Chapter 68: Busyness and New Assignments

The next morning, as usual, Gento Kato rose early. He completed his daily exercises and prepared a heartfelt breakfast for Tsunade. Before heading to the Spring Base today, he had a prior arrangement with Kuo Otani from yesterday.

Gento Kato first made his way to the Mission Management Office at the Hokage Residence to collect the mission roster Kuo Otani had compiled for him. The two met in Kuo Otani’s office. Since they had only parted ways in the late hours of the previous night, Gento Kato dispensed with any formal pleasantries. Kuo Otani, on the other hand, appeared with heavy bags under his eyes, looking somewhat weary and drained, though his spirits were still high. He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality Gento Kato had shown the night before.

It was clear he’d thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the bathhouse spa yesterday, and he lingered in conversation with Gento Kato, exchanging banter and laughter. Perhaps it was just Gento Kato’s imagination, but he seemed to sense a hint of nostalgia and lingering delight in Kuo Otani’s words.

He successfully obtained the mission roster he’d requested from Kuo Otani. The two agreed that Gento Kato would return around midday, just before the end of the workday, to accept a mission, and with Kuo Otani’s promise to wait and assist, Gento Kato left the Mission Management Office.

He then made his way to the Hokage’s office to pay his respects to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and to report that he would be leaving at noon or perhaps the next day to undertake other missions. The exact timing would depend on the outcome of his meeting with Danzo Shimura at the Spring Base later today.

Whether Danzo would grant his approval was, in truth, not unimportant—after all, Danzo was technically Gento Kato’s direct superior at the Spring Base. Only a fool would deliberately defy Danzo over trivial matters; it would serve no purpose but to earn Danzo’s needless hostility, offering no tangible benefit in return. Only an imbecile would act so recklessly.

Whatever Danzo might become in the future was another matter; for now, Gento Kato still worked under him, and since they had not yet openly turned against each other, Gento Kato would certainly show the necessary respect due to a superior.

As for whether Danzo would approve, the nature of the SS-ranked New Spring Mission was clear for all to see. The Hidden Leaf had been toiling over it for more than thirty years; it was obvious that Gento Kato’s joining alone would not instantly solve all problems. As long as Gento Kato did not falter at the Spring Base or in the New Spring Mission, and performed his duties competently, Danzo, however exacting, would not push him mindlessly.

To become a named antagonist in the original story, Danzo could hardly be a fool. Besides, Gento Kato was no ordinary staff member; his relationship with Tsunade was well known to those who needed to know in the village, and even those who shouldn’t know had heard the rumors. His ties with Hiruzen Sarutobi had also grown closer of late, and Danzo was neither blind nor deaf.

As expected, Gento Kato’s schedule for the morning went smoothly. He received approval from both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura without issue. Hiruzen, being an ally and confidant, offered a few words of encouragement and granted his request without hesitation. Danzo did not make things difficult either, merely insisting that Gento Kato fulfill his primary responsibilities within the New Spring Mission. He also mentioned having received positive reports from subordinates about Gento Kato’s secret techniques and their significant contributions to the mission’s progress.

In his conversation with Danzo, Gento Kato detected both encouragement and an attempt to draw him in. Gento Kato responded with impeccable manners, repeatedly assuring Danzo that he would perform his duties to the utmost, contributing to the training of the next generation of Wood Release ninja in the village.

Once Danzo understood that Gento Kato was not in a rush and did not intend to leave the village that morning, he approved his request and then invited Gento Kato to his office at the Spring Base for a detailed discussion about his recent experiences with the New Spring Mission. Seeing that Danzo was not making things difficult, and sensing in his words both curiosity and a desire to draw him closer, Gento Kato gave a thorough report, modifying the explanations he’d previously used with Orochimaru to suit Danzo’s different priorities.

All the while, Gento Kato kept a careful eye on Danzo’s expression, hoping to glean some deeper insight, but Danzo was a master of composure, never betraying the slightest emotion—a far cry from the relatively inexperienced and more familiar Orochimaru. Simply observing him in secret yielded little.

Having successfully navigated his dealings with Danzo, Gento Kato felt he had handled the encounter well—at the very least, he had passed muster.

Afterward, he met Orochimaru, informing him as well of his upcoming absence for other missions. Orochimaru offered no objections; Gento Kato had already warned him in advance. With both Hiruzen and Danzo having no objections, even if Orochimaru did, he could hardly say much. Nevertheless, seizing the chance while Gento Kato was still at the base that morning, Orochimaru roped him into two additional, unplanned experimental surgeries to “treat patients.” Orochimaru was eager, and Gento Kato, feeling somewhat guilty, could only do his best to cooperate.

Though these last-minute surgeries left Gento Kato somewhat exhausted, the results were excellent—at least for him. Perhaps due to Orochimaru’s careful selection of exceptionally gifted “patients,” both impromptu surgeries yielded special fragments of soul for Gento Kato, a rate notably higher than normal. Faced with Orochimaru’s enthusiasm, there was nothing to be done but accept, wearied yet pleased.

Nearing noon, Gento Kato finally finished his busy morning and found some quiet in his office at the Spring Base to rest and gather his strength for his afternoon mission. Only then did he have the leisure to carefully examine the mission roster Kuo Otani had compiled for him.

The roster was much more detailed than Kuo Otani had described the previous night. The nature of the missions was largely the same, all fitting what Gento Kato had requested. He found that Kuo Otani had thoughtfully grouped together missions with the same or nearby objectives, making them easy to distinguish at a glance—an organizational touch that would greatly simplify Gento Kato’s planning and selection process.

He also noticed that a majority of the missions were concentrated in the western and northwestern regions, far more than in the east. The objectives mostly lay within the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Rain. The adversaries to be expected on these missions needed no further mention: the Sand, Stone, and Rain ninja.

Sitting at his desk, mission roster in hand, Gento Kato fell into deep thought. He was not only considering which missions to accept from Kuo Otani, but also recalled how, during recent visits to the Leaf Hospital to meet Tsunade, he had noticed a growing number of patients poisoned by the Sand’s puppet masters, as well as those suffering from the unique toxins of the Rain Village.

He also remembered recent discussions in the village about the shifting state of the ninja world. His mind wandered back to the first soul fragment he had ever absorbed, the images contained in its memories: a ninja village starkly different from the Hidden Leaf, brimming with steampunk aesthetics and pipes running everywhere. And the man wearing a metal gas mask...

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