the organization Orochimaru had joined and understanding their intentions.
This held great importance for Konoha.
"Forget it, I don't have a clue for now, let's quietly write a novel for a while."
He could continue surveiling Orochimaru, but the current surveillance has already raised Orochimaru's vigilance. Therefore, he decided to let Konoha Anbu test the waters for the time being.
When he thought of his unfinished novel, Jiraiya suddenly showed a wretched smile on his face. His first masterpiece was officially released in March of this year.
The sales in the market had exceeded his initial expectations. The success made him feel he wasn't alone. On the path, there were countless like-minded gentleman like him.
Thanks to these like-minded companions, his first book became exceptionally popular, earning him profits he never dared to imagine. It had established him as an excellent writer to the world.
In this year's selection of the most popular writers in the world he was undoubtedly the biggest dark horse of the year.
Sure enough, the light of a genius couldn't be concealed no matter what. His past experiences while collecting materials weren't in vain. Those wonderful materials help gace him ideas for writing his now popular book.
Jiraiya took pride in this achievement Sunce debut writing has been recognized within the field of literature, he felt he needed to speed up the writing of his second book. Like it's said 'Strike while the iron is hot'.
Just when Jiraiya began contemplating about his second published book, there was a knock on the door of his room.
"What's the matter?"
Jiraiya walked to the door, opening it. He saw a maid, behind her were several men in black formal suits, which made Jiraiya confused. Huh?
"Jiraiya-san, these guests are here to see you."
"Here for me?"
Jiraiya looked at the men in black behind the maid, feeling a little puzzled. He absolutely did not know these people
The maid nodded and left.
"Jiraiya-san, do you mind if I address you as that?"
One of them, probably the leader, asked with a smile.
"Ah, i don't mind. Please come in."
Jiraiya scratched his head, not quite sure why these people came to him. However, guests were guests, so he warmly welcomed them into the riom to discuss what they were here for.
"Excuse us then."
They followed Jiraiya into the house. Jiraiya made tea for them and then sat down.
"Please, have some tea."
"Thank you, Jiraiya-san. I'm truly honored to be received by Jiraiya-san, one of the Sannin."
Regarding this, Jiraiya didn't show any surprise. These people, coming to find him, must have come prepared. Besides, he had a great reputation in the ninja world. So, if one does a random investigation, they will know his basic information.
He also wanted to know the purpose these people had in finding him. They seem to be ordinary people with a little force, and not ninjas.
"It doesn't matter. I'm more interested in you purpose for visiting me. Can you tell me?"
Generally, those who come to find him were ninjas, few non-ninjas come to talk to him.
"Yes. Before that, let me introduce our identities. We are staffs from the Purple Rose Movie Production Company under the Purple Rose Merchant Association from the Land of Demons."
"Land of Demons? Movie production company?"
Jiraiya widened his eyes slightly, somewhat incredulous. He had heard a little about the strange changes in the Land of Demons in recent years.
Before the third ninja world war, the Purple Rose Merchant Association in the Land of Demons was one of the giant merchant association in the world. It had several companies and a wide range of different industries, which was jaw-dropping.
During that war, the medical company under the association rose to prominence, solidifying their increasing wealth.
Currently, the loan business of the merchant association covered almost all countries in the world. They had also set up a special debt collector department, which was well-known.
There were also business contacts with many big merchants in the Land of Fire. These merchant association could be said to be guests in many countries.
Just inside Konoha alone, there were many branches established by the merchant association, involving medicine, food, and other industries.
For such a large company's personnel coming to look for him was surprising.
"Well, if you would like a cooperation with Konoha, it would be better to meet with the Third Hokage instead. The village has always been in charge of cooperation with foreign companies."
Jiraiya assumed that these people were here for him because of a cooperation with Konoha. But he wasn't in charge of deciding such an important matter.
Finance and logistics were controlled and managed by advisors Koharu and Homura, and the decision to cooperate with foreign companies rests in the hands of his sensei, Hiruzen.
As a ninja, he had no authority to participate in such decisions, as it would exceed his jurisdiction and easily raise suspicions from the village.
"That's not the problem. Perhaps what we said wasn't specific enough. We are staffs from Purple Rose Movie Production Company under Purple Rose Merchant Association. The purpose of our visit here Jiraiya-san isn't to cooperate with Konoha. The candidate for cooperation is only Jiraiya-san himself."
"You're looking for a cooperation with me?"
"Movie company... Jiraiya-san, have you heard of it?"
"I've heard that it seems to be a new industry that emerged a year ago in the country of Demons, and its gaining popularity in the neighboring countries."
"Jiraiya-san's intelligence collection is really extensive." A gleam flashed in the eyes of the man.
Jiraiya also scratched his head and smiled, "I just happen to know a little bit."
Indeed, he knew a little bit. Because of the recent rise of the Land of Demons, it has attracted widespread attention. While he had collected information about the Land of Demons his main focused remained on Orochimaru and the mysterious organization.
"That's why we're here. We hope to acquire the copyright of Jiraiya-san's works," The man said solemnly.
"Copyright?"
Jiraiya blinked and understood. It should be "Icha Icha Paradise" he officially published before, right?
"Yes, I had the honor of reading Jiraiya-san's work. If it was adapted into a movie, I think it will further be successful."
Jiraiya's interest was piqued by the man's unpretentious expression. "So, you want to make it into a movie and show it on the screen?"
"Yes."
Jiraiya's eyes suddenly lit up after being affirmed by the answer.
The man in black seemed to know what Jiraiya was thinking and said with a wry smile, "Of course, we need to cut some 'important' plots as appropriate."
"Icha Icha Paradise", if viewed as a romance novel, was undoubtedly a very touching love story. However, Jiraiya's interest in explicit content made it unique, which was what made it controversial.
"What!! if that's case, wouldn't the essence of my novel be completely gone?" Jiraiya expressed his dissatisfaction.
uhm.... such contents couldn't be considered the essence right? Sure enough, the rumors about some aspects of Jiraiya were not groundless but true. If he hadn't confirmed the information, he wouldn't have believed that Jiraiya could write such a delicate literary work. The details were... quite detailed in some parts.
"Please forgive us. So, what do you think, Mr. Jiraiya? Would you consider a win-win cooperation?"
Jiraiya listened and thought seriously. He wasn't unfamiliar with the movies. As a new industry, it was currently only popular in the vicinity of the Land of Demons. However, he knew that with the full promotion of the association, it would soon spread to all countries all over the world.
Their reason for cooperating with him was because his novel was among the recently popular works, especially among young people.
They will give him a generous reward. And in then the popularity of his novel will be used to better promote their moviee industry.
He realized this wasn't just about himself, they were likely reaching out to various writers.
"No problem. If it's a win-win cooperation, I have no reason to refuse. Is the contract ready?"
Jiraiya confirmed, he felt that if they could offer him a generous reward, it isn't impossible for a cooperation.
"Yes, Jiraiya-san, please take a look."
Seeing Jiraiya's agreement, the man breathed a sigh of relief, handing the prepared contract to Jiraiya, while he waited for Jiraiya to going through it.
...
"The Land of Demons?"
After watching these people leave, Jiraiya touched his chin thoughtfully. As a well-informed ninja who often traveled the ninja world, he was confident in his judgment and he rarely made mistakes. Even in dealing with Orochimaru, Jiraiya felt confident in overcoming the challenge.
He had a feeling that there might be another significant development in the Land of Demons.
If he remembered correctly, the Land of Demons completed a military reform a few years ago, integrating soldiers composed of ninjas and ordinary people. Despite being a neutral country with their special situation, it didn't cause any huge turmoil.
However, before and after the third ninja war, amidst the damage to various major countries, the commercial strength of the Land of Demons has gradually become prominent. Not only the Land of Demons but also the neutral Land of Iron made a lot of money from selling equipments.
However, compared to the Land of Iron, the industries in the Land of Demons were too diversified. The funds collected during the war were even more substantial, surpassing that of the Land of Iron.
"I recall Tsunade reported some information about the Land of Demons, and Minato also asked me about something similar..."
He sighed, realizing he had noticed the Land of Demons probably at that time. Unfortunately, the plan to study the Land of Demons had been semi-abandoned after Minato's death.
The Third Hokage focused more on the balanced development of the village than the outside world. He abolished more than half of all foreign strategies during the Minato's period.
This also led to Konoha's information on the Land of Demons, most of which is missing. If it weren't for him always paying attention to things ordinary people couldn't notice...
Jiraiya sighed. Despite his keen intelligence collection, he couldn't cover everything. He noticed the abnormality in the Land of Demons, but there was no reason to intervene in a neutral country's territory.
If discovered, Konoha's reputation would be discredited, criticized by the rest of the ninja villages. Besides, affairs concerning Orochimaru and the mysterious organization had to be investigated in depth. He didn't have the energy to investigate the Land of Demons in detail.
"Let's write a letter to have Sarutobi-sensei pay attention..."
Even if the neutral country of the Land of Demons didn't pose a military threat, its commercial layout could affect Konoha's commercial market, so it couldn't be completely ignored.
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