While Tamura Hao was soaking in the medicinal bath, far away in Konohagakure, Shimura Danzō had already received intelligence about his recent behavior. The message had been transmitted swiftly via a high-speed summoning bird—one of Root's trained communication hawks.
> "Subject identified the mole who embezzled funding for Hidden Cloud's logistics. Commended by the Third Raikage. Assigned under Raikage's nephew. Established rapport with the Raikage's heir."
Reading through the concise summary, Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes. It took him a few moments to recall the overly sharp boy from years ago.
> "He had a childhood companion, didn't he?"
The memory of the two unusual orphans came back. Despite average chakra reserves and no kekkei genkai, they had been frighteningly observant and emotionally detached for their age—ideal material for Root operatives.
The boy, in particular, had only one elemental affinity—Lightning. Since he showed some natural attunement, Danzō had him relocated to Kumogakure years ago to replace a compromised asset. It was meant as a disposable move, yet this insignificant piece had now maneuvered himself onto a far more valuable square.
> "Bring me their files."
A masked Root operative silently handed him two dossiers. Danzō opened them. A monochrome photograph stared back—Tamura Hao, listed under the name Tamura Hitoshi.
That was the boy's legal name, chosen by his civilian parents who had no clan name. After they were informed of their son's induction into Danzō's division, they crafted the surname Tamura as a subtle tribute to Shimura. Naturally, such self-bestowed surnames held no legal weight in the shinobi world. In this era, surnames symbolized heritage and recognition—granted only by blood or decree.
Danzō tapped his cane thoughtfully. Seeing that fabricated surname reminded him of Sarutobi Hiruzen and the era of joint operations before they became political rivals. With a sigh, he skimmed the files again. They still lacked anything remarkable—aside from behavioral potential.
The girl, Yakushi Nono, showed prodigious aptitude in medical ninjutsu, and might eventually rival Tsunade if trained properly. Still, her true value lay in her exceptional memory and psychological acuity—perfect for espionage. Root prioritized intelligence. In warfare, knowledge trumped brute force. Jōnin were replaceable. Informants were not.
> "Raise his classification to B-tier."
Tamura Hao had exceeded expectations. A low-level sleeper agent had suddenly embedded himself in Kumogakure's upper circles.
> "Yes, sir."
The masked shinobi accepted the order and replaced the files in the archive tube.
> "Have our Kumogakure assets contact the boy. His new task is to gather intel on the village's war doctrine and tailed beast deployment."
Danzō had sensed the tension brewing in the shinobi world for months. The Second Shinobi World War loomed. The question was not if, but where it would ignite.
Kumogakure was the most militaristic of the Great Villages. Their leadership was dominated by hardliners who believed in resource acquisition through warfare. Over the years, they had stolen countless bloodline secrets and forcibly integrated skilled shinobi.
If not for the disaster caused by Kinkaku and Ginkaku during the First Great War, which had led to massive internal loss, Kumogakure might have emerged far stronger.
Thus, understanding their intentions—especially regarding tailed beasts—was critical. Danzō had personally witnessed the devastation caused by the Nine-Tails. A Tailed Beast Bomb could erase a battalion. On the battlefield, a jinchūriki was a force multiplier with the destructive potential of an entire army.
—
Meanwhile, back in the Hidden Cloud, the effects of the potent medicinal bath had taken full hold in Tamura Hao's body. After being removed from the bath, he was treated with regeneration-enhancing ninjutsu by a medical-nin, which accelerated the repair of the microfractures in his bones.
> "What kind of monster would survive that?"
Struggling to sit upright, Tamura Hao retrieved a splintered fragment from the bottom of the tub—it looked like a broken tooth.
> "One of the core ingredients is Kaguya clan bone marrow."
Yeyumei Ai nodded. The rare concoction used was a guarded Yeyue clan secret, a blend of regenerative herbs and chakra-reactive biological matter. This time, parts of a deceased Hyūga jōnin's compacted bones were added for density control.
In the shinobi world, Kaguya bones were renowned. Their unique calcium structure, enhanced by the clan's Shikotsumyaku, was the hardest known organic material—ideal for fortifying skeletal structures through infusion.
> "So… shinobi are medicine too."
Tamura Hao muttered. But he didn't flinch.
In this world, if snake gallbladders and bear bile were standard ingredients, why wouldn't genetically unique humans be used the same way? Especially those with kekkei genkai. From a cold scientific standpoint, this was simply bio-optimization.
In fact, only the rare ingredients from the Three Great Summon Realms—the Toads of Mount Myōboku, the Snakes of Ryūchi Cave, and the Slugs of Shikkotsu Forest—could compete with human-enhanced medicine.
If it came down to it, Hao would drink powdered bone ash if it meant survival. In this world, dignity belonged to the strong. The weak were insects.
> "These are some of my insights into Lightning Release. Review them. Ask questions next session."
Fukai unrolled a tightly-sealed scroll. Knowing his new genin student had Lightning as his only affinity, he had prepared specific training notes and chakra flow patterns in advance.
> "This one's from me."
Yeyue Ai presented another scroll. It contained his clan's proprietary jutsu: Thunderclap Level and its advanced form, Thunderclap: Chidori Pulse—both techniques emphasizing hand strikes infused with high-frequency lightning chakra.
Unlike standard Ninjutsu, these techniques didn't rely on external forms but instead amplified internal strikes, optimizing chakra efficiency. The basic Thunderclap technique consumed roughly as much chakra as a D-rank jutsu—ideal for someone like Hao who was still expanding his reserves.
But these jutsu demanded advanced Lightning Release nature transformation. That was the true hurdle.
> "Thank you both. I'll treat this like treasure."
Hao bowed with sincere gratitude. This gamble of his had turned into a windfall.
> "Do either of you want these ninja swords? I had them made early on, but they don't suit my Miao Dao style. I later designed curved ones that match my movements better."
Hao summoned a storage scroll, releasing two straight-edged Cloud-style ninja swords. They were the standard 1-meter single-edged blades used by Kumogakure's swordsmen, built for fast, slashing combat.
Though retired from his current kit, they had been forged using chakra-conducting ore and maintained through fine craftsmanship.
Fukai accepted one blade and gave it a test swing. As he channeled chakra through it, arcs of lightning flickered along the steel.
> "Excellent flow. This blade's alignment is precise."
The balance, chakra conductivity, and weight were exceptional. It wasn't a mass-produced item—it was a tailored weapon, likely worth tens of millions of ryō. It had been forged with care, not by a blacksmith but by a chakra metal artisan.
Ai, too, took the second sword and infused it with his Lightning chakra. Though his clan specialized in bare-handed combat, even he saw the value of augmenting his reach in some situations.
A lightweight, lightning-conductive sword would complement his hand-to-hand style without compromising speed.
> "This is a valuable weapon."
Fukai admired the blade a final time before respectfully returning it.
> "I can't accept something this rare."
If it were just a well-crafted sword, he would've accepted. But this was an elite-grade ninja weapon—something that only high-ranking jonin or specialists would own.
Accepting it without a formal exchange would be improper.