Recruitment and Refusal

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After asking in detail, Naoki learned that all four members of ANBU Team Eleven had bounties on their heads, and every bounty was twenty million ryo.

'This bounty is probably Kumogakure's work.'

When Naoki thought about the forces that had grudges against ANBU Team Eleven, only Kumogakure and Iwagakure came to mind. Compared with Iwagakure, Kumogakure was clearly the greater suspect.

'But how did Kumogakure obtain Team Eleven's specific information? Have their spies already infiltrated the ANBU?'

That sudden thought startled even Naoki.

The ANBU under the Hokage's direct command had all been personally selected by the Third. They were chosen from shinobi in the village whose backgrounds were well known. If a spy from another village had managed to enter the ANBU, that meant the spy had infiltrated the village long ago. At least on paper, there would be no flaw in their background at all.

Immediately afterward, Naoki thought of the second bounty.

The second bounty was five million ryo higher than the first, reaching the alarming amount of twenty-five million ryo. That was almost the bounty level of famous elite jonin from the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

The strangest part was that the second bounty was a single-person bounty, targeting only Naoki.

That undoubtedly meant the one who issued it had a personal grudge against Naoki, unrelated to ANBU Team Eleven.

'Who could it be?'

Seeing Naoki's thoughtful expression, Hiashi assumed he was worried about the bounty and advised him, "You do not need to worry too much. For shinobi, a bounty on the black market is a reflection of our achievements. Only powerful shinobi receive high bounties."

Naoki nodded.

He was not afraid. He was simply concerned about who had issued the bounty.

Hiashi lifted his teacup and took a small sip. "Do you know how much my bounty on the black market is?"

"How much?"

Hiashi said calmly, "One hundred million ryo."

Naoki laughed dryly. "Heh. That tracks for the clan head."

Naoki understood perfectly well that the one hundred million ryo was less a bounty on Hiashi Hyuga personally than a bounty on the Hyuga Clan itself. More precisely, it was a bounty on the Byakugan.

Everyone knew that only the Byakugan of the Hyuga main family could be stolen, and the Hyuga main family had few members.

So killing Hiashi Hyuga would not only grant someone a pair of Byakugan, but also deal an immeasurable blow to the Hyuga Clan's main-family and branch-family system.

After leaving the main family's old residence, Naoki walked slowly toward his own home. When he passed through a narrow alley, a figure suddenly stepped out of the darkness and blocked his path.

Naoki's expression sharpened. He drew Kusanagi-maru from his waist, activated the Byakugan, and assumed a fully guarded stance.

The figure emerging from the darkness leaned on a cane and stared coldly at Naoki. "Special Jonin Naoki Hyuga. You know who I am."

Naoki immediately deactivated the Byakugan and nodded. "Yes, Lord Danzo."

The person blocking Naoki's path was none other than Danzo Shimura, known as the Darkness of the Shinobi. He was also one of Konoha's advisers and the commander of Root.

"You have talent. Staying in the ANBU offers you no future. Join my Root. There, you will have everything you want."

Danzo's tone was cold, not at all like someone trying to recruit a person. Yet he sounded completely confident, as if the conditions he offered were something Naoki could not refuse.

Naoki answered without hesitation, "I am sorry. I am part of the ANBU under Lord Hokage's direct command. Any transfer must follow the Third Hokage's arrangements."

Danzo's gaze turned cold. "If I remember correctly, this is the second time you have refused to join Root."

Naoki had once refused Root's recruitment while briefly detained after the turmoil caused by Orochimaru's defection. At that time, he had only been a wartime chunin, a disposable pawn whose presence or absence did not matter, so Danzo had not cared.

Now Naoki had begun to show his edge. Not only had he become a special jonin, but he had also defeated several Uchiha challengers in succession. Recently, he had even completed the secret mission arranged by the Third with outstanding results. He was one of the young shinobi currently rising in the village.

That was why Danzo had chosen to come recruit him in person.

And precisely because of that, Naoki's immediate refusal displeased Danzo greatly.

Facing Danzo's threat, Naoki ignored it. "I am sorry, but I have no interest in joining Root."

"Young people should consider every decision carefully. Otherwise, you may regret it later."

With that, Danzo's figure slowly disappeared into the darkness again.

Naoki looked at Danzo, who seemed so pleased with himself, as if everything was under his control, without any expression.

In truth, Naoki had already noticed Danzo hiding in the shadows the moment he entered the narrow alley. His later panic, activating the Byakugan, drawing his sword, and all the rest had been deliberate performance.

His only goal had been to activate the Byakugan with a legitimate excuse and inspect Danzo's current condition.

That performance had clearly not been wasted. Naoki discovered that Danzo had already transplanted the First Hokage's cells, as well as an entire arm filled with Sharingan.

'No wonder he has been appearing in public less and less lately.'

As Naoki sighed to himself, he also had to consider how to deal with this.

He had never forgotten the old debt from the village's attempt to purge him. Through several lines of investigation, as well as information provided by Orochimaru, he had confirmed that the person who led that purge from inside the village was the old man standing before him, Danzo.

So whether Danzo provoked him or not, Naoki would not let him go.

The information he obtained just now, however, was somewhat unexpected. He had not expected Danzo to have already transplanted the First Hokage's cells and a large number of Sharingan at this point.

This also proved Danzo had never abandoned human experimentation. In research on the First Hokage's cells, he might even be a step ahead of Orochimaru.

On top of that, Danzo must have started collecting Sharingan long ago. Otherwise, he could not possibly have so many Sharingan before the Uchiha Clan had even been destroyed.

The Uchiha Clan did not have the Caged Bird Seal, so collecting Sharingan was easy. At least for Danzo, who controlled Root, it was easy.

'Hmph. So this was planned from the start.' Naoki walked home, keeping his expression blank, and thought, 'Even if the Uchiha had no intention of staging a coup, Danzo would probably still move against them. He has set his eyes on the Uchiha's Sharingan.'

As a member of Konoha's advisory council, Danzo in his normal state should already possess strength close to Kage level. Otherwise, he would not be so obsessed with the Hokage's seat.

Now that he possessed the First Hokage's cells and a large number of Sharingan, his strength, in certain respects, may already have surpassed the Third's.

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