At that moment, Arata Itsuki quickly moved up beside Tsunade.
Now was the perfect chance to win her favor—there was no way he'd let it slip by.
"Come on, don't stay mad. Your idea is a good one, but it needs to be put into practice step by step. You can't rush something this big."
Tsunade paused when she heard him speak, her anger fading slightly.
"I know I shouldn't rush it," she sighed, "but I just can't accept that even my sensei would side with Danzō!"
Arata thought to himself wryly, You'll have plenty more to be mad about in the future.
Hiruzen might look like a kindly old man, but behind the scenes, he and Danzō were two sides of the same coin.
Ever since the Third took up the mantle of Hokage, the Senju clan's numbers had been dwindling at a frightening pace—until now, when only Tsunade and her younger brother remained.
If anyone believed Hiruzen and Danzō had nothing to do with that, Arata sure didn't.
Add to that the later "operations" concerning the Uchiha and Naruto, and his impression of the Third Hokage was about as low as it could get.
Still, he couldn't say that to Tsunade yet. Hiruzen's schemes were subtle; even if he told her now, she wouldn't believe him.
"You should draft a proposal," Arata suggested instead. "Lay out the resources you'll need and your plans for implementation. Once everything's clear, you can present it to the Hokage. You'll have a much better chance of getting approval that way."
As a man from the modern world, Arata understood the importance of a solid plan. In any competent organization, decisions weren't made on impulse—they were backed by countless proposals and feasibility reports.
Tsunade's eyes brightened instantly.
"You're right! I've only been speaking in vague ideas so far. It's no wonder Sensei rejected it. I'll go write up a full proposal right now!"
Before Arata could say another word, Tsunade turned and strode off in her usual fiery fashion.
He blinked, half-regretting his own advice. So much for deepening our bond today…
But then, unexpectedly, Tsunade turned back. She stepped right up to him—
—and pulled him into a warm, tight hug.
"Thank you, Arata! You really understand me better than anyone!"
For a brief moment, Arata cursed the fact that he and Tsunade were nearly the same height. If only he were a little shorter… maybe he could've enjoyed that "face-cream treatment."
Snapping back to his senses, he straightened up and replied earnestly,
"Anytime you need me, just come find me. I actually have a few ideas about medical ninjutsu too—you're welcome to use them for reference."
Tsunade's eyes lit up again.
"You've studied medical ninjutsu too? That's amazing! I'm glad to have met someone who truly shares my vision."
"I won't be polite, then! Next time, I'll definitely come bother you."
The two had grown up together, and their relationship had always been close—but Arata's lack of power had made him too hesitant to ever confess his feelings.
Now, though, this moment had brought them closer than ever—like their bond had just rocketed into the stratosphere.
After parting ways with Tsunade, Arata rushed home, eager to check his Supreme Newbie Gift Pack.
There had been too many people at the meeting earlier, and he didn't want to risk exposing anything strange, so he'd held off until now.
"System, where's my gift pack?"
The familiar mechanical voice answered at once:
[The Supreme Newbie Gift Pack has been issued. Please open your inventory to claim it.]
Arata immediately pulled up his inventory interface. Sure enough, there it was—a glowing item shaped like a wrapped bundle.
[Supreme Newbie Gift Pack: Upon use, the host will gain the power of the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Fruit) with no side effects (swimming possible), along with the complete combat knowledge of Monkey D. Garp.]
Just reading the description made Arata grin.
As expected of a "Supreme" gift pack!
Even the first reward alone—the Thunder Fruit without its usual sea-cursing drawback—was worth more than both of the other options combined!
And on top of that, Garp's entire lifetime of battle experience? That was priceless.
Garp, the Hero of the Marines, stood at the very peak of physical combat in the One Piece world. If Arata could fully master that knowledge, even the strongest Kage-level ninjas in this world wouldn't be out of reach.
Without hesitation, Arata activated the pack.
[Ding! Supreme Newbie Gift Pack activated. Commencing power transfer…]
---
Meanwhile, back at the now-empty jōnin meeting hall—
Everyone else had left, but Danzō had returned alone.
A moment later, a man with long blue hair appeared. It was none other than Kato Dan, Tsunade's almost-boyfriend.
Normally, Kato Dan showed open disdain for Danzō. But now, his eyes were lifeless, his face blank as he knelt before the elder like a puppet without strings.
"Danzō-sama… I failed my mission…"
Danzō gave him a contemptuous look.
"Hmph. Useless trash. You couldn't even compete with a mere special jōnin."
Kato Dan's tone was submissive, unwavering despite the insult.
"I'll find another chance, my lord. I won't disappoint you again."
"You'd better not," Danzō sneered. "Remember—if you fail me again, you know what will happen to Shizune."
At the mention of Shizune's name, a flicker of emotion appeared in Kato Dan's eyes—but it quickly vanished, replaced by the same blank obedience.
"Understood."
"Good. Now go."
Once Kato Dan disappeared into the darkness, a masked man stepped out from the shadows behind Danzō and knelt.
"Danzō-sama, that Kato Dan doesn't seem reliable. Shall I eliminate that special jōnin myself?"
Danzō fell silent for a moment, then replied coldly,
"Do it cleanly. I'll make sure you have your chance."
"Yes, sir."
The masked man vanished as silently as he'd appeared.
Danzō turned his gaze toward the district where Arata lived, his eyes glinting with venom.
"No one will stand in my way to becoming Hokage. Not the granddaughter of the God of Shinobi—and certainly not some insignificant special jōnin."
---
Inside his home, Arata Itsuki had just finished absorbing the power from the Supreme Gift Pack.
He opened his right hand and focused his thoughts.
With a sharp crack, arcs of blue lightning burst across his palm, dancing wildly from finger to fingertip.
Feeling the power of electricity surging through him, Itsuki finally understood just how terrifying the Thunder Fruit truly was.
Even with only a beginner's grasp, he now had enough power to fight an elite jōnin on equal footing.
For someone who'd only been a tokubetsu jōnin before, that was a staggering leap.
And if that elite jōnin didn't have any lightning-countering techniques, Arata would be nearly invincible—
after all, Logia-type abilities came with a god-tier cheat: elementalization.
On top of that, Garp's lifetime of combat insight had given him a new foundation. He now had a clear roadmap for training his body—and even learning Haki.
He could even attempt to master the Marines' legendary Rokushiki.
After all, physical mastery and Devil Fruit abilities went hand in hand. The stronger his body became, the closer he'd get to full awakening.
Arata was still basking in the thrill of newfound power when a sudden knock came at his door.
Opening it, he found a man dressed in ANBU armor, his chakra unmistakably that of a high-level jōnin.
"Special Jōnin Arata Itsuki," the man said curtly. "The Hokage requests your presence."