Chapter 185: Further Collaboration with Mount Myoboku! Might Duy and Hashirama
Cells, Gengetsu Hozuki's Speechlessness
Jiraiya stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
A profound sense of reverence flashed across his optics.
"I previously hypothesized that after compiling my data at Mount Myoboku for two fiscal cycles and successfully executing the Sage Mode boot sequence..."
"I had finally scaled my metrics beyond Sensei's, ready to function as his primary corporate asset."
"I never calculated that even at this timestamp, regarding both raw combat output and psychological stability algorithms, Sensei remains the absolute firewall I must rely upon. A monolithic server that will never crash, projecting absolute operational security!"
Jiraiya vented a massive breath of stale exhaust.
Although every synthetic muscle fiber and hydraulic joint in his chassis was outputting severe pain signals, the optimized thermal data in his core mitigated the vast majority of the discomfort.
Jiraiya concluded that today's kinetic audit yielded phenomenal ROI!
B2B networking between men—especially the mentor-disciple dynamic—is optimally executed via the transfer of willpower through blunt force trauma!
"Jiraiya, do you comprehend my audio output?"
"Previously, you broadcast a directive to locate a 'Child of Prophecy'. Now, you've designated me as the 'Mentor of Prophecy'..."
"Based on your historical fixation with the Myoboku predictive algorithm, if I am the Mentor of Prophecy, and you are my onboarded disciple, does that not mathematically designate you as the 'Child of Prophecy'?"
"Furthermore, my mentor was Hashirama-sama. Every Konoha operative operates under the 'Will of Fire' architecture and serves as Hashirama-sama's successor. Therefore, everyone in the village functions as a node of the 'Child of Prophecy'."
Hiruzen decompiled the logic from two distinct vectors.
One vector was objective market reality; the other leveraged the Myoboku predictive algorithm Jiraiya had subscribed to for decades. He functionally patched all logical loopholes.
Jiraiya's facial rendering froze into an 'O' shape, displaying absolute system shock.
Is that a valid logic chain?!
But running the analytics... Sensei's syntax is mathematically sound.
So the core variable required to achieve global peace was always cached in his local directory—embedded within his own corporate subsidiary.
The Child of Prophecy was him. It was also any operative subscribed to the Will of Fire. It was every allied node diligently executing their daily operational KPIs for the village.
Jiraiya experienced an ideological reboot!
Hiruzen audited Jiraiya's facial rendering and smiled faintly.
He wasn't merely outputting empty PR rhetoric.
The shinobi market operated on a fundamentally different physics engine than his previous lifecycle. It featured anomalous capabilities, where a single elite asset could output kinetic force equivalent to hundreds, or even tens of thousands, of standard units. He couldn't blindly import legacy logic.
However, a 'Strong' unit does not spawn with maxed-out stats at boot-up. Their scaling relies heavily on the systemic support generated by 'Weak' units.
Even outlier assets like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, during their juvenile incubation phases—even amidst the catastrophic market volatility of the Warring States era—relied on their respective clan infrastructure to provide the necessary bandwidth and resources for survival and scaling.
This paradigm applied absolutely to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His talent cap was dynamically correlated to the growth and optimization of every Konoha operative. Their sweat equity and operational output physically expanded the server capacity, allowing the Hokage to scale to higher performance tiers.
Whether their contribution was massive or marginal, Hiruzen genuinely authenticated that these operatives, accustomed to severe austerity, were maximizing their output within their hardware limits.
Therefore, regardless of their total yield, the Hokage-sama logged every unit's contribution as a premium asset.
Operatives with high kinetic output supplied DPS; those with lower specs provided critical emotional support. All data points were valid.
"I decrypt the logic, Sensei."
Jiraiya executed a soft exhalation.
"Historically, my algorithms prioritized single-player resolutions. I hypothesized that acquiring the Child of Prophecy would instantly resolve all market friction. In doing so, I bypassed the background data that my allied nodes were executing tangible, boots-on-the-ground operations."
"I am terminating the delusion of executing a solo carry for global peace. I will network with the entire village workforce and maximize my specific operational deliverables!"
Hiruzen nodded, his optics curving into a smile.
Outputting that specific audio verified that Jiraiya had successfully executed a logic patch.
"You two, are you available for a brief B2B summit?" Hiruzen smiled, directing his audio output toward Fukasaku and Shima, then gave Tsunade a subtle nod.
Tsunade, processing the directive flawlessly, executed a summon protocol to spawn a partitioned node of Katsuyu, and approached carrying a stack of Medical Chakra Scrolls.
Fukasaku and Shima exchanged an optical ping.
After being forcefully extracted by Enma, they had deactivated their combat protocols and engaged in a highly amicable data-sync with the monkey.
The Monkey Clan's market positioning within the Summoning sector mirrored the Sarutobi clan's status in Konoha.
They didn't boast the absolute Tier-1 premium branding of the Uchiha or Senju, but they were comfortably positioned at the apex of Tier-2.
Broadcasting their clan affiliation anywhere in the market commanded immediate respect and zero depreciation.
The two toads and one monkey routed themselves to Hiruzen.
Katsuyu silently docked onto their dorsal chassis, transferring medical chakra and executing rapid patch installations on their damaged hardware.
Hiruzen accepted the Medical Chakra Scrolls from Tsunade and transferred the assets to Fukasaku and Shima. "An honor to finally network with you, esteemed Sages."
"These are proprietary Medical Chakra Scrolls engineered by Konoha. They yield massive ROI for zero-latency battlefield triage. I transmit my deepest gratitude to the Mount Myoboku workforce for your kinetic support on the frontlines, and I formally log my regret for the personnel attrition your subsidiary suffered."
"Therefore, if your subsidiary requires any resource allocation, you are authorized to submit requisitions directly to my office. The trust firewall between Mount Myoboku and Konoha was forged in the blood and fire of the active market."
The toad units of Mount Myoboku—specifically the sentient, communicative models—typically possessed anomalous utility functions.
Their aggregated combat metrics were highly competitive, with many scaling to the Special Jonin tier.
Maintaining the operational readiness of these assets generated positive ROI for Konoha. Naturally, the prerequisite was ensuring the primary shinobi workforce was fully subsidized first; surplus inventory would then be allocated.
The massive production surge in Amegakure, combined with the escalating output of Konoha's industrialized shinobi workforce, provided Hiruzen with the capital reserves to execute this strategy.
Fukasaku and Shima stalled. Was there truly an executive willing to allocate premium corporate welfare to Summoning assets?
Was he genuinely the Mentor of Prophecy?
"Gratitude. Maximum gratitude, Hokage-sama!" Fukasaku broadcasted repeatedly.
The toad units deployed to the active combat zones were, biologically speaking, his direct genetic descendants.
As for the non-sentient models? Those were classified as expendable consumables.
That was Mount Myoboku's brutal, pragmatic QA (Quality Assurance) standard.
"Katsuyu-sama, I also transmit my profound gratitude for your sustained logistical support to Konoha."
"If your server requires any specific upgrades or resource allocation, submit a query. I will execute maximum effort to facilitate the transaction." Hiruzen extended his manipulator, gently making contact with Katsuyu's antenna, speaking with absolute corporate sincerity.
The branding power of the Three Great Sage Regions, coupled with the revenue generated by recycling their deprecated biomaterials, constituted a massive fiscal pillar for Konoha. Their corporate value was empirically verified.
"Zero requirement for formalities, Hokage-sama."
Katsuyu outputted a gentle, melodic audio stream. While its physical rendering resembled a massive slug, its UX (User Experience) audio profile was identical to a soft-spoken human female.
"If a transaction is mandated, simply maintaining our active SLA (Service Level Agreement) with Konoha is optimal."
Hiruzen blinked his optics.
Was such a premium, low-maintenance asset actually real?
He was aware this unit was merely a partitioned fragment of a hyper-massive primary server. Its behavior mirrored the Nine-Tails' recent deployment model: partitioning the chakra payload reduced the overall threat signature, resulting in a somewhat juvenile, docile logic architecture.
But this level of zero-demand corporate synergy was unprecedented.
"My core directive has always been to idle until a second 'Hashirama-sama' initiates a handshake protocol with me."
Katsuyu broadcasted with slight embarrassment. "If the corporation compiles an operative with that specific architecture, I formally request the Hokage-sama prioritize routing them to the Shikkotsu Forest. I urgently desire to audit that level of anomaly again."
Hiruzen's brow twitched involuntarily.
Hashirama's brand equity was still dominating the market!
This verified the legacy data logs: Hashirama had accidentally routed himself into the Shikkotsu Forest, instantly downloaded and compiled the Sage Mode algorithms with zero latency, outputted a massive laugh, and then extracted himself without even signing an SLA. The data was accurate!
"Comparing hardware specs is a guaranteed vector for system depression." Hiruzen shook his head, executing a profound sigh.
His analytics briefly pinged Madara Uchiha. Madara was undeniably operating at the absolute limit of shinobi hardware.
But remaining locked in a perpetual benchmarking competition against an anomalous server like Hashirama? Maintaining psychological stability as an Uchiha under those parameters was a brutal feat of engineering.
However, Hiruzen wasn't experiencing FOMO.
Jiraiya had already achieved baseline Senjutsu functionality. Once Orochimaru pushed the Curse Mark update to the broader workforce, Hiruzen might eventually receive a 'performance bonus' containing similar mechanics.
Every asset possesses proprietary talent trees.
"Hashirama-sama's talent metrics?" Fukasaku chuckled, shaking his head.
He and Shima had maintained active status for centuries. They had empirically logged the recurring phenomenon of the Senju and Uchiha generating mathematically broken outlier units. Yet, the Great Toad Sage maintained absolute radio silence on the variable, outputting corrupted 'I don't remember' audio whenever queried.
But even during private, secure channel communications, Fukasaku and Shima had previously authenticated that Hashirama Senju's talent multipliers—even when benchmarked against the most anomalous entities across all subsidiaries—were the most statistically absurd.
"If such an operative is compiled, Mount Myoboku is fully authorized to yield priority queue placement to Shikkotsu Forest." Fukasaku stated with massive corporate magnanimity, primarily because his analytics calculated the probability of a second Hashirama spawning was zero.
It was an absolute statistical anomaly!
"Zero necessity for priority queues. We operate under a unified corporate umbrella."
Hiruzen deployed his trademark amicable PR protocol to mediate. "The Three Sage Regions are fundamentally sister-corporations. It is highly optimized RNG that we are all networked within Konoha. SLA negotiations are entirely frictionless."
If a 'Mini-Hashirama' actually booted up, signing an SLA with only a single Sage Region was catastrophic inefficiency. The protocol would be to aggressively bind all three regions to Konoha's military-industrial complex simultaneously!
"Esteemed Sages, would you authorize a secondary demonstration of Senjutsu chakra compilation?"
Post-healing, Hiruzen submitted a query to Fukasaku and Shima.
The two Sages stalled. They hadn't fully recovered from the system shock generated by Konoha's medical tech. Equipping the workforce with such zero-latency triage hardware would exponentially scale morale and kinetic uptime.
"Authorized!" Fukasaku and Shima initiated the Senjutsu chakra compilation sequence.
Hiruzen nodded, booting up the Spirit Release protocol to run an integrity test on the Senjutsu chakra architecture.
This time, however, the disruption protocol failed.
Hiruzen nodded, archiving the data.
His analytics suggested that once Natural Energy and native chakra fully synchronized into a compiled state—like the architecture maintained by Fukasaku and Shima—the resulting data structure was incredibly dense and mathematically stable, highly resistant to external decompilation.
"Regarding your previous action..."
"While I lack the data to classify the jutsu you just executed, Hokage-sama, once Senjutsu chakra is fully compiled and optimized, its combat deployment features virtually zero vulnerabilities."
Fukasaku, assuming Hiruzen was running a QA audit on Mount Myoboku's proprietary tech, rapidly deployed a PR defense. "The previous failure occurred because little Jiraiya's psychological algorithms experienced severe latency, and his baseline mastery of Senjutsu remains in the beta phase."
"During the Man-Toad Integration state, while the Wife and I are executing the background synthesis of Senjutsu chakra, the primary execution routing is controlled by little Jiraiya."
Hiruzen nodded, authenticating the logic.
"While the auxiliary support from the Sages is a massive buff, you must eventually learn to compile the data autonomously, kid."
Jiraiya scratched his head. "I possess the bandwidth to aggregate a minor volume, but I cannot overclock the compilation speed. It feels like attempting resistance training without proper hardware. I lack an optimal methodology."
Hiruzen's optics lit up. "Am I not currently active on the server?"
His beta-build Spirit Release and Jiraiya's entry-level Senjutsu were optimally configured to execute mutual stress testing until both protocols achieved V1.0 stability.
The Hokage-sama had recently been running queries for a new sparring partner.
Jiraiya froze initially, then subconsciously nodded.
It was logically sound.
Sensei's anomalous jutsu induced critical instability in his Senjutsu chakra. If he conditioned his system to aggregate Natural Energy under that specific environmental pressure, his independent deployment speed would absolutely scale.
But abruptly recalling Minato's data dump regarding the 'Three Configurations of Hiruzen', Jiraiya realized the Chuunibyou description was entirely empirically valid. His facial rendering involuntarily crashed into a grimace.
PvP training with Sensei never involved isolating a single variable like Sage Mode.
It guaranteed a comprehensive, full-spectrum physical beating.
"Esteemed Sages, despite my limited bandwidth, I harbor immense curiosity regarding the Sage Mode architecture."
Hiruzen cleared his throat.
Fukasaku instantly intercepted the data stream. "Zero friction, Hokage-sama! Provide your availability schedule! Mount Myoboku remains on permanent standby for your arrival!"
Following Hiruzen's previous PR pitch, Fukasaku and Shima had executed a massive revision of their analytics regarding the Great Toad Sage.
Perhaps that senile fossil's predictive algorithms actually retained some accuracy?
It wasn't just random, corrupted RNG output?
"Regarding this transaction... executing it without a formal SLA... is that compliant?" Hiruzen queried with calculated hesitation.
"Come now! You explicitly stated the trust firewall between Mount Myoboku and Konoha was forged in blood and fire!" Fukasaku waved a webbed manipulator, outputting massive corporate generosity. "Do not allocate stress to that variable! All operations are executed in pursuit of global peace, correct?"
Where else could they secure a CEO who actively allocated budget to optimize Summoning asset safety?
If they didn't aggressively lock down this corporate relationship, the Wife would undoubtedly flag his performance as 'Defective' upon returning to base.
"The architecture is as follows..." Hiruzen cleared his throat. "I possess verified analytics regarding my own hardware. My native compatibility with Natural Energy is functionally zero. However, Enma might possess latent potential in that sector. Would you authorize a cross-training program for him?"
The Monkey King Enma was a legacy corporate partner who had executed joint deployments with Hiruzen for decades.
Enma had previously uploaded data suggesting he possessed marginal Senjutsu compatibility, but the Monkey Clan's internal database lacked systemic training protocols, making independent boot-up nearly impossible.
Hiruzen derived this strategic pivot from observing Jiraiya's synergistic deployment with Fukasaku and Shima.
He didn't require immediate Senjutsu mastery. After all, Hiruzen possessed alternative optimization vectors. The 'Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark' was only in the foundational compile stage, and his physical hardware conditioning was a continuous, long-term background process.
Spirit Release also required extensive iterative debugging.
Even as a high-bandwidth user, his processing cycles were finite.
Enma's system stalled.
Wait.
I'm a legacy asset approaching retirement, and I'm being assigned mandatory up-skilling?!
I assumed Hiruzen was requisitioning the training for himself!
However, scanning Hiruzen's currently optimized, hyper-robust chassis and determined facial rendering, Enma experienced a sudden surge of operational morale.
He absolutely refused to be deprecated while his allied node continued scaling!
"Furthermore, this aligns perfectly with the unfulfilled R&D objectives of my youth."
"Since Hiruzen successfully routed me to this premium training architecture, failing to optimize my output would be a catastrophic dereliction of duty."
Enma inhaled deeply, executing a formal, single-knee kneel protocol. He fully comprehended the massive market valuation of Senjutsu data.
"Esteemed Sages, if I secure the authorization to download this architecture, I swear absolute NDA compliance. I will deploy it exclusively to execute joint operations with Hiruzen, Konoha, and Mount Myoboku in pursuit of peace. Zero alternative agendas!"
Enma broadcasted with metallic severity: "I stake the future market cap of the Monkey Clan on this oath!"
Fukasaku executed an upward manipulator gesture, deploying a Frog Kata kinetic wave to force Enma back into a standing posture, regaining some PR leverage for Mount Myoboku. "Why the extreme protocols? Any Monkey Clan operative who signs an SLA with the Hokage is automatically classified as an Allied Asset of Mount Myoboku! Mount Myoboku authorizes full R&D support for any entity contributing to global peace!"
This audio output was a massive PR exaggeration. Mount Myoboku's onboarding criteria for contractors were notoriously brutal.
However, with the 'Mentor of Prophecy' monitoring the channel, they were required to project a premium, macro-level corporate vision. Otherwise, Mount Myoboku would render as a low-tier, stingy subsidiary.
Constantly broadcasting prophecies but refusing to allocate actual kinetic resources? Unacceptable market behavior!
Consequently, Enma, Fukasaku, and Shima—equipped with a cache of Medical Chakra Scrolls—executed a highly amicable extraction sequence, parting ways with Hiruzen to route back to Mount Myoboku.
Prior to logging off, Fukasaku explicitly transmitted a B2B memo: if the Sovereign Sage Pill production pipeline encountered material shortages, and the other two Sage Regions lacked liquidity, Mount Myoboku possessed alternative, high-yield proprietary assets available for export.
"You brat, execute your training via steady iteration. Terminate the protocol of attempting to solo-tank every market crisis."
"Moving forward, upon encountering a high-threat entity, your primary directive is maximum initial output. Your secondary directive is executing a tactical retreat to Konoha to requisition backup. Leveraging the Flying Thunder God, redeployment to the active combat zone is virtually instantaneous."
Hiruzen continuously uploaded these administrative patches to Jiraiya.
This unit exhibited latent fanaticism protocols; when encountering friction, he defaulted to extreme logic loops, perpetually romanticizing the concept that 'a shinobi's most glorious exit is a spectacular termination.'
If he genuinely encountered a hostile entity requiring a zero-sum, MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) engagement, authorizing absolute lethal force was acceptable.
But intentionally routing himself into unwinnable scenarios? A fatal logic error.
Jiraiya nodded with authentic compliance. Even with his sub-optimal processing speed, he successfully authenticated that Sensei was running deep protective algorithms for his asset safety.
Observing the interaction between Hiruzen and Jiraiya, Orochimaru involuntarily executed a cold audio snort. "This defective unit requires constant babysitting. Even Sensei is forced to allocate dedicated background processes to monitor his stability."
Tsunade shot Orochimaru a bewildered scan, her audio output heavily laden with sarcasm. "Are my sensors malfunctioning? Is a certified prodigy actually experiencing jealousy algorithms over a 'defective unit'?"
"That is an incredibly entertaining logic error."
Orochimaru's facial rendering darkened. He was absolutely exhausted by Tsunade's audio module!
Every output was a perfectly calibrated flame attack.
"Mount Myoboku and the Shikkotsu Forest have successfully clustered around Sensei's central node. What is the strategic projection for the Ryuchi Cave?"
Orochimaru ran internal simulations. He calculated that in a 2v1 market scenario, the Ryuchi Cave—despite its arrogant corporate culture—would be mathematically forced to submit to a deep-level merger with Konoha to re-establish market equilibrium.
The critical bug was that Summoning assets capable of genuine, high-level B2B dialogue (like Enma, Fukasaku, Shima, and Katsuyu's partition) were statistically rare within the Ryuchi Cave directory.
Their workforce predominantly operated on primitive, feral subroutines. His primary summon, Manda, was a notoriously non-compliant rogue asset.
"I urgently need to execute a severe disciplinary patch on these serpents. Heavy kinetic re-formatting is required." Orochimaru logged the directive in his internal tracker.
Otherwise, the resulting PR damage would be humiliating!
Following the termination of the PvP audit, every observing Konoha operative logged massive internal data updates.
Sakumo and Fugaku's motivation to scale their combat metrics surged exponentially. As Konoha High Commissioners, they possessed the clearance to deduce that Jiraiya's successful return would aggressively accelerate the 'Curse Mark' R&D pipeline.
As long as they passed the biometric audit, they were ready to gamble the ROI!
Even if the trial resulted in a system crash, they would classify it as donating telemetry data for the corporation's future architecture.
Such is the extreme logic of the shinobi workforce.
Regarding the Bloodline Limit integration trials, Sakumo and Fugaku were equally ravenous. They boasted willpower and executive resolve matching Hizashi's, and maintained absolute trust in the R&D division and the Hokage-sama.
If authorized to initiate the protocol, neither unit would hesitate for a single clock cycle!
Danzo, having visually authenticated Hiruzen's overwhelming kinetic dominance, experienced a dual-state processing loop. He was gratified that his lifelong rival retained peak market value, but simultaneously felt severe dissatisfaction regarding his own Wind Release Chakra Mode configuration.
While his Wind Release Chakra Mode was undeniably premium, benchmarked against Hiruzen's output, it was functionally a deprecated legacy build.
However, Danzo's strategic target was neither standard Bloodline Limits nor Curse Marks.
Those architectures were compiled by the Orochimaru/Hiruko consortium. The Darkness of the Shinobi refused to install their software!
"My loyal disciple, Seisui, recently uploaded a memo indicating significant breakthroughs in the Hashirama Cell R&D pipeline."
"As a certified, blue-blooded core executive of the Hokage lineage, if I am to execute an integration protocol, it must be the First-sama's cellular hardware. Even if it fails to boot Wood Release, the sheer brand association will massively inflate my PR metrics."
Danzo simulated the scenario. Should he gamble on the ROI when the optimal window opened?
Perhaps the First-sama's background buff would authorize his chassis to successfully host the deprecated Hashirama Cells.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Guy, did you capture that data?! The Hokage-sama's violently combusting operational status has literally ignited the 'Youth' algorithms in every spectator! We must scale our metrics together and serve as the village's absolute firewall!"
Might Duy retrieved Hiruzen's audio logs from memory, his optical sensors leaking tears of pure, unadulterated 'Youth'. "Guy! We must memorize the Hokage-sama's audio files! We will recite them continuously during our morning kinetic conditioning to maximize the absolute potential of our Youth!"
Might Guy nodded aggressively, engaging in a mutually weeping embrace with his parental unit. "The Hokage-sama's corporate vision is overwhelmingly magnificent!"
Danzo monitored the audio output, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
"Hiruzen's syntax is genuinely anomalous. He can compile standard vocabulary into an output that generates literal Genjutsu-level psychological overrides."
"However, this Might Duy asset... perhaps I should initiate a joint venture with him?"
Danzo's optics flared, though recalling his initial onboarding process with Might Duy induced a prolonged period of internal speechlessness.
Following the Root division's decommissioning and subsequent reboot, its core kinetic roster had been completely reformatted.
Might Duy was currently logged on the active roster!
The total headcount was precisely thirteen units.
Hizashi functioned as the Deputy Director, managing the executive tier alongside Seisui.
Tatsuma Aburame and Shikuro Aburame.
Suzaku Nara, Fu Yamanaka, and Domu Akimichi comprising the classic, highly optimized Ino-Shika-Cho formation.
Ida (utilizing Super Beast Imitating Drawing) and Yashiro Uchiha.
An elite Iburi operative—whose proprietary smoke-transformation bug had been isolated and patched by Orochimaru—designated as Iburi Hi.
And Shio Uzumaki operating as the lead Medical Ninja.
Having patched her internal logic to prioritize personal career scaling and corporate objectives, Shio Uzumaki elected to route herself to Root—the village's most brutal, yet highly prestigious operational sector.
Within this directory, despite frequent physical proximity to Tobirama (Seisui), she maintained a flawless, highly professional B2B dynamic, strictly discussing operational parameters.
It was as if the historical 'slap' incident had been permanently purged from the server logs.
Anomalously, as Shio Uzumaki continuously upgraded her skillset, it was actually Tobirama who initiated contact more frequently. Under the guise of Pirating Mito's fuinjutsu algorithms, he actively queried Shio.
And finally, Might Duy.
"If he hadn't successfully compiled the Eight Inner Gates architecture, even if he submitted infinite petitions to Hiruzen, I would never have authorized his Root onboarding. The unit generates intolerable audio noise."
Danzo stared at Might Duy, his processors occasionally failing to compute the 'Power of Youth'.
Fortunately, Root's current combat metrics were overwhelming. Hostile encounters consistently resulted in zero surviving witnesses. Otherwise, the millisecond Might Duy deployed a 'Konoha Great Whirlwind', any functional intelligence unit would instantly identify the attacking faction.
"Duy possesses a highly anomalous, zero-attribute chakra configuration. He lacks native compatibility with all nature transformations."
"Historically, this stat block is synonymous with 'Defective Asset'. However, based on Seisui's R&D data, Duy's unique architecture actually maximizes his compatibility probability for Hashirama Cell integration."
"Because the Wood Release payload inherent in Hashirama Cells is highly predatory; it aggressively rejects chakra that has already been formatted with other nature transformations, unless suppressed by overwhelming Yin Release chakra."
While all raw chakra is theoretically attribute-less prior to nature transformation, repeated execution permanently brands the user's chakra network. It is never truly 'clean'.
"My requirement is not for Duy to boot Wood Release. His physical chassis suffered severe depreciation during his youth, creating a hard cap on his maximum scaling. He relies entirely on the Eight Inner Gates to artificially spike his kinetic yield."
Danzo evaluated the data, increasingly convinced the roadmap was viable!
The downgraded Hashirama Cells made Wood Release compilation highly improbable for the host, but the massive injection of raw vitality and cellular regeneration was a guaranteed deliverable.
And for Might Duy, this specific upgrade perfectly patched his most critical hardware vulnerability.
"Upon unlocking the final tier of the Eight Inner Gates, the user outputs a kinetic multiplier in the dozens. If we establish Hashirama's baseline vitality as the foundational multiplier..."
The deeper Danzo ran the simulation, the more optimal the strategy appeared. He resolved to schedule a B2B query with Might Duy.
"However, I must rigorously adhere to compliance protocols."
Danzo vented a sigh. He couldn't pinpoint the exact timestamp, but his subroutines now automatically defaulted to checking 'regulatory compliance' before executing operations.
In previous fiscal eras, he would have simply deployed fraud, coercion, and executive leverage to force the transaction!
Now, that methodology was entirely deprecated.
If Hizashi, Orochimaru, or even his own disciple, Seisui, audited the log and discovered a compliance breach, Danzo calculated he would face severe HR penalties. Even Hiruzen wouldn't authorize a pardon.
After all, during their 'Fireside Chat', it was explicitly established: that was the final grace period.
If he generated another unauthorized PR crisis, Danzo would be forced to issue a public apology to the entire Konoha workforce!
Beyond the C-suite and mid-level management, Kakashi and Obito spectated with absolute fascination.
They internally concluded that they had idled in the Academy servers for far too long. It was time to deploy into the brutal, active shinobi market.
Given the physical traits of shinobi—accelerated by premium Academy nutrition and optimized training schedules—their physical chassis had scaled rapidly, already projecting the aesthetics of young adults.
Remaining logged into the Academy as elite-tier assets was generating significant contextual dissonance.
"Post-event, I am initiating my graduation protocol," Kakashi stated to Obito.
"Affirmative. We must execute live missions to scale our combat algorithms in the active market!" Obito nodded aggressively. "Asuma's squad shares this objective. Shisui has been running standby mode for cycles..."
"However, who will be assigned as my Directing Jonin?"
Obito ran a query: "Asuma will likely route to Hiruko-sama; he has already formalized a mentorship SLA."
Kakashi shot Obito a dismissive optical scan. "Securing any Jonin-tier asset is a premium outcome. The village administration will handle the routing."
What Kakashi failed to decrypt was this classified data:
The blonde operative he historically feared the most had already executed a covert SLA with Sakumo. They had finalized the architecture: Minato would deploy as the Directing Jonin for the inaugural squad consisting of Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.
It was a highly standardized, mathematically flawless squad composition: a Clan asset, an Anbu asset, and a Civilian asset.
At this timestamp.
The Konoha Academy's 'Golden Generation' was officially approaching graduation, prepping to log into the global shinobi market for their debut performance.
Several days later.
Konoha, Hokage Building.
Orochimaru navigated the stairwell, a data scroll in hand.
He lacked a critical operational agenda. He was merely executing a routine networking check-in with Hiruzen Sarutobi, maintaining their B2B connection.
As he walked, Orochimaru ran an internal simulation: "Kabuto's talent metrics are highly optimized, and his brand loyalty to Konoha is verified. I am ready to officially upgrade his status to 'Primary Disciple' and upload the memo to Sensei."
Although he had extracted Kabuto from the orphanage, Orochimaru hadn't immediately committed to the mentorship protocol. He operated on a highly pragmatic, rational algorithm.
After running a six-month probationary audit, Orochimaru finally finalized the decision, designating Kabuto as his true disciple and legacy inheritor.
Orochimaru had also discovered the highly rewarding UX (User Experience) of the 'Mentorship/Incubation' module.
"Is this the identical psychological data stream Sensei processed when he onboarded me?" Orochimaru smiled faintly, shaking his head. He nodded to an Anbu guard, but abruptly halted his momentum at the office entrance.
He intercepted an audio stream matching Kabuto's voiceprint!
"Provide Grand-Sensei with a status update. What new protocols have you successfully compiled recently?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's audio output was incredibly warm and smiling.
Hiruzen had actually discovered Kabuto via a highly random RNG event.
While idling post-training, he deployed the Telescope Jutsu for a casual perimeter scan of the village and locked onto a juvenile unit wearing glasses, actively reading a technical manual while walking!
His physical rendering featured a highly compliant, 'good-boy' mushroom haircut. This visual data instantly pinged Hiruzen's legacy memories. In the shinobi market, where juvenile units default to spamming shuriken and kunai protocols, encountering an 'academic' asset was incredibly rare.
Hiruzen initiated a summon protocol. Upon querying the unit, he verified it was the asset Orochimaru had extracted from the orphanage. His internal affection metrics instantly spiked.
Which Hokage wouldn't assign premium valuation to a diminutive unit with zero legacy background, who radiated absolute gratitude, possessed relentless ambition for academic scaling, and was ALSO his direct grand-disciple?
"Status report for Grand-Sensei: Kabuto has achieved preliminary compilation of the Mystical Palm Jutsu!"
Kabuto's audio output was vibrating with excitement. A faint, luminescent green aura rendered over his manipulator. "Observe!"
"Kabuto's metrics are highly impressive."
"My hardware is already entering the depreciation phase. The future market cap of the village relies entirely on your generation. Once your scaling is complete, you will systematically inherit the administrative privileges of the Will of Fire."
Hiruzen outputted a massive laugh, executing the 'head-pat' protocol on Kabuto, and transferred a unit of premium beef jerky to his inventory. "Accelerate your physical scaling! Compile a robust chassis! Kabuto is mathematically guaranteed to become a high-yield shinobi asset!"
"Grand-Sensei, I will maximize my training output, and then I will deploy as your firewall!"
Kabuto chewed the beef jerky, raising his tiny manipulator, his cheeks bulging as he broadcasted: "Awaiting execution!"
Hiruzen nodded in profound satisfaction.
If Kabuto had merely outputted standard, sycophantic PR rhetoric, Hiruzen's UX would have degraded, flagging it as overly scripted.
Juvenile units must project juvenile behavioral parameters.
Orochimaru monitored the feed, his processors temporarily stunned.
Is this the legendary 'Cross-Generational Networking Buff'?
This perfectly explains why Sensei constantly routes himself to Minato's coordinates for PvP sessions.
But instantaneously, Orochimaru's optical sensors darted sharply, the corners of his mouth curving into an extreme, upward arc.
Compared to Jiraiya's portfolio, he had successfully patched this specific organizational vulnerability!
Sensei consistently maintained a hard-coded preference for operatives operating within the 'Scientific R&D' tier!
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