Coming to Office
Fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye.
As one of Konoha's strongest shinobi, Chi Yu now had the privilege of accepting or declining most missions at will—unless they were of the highest priority. For the past half-month, he had been spending nearly all his time with Uzumaki Kushina.
The Konoha Defense Force was about to be formally established, and Chi Yu intended to cement his position early. Once he trained his subordinates to handle conflicts—particularly those involving the Uchiha Clan—he planned to leave for Ryūchi Cave to learn Sage Mode. Before that, however, he wanted to make the most of his time with Kushina.
At present, Chi Yu possessed a total of 86,000 Witness Points. Unlocking Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode directly from the Witness Point Shop would cost 20,000 points, while awakening the Wood Release kekkei genkai would require 50,000. He could afford both now, but there was no need to spend more than necessary—Sage Mode could be learned directly from the source, saving those points.
As for Wood Release, Chi Yu considered it a poor investment for himself. Without the Sage Body—which gave Senju Hashirama his unparalleled mastery—even awakened Wood Release would barely match the level of Yamato. Such a power would be "tasteless to eat yet a shame to discard"—useful in certain situations, but far from game-changing.
The Sage Body itself was another matter entirely—costing a staggering 500,000 Witness Points, five times more than his current total. That was well beyond his reach.
Instead, Chi Yu aimed to save 250,000 Witness Points for the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Lacking a sibling's eyes for transplantation, his only option was to acquire it through the Witness Point Shop. His urgency came from the fact that during the war, his repeated use of his dōjutsu had begun to take its toll.
His right eye, in particular, was degrading faster. Despite using its Mangekyō ability—Mt. Unseen—less often, the jutsu's overwhelming power consumption after copying an opponent's ninjutsu drained ocular energy at a greater rate, accelerating blindness.
For now, the blurriness didn't hinder daily life, but waiting until it impaired combat to start saving points would be a grave mistake.
It was with these thoughts in mind that Chi Yu made his way to Root headquarters.
A Root operative had arrived earlier with a summons—Danzo Shimura wanted to see him. Given the timing, Chi Yu guessed it was related to the Konoha Defense Force.
When they met, Danzo wasted no time:
> "The Konoha Defense Force headquarters is complete. You will assume command tomorrow."
Chi Yu raised an eyebrow.
> "Where exactly is it located, Lord Danzo?"
Danzo glanced up from his desk.
> "Directly opposite the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters. You've had enough rest, Chi Yu. Once you take office, don't spend your days at home."
The slight edge in Danzo's tone didn't escape him—clearly, Danzo had noticed how often he'd been with Kushina lately.
> "Understood, Lord Danzo," Chi Yu replied evenly.
Whether Danzo approved of his lifestyle was irrelevant. As captain of the Konoha Defense Force, Chi Yu knew Danzo would need him—especially when it came to handling the Uchiha.
Danzo continued:
> "Tomorrow, you and Uchiha Shisui will take office together. Before heading to the department, come to Root. I have arranged a squad for you to lead into the building. Make a strong entrance—overwhelm Shisui with your presence so everyone knows who's in charge."
> "I understand," Chi Yu said with a curt nod.
After finalizing the inauguration details, Chi Yu left—but instead of heading home, he turned toward one of Orochimaru's hidden laboratories.
When he found his teacher, he relayed the news of his appointment.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile.
> "Very good. Your influence in Konoha will only grow from here."
Chi Yu smirked.
> "Influence doesn't interest me, Sensei. There's something I haven't told you—about an organization I've founded."
He outlined the Akatsuki's structure and purpose. Orochimaru's golden eyes lit up with curiosity.
> "Oh? So you've already begun building your own network. Tell me, Chi Yu—are you preparing to leave Konoha?"
Chi Yu shook his head.
> "Not yet. I intend to take some wealth from the Uchiha first."
> "A pragmatic choice," Orochimaru chuckled. "Let your people expand influence beyond the village while you supply the resources. I assume you trust them?"
Chi Yu's expression faltered. He trusted Yahiko and a few others implicitly—but not everyone.
Orochimaru leaned back.
> "When the day comes that I must leave Konoha, I had planned to establish my own village to continue my research in peace. But perhaps joining your organization would serve the same purpose."
> "I'd welcome that, Sensei," Chi Yu said without hesitation.
Their alliance was solid. Chi Yu respected Orochimaru as a pure scientist—one indifferent to life, yes, but brilliant nonetheless. And even if Orochimaru eventually created Otogakure, there was no conflict between running a village and being part of an organization.
> "Then I won't disturb your experiments further," Chi Yu said, preparing to leave.
Orochimaru's voice followed him out:
> "I will also attend your inauguration tomorrow."
Chi Yu smiled.
> "Then I look forward to seeing you there."
With that, he left the lab and headed home.
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