Chapter 593: The Shadow of the Pot Emerges

Inside an inconspicuous dessert shop on the Konoha commercial street, two men wearing dark cloaks sat facing each other.

One of them kept his head low, looking around vigilantly for a long time; only after ensuring there were no suspicious persons in the shop did he push a small object tightly wrapped in a black plastic bag across the table.

"This is the goods you wanted."

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

"Gin-san, is this thing reliable?"

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

"Oishii~"

Taking a bite of the shop's signature dessert, the sweetness on the tip of his tongue made Uchiha Gin very satisfied, and his dull, dead-fish eyes squinted into slits of happiness.

"The bond between master and apprentice between us has ended; from now on, don't call me 'san' anymore."

Hearing the skepticism from little Danzo, he did not 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 before he gently shook his head.

"Uh."

Danzo, who was fiddling with his new toy, was stunned by these words, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Uchiha Gin became a bit strange.

"Gin-san, you aren't saying that because you feel guilty for scamming me, are you?"

"Can you change your habit of making wild guesses?"

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

This was a high-end custom design the F6 had made specifically for themselves, intended to highlight their transcendent status within the village.

"You few have now successfully reached the shore; it is time to cut ties that need cutting."

"Gin-san."

Hearing this, a look of conflict flashed in Danzo's eyes; Uchiha Gin was right, their status today was no longer what it once was.

Everyone in Konoha knew they were the personal disciples of the Senju brothers, but few knew they had another mentor who taught them.

Although they had paid plenty in tutoring fees.

"In the resumes of you few, you can fill in Hashirama Senju or Tobirama Senju for the teacher column, but it absolutely cannot be Uchiha Gin, this eternal Genin."

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

"Sigh."

A single 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 this last lesson Uchiha Gin gave him, choosing to bury this master-apprentice bond—worth ten crates of strawberry milk—deep in his heart.

"Anything is fine, but personally, I prefer it when people call me 'handsome'."

Uchiha Gin chewed loudly on the yokan the waiter had just brought over, his vulgar eating habits making it impossible for anyone to associate him with the word 'handsome'.

"Let's talk about this thing first."

After a deathly silence, Danzo, not knowing what expression to use to face Uchiha Gin, had no choice but to shake the limiter in his hand to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"You can question my looks, but you absolutely cannot question my skills. How could Konoha's number one developer be a name without substance?"

"Phew... fine, where is the manual?"

After some internal struggle, Danzo chose to trust Uchiha Gin's skills, but with just a prop and not even a manual, how was he supposed to use it?

"Instruction fee: one hundred million."

Uchiha Gin held up a finger, opening his mouth like a lion.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Hearing this, Danzo was choked into a fit of coughing; the moment the anger in his heart rose, he subconsciously recalled the unmasked sadness Uchiha Gin had shown when initiating the cut-off, and his anger instantly dissipated by more than half.

"I already paid five hundred million just to have this thing custom-made. The Tailed Beast Knight Management Department was only just established, and the budget issue hasn't been resolved yet; those five hundred million were still paid out of my own pocket."

"Didn't you collect so many registration fees? Isn't this little bit of money just a drop in the bucket?"

Uchiha Gin didn't believe Danzo's nonsense; so far, at least five thousand people had signed up for the Tailed Beast Knight recruitment examination—where did the two million registration fee from each person go?

"After paying taxes, there wasn't much left, and I still had to set up the venue and so on..."

"I know about paying taxes; it's only thirty percent. You aren't trying to swindle this lonely old man, are you?"

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

"I..."

Danzo was momentarily speechless; the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi had eaten fifty percent of the registration fees absolutely could not be leaked, otherwise, given the monkey's petty nature, his position as an elder would likely be over immediately.

"Can we negotiate?"

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

Monkey, let me be the one to shoulder the unseen side of the village!

"Technology is priceless."

Uchiha Gin shook his head firmly; this was already a 'friends and family' price, and he hoped little Danzo would have some self-awareness—those who know the times are the wise.

"Fine, fine, deal!"

The examination was imminent, and the grand recruitment test was to be held tomorrow; Danzo steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and fished a storage scroll out of his private treasury.

"How much better it would have been to do this earlier; it wouldn't have wasted everyone's time."

After taking the scroll and scanning it to confirm the amount was correct, he said with a light chuckle.

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

For the sake of his private treasury's safety, Danzo didn't want to spend another minute with Uchiha Gin; he just wanted to learn how to use the limiter and run away.

"Watch closely."

Uchiha Gin still had basic professional ethics; since he had taken the money, he would definitely get the job done.

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

As he spoke, he took the thin buckle, gently pressed the only exposed switch on it, then made a downward-inserting motion, followed by a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree rotation—the movements were smooth and completed in one go.

"That's it?"

Watching Uchiha Gin finish the fluid set of operations, Danzo felt his intelligence being trampled on the ground and rubbed hard.

"Complex, right? You'll get it after practicing a few more times."

Uchiha Gin threw the limiter back.

"I'll eat..."

After scrambling to catch the limiter, Danzo was just about to look up and unleash some Konoha slang, only to find that in front of him, apart from a few empty bowls, there was nothing—Uchiha Gin had long since vanished.

"Damn it! That big swindler!"

At the thought that he had just been secretly grieving for that fragile master-apprentice bond, his whole body couldn't stop trembling.

"This guest, please settle the bill."

After self-regulating for a while, Danzo rose to leave, but was stopped by the waiter who had been waiting for a long time.

"I didn't order anything, what bill am I settling?"

Turning his head to look at the empty plates and bowls on the table, Danzo, filled with pent-up frustration, decided that after he went back, he must find a psychologist to help him vent; otherwise, he would be angered to death before the monkey retired.

"The guest who just left said that this meal is on you, as a 'thank you' banquet for your master."

"Sigh... fine, how much?"

"Five hundred thousand ryo."

"Huh?"

Danzo, who had just pulled a ten-thousand-denomination banknote from his wallet, widened his eyes upon hearing this and asked in disbelief.

This table was worth ten thousand ryo at most; how could it be five hundred thousand?

"Is this dessert of yours made of gold?"

"How could that be? Our shop's prices are honest and fair, it's just that the guest who just left packed up all the desserts in the kitchen before he left..."

"I'm eating%…￥…％￥％￥…＃￥％￥％＃％￥＃@"

The next day, the highly anticipated Tailed Beast Knight recruitment examination in the Hidden Leaf Village officially began, with people from all sides gathering to catch a glimpse of the Nine-Tails Knight's style.

Due to the excessive number of applicants this time, Konoha chose the Forest of Death outside the village as the examination site.

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

Several makeshift houses, serving as office spaces for the temporary staff, were located in the center of the clearing.

Inside the largest one, the F6 currently in power in Konoha gathered to discuss major affairs.

"Danzo, why is your complexion not looking so good?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was flipping through the examination details, keenly sensed the unpleasant aura emanating from his good friend and curiously asked.

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

Danzo, who had tossed and turned all night without sleeping, shook his head while sporting 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 did not seem fake, the resentment Danzo felt toward Uchiha Gin lessened by a few points.

It really is true that the same rice feeds a hundred kinds of people; if only all the Uchiha clansmen were like Mirror.

"With so many participants, if we take them one by one, this exam will likely last for a month."

Pushing up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, Mito Kadone looked at the bustling crowd of examinees outside the window and raised a pointed question.

"Out of safety considerations, not everyone participating in the exam will have the chance to come into contact with the Nine-Tails card."

Danzo nodded slightly at these words; even the Nine-Tails sealed inside a Tailed Beast card, with just the trace of aura leaking out, was enough to scare an ordinary person with poor courage to death.

If every applicant were really allowed to get close to the Nine-Tails card, it would likely cause quite a few deaths.

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Looking at the confident Shimura Danzo, Akimichi Torifu blinked his eyes in curiosity.

"To facilitate the screening, I have invited a famous sealing master from the Uzumaki clan. They have extracted a small amount of the Nine-Tails' chakra leaking from the Tailed Beast card and sealed it into a pre-prepared container."

As he spoke, Shimura Danzo clapped his hands, and members of the Shimura clan, who had been waiting for a long time, walked in dragging a statue wrapped in white cloth.

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

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

"Uh, Shimura Danzo, which master did this statue come from?"

Several people looked at the incredibly ugly, abstract statue of the Nine-Tails before them and asked with strange expressions.

"Due to limited funds, this statue was made by yours truly."

Shimura Danzo had spent all his money on the blade's edge; where would he have extra money to hire a master to sculpt? He had done it all himself.

"No wonder."

Hearing this, everyone suddenly realized. Looking at the smug Shimura Danzo, they didn't know how to find an angle to praise him for a moment.

Is it all abstract and devoid of art?

"Speaking of which, you actually managed to hire a sealing master from the Uzumaki clan?"

Feeling the rich aura of sealing jutsu emanating from the abstract Nine-Tails statue, Koharu Utatane's eyes sparkled with brilliance.

"I, Shimura, have plenty of connections."

Shimura Danzo smiled slightly, his face full of mystery.

"You should be thankful 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 then, a resonant voice rang in the ears of the group. The nerves of everyone in the room tightened instantly; the aura unconsciously emitted by the owner of the voice made them feel somewhat breathless.

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

"Lord Izuna! Why have you come?"

"Izuna Uchiha?"

Seeing the person who had arrived, Shimura Danzo frowned slightly. Hadn't the Uchiha clan given up?

"Don't be nervous. I have come this time with no other intentions; I just wanted to witness what kind of person it is who has inherited my elder brother's power."

Izuna Uchiha came alone, while the few trusted aides following him waited outside the door.

The remaining F6 looked at each other. Although they had now become the power-holders of the village, this did not mean they were the strongest in the village.

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

"Welcome, welcome~"

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to speak, standing up very politely to welcome him.

"Lord Izuna, please sit."

Just by the fact that Izuna Uchiha had once served as the Shadow Assistant, he was worthy of this title of "Lord" from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

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

Refusing Hiruzen Sarutobi's polite gesture, Izuna Uchiha nodded toward Kagami, then turned and left.

"Phew, what a terrifying aura."

After Izuna Uchiha left, the tense group finally let out a sigh of relief. Koharu Utatane patted her full chest with lingering fear, her black eyes filled with unconcealable terror, and the others nodded in deep agreement.

The strength of the few was not weak, but in front of Izuna Uchiha, they were as immature as green recruits who had just started out.

Such an old monster remaining in the village...

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Izuna Uchiha's gradually disappearing back, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

On one hand, the Hidden Leaf Village needed such a powerhouse to sit in town and deter the petty.

But on the other hand, this kind of overpowered powerhouse was also a very unstable factor.

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

"Sigh."

Suddenly, he glanced at Kagami Uchiha, who was beside him with a worried face. By logic, with a family powerhouse arriving, he should be happy.

"Kagami, has something happened?"

"Lord Izuna, he 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 quite a bit, and the family matters cannot always rely on Elder Lu Cha..."

Kagami Uchiha said with a bitter face, delivering news that made the others feel invigorated, especially Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo, who were practically wearing the words "pop the champagne" on their faces.

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

The F6, who came from the Ninja Clan Alliance, wished Izuna Uchiha would leave right now, preferably never to return.

"It's 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 regularly to report on his duties..."

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

"But the mission..."

"Mission? What mission? The rewards will all be returned to Lord Izuna. Even after the mission ends, the village will regularly issue him a pension. You should just let the old gentleman stay in the Land of Waves and enjoy his twilight years in peace."

"But the village doesn't have the budget for this?"

Looking at the anxious group, Kagami Uchiha scratched his head in confusion.

"Now we do. Isn't that right, Elder Shimura Danzo?"

"Huh?"

Making me take the blame again?

(End of this chapter)