It's Too Troublesome to be Hokage

"The panel just popped up the mission complete prompt... That Root ninja is definitely dead!"

Nara Shikadan glanced at the message flashing across his virtual panel and finally let out a small breath of relief.

While sneaking in under [Camouflage], he had already scouted the surroundings, confirming that there were only two Root ninjas in this abandoned building.

If there had been a third person hiding in the dark, using ultra-long-range perception ninjutsu to report to Shimura Danzo...

Nara Shikadan would've accepted that bitter result.

"But still, they sent two Jonin just to deal with me and Sister Nono…"

Shikadan's cold gaze swept across the corpse of the wind-style masked ninja that had fallen from mid-air.

"Root—or rather, that guy Danzo—really places a high value on us."

If it weren't for his weird and specialized ability system...

He would've already been taken back to Root headquarters, just like the ninja implied.

As for Yakushi Nono?

She hadn't even had the chance to resist.

She was drugged—with chakra-suppressing medicine, no less—administered by her own hand.

In her current state, she wasn't much different from a civilian. At best, just a well-trained nun.

In that condition, Root definitely wouldn't have spared her...

Shikadan turned to the other Root ninja in the room. A cold glint flickered through his eyes, and he began to condense a [Shadow Piercing Bullet] at his fingertip.

But after a moment of thought, he waved his hand and dissipated the bullet.

No need to kill—for now.

"When I destroyed this Yamanaka ninja's spiritual consciousness just now, the panel already confirmed the mission was complete."

"I've already obtained the [Ninja Secret Scroll] from her. Killing her now won't give me any extra benefit."

His gaze shifted toward the Kikyo Orphanage in the distance.

"Instead of killing her now just to vent, it's better to keep her alive."

"Of the two Root Jonin that attacked us, one is dead and the other's heavily injured. But the true mastermind is still hiding safely in the village!"

"This woman... is the best leverage I have to attack Danzo Shimura!"

Shikadan quickly worked out his next move.

Without hesitation, he activated the [Shadow Strangulation Technique].

The shadows beneath him transformed into thick, powerful hands, and with a sickening crunch, they snapped the Yamanaka kunoichi's left hand and both legs, completely neutralizing any chance of resistance or escape.

As for her right hand—

It had already been broken earlier during the clash with the [Shadow Clone].

The spiritual trauma from Shikadan's spiritual counterattack seemed to have had a lingering effect.

Even after enduring her limbs being shattered one after another, her body merely trembled slightly. She remained unconscious.

Shikadan didn't even glance at her.

He simply called up the system panel.

The enemies were handled. Now it was time to count his loot.

"Two B-rank [Ninja Secret Scrolls]."

Shikadan's gaze settled on the scrolls listed in the panel.

The memory data of both defeated enemies flickered through his mind.

"One from a Yamanaka Jonin…"

"And the other… a wind-style specialist?"

"Well, in that case, I can probably only expect something decent from the former."

He chose to open the Root wind ninja's scroll first.

[Opening…]

[Contents of this B-rank Ninja Secret Scroll: Technique]

[B-rank Technique: Wind Style · Vacuum Jade]

[Technique Description: A sharp breath that penetrates the target.]

[Technique Effect: Wind chakra is compressed and fired from the chakra points in the mouth like bullets. Output can be modulated through breathing rhythm. Can be used continuously or in bursts.]

[Technique Evaluation: Subordinates must never kiss up to superiors.]

"…What the hell kind of perverted wind-style jutsu is this?"

Shikadan frowned. A disturbing image popped into his mind.

"Are all wind-style Root ninjas this disgusting?"

He hadn't expected much from this scroll, since he already had [Wind Style · Suppression].

But now it seemed...

"Wait a second."

His gaze sharpened as he read the effect again.

"This is a continuous-fire ninjutsu?!"

The real surprise wasn't just that it could fire continuously.

Frankly, since it required hand seals, it wasn't suitable for rapid close combat.

Unsealing ninjutsu always had priority in real battles.

But what caught Shikadan's attention was the fine control mechanism described—precise modulation of chakra output via breathing rhythm.

"If I can integrate that into [Shadow Piercing Bullet] someday…"

A bold idea struck him.

"Could I create a shadow machine gun—no… a shadow Gatling gun?!"

Technically speaking, he already had something like a [Shuriken Gatling Gun]—the A-rank [Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique].

But if he added a "Shadow Gatling Gun" to his arsenal…

A certain flashy name came to mind.

"'Super Shadow Gatling Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique'?"

He shook his head to dispel the silly thought and turned to the other scroll.

The one he'd actually been hopeful about from the start.

If the disappointing scroll had turned out this good, maybe this one…

He opened the next scroll with anticipation.

[Opening…]

[Contents of this B-rank Ninja Secret Scroll: Technique]

[B-rank Technique: Perception]

[Technique Description: Advanced mental sensory technique from the Yamanaka clan.]

[Technique Effect: Spread your spiritual energy outward to detect enemy position, number, and characteristics.]

[Technique Evaluation: Let me see.]

"Nice. Really nice!"

Shikadan was genuinely satisfied.

As a Yin Release-oriented ninja, he'd long been interested in the Yamanaka clan's mental techniques.

Unfortunately, due to the difference in family status, he had never had access to them.

Until now.

Thanks to this battle mission, he'd acquired a high-level Yamanaka secret technique!

"And it's a powerful perception technique, too."

He immediately tried using it.

Spiritual energy surged from his body and spread throughout the room.

"I can sense the chakra of the Yamanaka kunoichi... Oh, but it's already decaying."

"After death, without spiritual control, a ninja's chakra disperses rapidly."

"…Though speaking of which, the Hashirama cells must work very differently."

Shikadan didn't spread his perception too far.

Although unfamiliar with the Yamanaka clan's techniques, his own family had a solid understanding of perception-type jutsu.

If a sensor-type ninja extended their spiritual energy too widely, and their target was also a sensory-type ninja, they could be detected in reverse.

Even though Kikyo Castle wasn't Konoha...

Shikadan wasn't about to take that risk.

With the battle over and loot collected, he left behind a [Shadow Clone] to guard the scene and preserve evidence.

Then he quickly returned to the orphanage.

At Kikyo Orphanage.

Yakushi Nono paced anxiously.

She could've sent up a signal flare, leveraging her status in Konoha's emergency medical unit to summon reinforcements.

But that might alert the enemy—or worse, endanger Shikadan.

So she stayed still.

But the feeling of helplessness gnawed at her.

"I don't know how Shikadan is doing... Those were two elite Jonin… If I hadn't fallen for their trap... I should've been the one to resolve this…"

One anxious thought chased the next through her mind.

The loss of her chakra left her weak—and it made the fear and self-blame grow even louder.

Thankfully—

"Sister Nono, I'm back."

"Shikadan!"

Joy lit up Yakushi Nono's face like the sun breaking through clouds.

She rushed forward and pulled Shikadan into her arms.

"You're finally back!"

Shikadan returned the embrace, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder.

Something about her hug felt… different.

"Shikadan, I think you've gotten taller."

Nono stepped back and examined him with sparkling brown-green eyes, a mix of tears and laughter.

"Really?"

Shikadan lowered his gaze—only to have it completely blocked by the black-and-white nun's robe.

"Well... I guess I'm seeing the world from a little higher now."

There's a saying:

When a woman lowers her head and can no longer see her toes, she is the most beautiful in the world.

"…What?"

A flicker of confusion crossed Nono's face, but she dismissed the strange remark.

"Shikadan, what about those two Jonin?"

"They've been dealt with," Shikadan said calmly. "The two Root ninjas."

Then his tone shifted.

"And I've learned something else."

He looked directly into her eyes—those clear brown-green eyes behind thin black-framed glasses.

"Sister Nono... you're also a ninja from Root, aren't you?"

-End Chapter-

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