Chapter Thirty-One: Clinging to a Powerful Ally

After Kato Mikaze left the Konoha Hospital with an instant movement technique, he immediately cast a Breeze Step on himself, quickening his pace as he headed straight for the Hokage’s office in the Hokage Residence, leaving behind the poor white cat-masked ANBU to help a somewhat annoyed Tsunade tidy up the chaotic room.

The term “instant movement technique” might sound similar to the Three Basic Techniques learned in the Ninja Academy—Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu. However, the instant movement technique is not a specific jutsu but a general term for any technique that enables instantaneous movement. Space-time ninjutsu, high-speed taijutsu, or elemental techniques utilizing different chakra natures can all achieve this effect.

In the ninja world, renowned techniques such as the Flying Thunder God, Kamui, and the Eight Gates can all produce instant movement. Only after reaching the level of a Jonin and mastering the nature transformation of wind chakra—especially achieving a certain proficiency in its lightness and swiftness—was Kato Mikaze able to utilize this effect.

With his speed, Kato Mikaze arrived at the Hokage Residence in no time. Because this wasn’t an urgent matter, merely a simple summons from the Third Hokage, he chose not to use a jutsu to appear suddenly like the ANBU, but instead entered normally through the office door.

Though ninjas possess extraordinary abilities, they are still people. After all, who in their right mind would enter a room through the window, the roof, or the ventilation shaft without reason, instead of simply using the door?

...

Since Kato Mikaze’s promotion to Jonin, the frequency of his meetings with the Third Hokage had increased dramatically. In the time since his promotion, he’d already been summoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi more times than in all the years before combined.

The occasions when Sarutobi Hiruzen met with Kato Mikaze directly, aside from standard mission assignments, debriefings, discussions of official positions, and other formal matters, had grown increasingly relaxed. Thanks to the networking skills Kato had honed over the years, he’d quickly drawn close to the Third Hokage, who now even occasionally joked with him about his rumored romance with Tsunade, Sarutobi’s own student.

The greatest purpose of cultivating interpersonal skills is, of course, to secure the support of powerful backers. True closeness is not measured by official arrangements, but by the depth of personal relationships. In the past, Kato Mikaze’s rank had been too low to regularly interact with someone of the Third Hokage’s stature—the current leader of Konoha. Now, the social skills he’d cultivated were finally paying off, allowing him to hold tight to the strongest support available in the village.

Once one has secured such a backer, whether to develop quietly under their protection or to act boldly is a matter of personal choice. Kato Mikaze’s goal was to grow, under that protection, into a pillar himself.

...

Aside from his rapport with the Third Hokage, Kato Mikaze hadn’t neglected the rest of the advisory elders. At this time, the Konoha Council was not yet the symbolic, powerless body it would one day become; its members were still in their prime and held real authority over various departments in the village.

Building good relationships with them was a strategic investment—one never knew when it might prove useful.

Among them, he paid particular attention to Danzo Shimura. Not only was Danzo the village’s second-in-command, but his direct force, “Root,” was a major faction within Konoha. Danzo had even subtly tried to recruit Kato Mikaze, openly stating his interest in Mikaze’s spiritual transformation jutsu, and promising many benefits in return—ninjutsu, secret techniques, official authority—nothing was off the table.

Between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura, Kato Mikaze naturally leaned toward Hiruzen. The Third Hokage was Konoha’s number one, the strongest support available. As for Danzo, Kato neither accepted nor rejected him outright, keeping their interactions cordial while waiting to further strengthen himself.

...

In truth, these interactions with Konoha’s upper echelon were a sign of recognition of Kato Mikaze’s strength and status—especially given his unique mastery of spiritual transformation, which was invaluable in handling matters of the soul.

Jonin are technically managed by the Hokage’s office, but more often they report directly to the Hokage. That’s not to say they lack other superiors; captains of various units and heads of departments—positions usually held by Jonin—are also their immediate supervisors.

At the Jonin rank, one is already entitled to speak directly with the Hokage in official capacities: voicing opinions at the Jonin Council, reporting on work, even expressing personal thoughts or, at times, tattling on others.

The Hokage, for his part, would assign confidential tasks or grant special favors to those Jonin he especially valued or who belonged to his own faction.

Although under Sarutobi Hiruzen’s leadership, Konoha was generally united in spreading the Will of Fire throughout the ninja world, internal conflicts remained. This was only natural—Konoha, after all, was a large military organization, akin to a state’s enforcement apparatus.

Wherever military power is involved, the distribution of interests inevitably generates various conflicts. Externally, these are disputes with other nations and villages; internally, they take the form of factional strife.

As the founder of his past life once said, “A party without factions is a party of all stripes and oddities.” This truth held here as well.

...

Waiting in the reception hall outside the Hokage’s office, Kato Mikaze straightened his attire in front of a full-length disciplinary mirror. Fortunately, although he had spent the day with Tsunade—or rather, learning medical ninjutsu from her—he had not worn his casual clothes, but instead was dressed in the standard Jonin combat uniform of Konoha.

In the mirror, he saw himself: short, trademark pale blue hair, a neat and well-fitted Jonin combat outfit and vest, and a newly polished Konoha forehead protector gleaming brightly, reflecting the light.

He looked energetic and spirited.

After making a final adjustment to his stylish hair, he followed the assistant secretary to the Hokage’s office.

“Come in!” Not long after the secretary knocked, the deep, steady voice of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, came from behind the wide doors of the office.

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