At noon the next day, Shawn led his team back to the Root base to report to Danzo Shimura. He detailed everything, including the recruitment of Akabane Nozomi.
Danzo already knew Nozomi's background. After listening, he nodded slightly.
"He's indeed suitable as a hidden piece."
"However, sending him into ANBU might be even better."
"A—once he returns to Konoha, you'll personally train him until he reaches ANBU's minimum standards."
Cunning old fox.
Shawn sighed inwardly and answered at once, "Understood!"
Danzo continued, "Hand those two over to the Interrogation Division."
Root was still expanding and short on manpower; lacking professional interrogators, turning them over to ANBU's Interrogation Division was the most appropriate choice.
Shawn accepted the order. He sent Sarutobi Atsushi and the others to deliver the prisoners, quickly finished lunch himself, then found a secluded spot near the Root base to resume Wood Release training.
Training Focus
Wood Locking Wall was essentially mastered. For his second Wood Release technique, Shawn chose Wood Clone.
Compared to ordinary shadow clones, Wood Clones were far harder to distinguish—even for the Sharingan.
More importantly, mastering Wood Clones made Substitution Techniques faster, stealthier, and safer. One technique—two benefits.
Shawn spent the entire afternoon training, successfully mastering both Wood Clone and Wood-Clone-based Substitution. It was much faster than learning Wood Locking Wall, thanks to his foundation in clone and substitution techniques.
Back in his quarters, Shawn took out the Wood Release scroll again. After skimming a few pages, he made his decision.
"Next—Cutting Propagation Technique."
Visually, it was a brutal Wood Release jutsu.
Among Wood Release users, Shawn remembered only Obito Uchiha using it; Yamato never did. That likely had more to do with combat style than capability.
Shawn liked it precisely because it worked both up close and at range.
"Tonight, I'll put Rasengan training on hold and master this first."
He memorized the hand seals and carefully studied Hashirama Senju's annotations before going to dinner. Though he briefly considered going out, he gave it up—strength came first. Tomorrow, he would be capturing the Sky-nin woman.
After dinner, Shawn went back out to train.
Hokage's Office
Inside the Hokage Tower, Danzo spoke with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Stealing sealing techniques, leaking border layouts—the Sky Ninja's ambitions are obvious," Danzo said coldly. "Their target may even be tailed beasts. I recommend we strike first and wipe out the Sky Ninja Village."
Hiruzen nodded. "That would be the most direct and effective solution."
"But all the great villages are expanding. After the Uzumaki clan's fall, Iwagakure and Kumogakure both have jinchūriki now."
"Most critically, Hanzō of Amegakure seems restless."
Danzo frowned. "Hanzō covets the Land of Rivers and the Land of Grass. He calls himself a demigod—does he think the Five Great Villages will tolerate that?"
Hiruzen neither agreed nor disagreed. "Compared to the Sky Ninja, Hanzō is the greater threat."
"With the shinobi world so tense, this isn't the time to eliminate the Sky Ninja Village."
"Once the female ninja is captured, I'll send envoys to question them and curb their ambitions."
"Root, however, should prepare contingencies for their destruction."
Danzo nodded, no longer pressing the issue. He knew this wasn't the time for large-scale action—on the surface calm, beneath it all currents churned. Konoha, wealthy and envied, could easily become a target if it moved first.
The Capture
Shawn trained until after midnight, returned to rest briefly, then rose again at six for routine conditioning. With Hashirama cells enhancing his physique, daily physical and taijutsu training were essential.
At nine, after breakfast, Shawn led his team out of Konoha toward the meeting point Tsuchiya Naoya had confessed.
They arrived in under two hours.
"The scenery is nice," Shawn observed from a treetop. The lake below was lively—women splashing in the water, couples lingering along the shore.
Then he noticed a familiar silhouette.
From afar the face was unclear, but the outline—and that unmistakably lecherous aura—could only be Jiraiya.
"So he already had that habit this early?" Shawn muttered.
Thinking of the Third Hokage's Telescope Technique, he could only sigh at the family tradition.
Dropping from the treetop, Shawn headed to the rendezvous. By then, he had already transformed into Tsuchiya Naoya. Atsushi and the others ditched their Root disguises, blending in as ordinary visitors.
Treehouse Trap
Behind a lakeside boulder, Jiraiya—deeply engrossed—suddenly frowned and glanced around. Sensing something off but finding nothing, he soon refocused on the swimmers.
Across the lake, in the forest, Shawn located the treehouse Naoya had described.
"Cozy enough," he noted.
Inside, the hollowed tree felt like a small home. The signs were clear—Naoya hadn't come here only for transactions. Long-term tenderness corrodes resolve far better than a single "life-saving debt." That debt, too, may have been staged by the Sky Ninja.
None of that mattered now.
Shawn sat on a wooden stool, back to the entrance, and waited.
Ten minutes later, he heard faint sounds.
She's here.
The wooden door opened. A graceful figure entered. "Naoya—!"
Shawn turned. The woman rushed forward—then froze.
"You're not Naoya!"
Chakra flared under her feet as she leapt back.
"Sharp," Shawn sighed.
A surge of chakra—boom! The treehouse exploded into splinters. Shawn burst through the debris, catching her midair.
They exchanged blows. Fueled by overwhelming chakra, Shawn crushed her defenses and sent her flying into a massive trunk with a heavy thud, nearly breaking her apart.
Returning to his true form, Shawn landed and extended his hand—wooden spikes shot out.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Four spikes pinned her limbs. Pain twisted her once-beautiful face.
Shawn showed no mercy. He dislocated her jaw with a kick—to prevent poison, senbon, or hidden weapons.
Only then did he fire a signal flare.
As it burst overhead, Atsushi and the others moved to converge.
A Witness Takes Note
Behind the lakeside boulder, Jiraiya looked up at the flare and raised an eyebrow.
He recognized Konoha's rally signal—a secondary distress call.
"Well, that's the end of today's appreciation," he sighed, standing.
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