Facing Pakura's relentless follow-up attacks, Tamura Zairo could only continue to reinforce his explosive strength with the Monster Strength technique, barely managing to block and parry. He didn't even have the chance to speak.
In the end, there was no suspense and no sudden power-up.
Tamura Zairo was cleanly knocked to the ground.
Pakura pinned him down, straddling his body, the sharp edge of her kunai pressed against his throat.
"You lost."
The smile at the corner of her lips deepened. Although the fight was short, it had been quite satisfying. Kumogakure's blade techniques truly lived up to their reputation.
"No—this is a draw."
Tamura Zairo's expression was a bit strange, but he still insisted it was a draw.
Pakura was puzzled. I'm literally sitting on you with a kunai at your throat—where do you get the nerve to call this a draw?
Tamura Zairo didn't say anything, just stared quietly.
It had to be said—looking up at a woman from below had its benefits. At the very least, the visual impact was… impressive.
As for being suppressed by a woman—it was humiliating, sure, but if it was this posture, it wasn't completely unacceptable.
Pakura soon sensed something wrong.
She felt an abnormality beneath her—not flat, as if something hidden were there.
At first she was confused, then suddenly seemed to realize what it was.
Her fair face instantly flushed pink. She sprang up and cursed loudly:
"Pervert!"
"Shameless!"
...
"I told you—it's a draw."
Tamura Zairo climbed to his feet, feeling rather helpless about his body's reaction.
After all, he was right in the middle of puberty. Chakra stimulation had made his body mature faster, and years of "research and creative work" had left him especially sensitive. What just happened was purely instinctive.
"You little lecher!"
Pakura cursed once more, face red, then vanished with a Body Flicker Technique. This was far too embarrassing.
The ANBU ninja watching from the shadows were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred—wishing they could trade places with him.
Ignoring Pakura's indignation, Tamura Zairo stayed at the training ground for another three hours before heading home.
There was no helping it—this body was far too full of vigor. Once the heat rose, it couldn't be suppressed quickly. He didn't want to go home like that and be mistaken for a pervert.
When he got home, he immediately took a cold shower, then studied the scroll containing the chakra-thread training techniques. It was an enormous gain.
"With these methods, the strength and toughness of chakra threads will increase dramatically. They'll be harder to sever, and the swinging force will be much greater. You could even move like Spider-Man—using chakra threads to anchor onto surroundings, dodge attacks, or pull enemies over."
Tamura Zairo was extremely satisfied. It was worth the risk of showing off and drawing Rasa's attention.
Previously, he had cultivated chakra threads mainly to improve flexibility through writing practice, but their durability had been lacking—they were easily cut.
With Sunagakure's chakra-thread training techniques, that shortcoming could finally be fixed.
"Why hasn't that guy shown up yet? Lord Danzō is waiting for my intel. If his delay makes Lord Danzō doubt my efficiency, that'd be a disaster.
"As expected, I really need to find a chance to eliminate that contact and obtain a direct line to Lord Danzō."
Growing increasingly eager for the Uzushio conflict, Tamura Zairo felt dissatisfied with the middleman.
Such low efficiency—when would Lord Danzō ever become Hokage at this rate?
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long.
The "deliveryman" arrived again. Tamura Zairo welcomed him inside, sat on the sofa, opened the sealed container, and looked at the generously sauced barbecue inside. This was much better than the cheap ramen last time.
"I've uncovered two valuable pieces of intelligence—one about the war, and one about the tailed beasts."
While eating the barbecue, Tamura Zairo took out two prepared scrolls and slid one across.
The middle-aged man glanced at the scroll Tamura Zairo was holding down but said nothing. He picked up the offered scroll and skimmed it quickly, his expression growing increasingly serious.
"So the main target really is Konoha!"
After reading the report, the man's face darkened.
Although the information was fragmented and inconclusive, taken together it allowed one to roughly infer Kumogakure's strategic direction. One detail was especially important: Kumogakure appeared highly interested in the Hyūga clan's Byakugan and might try to seize it on the battlefield.
"The Sword of the Thunder God is a top-tier ninja tool. To obtain it, your intelligence must be of equal value."
His gaze shifted meaningfully to the scroll Tamura Zairo was still holding down.
"The value of this information is no lower than the one you just read,"
Tamura Zairo replied casually, still eating, while slapping an explosive tag onto the scroll—clearly signaling don't even think about grabbing it.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man was speechless. He had never seen such an arrogant subordinate—nothing like someone trained by Root.
In the end, he took out prepared blood and used it as a medium to perform a summoning technique.
A fierce hound appeared, carrying something in its mouth—the Sword of the Thunder God that Tamura Zairo wanted.
Without further words, the man placed the sword on the table, then took the scroll Tamura Zairo had been pressing down. After carefully removing the explosive tag, he opened it and read—his expression instantly growing heavy.
Meanwhile, Tamura Zairo picked up the Sword of the Thunder God and infused chakra into it. A blade of condensed lightning formed.
Though only an inch long, it was proof enough that the sword was genuine.
With this ninja tool, plus his "cheat" ability, he could definitely complete lightning chakra nature transformation much faster—and his overall strength would skyrocket.
As expected, Lord Danzō never disappoints me. Even the Second Hokage's relics can be obtained. Truly worthy of being the First Pot Shadow of the shinobi world.
That said… what other treasures might Lord Danzō still be holding?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Tamura Zairo quickly finished the barbecue, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and spoke seriously:
"Pass this message to Lord Danzō. I will bring him sufficient value. Please do not send Nono Yakushi on dangerous missions."
Necessary bonds had to be strengthened—only then would Lord Danzō trust him even more.
"I'll report your words to Lord Danzō,"
The middle-aged man looked at the boy with surprise. He hadn't known about Nono Yakushi, but it seemed like a useful bond.
For field agents, having a bond was essential—it ensured they worked wholeheartedly for Lord Danzō.
He turned to leave, eager to deliver the intelligence.
"Take the trash with you. You stayed too long—add some cover behavior.
"And your tone and gaze still haven't improved. I really don't like them. As punishment, bring grilled ninja-beast meat next time. Otherwise, I can't guarantee I won't forget some critical intelligence."
Tamura Zairo spoke coolly.
He despised the man's commanding tone and look. Who do you think you are—my direct superior?
His only superior was Lord Danzō.
Also, the barbecue earlier had been plain pork—cheap and unpleasant. The Land of Lightning was famous for its beef. While expensive abroad, it was reasonably priced in Kumogakure. Yet this guy dared to fool him with cheap pork.
Clearly, this man had pocketed the activity funds issued by Lord Danzō.
As Lord Danzō's most loyal lackey, Tamura Zairo had to make sure the man spat it all out—with interest.
There could only ever be one person who could swallow Lord Danzō's funds—or even his future inheritance.
And that person was Tamura Zairo.
He had to find a way to establish direct contact with Lord Danzō—or even meet him in person—to reduce the risk of exposure.
Otherwise, if this man ever betrayed Lord Danzō, the losses would be catastrophic.
As Root's most outstanding intelligence operative, Tamura Zairo could not afford to be brought down by someone like this.
"Brat, don't push it too far!"
The middle-aged man finally snapped. Taking out the trash was one thing—but ninja-beast barbecue? Did the kid have any idea how expensive that was?
"Two portions."
Tamura Zairo replied expressionlessly.
The man's anger flared.
"Three portions!"
"Damned brat!"
In the end, he gave in. Gritting his teeth, he stuffed the empty barbecue box into the trash bag and stormed out.
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