Shikaku had no doubts about Kei's political wisdom.
After a brief exchange, he pulled out a D-rank mission scroll that had been prepared in advance.
"Cleaning up trash from a riverbed?" Kei glanced at the mission details on the scroll, thought for a moment, and didn't refuse.
Compared to D-rank missions like hunting wild boars or driving away beasts, cleaning a riverbed was time-consuming and physically demanding, but the corresponding reward was noticeably higher.
Besides, he still needed some time to organize the useful information in his mind, maximizing the advantage of his knowledge of the storyline. A task where the subordinates did the work while he could slack off was the perfect choice.
Leaving the mission assignment office, he headed to the meeting spot agreed upon with his three teammates the day before. After distributing the previous mission's rewards, he led the three, who were all beaming with excitement, straight to the downstream riverbed of the Naka River to carry out the task.
Konoha's assigned mission system wasn't exactly favorable to ordinary ninjas.
To participate in the Chunin Exams, a genin needed not only a jonin's recommendation but also a mere eight mission experiences—this alone revealed a lot. Most genin actually had very few missions.
One reason was that the number of available missions wasn't enough to sustain Konoha's vast number of ninjas, but the bigger issue lay in the imbalance of resource distribution.
The Third Hokage in order to strengthen his rule and authority, tightly controlled the review, distribution, and assignment of missions. He claimed it was to ensure that ninjas of different abilities received missions suited to their level, increasing success rates and reducing casualties.
Those aligned with the Hokage naturally received high-quality missions with frequent assignments, while those at odds with his faction were lucky if they got no missions at all—being assigned a few high-difficulty, life-threatening tasks was a real possibility.
As for long-time genin who couldn't get promoted or those who had little presence in the village, it wasn't uncommon for them to go an entire month without a single mission, making it hard to sustain their livelihood.
Someone like Kei, who could pick up a mission whenever he wanted and even had some autonomy in choosing them, was enjoying privileges reserved for the elite of the Hokage's inner circle.
Kurenai, having spent most of her career in support teams, didn't have much of an opinion on this. However, Guy and Genma had personally experienced the struggle of having no missions to take.
So while Kurenai was frowning at the sight of a river surface filled with garbage, Guy and Genma had already rolled up their sleeves, ready to get to work.
"Before we start, here's a little gift for you all." Kei quickly formed hand seals, then struck each of them precisely in the abdomen with his palm.
Four Limbs Weighting Seal!
A swirling black curse mark emerged on their stomachs, extending sealing chains toward their limbs. An invisible pressure swept through their bodies.
Guy, with the strongest physique, staggered and barely managed to support himself with his hands on his knees. Genma and Kurenai, on the other hand, simply collapsed onto the ground.
"This technique applies weighted pressure to the body. To counteract it, you'll have to exert both physical strength and chakra in perfect sync. Once you fully adapt, your physical endurance, mental strength, and chakra reserves will all improve significantly."
"So, do your best." A mischievous grin appeared on Kei's face as he explained his so-called "gift."
"A new type of weight training? My youthful flames are burning brighter than ever! Whoooaah!" Guy, feeling the immense pressure coursing through his limbs, showed no frustration at all—if anything, he looked more energized than ever.
Letting out a spirited battle cry, he immediately started throwing punches and kicks, trying to adapt to the seal.
Genma glanced at his hyperactive teammate, sighed, and wordlessly forced himself up from the ground, slowly moving his arms and legs to adjust.
Who gives gifts ?! Kurenai, who had nearly face-planted into the dirt, mentally cursed her team leader's twisted sense of humor.
She had been just a fraction of a second away—just a tiny bit!
If her reflexes had been any slower, she would have taken a full bite of that rotten soil mixed with who-knows-how-much garbage.
"The cleaning tools are in that wooden hut over there. Well then—let's begin the mission! A friendly reminder, walking on water with the seal in place requires even greater chakra control."
Seeing that the three had gradually adapted to the seal, Kei announced the start of the mission.
Then, using the Body Flicker Technique, he swiftly leaped onto a large tree in a breezy spot, half-reclining on the trunk as he continued organizing the details of the storyline.
Due to the terrain, this part of the riverbed had accumulated a massive amount of household waste. Based on the average speed of a genin, cleaning up this area would take at least five days. Adding in the Four Limbs Weighting Seal slowing down his three teammates, it was unlikely to be finished in less than a week.
Just as he grabbed a scroll and pen, the sound of two people falling into the water reached his ears. Looking down, he saw Guy and Genma climbing out of the filthy water, dripping wet and disheveled. Smirking, Kei contentedly returned to his own work.
Deep within the Root headquarters, Danzō sat inside an iron-walled chamber, his expression dark and brooding. A full-metal samurai helmet covered his head, with thick bandages wrapped around his forehead. In front of him, several Root operatives stood stiffly, awaiting his response.
Since early yesterday, his head had mysteriously suffered three separate attacks—a broken beam in the waiting area, a collapsing ceiling in the medical wing, and a falling stone brick in his office. If not for his years of battlefield experience and sharp reflexes, his name might have already been added to the Memorial Stone.
"Danzō-sama, Orochimaru has responded. He found no anomalies in your body. If these incidents weren't just coincidences, then it must be some kind of unknown secret technique."
The Root operative cautiously relayed Orochimaru's analysis.
Danzō's already grim face darkened further, veins bulging slightly in frustration. That explanation was as good as useless. After a moment of silence, he continued, "... Have you investigated the jinchūriki's movements from yesterday to this morning?"
"Here is the report for your review."
Another Root member stepped forward and handed over a meticulously compiled surveillance record. Danzō unfurled the scroll, scanning its contents as he carefully considered his next move.
Yesterday, he had deliberately provoked the Nine-Tails jinchūriki by demanding the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques. His true intention, however, was to gauge the attitudes of various ninja clans toward Root.
The Inuzuka, Aburame, and Hyūga clans, whether they saw through his motives or not, had wisely chosen to stay out of it. But the Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and Kurama clans...
"Stayed overnight, left the next morning carrying a large sum of money... Why set up an anti-sensing barrier? Could it be—"
Just as countless thoughts raced through his mind, a pigeon egg-sized rock slipped through the gaps of the iron chamber's defenses and struck his metal helmet.
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his already aching head.
The Root operatives kneeling before him immediately lowered their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Whatever patience Danzō had left was completely shattered by that single stone.
"Investigate! List everyone I came into contact with yesterday! I want them checked, one by one! Find out exactly who is behind this!"