At the top of Hokage Rock, the wind howled, blowing Jiraiya's white hair wildly.
His gaze fell upon the back of the young man in front of him, the emotions in his eyes extremely complex.
Anger, worry, and bewilderment all ultimately settled into a powerless acknowledgment.
"Danzo is gone, but Konoha's troubles have only just begun."
Jiraiya's voice was somewhat fragmented by the wind, yet still heavy.
"Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Hidden Mist... those eyes lurking in the darkness must all be fixed on this place now."
"They will swarm in like sharks smelling blood, using every means to test us, to infiltrate us."
Jiraiya's fist unconsciously clenched.
"This is both Konoha's moment of vulnerability and your... best stage to display your 'order'."
He took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Naruto, his gaze cast towards the prosperous yet crisis-ridden Village below.
"Prove it to me. With the smallest cost, the most efficient and covert methods, remove all claws reaching for Konoha."
"If you can do it, if you can prove that the 'shadows' you control are purer and more reliable than Danzo's..."
Jiraiya took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision.
"I, Jiraiya, will completely cast aside all doubts."
"I will use all the skills I've accumulated in my life to become the first and most solid cornerstone of your insane 'All-Seeing Eye' system."
Naruto slowly turned around, without the slightest surprise on his face.
He calmly looked at the legendary Sannin before him, watching the last struggles and determination in his eyes.
This wasn't a test.
This was merely a purification.
Naruto knew very well that this naive, idealistic mentor was searching for his final psychological cornerstone.
A cornerstone that would allow him to abandon old beliefs with a clear conscience and step into a new world.
"I accept."
Naruto's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable weight.
Jiraiya's body imperceptibly relaxed, as if a great burden had been lifted.
He said nothing more, merely patted Naruto's shoulder, turned, and leaped down from Hokage Rock, blending into the masses below.
Naruto watched the white figure disappear, then he activated the Summoning Technique.
"Karsten."
Space subtly warped, and as the smoke cleared, Karsten appeared before him, kneeling on one knee.
"Political Commissar."
"Tell me the standard and special configurations for your squad's long-range firepower."
Karsten did not hesitate, immediately beginning his report.
"The standard configuration is the Long Laser, a sniper variant of the laser rifle, with an effective range..."
Karsten's tone paused.
"Political Commissar, I am about to return to my squad to participate in a counter-insurgency campaign against the 'Greenskins'."
He looked up, a flicker of warrior's zeal in his crimson optical sensors.
"Before I leave, I have a small personal gift for you."
As he spoke, he took a long, canvas-wrapped object from the weapon rack on his back.
He presented this "gift" with both hands.
Naruto accepted it; it felt heavy in his hands, with the coldness characteristic of metal.
He untied the canvas.
A sleek, pitch-black rifle lay quietly in his hands.
The rifle's lines were exquisitely smooth, devoid of any superfluous decoration; every angle, every structure, exuded a pure, deadly aesthetic born for slaughter.
"Imperial standard issue, 'Long-Range Laser Rifle'."
Karsten's voice held a hint of pride.
"Its features are: silent, no projectile trajectory, and its high-energy laser beam can easily penetrate most ordinary energy shields and solid armor."
Naruto's fingers slowly traced the cold rifle body, his gaze focused.
He couldn't help but reminisce about the days he fought alongside Karsten and his comrades in the legion.
At that moment, a mad yet perfect combination, like lightning, exploded in his mind.
The Hyuga Clan, the Byakugan.
Naruto's brain instantly completed countless simulations.
The Byakugan's x-ray vision could ignore most physical obstacles, directly locking onto targets.
The Byakugan's telescopic vision could clearly display scenes within a mile, and when combined with a scope, it could see even further.
And this weapon... no warning, extremely difficult to defend against.
A mode of ultra-long-range assassination, unheard of in the Ninja World, was born.
A target physically isolated in a secret room, a Daimyo under heavy guard, or even a Ninja behind battlefield cover.
Before the combination of "Byakugan" and "Long-Range Laser," they would all become no different from infants exposed in the wilderness.
The figure he had "formatted" flashed through his mind.
Hyuga Neji.
The young man's reshaped will and his extreme desire for his own "value" made him the best candidate to be the perfect user of this weapon.
Karsten continued to provide the weapon's detailed parameters and training manual.
Naruto had Zero pull up all of Hyuga Neji's data for "compatibility assessment."
The assessment results quickly came back: Neji's precision in action control, calmness, and dynamic vision capabilities perfectly matched the weapon's requirements.
Naruto nodded slightly in thought.
A preliminary plan, named "Ghost Hunter," quickly formed in his mind.
He tucked the scroll containing the sealed sniper rifle into his robes and headed towards the Hyuga Clan's compound.
He was going to interview his first "Ghost Shooter."
The Hyuga Clan's training ground was filled with a chilling atmosphere.
Neji was undergoing Gentle Fist training, sweat soaking the hair on his forehead.
His movements were still precise, still sharp, but deep within, there was an unshakeable sense of confusion.
"Live for yourself..."
Naruto's words, like an unremovable steel nail, were deeply wedged into his soul.
The fatalism he had once firmly believed in was brutally shattered by Naruto.
But what after it was shattered? Where was the new path?
He didn't know.
This feeling of being suspended in mid-air made his movements lack the unstoppable sharpness they once had.
Just then, a figure ignored the wary gazes of the Hyuga Branch Family members and walked directly into the training ground.
Naruto.
His steps were steady, his gaze directly fixed on Neji in the center of the field.
Naruto said no unnecessary words, simply raised his head and called out to Neji.
"Come with me, Neji."
Neji's training was interrupted; he frowned, looking with confusion at the young man who had changed everything for him.
He paused for a moment, then involuntarily stepped to follow. He wanted to know what answer Naruto would give him after shattering his perception.
By a secluded pond, Naruto threw a sealing scroll at Neji's feet.
He bent down to pick up the scroll and slowly unsealed it.
The next second, his pupils suddenly contracted.
A long rifle, pitch-black throughout, filled with a sense of technology and deadly beauty, appeared before him.
The cold metallic texture, the structure that overturned all his perceptions, filled him with shock and bewilderment.
What was this thing?
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