Danzō cast a sidelong glance at Chihaya Toru beside him, whose sunken cheeks bore a creepy smile.
This guy was always like this—whenever he got his hands on a new test subject, he'd get so excited he'd lose himself. Back when Danzō worked with Orochimaru, Chihaya even wanted to experiment on him.
If Danzō hadn't returned in time after receiving that report, Chihaya Toru would probably be the same age as Hikari right now.
He pulled his gaze back.
Looking at Hikari standing before him, Danzō's dusty, clouded eyes finally flickered with a spark of light.
How could he let a genius ninja with such extraordinary talent fall into the hands of that weakling Sarutobi?
That's how it had always been.
One step behind, and you're always behind.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, that bastard, stole the position of Hokage from him. His life, his ideals, everything he ever dreamed of—it all crumbled, leaving him to waste away in the shadows until now.
Thinking about it now, it was laughable.
What did it matter if you were one step ahead or one step behind?
Whether it was the Hokage title he'd coveted for years or the genius girl standing before him now, everything Sarutobi Hiruzen had taken from him over the years, Danzō would take back, piece by piece, with his own hands!
And it would all start with Hikari!
Danzō's right eye glowed intensely, his pupil power radiating a shimmering illusion that illuminated Hikari's figure.
His Betsutenjin (Otherworldly God) technique couldn't permanently alter someone's will, but its activation was simple, it consumed little chakra, and its cooldown was only about six months.
If used repeatedly on someone over time, the effect on their will wouldn't be much weaker than the other Betsutenjin.
He didn't want to treat Hikari like some disposable resource.
That would be far too wasteful.
If he could first bring her secretly into Ne (Root), and slowly brainwash and mold her while she was still young…
In just a few years, the disciple Sarutobi Hiruzen had painstakingly trained would become Danzō's sharpest blade, ready to strike at his old friend's heart at the perfect moment.
Imagining the shock and regret on Sarutobi's face when that day came, Danzō's wrinkled lips curled slightly, a hint of wicked satisfaction creeping across his aged face.
He couldn't wait to see that scene.
"Everything just now was merely a test. Now, I grant you the honor of joining Ne. Serve me and dedicate your strength to Konoha!"
"Who… are you?"
Hikari let the Yin Release power of Betsutenjin flood her mind, her Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) subtly adjusting her facial muscles to display a perfectly genuine look of confusion.
At the same time, her right hand touched her forehead, and she shook her head slightly, as if struggling against some invisible force.
"I am the leader of Ne, the Hokage's advisor, and the one you will serve for the rest of your life—Shimura Danzō."
Danzō extended his left hand slowly as he spoke.
The surrounding Ne members, hearing Shimura Danzō's name, immediately bowed their heads in ingrained obedience, as if even hearing his name was an act of overstepping.
Hikari continued to feign holding her forehead, her expression one of struggle, but her mind raced with strategies.
Danzō had used a Mangekyō Sharingan on her. If she told Sarutobi Hiruzen about it, would he confront Danzō?
The answer was obvious—he wouldn't.
Their decades-long friendship wasn't a joke. Danzō had sent assassins after Sarutobi before, and Sarutobi forgave him without a second thought.
When Danzō experimented with Mokuton (Wood Release) and Hashirama's cells, creating Yamato, and was found out, nothing happened to him, did it?
Would Sarutobi really kill Danzō just for Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan?
With Sarutobi's indecisive nature, the most likely outcome would be forcing Danzō to hand over the Mangekyō, maybe a stern warning, and that would be the end of it.
But Hikari, the victim, would get nothing—no compensation—and she'd make an enemy of Danzō, a mentally unstable foe, before she was ready.
That wasn't worth it.
If she was going to clash with Danzō, she needed to get something out of it first.
Her Gyaku Hachimon (Reverse Eight Gates) was still in the experimental stage, far from complete. Her Shikotsumyaku was evolving daily, rapidly transforming into Haikotsu (Ash Bone), and the danger was imminent.
Wasn't this the perfect chance to steal Hashirama's cells?
Hikari glanced at the glowing emotions above Danzō's head.
Expectation, malice, and a faint trace of trust.
For someone as paranoid as Danzō, trust didn't come easily.
But he did trust himself—his eyes, his dōjutsu, his Betsutenjin, which he'd likely tested multiple times without issue.
Back on the treetops, she'd already confirmed that Betsutenjin had no effect on her Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone).
Could she use this hard-earned trust to infiltrate Ne and steal Hashirama's cells and their research?
She wanted to try.
A Kage Bunshin was expendable. Whether this plan succeeded or failed, she wouldn't lose much. If it worked, her real body's dream of achieving a Sennin-tai (Sage Body) might actually come true.
The confusion and struggle on Hikari's face gradually faded.
She took slow steps toward Danzō.
Seeing this, the wrinkles at the corners of Danzō's eyes deepened, his lips curling into a triumphant smirk. He raised his left hand, reaching for Hikari's head, like a priest about to baptize a follower.
Crunch!
A leaf was crushed under her ninja sandal as Hikari stopped. She looked up at Danzō, unable to hide his smugness, and flashed a pure, innocent smile.
"I… refuse."
"Why?"
Danzō's smile stiffened, his voice low, his narrow eyes brewing with killing intent.
If Betsutenjin had failed, he'd have to bury Hikari here to prevent her from telling Sarutobi.
Sensing the killing intent in their leader's tone, the nine Ne members kneeling nearby stood, surrounding Hikari. Their chakra, laced with murderous intent, surged wildly, ready to tear her apart at a single command.
"That's my line, isn't it?"
Hikari spread her hands, her expression one of genuine surprise. "A random attack, a random invitation—why on earth would I join your organization and swear loyalty to you? You haven't offered me a single benefit or even a decent reason!"
Danzō's eyes flickered, the windmill pattern in his right eye spinning faster.
He could feel the technique working in her mind, and her behavior didn't seem like someone unaffected by genjutsu.
Not only did she not run, but she boldly walked into the encirclement and demanded benefits. This money-over-life attitude wasn't something a clear-headed person would do.
Betsutenjin was definitely working—it just wasn't as effective on her for some reason.
Danzō's Mangekyō focused on Hikari's covered eyes.
Purple chakra was gathering there, clearly indicating she was using a sensory ninjutsu or some unknown dōjutsu.
Could her "technique" be countering Betsutenjin?
"Leader!"
A genjutsu-specialized Ne member quickly stepped to Danzō's side, whispering, "She's highly resistant to my techniques."
He avoided saying "genjutsu" directly, wary of Hikari overhearing and growing suspicious.
With his subordinate's confirmation, Danzō was even more certain.
Hikari was under Betsutenjin's influence, but her resistance to genjutsu was strong, so the effect wasn't as pronounced as it was on Ne's test subjects.
It made sense.
She was a monster who killed an elite jōnin at six—having some unique traits was only natural.
Danzō calmed himself. "A ninja is a tool that exists to complete missions. Emotions, names, pasts—they're nothing but burdens. From now on, you need only be part of Ne, buried in the darkness, supporting Konoha's prosperity—"
"So where's my benefit?"
Hikari cut him off.
She had no patience for his long-winded speech.
Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen shared the same flaw—always preaching ideals and dreams without mentioning tangible benefits. Sarutobi was slightly better, at least using bonds of family and friendship to tie people down.
This guy? He just called it all a burden.
Glancing at the "nameless heroes" around her, visibly angered by her interruption, she wondered where Danzō found such fanatics.
She could join Ne, but not as a mindless follower like these people. Danzō's use of Betsutenjin showed he valued her—she had to leverage that to gain enough benefits.
Anger wasn't just rising in the Ne members; Danzō's own emotional bubble churned above his head.
His eyes bore into Hikari.
He wanted to say there were no benefits and that refusing Ne meant death.
But he couldn't.
She was Sarutobi's prized disciple, the savior of the Ino-Shika-Chō heirs, the adopted daughter of Might Guy, and Konoha's most celebrated genius.
She wasn't some gutter rat he could crush without consequence.
Killing her would gain him nothing. His plan to have Sarutobi train a blade for him would fail, and his dream of reclaiming the Hokage title from Sarutobi would collapse at the first step.
Danzō preached sacrifice and devotion, but when it came to his own choices, he was no different from Hikari.
Despite their outward differences, they were both selfish pragmatists at heart.
The reluctant glow above his head masked his anger. Having invested so much already, Danzō couldn't accept a crushing defeat before even starting.
"What benefits do you want?"
Danzō narrowed his eyes, suppressing his killing intent. Get her into Ne first—there'd be plenty of time to brainwash her with Betsutenjin later.
"Eh, now that I think about it, I'm not even sure what I need."
Seeing Danzō take the bait, Hikari's heart leaped, though her strong physical control kept her smile in check.
She shrugged, feigning regret.
Not sure?
Danzō's forehead creased with three layers of wrinkles. He'd braced for her to demand the moon, but this unexpected answer caught him off guard.
Yet, it made sense.
As Sarutobi's prized disciple, most of Konoha's resources were at her fingertips. Ne might not have anything to tempt her with.
Except… Danzō stroked the cross-shaped scar on his chin, his eyes glinting. "I hear from Chihaya you've been studying iryo-ninjutsu (medical ninjutsu) lately?"
Hearing his name, Chihaya Toru, who'd been silent, raised an eyebrow but stayed behind Danzō, playing dead.
He'd thought Betsutenjin would seal the deal, making Hikari a Ne member and erasing his role in leaking intel and setting traps.
But things had shifted.
Hikari seemed cornered, yet somehow held the upper hand. As the instigator and a non-combatant, he had to stay cautious of her potential retaliation, minimizing his presence.
The three Ne bodies nearby hadn't even gone cold yet!
Hikari glanced at Chihaya Toru and said calmly, "Konoha's full of people who know iryo-ninjutsu. I don't need to join your group to learn it."
"Don't you want to heal your eyes?"
Danzō probed.
His Mangekyō could see chakra flowing to her eyes, but eyes were windows for spiritual energy. Ninety percent of sensory ninjutsu and genjutsu in the ninja world were channeled through them.
He couldn't tell if her blindness was real or fake.
"Congenital blindness—iryo-ninjutsu can't fix it."
"Heh, that's not necessarily true," Danzō said, turning to Chihaya Toru. "Take it out."
"Yes."
Chihaya nodded, pulling a palm-sized scroll from his sleeve.
The scroll unfurled, revealing the kanji for "Seal" surrounded by cryptic symbols.
"Release!"
Poof!
Smoke billowed.
A glass jar containing a strange chunk of flesh appeared in Chihaya's hand.
Hikari's eyes locked onto it.
Gurgle.
Chihaya turned the jar, causing the viscous nutrient fluid inside to shift, bubbling as it flowed.
Soon, the pale flesh, previously still, sprouted strange tendrils—whether branches or fleshy buds—slowly writhing toward the fluid's flow.
Hashirama's cells!
Though her pupils were clouded by the Mangekyō's pattern, Hikari's Byakugan still functioned. The vibrant green chakra glow formed a massive light source, dominating her vision.
The chakra in this tiny piece of Hashirama's cells surpassed even the flesh of the Three-Tails.
Unbelievable.
A human's chakra rivaling that of a tailed beast, born from the Ten-Tails' fragments. Was this the legendary Sennin-tai?
Truly monstrous.
Thump, thump, thump. Hikari barely controlled her racing heart.
If she could harness chakra and vitality like Senju Hashirama's, the bloodline disease from her Shikotsumyaku's evolution would be easily resolved.
With Byakugan, Shikotsumyaku, and a Sennin-tai combined, what kind of power would that unleash?
"How's that? You can sense its overwhelming vitality, can't you?"
Though Hikari stood still, her face betraying no change, Danzō knew her sensory abilities must be reeling from the power of Hashirama's cells.
"If even this can't cure your condition, nothing in the world will," Danzō said with supreme confidence.
"I…"
Hikari bit her lip, feigning a conflicted expression.
Acting meant going all in. The closer she was to success, the more she couldn't afford to get cocky.
Seeing her tone soften, Danzō's eyes narrowed, ready to deliver the final blow. "I hear you're skilled in Fūton (Wind Release). Join Ne, and I'll personally take you as my disciple, passing down my legacy. I could even groom you as Ne's future leader."
"But I already have a teacher—"
Hikari's words struck a nerve. Danzō grabbed the jar of Hashirama's cells from Chihaya, his stern face suddenly fervent. "Anything Sarutobi Hiruzen can teach, I can teach. But what I have, he could never dream of obtaining."
"Me or him—choose!"
Unwillingness, anger, jealousy, inferiority, and a strange competitive drive—countless negative emotions burst forth, as if darkening the sky.
Hikari hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine… Danzō-sensei."
The forest's wind grew silent.
Watching Hikari abandon Sarutobi Hiruzen for him, Danzō couldn't hide the golden glow of triumph above his head, no matter how he tried to keep his face stern.
Hiruzen.
Orochimaru chose to work with me back then, and now Hikari has joined my side.
This time, I win.