Chapter 538: The emergence of the Pot Shadow

In an inconspicuous dessert shop on Konoha Commercial Street, two men in dark cloaks sat opposite each other.

One of them kept his head down, looking around vigilantly for a long time. After ensuring there were no suspicious people in the shop, he pushed a small thing tightly wrapped in a black plastic bag over.

"This is the goods you want."

The person sitting opposite him quickly took it, and after carefully unwrapping it, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Gin-san, is this thing reliable?"

Looking at the thin little buckle in his hand, Danzo's face was full of doubt. In order to find a way to limit the power of Tailed Beast Knights, he had spent no small amount of money, and it was all his own.

"Oishii~"

Tasting a bite of the shop's signature dessert, the sweetness on the tip of his tongue made Uchiha Gin very satisfied, his dull, lifeless fish eyes happily narrowing into slits.

"Our master-disciple relationship is over. Don't call me San-san anymore in the future."

Hearing little Tuan Tuan's doubt, he didn't answer directly, but instead carefully examined the disciple he had watched grow up from childhood, his gaze sweeping over the white hair at the other's temples, then shaking his head lightly.

"Uh..."

Danzo, who was fiddling with the new toy in his hand, was stunned, a bit of strangeness appearing in his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Gin.

"Gin-san, you wouldn't be saying that because you feel guilty for pitting me, would you?"

"Can you change your habit of guessing randomly?"

Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes, raising his finger to point at the brand-new elder uniform under Danzo's cloak.

This was a high-end custom design they F6 specifically made for themselves, in order to highlight their transcendent status in the village.

"You guys have successfully landed ashore now, so it's time to cut off the relationships that should be cut off."

"Gin-san..."

Hearing this, a look of entanglement flashed in Danzo's eyes. Uchiha Gin was right. Their identities were no longer what they used to be.

Everyone in Konoha knew they were the direct disciples of the Senju brothers, but few knew they had another master.

Although they had paid plenty of tuition fees.

"In your resumes, you can fill in Senju Hashirama or Senju Tobirama in the teacher column, but it absolutely cannot be Uchiha Gin, this ten-thousand-year Genin."

Uchiha Gin lowered his eyelids, his voice filled with faint sadness. Danzo clenched his fists, wanting to say something, but in the end, words reached his lips and disappeared.

"Sigh..."

A sigh was filled with the helplessness and bitterness of a middle-aged man.

"I understand. Then how should I address you in the future?"

Among the entire F6, Danzo was the most decisive in his actions. After weighing the pros and cons, he accepted the last lesson Uchiha Gin gave him, choosing to hide this master-disciple friendship, which was worth ten boxes of strawberry milk, deep in his heart.

"Anything is fine, but I personally prefer others to call me handsome guy."

Uchiha Gin chewed the yokan just served by the waiter in large mouthfuls, his vulgar eating manner making it impossible for anyone to associate him with the word "handsome guy."

"Let's talk about this thing first."

After a deathly silence, Danzo, not knowing what expression to use to face Uchiha Gin, had to shake the limiter in his hand to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"You can question my appearance, but you absolutely cannot question my technology. Is Konoha's number one developer's name just for show?"

"Sigh... alright, where is the manual?"

After some ideological struggle, Danzo chose to believe in Uchiha Gin's technology, but with just one prop and no manual, how was he supposed to use it?

"Instruction fee is 100 million."

Uchiha Gin raised a finger, opening his mouth like a lion.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Hearing this, Danzo coughed repeatedly. The anger in his heart just rose, but he subconsciously thought of the sadness Uchiha Gin didn't hide when he took the initiative to cut ties just now, and the anger instantly dissipated by more than half.

"I already paid 500 million just to customize this thing. The Tailed Beast Knight Management Department was just established not long ago, and the funding problem hasn't been solved yet. That 500 million was still paid out of my own pocket."

"Didn't you collect so much registration fee? Isn't this little money just a drop in the bucket?"

Uchiha Gin didn't believe Danzo's nonsense. So far, at least 5,000 people had signed up for the Tailed Beast Knight recruitment assessment. Where did the 2 million registration fee for each person go?

"There wasn't much left after paying taxes, and I still have to set up the venue and so on..."

"I know about paying taxes, it's only 30 percent. You wouldn't be trying to swindle this lonely old man, would you?"

He had heard about the tax collection from Mirror, but even after deducting the 30 percent tax, Danzo should still have tens of billions in his hands.

"I..."

Danzo was a bit speechless for a moment. The fact that Sarutobi Hiruzen had eaten 50 percent of the registration fees absolutely could not be leaked, otherwise, with the monkey's narrow-mindedness, his position as an elder would be over immediately.

"Can we negotiate?"

In the end, Danzo chose to bear it all alone.

Monkey, let me bear the unseen side of the village!

"Technology is priceless."

Uchiha Gin shook his head firmly. This was already a friend price. He hoped little Tuan Tuan would have self-awareness; those who know the times are heroes.

"Alright, alright, deal!"

The assessment was imminent, and the grand recruitment exam was to be held tomorrow. Danzo gritted his teeth and took out a storage scroll from his small treasury.

"It would have been better if you were like this earlier, it wouldn't have wasted everyone's time."

Taking the scroll and scanning it, after confirming the amount was correct, he said with a light smile.

"I'm in a hurry, instruct me quickly."

For the safety of his small treasury, Danzo didn't want to stay with Uchiha Gin for even a minute now, just wanting to learn how to use the limiter and run away.

"Watch closely."

Uchiha Gin still had the most basic professional ethics. Since he took the money, he would definitely do the work.

"First like this, then like this, and finally like this."

As he spoke, he took the thin buckle, pressed the only exposed switch on it, then made a downward insertion gesture, followed by a 180-degree rotation. The movements were done in one go.

"Just this?"

Looking at Uchiha Gin, who had finished a set of smooth operations, Danzo felt his IQ being trampled on the ground by the other party.

"Complex, right? Practice a few more times and it will be fine."

Uchiha Gin threw the limiter back.

"I eat lem..."

After scrambling to catch the limiter, Danzo was just about to raise his head to output Konoha slang, but found that there was nothing in front of him except a few empty bowls. Uchiha Gin had long since disappeared.

"Damn it! This big liar!"

Thinking of how he was secretly sad for that fragile master-disciple friendship just now, his whole body couldn't stop trembling.

"This guest, please settle the bill."

After adjusting himself for a while, Danzo got up to leave, but was stopped by the waiter who had been waiting for a long time.

"I didn't order anything, what bill should I settle?"

Turning his head to look at the empty plates and bowls on the table, Danzo, whose heart was filled with depression, decided that he must find a psychologist to help him vent when he went back, otherwise, he would be angered to death before the monkey retired.

"The guest who just left said that this meal is on you, consider it a thank-you banquet."

"Sigh... alright, how much?"

"500,000 ryo."

"Huh?"

Danzo, who had just pulled a 10,000-denomination banknote from his wallet, widened his eyes, asking in disbelief.

This table was worth at most 10,000 ryo at most, so how did it become 500,000?

"Is your dessert made of gold?"

"That's impossible. The shop's prices are fair and honest, it's just that the guest who just left packed all the desserts in the kitchen and took them away..."

"I eat %... ￥... %￥%￥... #￥%￥%#%￥#@..."

The next day, the highly anticipated Tailed Beast Knight recruitment exam in Konoha Village officially began. People from all walks of life gathered together to catch a glimpse of the Nine-Tails Knight.

Because the number of people participating this time was too large, Konoha chose the exam location in the Forest of Death outside the village.

The Shimura clan, responsible for this exam, cleared out a large open space overnight for exam use.

Several simple houses, which served as temporary offices for staff, were located in the center of the open space.

Inside the largest one, the F6 who were currently in power in Konoha gathered together to discuss major events.

"Danzo, your complexion doesn't look too good."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was reading the exam rules, keenly noticed the unhappy aura emanating from his good friend, so he asked curiously.

"It's nothing, maybe I didn't sleep well last night."

Danzo, who had tossed and turned all night without sleeping, shook his head with two dark circles under his eyes.

"Danzo, work is important, but you must also pay attention to rest."

"It's fine, Mirror, I will adjust after this matter is over."

Seeing that the concern in Uchiha Mirror's eyes didn't seem fake, the resentment Danzo felt toward Uchiha Gin decreased a bit.

Truly, the same rice feeds a hundred kinds of people. If the Uchiha clan members were all like Mirror, it would be great.

"There are so many participants. If we take them one by one, this exam will probably last for a month."

Pushing the glasses on the bridge of his nose, Mitokado Homura looked at the bustling exam crowd outside the window and raised a sharp question.

"Out of safety considerations, not everyone who participates in the exam has the opportunity to come into contact with the Nine-Tails Card."

Danzo nodded slightly upon hearing this. Even the Nine-Tails sealed inside the Tailed Beast Card, just the aura leaking out was enough to scare an ordinary person with poor courage to death.

If everyone who signed up were allowed to come into close contact with the Nine-Tails Card, it would probably cause quite a few deaths.

"Then what are you planning to do?"

Looking at Danzo, who was full of confidence, Akimichi Torifu blinked his eyes curiously.

"In order to facilitate screening, I invited a famous sealing master from the Uzumaki clan. They stripped a small amount of the Nine-Tails chakra leaking from the Tailed Beast Card and sealed it into a container prepared in advance."

As he spoke, Danzo clapped his hands, and the Shimura clan members who had been waiting for a long time dragged a statue covered in white cloth inside.

"Look, a trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra is sealed in this statue."

Reaching out to pull down the white cloth, in the expectant gazes of everyone, a Nine-Tails version of a mangy dog with an ugly appearance, dragging nine short tails, stood in the cold wind.

"Uh... Danzo, which master's hand is this statue from?"

Several people looked at the extremely ugly abstract Nine-Tails statue in front of them and asked with strange expressions.

"Due to limited funding, this statue was made by myself."

Danzo spent all the money on the back of the knife, so there was no extra money to hire a master to carve it. It was all done by himself.

"No wonder..."

Everyone suddenly realized upon hearing this. Looking at the proud Danzo, they didn't know how to find an angle to praise him for a while.

All abstract without art?

"By the way, you actually managed to invite a sealing master from the Uzumaki clan?"

Feeling the rich sealing technique aura emanating from the abstract Nine-Tails statue, Utatane Koharu's eyes were full of brilliance.

"I, Dan, have plenty of connections."

Danzo smiled slightly, his face full of unfathomable mystery.

"You should be glad that the Nine-Tails has already been sealed, otherwise, just because of this statue, the Shimura family's ancestral grave wouldn't be safe."

Just at this moment, a full-voiced voice rang in the ears of several people. The nerves of everyone in the room tightened instantly, and the momentum unconsciously emitted by the owner of the voice made them feel a bit breathless.

Mirror was clearly very familiar with the voice. The moment he heard it, he stood up excitedly.

"Lord Izuna! Why are you here?"

"Uchiha Izuna?"

Danzo frowned slightly when he saw the person coming. Didn't the Uchiha clan give up?

"Don't be nervous. The old man came here this time without any other meaning, just wanting to witness who the person inheriting my brother's power is."

Uchiha Izuna came alone, while the few trusted aides who followed were guarding outside the door.

The remaining F6 looked at each other. Although they were now the people in power in the village, this didn't mean they were the strongest in the village.

Old monsters from the old era like Uchiha Izuna were still a sharp blade hanging over their heads.

"Welcome, welcome~"

After a few seconds of cold silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen took the lead in speaking, standing up to welcome him very politely.

"Lord Izuna, please sit."

Just by virtue of the fact that Uchiha Izuna had served as an assistant to the Hokage, he was worthy of this "Lord" from Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"No need. I just came to say hello. There are people waiting for me outside. You guys do whatever you need to do."

Refusing Sarutobi Hiruzen's politeness, Uchiha Izuna nodded toward Mirror, then turned and left.

"Sigh... what a terrifying momentum."

After Uchiha Izuna left, the few people whose nerves were tight finally relaxed. Utatane Koharu patted her full bosom with lingering fear, her beautiful black eyes full of unconcealable fear, and everyone nodded in agreement.

The strength of several people was not weak, but in front of Uchiha Izuna, they were as immature as a new soldier who had just come out of the cottage.

Such an old monster staying in the village...

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Izuna's gradually disappearing back, an inexplicable look flashing in his eyes.

On one hand, Konoha needed such a strong person to sit in town to deter the small-minded.

But on the other hand, this kind of super-model strong person was also a very unstable factor.

Whether it was for the village or for the Ninja Clan Alliance.

"Sigh..."

Suddenly, he glanced at Uchiha Mirror, who was full of sorrow on the side. By reason, a strong person from the clan coming, he should be happy.

"Mirror, has something happened?"

"Lord Izuna is about to leave the village to go to the Land of Waves to execute a long-term mission. After he leaves, the work on my hands will increase a lot, and the clan's affairs cannot rely entirely on Elder Rucha..."

Uchiha Mirror said with a bitter face a piece of news that made the others excited, especially Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo, who were almost writing the words "open champagne" on their faces.

"Cough, cough... Mirror, this is your fault. Why didn't you tell us earlier that Lord Izuna was leaving, so we could prepare to see him off."

The F6, who came from the Ninja Clan Alliance, wished Uchiha Izuna would leave now, and it would be best if he never came back.

"Just going out to execute a mission, it's just that the cycle is a bit long. I will arrange for Lord Izuna to return to the village to report on his duties regularly..."

"No! No need. Since Lord Izuna likes the Land of Waves, let him be stationed there."

"But the mission..."

"Mission? What mission? All the rewards will be returned to Lord Izuna. Even if the mission ends, the village will regularly issue him a pension. You just let the old man stay in the Land of Waves to enjoy his twilight years."

"But the village doesn't have funding for this aspect?"

Looking at the few people who were in a hurry, Uchiha Mirror scratched his head in confusion.

"Now there is. Right, Elder Danzo?"

"Huh?"

Letting me carry it again?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 539 =====