However, due to the difference in status between them, she quickly composed herself and said to Kawaki Aoba:
"My lord, if you wish for me to leave with you, I have no objections. But please… spare the children here."
As if recalling something critical, Yakushi Nonou bit her lip and brought up a certain name:
"Moreover, our situation here has long been under the surveillance of Lord Danzo. If you intend to take me and these children away, you must first obtain his permission."
Faced with Yakushi Nonou's guarded response, Kawaki Aoba merely smiled.
As expected of the "Walking Shrine Maiden." She wants him and Danzo to clash head-on, driving a tiger to devour a wolf—how clever.
But…
"Yakushi Nonou, I think you misunderstand. I value your talent, yes, but not to force you back into the life of a spy. I want you to teach at the Ninja Academy—to pass on your experiences and protect the next generation with the knowledge you've earned."
"As for the children, those with talent will be enrolled in the Academy as well. The others will be taken care of until they come of age. And if they're willing, they can stay on and work with me. I have several civilian industries underway—it wouldn't be a problem to support them."
Of course, Kawaki Aoba didn't mention that this "Ninja Academy" was established by him and was not the one Yakushi Nonou knew. Nor did he explain that his so-called "industries" were still in their infancy, barely more than ideas.
"As for Danzo..." Aoba sneered.
"If that old man, so steeped in darkness, truly has his eyes on you and these children, then you—of all people—should already know their fate better than I do."
Despite his persuasive words, Yakushi Nonou's eyes remained wary.
Her instincts, sharpened over years of surviving in the shadows, warned her: this man might be no different from Danzo. His words were idealistic, but reality often betrayed such speeches.
She couldn't afford to make the wrong decision. One mistake wouldn't just doom her—it could doom every child here.
Seeing her hesitance, Kawaki Aoba exhaled slowly. It seemed he had to play his final card.
"I wonder… have you heard the name Maruboshi Kosuke?"
Yakushi Nonou's eyes widened. She paused, reaching deep into her memory.
Maruboshi Kosuke—an unsung hero of Konoha. A direct subordinate of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Though never recognized as a true disciple, he inherited Tobirama's Water Release techniques and was said to be among the best in the village. His mastery of Konoha-style kenjutsu was also well-known.
But above all, what made Kosuke legendary was his humility: a lifelong genin who chose to bear the title out of guilt for surviving when others had fallen.
Seeing her reaction, Aoba smiled slightly.
He had brought up Kosuke's name as a gamble—but now it looked like it was paying off.
"It seems you know of him. To be honest, he's the honorary principal of our Ninja Academy. If you join as a teacher, he'll be your direct superior."
"Furthermore, the orphans with talent here will be trained directly under him."
Using Kosuke's name without asking didn't bother Aoba in the slightest. And technically, everything he said was true.
"If it's under Maruboshi Kosuke…" Yakushi Nonou hesitated, then nodded. "Then I have no objections. But... can Aoba-sama really handle Danzo? He is—"
"The head of Root. I know." Aoba cut her off, his voice calm. Then he turned toward a particular direction in the woods.
"And I believe Elder Danzo has been listening for quite some time. Isn't that right?"
From the shadows, a grim-faced man emerged. The infamous Shimura Danzo.
"Kawaki Aoba," he growled, stepping from the forest. "You've got guts. I hadn't made a move against you yet, but here you are meddling with my personnel."
Aoba's face turned cold. Did this relic still think he was the same naïve junior from years ago?
It seemed Danzo had yet to realize that times had changed.
"Shimura Danzo," Aoba replied bluntly, "you'd do well to choose your words carefully. The Hokage's assistant isn't someone to be threatened by just anyone."
Yes—Aoba didn't bother with pleasantries. He owed Danzo no favors, not even face.
Predictably, Danzo's expression darkened.
"Heh. You arrogant brat. Do you think just because you've risen in rank, you can disrespect me? Today, I'll remind you who truly calls the shots in Konoha."
"Konoha is led by the Hokage," Aoba shot back. "The current Hokage is Minato Namikaze. The previous one was Hiruzen Sarutobi. Neither of those names is Shimura Danzo."
Every word was a dagger to Danzo's ego. And Aoba knew exactly where to strike.
If he could provoke Danzo into making the first move, then he'd have all the justification he needed to retaliate.
Unfortunately, Danzo wasn't that reckless. Not openly. Even now, he was calculating.
Without a word, Danzo raised a finger.
From the shadows, a figure lunged toward Aoba.
A Root operative.
But if Aoba could sniff out Danzo, did Danzo really think one of his men could sneak up on him?
With Kawaki Aoba's current strength, crushing the opponent would have been easy. But for Danzo to simply stand by while someone else took action would be beneath him—a disgrace to his pride.
That, however, no longer suited Aoba's current standing. Fortunately, he hadn't come alone.
"Trying to ambush Lord Aoba? You're asking for death."
A gust of yellow sand swept in, faster than the Root ninja—despite starting later, it arrived first.
The figure who intercepted the attack was none other than Qingke, Kawaki Aoba's top general stationed in Konoha.
Qingke's body had been fundamentally altered—an experimental fusion of a pseudo-immortal sand construct and a unique sand-based chakra technique reminiscent of Shukaku's power. This blend had transformed him into a nearly invincible force among shinobi of the same tier.
As soon as the Root jōnin clashed with him, Qingke pushed the attacker back with overwhelming strength. It was clear the jōnin would not last much longer.
Danzo's expression darkened in surprise.
He felt humiliated—his men were being handled so easily. Without hesitation, he gestured again, summoning two more Root jōnin.
Now facing a three-on-one battle, even an elite jōnin would be hard-pressed. But Qingke seemed invigorated. Throwing caution to the wind, he adopted a reckless, almost suicidal fighting style.
Caught off guard by Qingke's sudden shift in tactics, one of the Root jōnin was swiftly and severely injured.
Though the remaining two moved in quickly to capitalize on his vulnerability, one managed to drive a sword through Qingke's chest.
Yet no blood spilled.
Unbothered by the wound, Qingke continued fighting. Controlling a mass of golden sand, he buried one of the stunned Root ninja alive.
Realizing the dire situation, the last attacker broke off and leapt far back to disengage.
But against Qingke's relentless assault, even one survivor stood no chance.
Watching as his elite operatives were neutralized without so much as grazing Kawaki Aoba, Shimura Danzo was both shocked and incensed.
Still, his attention drifted toward Qingke's remarkable body.
"Hmph. Tricks? I know a few myself."
"To manipulate sand and ignore physical damage... What kind of kekkei genkai is this?" Danzo muttered.
His greed was showing.
But the only response he got was:
"Heh."
The sound was dripping with mockery.
Danzo's eye narrowed. He turned a cold glare toward Kawaki Aoba.
"What are you staring at me for? Trying to kill me with your eyes?" Aoba sneered. "You don't have the Sharingan, so don't waste your time. And even if you did—you've only got one."
Danzo trembled in rage.
He silently vowed that if he ever got the chance, he'd eliminate this insolent brat. Any thought of recruiting Aoba was long gone. The boy had grown beyond manipulation. Worse, he was aiming straight at Danzo himself.
Crack.
A sharp snap echoed through the air. Danzo turned to see Qingke twisting the neck of the last Root jōnin.
"Bastard! You dare kill a fellow Konoha shinobi in front of me?" Danzo roared. "Do you think I'm dead?"
He fixed his gaze on Aoba.
"Kawaki Aoba, I suspect your subordinate is a foreign agent. I demand he come with me to Root for questioning."
But Aoba just stared back at him like he was an imbecile.
"Danzo, have you gone senile? Qingke just eliminated a spy who had infiltrated your Root unit. I should be thanking you for luring them out."
"Now you're falsely accusing him? What's next, Danzo? Should I question you instead? Maybe you've been under a genjutsu this whole time. Who knows how much intelligence you've already leaked?"
He smiled coldly.
"Don't play games, Danzo. We're both Hokage Advisors. I won't let you detain my men on baseless claims."
Danzo's voice turned low and dangerous. "Aoba… are you declaring yourself my enemy?"
Aoba's eyes gleamed.
"Danzo, have you really not figured it out? From the moment I became a Hokage Advisor, we were already on opposing sides. Only one of us can remain."
The message couldn't be clearer.
Danzo was stunned for a moment, then laughed—cold, bitter.
"Hmph… I underestimated you, Aoba. I see now that your ambition runs deep. Fine. From today onward, you are my enemy in full."
He glanced once more at the broken bodies of his Root operatives and sneered.
"But regardless, your man Qingke just killed a Konoha shinobi. If you can't explain this to the Hokage, I'll see you both in the tower."
Danzo turned, leaving the battlefield behind.
Aoba chuckled. "Unbelievable. This old dog will twist anything for his own gain. He just wants Qingke for his abilities."
Though annoyed, Aoba was quietly relieved.
Good thing he wasn't the kind of man to care about appearances either.
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