Chapter 57: Rest, and Danzo
Konoha Main Street.
"Big brother, who was that mean uncle?"
Sasuke was clinging to Itachi's back, clutching his mini-Itachi toy tightly as he asked curiously. Behind them, Mikoto Uchiha followed, equally curious. A man with such a peculiar personality shouldn't be allowed to lead her little Itachi astray.
Itachi smiled. "That is Senior Tonbo Tobitake, a Special Jonin of the village. He isn't a mean uncle!"
"He is! He is! He bullied me," Sasuke insisted, pouting. He hadn't forgotten being made to cry.
"A Special Jonin?" Mikoto was quite surprised. She hadn't expected two Jonin-level ninjas to be deployed for a single mission. Looking at the unscathed Itachi, she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Itachi's teammates were quite reliable.
"Yes. A powerful Genjutsu specialist. I believe he is on par with Big Brother Shisui."
Ever since his previous teammates were killed and he was saved by Shisui, the two had become close friends. Itachi knew how formidable Shisui's Genjutsu was; in his eyes, Shisui was the strongest illusionist in the Uchiha clan. Until Tonbo Tobitake appeared, Itachi hadn't realized that non-Uchiha Genjutsu users could be just as terrifying.
Mikoto was startled. "That... how is that possible?"
As the clan head's wife, she had heard Fugaku say that Shisui was the greatest genius the Uchiha had seen in a decade, with Genjutsu even stronger than Fugaku's own. How could a mere Special Jonin like Tonbo Tobitake be compared to Shisui in Itachi's mind? Was there truly such a prodigy among the commoners?
Sasuke, playing with his toy, asked curiously, "What's a Genjutsu?"
The Tobitake Residence.
"I used a Genjutsu feint, sending the enemy to their grave amidst magnificent cherry blossoms. In the end, I achieved a total victory, taking them down with traps while remaining completely unharmed. Did you hear that, baby? When you grow up, you'll definitely be stronger than your old man."
Tonbo was sitting across from Ayame, gesturing wildly as he recounted his "heroic" deeds. His voice was gentle yet firm, as if he were lecturing the unborn baby in Ayame's womb.
Ayame stroked her belly, giggling at Tonbo's antics. "Did you hear that, little one? Your father is very strong. You must grow up to be a powerhouse just like him."
"Of course! My baby won't be second to anyone," Tonbo said proudly.
Kakashi Hatake, Sakumo Hatake, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Hashirama, Madara Uchiha... Tonbo was already imagining his son or daughter, under his tutelage, punching Madara and kicking the First Hokage—at the very least reaching the power level of Boruto. This was the unwavering confidence of a father.
To be a proper role model, he knew he couldn't slack off. Since he wasn't the captain this time, he didn't have to deal with the tedious paperwork and had rushed home to see Ayame. Sensing the vibrant life force within her, Tonbo was immensely satisfied. Hence the bragging; he considered it prenatal education.
After some more quality time with Ayame—assuring her of his strength and that missions were low-risk so she wouldn't worry—he began to plan his training for the near future. To be a role model, one needed respectable strength. Currently, there was still a gap between him and the "world-destroying" ninjas of the late-game era.
He contemplated his growth.
The Mind Reading series was his priority; these were his one-hit-kill ultimate moves. Eye of the Creator had hit a bottleneck—he couldn't just create whatever he wanted. He had tried creating a "Kakarot," but the result was just a physically strong ninja who couldn't use Kamehameha or Destructo Disc. The Phantom Beasts couldn't use ninjutsu yet; currently, the technique only summoned different types of strong bodies that he could then imbue with combat experience via Mind Reading. It was too one-dimensional.
As for the ability to deceive "Heaven and Earth" with Genjutsu, he had an idea involving Sealing and Barrier Jutsu, but it was just a seed for now. If he remembered correctly, there was a ninja family that dealt in "weather" in the ninja world; he might look for them later to speed up his progress.
Regarding the Five Senses Manipulation series, he had achieved decent success with visual illusions—enough to show off against someone of Shisui's caliber. His Shape Manipulation was also master-level. Next would be research into Mass, Morphology, Touch, Smell, and Sound.
Tonbo set his sights on Sound first. Compared to other fields, auditory Genjutsu had huge advantages: it was easier to initiate, had a wide area of effect, and was much harder to defend against.
"Right, sound Genjutsu first. The Fourth War is still far off, and with my talent, I have plenty of time to develop everything one by one."
The Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the mission report submitted by Hayama Shirakumo. It detailed the mission's progress, border terrain changes, caravan frequency, weather patterns, and more.
When his eyes landed on Tonbo Tobitake's performance, he raised an eyebrow. "Excellent taijutsu, excellent ninjutsu, excellent sensory skills, excellent Genjutsu, excellent analytical ability, excellent communication with teammates..."
Attached was Hayama's recommendation: Tonbo Tobitake should be promoted to a full Jonin. While a Special Jonin is technically a Jonin, the titles differed in prestige. Special Jonin are powerful but specialized; they can be countered if their specialty is known. A true Jonin's versatility makes them harder to target. The pay and benefits, however, were roughly the same.
"He indeed has enough merit for the promotion," Hiruzen agreed. Whether it was leadership or raw power, Tonbo was no longer inferior to Kakashi or Hayama. It would be improper not to promote him.
However, he needed to consult the two advisors. A Jonin appointment, while a recognition from the Hokage, also needed to be reported to the Land of Fire's upper echelons. Full Jonin received a monthly stipend from the Land of Fire in addition to mission pay. Since it involved the Daimyo's treasury, Hiruzen had to follow protocol.
He called in his two old friends and explained the matter. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane nodded; as advisors in charge of civil and administrative affairs, they handled the communication with the Land of Fire.
"Hiruzen, this man is a talent. Why not hand him over to my Root? I will certainly train him well."
As they spoke, a man with his arms crossed and a cross-shaped scar on his chin appeared.
"Danzo, Tonbo Tobitake's abilities are already sufficient; he does not need 'training' from Root. Do not overstep, or Root will cease to exist," Hiruzen warned. How could he allow a ninja with such a strong Will of Fire to enter Root? Besides, Tonbo's wife was pregnant; he was the very definition of Konoha's "future," whereas Root was not.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this," Danzo snorted coldly. He knew it was unrealistic, but he had to maintain his "right" to claim talent.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!