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"Fifty... fifty bowls!"
Looking at the number of ramen bowls piled up beside Goku, the adults were dumbfounded.
"That's even more impressive than Hinata."
Some time ago, Konoha had held a ramen-eating contest; Hinata had eaten thirty bowls, Captain Yamato thirty-one, and Choji forty-two.
Yet, Iwata had eaten four bowls more than Choji, claiming the title of "Big Eater Champion" with a total of forty-six bowls.
In fact, they felt that had time not run out, Hinata's limit would likely have exceeded forty-six bowls.
"Wow, I'm full!"
Goku patted his belly and hopped down from his chair.
Shikamaru and the other two stepped forward and paid the bill for the fifty bowls of ramen.
"He really can eat..."
They knew full well that Goku hadn't just eaten fifty bowls of ramen to get full; he had eaten those fifty bowls after already having a barbecue meal.
If he were eating only ramen, they suspected Goku might be able to put away a hundred and fifty bowls.
"Goku, why don't you stay at my place for the time being?"
After finishing the ramen and strolling through the streets, Shikamaru took Goku back to his home for a temporary stay.
Meanwhile, inside the conference room at the Hokage Building, the atmosphere was heavy and tense.
"Ibiki, has the intelligence been verified?"
The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, asked Morino Ibiki—the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force—as he walked through the door.
Ibiki nodded.
"It has been verified. It matches the information retrieved by Aoba Yamashiro..."
Upon hearing Ibiki's reply, the expressions of everyone present grew even more solemn.
"The Rinnegan... that is the eye bestowed by the Sage of Six Paths. To think that the leader of the Akatsuki organization possesses such terrifying power."
...Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu...
"Since their goal is clearly to capture the Jinchuriki, the Eight-Tails must be kept well-hidden; do not send him out on missions for the time being." "Jinchuriki should never have been sent out of the village on missions in the first place. They ought to be kept secure as weapons—their mere existence as a deterrent is enough."
"Tsunade, you have consistently allowed the Jinchuriki to leave the village; that is not the decision-making of a proper Hokage."
Danzo slammed his cane down angrily, his tone laced with reproach.
He had assumed that by using Orochimaru and the Kazekage to eliminate the Third Hokage, he would successfully ascend to the position himself and lead Konoha to glory with an iron fist.
To his dismay, the machinations of the two senior advisors and Jiraiya resulted in Tsunade inheriting the title of Hokage instead.
She was one of the legendary Sannin and the greatest medical ninja, having saved countless lives within Konoha.
Coupled with the fact that she was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, there was no way for him to win the position, no matter what tactics he employed.
Yet, he did not give up; he constantly scrutinized Tsunade's decisions, attempting to oust her from the Hokage's seat.
"Danzo makes a valid point."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu nodded, clearly in agreement with Danzo.
They had originally opposed Danzo becoming Hokage because they did not want his faction to hold absolute dominance.
Now, by helping Danzo undermine Tsunade, they were similarly motivated by a desire to prevent her from gaining the upper hand.
Balance.
The goal was to maintain the balance of power within Konoha.
Only in this way would the two of them—as Konoha's senior advisors—retain sufficient weight and influence.
Whether it was Danzo or Tsunade, any major decision required their consent.
"I believe that if the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is placed under the custody and protection of my Root organization, we can prevent him from being captured by the Akatsuki—just as happened to the Jinchuriki of other villages."
Seeing the two advisors siding with him, Danzo seized the opportunity to make a proposal.
It was over.
"Absolutely not!"
Tsunade flatly rejected the idea.
If handed over to Root—given Danzo's methods—that person would...
This time, the two advisors didn't side with Danzo; instead, they stood with Tsunade.
"Root isn't suitable for guarding the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. However, the Jinchuriki does indeed need to be guarded and protected. Tsunade, you need to come up with a plan for that as soon as possible."
You two old geezers.
Tsunade cursed inwardly, but replied aloud:
"I will make arrangements for the Jinchuriki; there is no chance of the organization finding them.
What we need to consider now is how to completely dismantle the Akatsuki organization and how to face potential attacks they might launch."
"According to the intelligence, aside from the leader..."
Kakashi, Yamato, and the others quickly picked up on Tsunade's lead, effectively cutting off whatever Danzo and the two advisors were about to say next.
Thus, after several hours of discussion among Konoha's top leadership, a final decision was reached.
First, they would inform Kumogakure (Cloud Village) about the capture of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and the location where they were being held.
Even if Kumogakure went to attempt a rescue, they would likely find nothing.
But at least it demonstrated Konoha's good faith to Kumogakure.
At the same time, they would share the gathered intelligence with the other four Great Hidden Villages, ensuring they took the Akatsuki threat seriously.
Finally, in the name of the Hokage, they would initiate a Five Kage Summit to completely dismantle the Akatsuki organization's "Tailed Beast Weapon Plan."
That was the external strategy; internally, they would temporarily reduce mission acceptance and recall all of Konoha's top-tier shinobi—including Jiraiya.
This was to prepare for any potential attacks or plots the Akatsuki organization might launch against Konoha.
By the time the meeting drew to a close, it was already the early hours of the morning.
Just as Tsunade was preparing to adjourn the meeting, Danzo spoke up again.
"That brat named Son Goku—I think it's worth discussing him a bit more."
"What is there to discuss? Son Goku saved our Konoha ninja and even helped capture two members of the Akatsuki. He has done our village a great service.
I will meet with him personally to express my gratitude and offer appropriate compensation."
Tsunade frowned; she felt that the old geezer Danzo was up to his usual tricks again.
Sure enough, Danzo shook his head:
"With such immense power and an unknown background, how can you be certain he isn't an agent from another ninja village or a member of the Akatsuki?
Perhaps this is an Akatsuki plot—a ruse to gain our trust. He might be trying to infiltrate Konoha so he can rescue those two captured members at the opportune moment.
Then, coordinating from the inside and out, they could wipe out Konoha in one fell swoop.
I think it would be best to leave this matter to me..."
Before he could finish, the two advisors interrupted him:
"Danzo makes a valid point. A guy with such incredible power suddenly appears out of nowhere—someone we've never heard of—and just happens to save our villagers; it is indeed suspicious.
However, there is no need to hand the matter over to Root. After all, he has done us a service, and word of this will only enhance Konoha's reputation.
That said, surveillance is necessary. Every move he makes in the village must be closely monitored; if anything seems amiss, apprehend him immediately."
Upon hearing this, Asuma, Aoba Yamashiro, and the others were about to stand up and speak in Sun Goku's defense, but Tsunade silenced them with a stern look.
"Very well. Asuma, you will lead Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino in monitoring him; they are already familiar with him, after all."
"But the customary token of gratitude must still be given; I'll make the call on that matter myself!"
Upon hearing Tsunade say this, the two advisors nodded in agreement.
Since Tsunade had made a concession and shown the proper attitude, they naturally wouldn't press the issue any further.
Danzo clenched his fist tightly but said nothing.
After all, the Hokage was the village's leader—the person with the ultimate authority.
Only if both advisors stood firmly on his side could the three of them join forces to curb the Hokage's power.
Otherwise, his commands would only hold sway within the Root.
And it was impossible for the two advisors to stand entirely with him...
"Hokage... I must become the Hokage."
A look of steely determination flashed in Danzo's eyes.
"Perhaps I can use the Akatsuki to help me sweep away the obstacles..."
It wasn't the first time he had done something like this; back then, he had utilized Orochimaru and Sunagakure to bring about the Third Hokage's death.
The same method could certainly work to eliminate the Fifth Hokage.
"However, that Son Goku is a hindrance; I must find a way to get rid of him!"
If a taijutsu expert with Kage-level strength remained in Konoha, he would inevitably interfere with Danzo's plans.
Moreover, he was deeply interested in Son Goku himself—and in those beans the creature possessed, which could instantly revive someone from the brink of death and fully restore their chakra.
If Goku was truly a summoned beast, Danzo naturally coveted such a powerful creature.
If not, the taijutsu, space-time ninjutsu, and sensory techniques the creature mastered were still immensely valuable.
As for whether he could capture Son Goku...
With a calculated ambush and the intelligence he already possessed regarding the creature, he didn't consider it an impossible task.
Goku's taijutsu was indeed formidable; in a direct confrontation, it was likely that no one in the Root could stand against him.
Plus, with space-time ninjutsu allowing for instant selection of the battlefield, victory was all but assured.
In any case, Root operatives were never meant to engage enemies in head-on combat, nor would they ever participate in a fair, one-on-one duel.
The Root ninja were hand-picked from the village's major clans; brainwashed and utterly devoted to his ideology, they were loyal to the death.
They employed the Nara clan's Shadow Imitation Jutsu and the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu for control, while the Aburame clan used insects to drain chakra and suppress the target with toxins.
Finally, the target would be sealed away using sealing jutsu.
If all else failed, he still had the Sharingan's genjutsu—and his ultimate secret weapon: the supreme genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
However, he certainly wouldn't waste Kotoamatsukami on a ninja like Goku; that was a technique reserved for a critical moment in his plan to rule the entire world.
The next day, upon waking, Shikamaru saw Goku performing vigorous exercises with a strange, circular device hovering above his head.
"He's really working hard—just like Naruto and Sasuke. No wonder he possesses such impressive strength at such a young age."
He couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
A genius is already formidable, but a genius who works harder than anyone else is truly terrifying.
Goku was clearly that type of person; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to force a ninja of Kakuzu's caliber to surrender after just three slaps.
"Goku, what is that thing hovering over your head?"
Shikamaru asked curiously.
He wasn't usually a curious person; in fact, he generally avoided anything troublesome.
But he couldn't help feeling intrigued by an existence as extraordinary as Goku's.
Goku, who had been doing one-finger handstand push-ups, flipped upright and answered honestly:
"This is a magic circle created by gravity magic; it helps me with my training."
"Magic... a magic circle?"
A look of bewilderment crossed Shikamaru's face; he had never heard those terms before.
Goku scratched his head:
"...It's just like ninjutsu—yeah, you can think of it as a type of ninjutsu."
He didn't quite know how to explain magic to someone who had never encountered it, but he felt that the effects of ninjutsu and magic in this world were quite similar.
"Oh, so it's a gravity-based ninjutsu."
Shikamaru didn't press the issue. Although he was curious about how gravity-related ninjutsu could aid in training, it would be rude to rashly pry into someone else's techniques.
He didn't know much about gravity-related ninjutsu, because Konoha didn't possess any similar techniques.
According to the intelligence he had, only the Rock Village had gravity-related ninjutsu: one was called the Weighted Boulder Jutsu, which increased an enemy's weight to hinder their movement; the other was the Light-Weight Boulder Jutsu, which reduced one's own weight, allowing for flight.
Could Goku's background be connected to the Rock Village?
"Want to give it a try? I'll dial the intensity down a bit so you can handle it. Training under the influence of the magic for extended periods can greatly strengthen your body."
He quite liked Shikamaru—after all, Shikamaru had treated him to fifty bowls of ramen the previous night.
"Would that be okay?"
Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, but at Goku's enthusiastic invitation, he walked over.
"Ready!"
Goku adjusted the gravity magic from ten times down to two times and directed it toward Shikamaru.
Under double gravity, Shikamaru's body instantly felt significant pressure; even moving became somewhat difficult.
"Given your current physical condition, you should only train under double gravity for now. Once you adapt to that, you can move up to triple gravity.
After adapting to triple gravity, you can go up to four times gravity. That way, your body will keep getting stronger."
Goku explained as he watched.
He couldn't keep using gravity magic to help Shikamaru train forever, but if Shikamaru could accept this method of training...
"In that case, he could ask Bulma to build a gravity chamber..."
"...for them to train in. Bulma had previously built one for Yamcha and Tien to use."
"N-no need!"
Shikamaru immediately waved his hands in refusal; he wasn't a masochist like Rock Lee, nor was he a taijutsu-specialist ninja.
"That's only double gravity. Goku, what level of gravity do you usually train in?"
"Ten times. But ten times isn't very effective anymore; my gravity magic is currently limited to a maximum of ten times..."
Goku replied with a hint of regret.
At that moment, Shikamaru couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock, nearly screaming out loud:
"Ten times!"
Even the current level made it difficult for him to move—though it didn't pin him helplessly to the ground or threaten to crush his body—yet Goku could actually perform one-armed handstand push-ups under ten times gravity, and he looked completely at ease doing so.
Just how incredibly powerful was his body?
More importantly, if Goku were to use this ten-times-gravity jutsu on an enemy, what would the effect be?
Any Jonin who didn't prioritize taijutsu training would likely lose their ability to fight instantly.
Furthermore, judging by the way the halo above Goku's head was expanding, this wasn't a single-target attack, but an area-of-effect attack.
If used on a battlefield, enemies would drop wherever he walked.
"It seems we underestimated Goku's strength."
Super-micro physical techniques, visible space-time ninjutsu, sensory perception techniques, and even this gravity-based ninjutsu.
He felt he should report this intelligence to the Fifth Hokage before the Fifth met with Goku.
If Goku had no significant ties to the other four Great Ninja Villages, he would suggest that the Fifth Hokage recruit him into Konoha.
Goku possessed strength absolutely on par with the Legendary Sannin, yet he was simple-natured and possessed a strong sense of justice.
Although Konoha remained the nominal leader of the Five Great Ninja Villages, its actual strength fell far short of the eras of the First and Second Hokage.
Beset by internal and external troubles, the village might soon face an attack from the Organization.
Having an extra source of power meant an extra measure of security.