Night Seal

A few days later, in the Land of Waves, in the early morning, within the courtyard of the Gojo Mansion.

Kirito, disguised as Gojo Shin with his white clone, was engaging in his daily morning exercises. The character he had created for Gojo Shin was that of a downtrodden nobleman who had risen through the ranks, becoming a formidable new-style samurai.

Currently, Kirito is honing his swordsmanship using a long and slender samurai sword. Each movement appeared graceful, despite the limited time he had dedicated to practicing. 

For swordsmanship, Kirito's practice time remained rather brief, with just a short period allocated each day. He was primarily focused on practicing while impersonating Gojo Shin.

Consequently, his sword skills were merely passable.

However, as a new-style samurai, what truly mattered was the strength of his sword techniques rather than their form.

In Kirito's perspective, these so-called sword skills were essentially ninjutsu disguised as sword techniques.

With the emergence of chakra and the development of ninjutsu, the era of samurai gradually gave way to the era of ninjas.

To revive the samurai class, many insightful samurai began exploring the power of chakra and sought ways to incorporate this power into their traditional swordsmanship.

As a result, a new generation of samurai who blended traditional swordsmanship with the power of chakra was born.

Currently, the Land of Iron served as the headquarters of these new warriors.

The primary characteristic of the new samurai was their mastery of sword techniques.

Some of Kirito's sword skills were acquired from his time with the Gofune, while others were developed by combining his own creative ideas with these traditional techniques.

After practicing traditional swordsmanship, Kirito sheathed his sword and emitted a burst of chakra from his body.

In the next moment, he swiftly unsheathed the sword.

Several blue chakra-infused sword lights emerged, slicing several wooden figures into two halves more than ten meters away.

Sword Skill: Sword Qi!

This technique was one of the most common sword techniques used by new warriors. It was a fundamental sword technique that enhanced the sword by enveloping the blade in high-density chakra. The user would then perform rapid slashes, allowing the chakra to make the sword incredibly sharp.

A proficient new warrior could use this technique to decapitate an enemy from several hundred meters away.

Around this basic sword skill, many powerful new warriors developed their unique secret sword techniques.

For instance, the new sword technique that Kirito was about to employ next.

He sheathed the sword once again, quickly concentrated chakra on the katana, and drew it.

In an instant, a blue bird made of chakra appeared, moving even faster than the ordinary blue sword light. It reached a wooden figure hundreds of meters away in the blink of an eye, slicing it into a pile of shattered wood.

Sword Skill: Asuka Slash!

The two sword skills mentioned above were learned by Kirito from Gofune. They were relatively simple in principle, requiring only a high level of chakra control. Kirito had picked them up after observing Wufu use them once.

This had astonished Gofune, who declared on the spot that Kirito possessed the potential to become the world's greatest warrior.

However, Kirito had no interest in pursuing the title of the strongest samurai. He practiced sword skills merely as a means to enhance his vest design and combat techniques. After all, the title of the world's strongest samurai was likely reserved for new-style samurai like Mifune, who could take on Hanzo without dying.

Achieving Kage-level strength seemed to be the pinnacle for samurai.

Continuing his training, Kirito executed two more sword skills in succession.

These two techniques were his original creations, combining the chakra attributes of Gojo Shin himself.

The five true chakra affinity attributes included fire and wind.

It had taken Kirito nearly a month of rigorous practice to successfully master these two chakra attributes.

Therefore, the chakra attributes mastered by the Zetsu avatar now include fire, wind, water, earth, yang, and wood, totaling six different chakra properties.

The two self-created sword skills are named "Sword Skill: Flame Dragon" and "Sword Skill: Tornado."

The first one combines Fire Release chakra to create a fire dragon when slashing with the sword, possessing power similar to the Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique.

The second one combines Wind Release chakra to generate a tornado with a single sword strike, capable of lifting enemies along its path into the air.

For a while, the courtyard was filled with the spectacle of enormous fire dragons and powerful tornadoes, leaving any lurking ninjas who had hoped to assassinate Gojo Shin sweating profusely and wisely retreating.

After employing these two self-created sword skills, Kirito concluded his training.

At this moment, a young and beautiful red-haired maid hurriedly approached with a towel and tea.

She was none other than Ryoko Uzumaki.

"My lord, please use this."

Uzumaki Ryoko held out a towel with both hands and offered it to Kirito.

"Thank you, Ryoko."

Kirito accepted the towel and began to wipe his "sweat."

As a plant-based creature, Zetsu couldn't sweat. The "sweat" he was wiping away was just water mixed with a bit of salt, which he secreted for this specific purpose.

While Ryoko helped him wipe his "sweat," she efficiently arranged the tea set and brewed a pot of fragrant tea for Kirito.

After living as a maid for over two months, Uzumaki Ryoko had become completely accustomed to her role. She had gained Kirito's trust and was now the household manager, responsible for overseeing Kirito's daily life and discreetly monitoring the house's activities.

Additionally, Kirito had placed the Seal of Night on Ryoko, making her an official core member of the Night organization.

The Seal of Night was a precious asset that enhanced one's strength and eventually allowed for the perception of natural energy. Kirito wouldn't casually distribute it, only granting it to those he trusted and who had cultivated.

Fuma Ichiro and Gofune were exceptions, but those actions were taken out of necessity when the team was initially formed.

The Night organization had since solidified and grown, with hundreds of members, although most remained peripheral members with limited knowledge of the organization's inner workings. Only a select few were designated core members responsible for managing the larger pool of peripheral members.

The Seal of Night became the symbol of a core member of the Night organization.

Uzumaki Ryoko, as one of these core members, couldn't afford to be weak. She had become a ninja in her own right, specializing in perception and boasting an exceptional ability to sense chakra for a beginner.

Her sensory range was relatively limited, for now, extending only tens of meters.

As Ryoko had no interest in learning the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques but preferred combat-oriented evasion techniques, Kirito had provided her with an enhanced version of the Akimichi named autumn path Secret Technique. He'd acquired this skill from the data modification technique he'd obtained from Orochimaru.

The enhanced version of the Autumn Path Secret Technique no longer caused the body to grow larger. Instead, it temporarily fortified physical strength through the use of Yang Release chakra. The more Yang chakra was consumed, the greater the enhancement effect would be, limited only by the body's capacity to bear it.

With her Uzumaki clan physiology and extraordinary physical endurance, Uzumaki Ryoko could use this enhanced technique effectively. As long as she didn't deplete her chakra completely or get killed within seconds, she was a nearly indestructible force.

Ryoko preferred not to engage in direct hand-to-hand combat and instead wielded a massive mace, a weapon of her choice after mastering the enhanced Autumn Path technique.

During his time as Gojo Shin, Kirito's persona, there had been numerous assassination attempts. However, very few assassins had successfully closed in on him, and most were detected by Ryoko in advance. The majority of those who did approach were met with her mace and swiftly dispatched.

Kirito estimated that Uzumaki Ryoko's overall abilities now placed her at the level of an accomplished Chunin. However, if a Jonin were inadvertently struck by her mace, they'd likely meet a swift and unfortunate end.

"My lord, Mr. Gato has sent a letter asking if the preparations in the Land of Rain can commence," Ryoko informed Kirito with a smile as she brought him tea.

"Gato is indeed a shrewd businessman, but the war between Konoha and the Rain Village has just ended, the situation in the Land of Rain is still unstable, and the Rain Village remains relatively xenophobic. It won't be easy for foreign businessmen to conduct business there, Ryoko. Tell him to wait for a while." Kirito took the tea and contemplated for a moment before responding.

The Land of Rain's geographical location was quite advantageous. It bordered the three major ninja nations and several smaller countries. In times of peace, the Land of Rain could generate significant revenue by setting up checkpoints and collecting tolls.

However, the Land of Rain's potential income had always been a point of contention among the Fire Country, Earth Country, and Wind Country. These nations were all greedy for the Land of Rain's advantages and didn't want it to become stronger. Additionally, the Land of Rain couldn't defend its interests, resulting in frequent conflicts.

Doing business in the Land of Rain during wartime was risky, with the added threat of bandits in the region.

Gato's Bianhua Pharmaceutical Company had found success due to its high-quality products and the protection of Wujo Zhenya, a descendant of a noble from the Wave Country. Gato's business acumen had also played a crucial role in the company's growth.

Currently, Bianhua Pharmaceutical Company was Kirito's largest source of income, funding large-scale biological experiments, drug development, talent recruitment and training, and night organization activities.

However, Gato had grander ambitions and wanted to expand his business to coastal countries nearby. To do so, he needed a strategic pharmaceutical production base in the Land of Rain, which offered an advantageous location for selling Bianhua Pharmaceutical Company's products across the continent at lower transportation costs.

Gato's business acumen was impressive, but his political acumen fell short. Considering the Rain Village's xenophobic tendencies, the likelihood of successfully establishing a factory in the Land of Rain was low.

In the past, Kirito would have readily dealt with Gato, but circumstances had changed. His avatar, Hattori Masanari, had shown him the potential for expanding the wealth of Higanka Pharmaceutical Company. As a result, Kirito now welcomed Gato's presence.

"Yes, I understand. Besides Mr. Gato, Mr. Yun also sent a message. The merchant group controlled by Konoha's Root is planning to transport goods by sea soon. He's asking if you want to intercept the cargo."

Uzumaki Ryoko noted Kirito's instructions and then continued. Her eager expression indicated her readiness to take action once Kirito gave the green light.

"It seems that Root has been facing some difficulties recently. They're shipping goods more frequently now. I recall the last shipment was only a week ago."

Kirito chuckled when he heard the news and then expressed his curiosity.

Since the Night organization had gained stability, Kirito had used it to confront and weaken Konoha's Root faction. The Night organization was responsible for assassinating Fire Nation nobles and merchants associated with the root, as well as seizing Root-affiliated merchants' goods at sea.

The strategy had been remarkably effective. Root was suffering financially, and Danzo, its leader, was too preoccupied with internal problems to deal with external threats.

As for "Mr. Yun," she referred to Yamanaka Yun, an elite Jonin who had defected from Konoha two months ago. Currently, Yun plays an important role within the Night organization.

Kirito had orchestrated Yun's defection. He'd secretly sent a keepsake of Yun's fiancée, along with a letter, to the photo frame in Yun's home.

The letter contained information about the burial site of Yun's fiancée, obtained from the memories of Aburame Tatsuma, a Root member whose memories Kirito had read using the Spiritualization technique.

All Root members who had participated in breaching the Senju Clan's barrier had been secretly executed within the clan's territory. Kirito had bound their souls using the Spiritualization technique and read their memories, uncovering a wealth of information about Root's activities, secrets, and ninjutsu.

Danzo thought that he had covered up the truth, but in fact he still failed to completely bury the truth.

Tatsuma at the time has sent an insect to follow Danzo and protect him secretly, and secretly learned this information

loyal to Danzo, and not having a low IQ, he had chosen to keep the discovery a secret, intending to take the knowledge to his grave.

However, it was eventually revealed to a third party.

Yamanaka Yun, well aware of Root's operations, used the information and clues to deduce that Danzo was his enemy.

His defection from the root was not surprising, given his determination to seek vengeance against Danzo.

Yun Yamanaka had been part of Root for some time, so he understood Danzo's actions and methods.

Utilizing an unaware enemy's resources to further his own goals was a standard tactic.

Even though he was shocked by the revelation, Yun felt that the deduction was accurate and became even more convinced of his revenge.

Kirito had further aided Yun by using his white zetsu avatar to provide visual evidence of the truth, confirming his suspicions and cementing his loyalty to the Night organization. This marked Yun's transformation from an elite Jonin of the root to a valuable asset for Kirito organization.

The assassinations of high-ranking Fire Nation nobles served as Yun's credentials, and his primary objective in joining the Night organization was to eliminate Danzo personally.

"Yes, that's correct."

Uzumaki Ryoko nodded and noted Kirito's instructions.

"If anything goes wrong, we'll handle it carefully. Root has been suffering significant losses from our actions. You can inform Yun that this time, we'll let Kirigakure take the lead in

 scouting and identifying the situation. If there's an issue, he should refrain from immediate action. We'll wait to see who from Root is involved and then act together to catch the bigger fish."

Kirito thought carefully before issuing his orders.

The Night organization was still in its early stages and lacked a solid foundation. With only two elite special jounin ninjas, himself and Yamanaka Yun, along with a few middle-ranked chuunin ninjas, most members were lower-level recruits.

Engaging high-level enemies would only burden the organization.

"Yes, my lord. I will relay your instructions immediately."

Uzumaki Ryoko responded respectfully, bowed, and exited the room.

Meanwhile, in Konoha's Hidden Village, a high-level meeting was underway in Hokage's office. the Third Hokage presented three identical plans to the Hokage advisors.

"In light of the recent developments in the rain country, Tsunade has sent me these proposals. Please review them. There are some new developments."

Simultaneously, in Konoha Hospital, Kirito was preparing to receive a special patient in the consultation room where his original body was located.