Chapter 31: Meeting Danzō
In the end, the reason Fugaku acted as he did came down to a lack of "caliber."
Look at his son, Itachi. For the sake of his beliefs, he could resolutely wipe out his own clan. And for Sasuke's growth and safety, he could harden his heart and make his brother hate him, even "coercing" the Konoha leadership to protect him.
Then look at Minato Namikaze. For Naruto's growth, he could bear to let his son grow up with the "pain" of being a jinchuriki. He entrusted the Third Hokage to watch over Naruto, ensuring he wouldn't "go astray," which ultimately allowed Naruto to become the great "Child of the Prophecy."
Compared to these two, Fugaku's caliber was truly lacking.
But fortunately, there was Kyosuke. Otherwise, the fact of the Uchiha's inevitable destruction would likely be unchangeable.
The next day, under Orochimaru's guidance, Kyosuke quietly arrived at the Root base.
After a brief discussion, the two of them, led by an Anbu, passed through a long tunnel and finally met Danzō.
Danzō, who was reviewing documents, stood up upon their arrival and led them to a secret laboratory.
According to him, besides himself, only one Root member in charge of "procurement" knew about this place. And that person had already been placed under a "sealing jutsu," making it impossible for them to reveal the situation.
With that, he took out an Anbu uniform and tossed it to Kyosuke, bestowing upon him the codename "Snake."
He also stated that in the future, Kyosuke could freely accept suitable missions from Root to cover up the purpose of his "experiments."
Kyosuke, of course, was overjoyed at this and wished he could go and pick one out right now. But it was clear Danzō had more to say, so he could only listen patiently.
"I have already assigned you a squad. After all, you have just joined Root and still need to familiarize yourself with things," Danzō said, staring at Kyosuke with his single eye.
"Then I thank you, Lord Danzō," Kyosuke, who had already put on the hooded Anbu cloak and was playing with the mask in his hands, replied calmly.
Seeing that the two were getting along well, Orochimaru thought for a moment and then took his leave. He needed to return to the front lines. If it weren't for the "experiment," he wouldn't have made a special trip back at this time.
The reason, of course, was the previous kidnapping incident.
The Sand Village had suffered heavy losses in that battle. It would be strange if they just let it go. As a result, the border of the Land of Fire was now plagued by constant skirmishes, both large and small. Orochimaru had been ordered to lead the resistance against the harassing Sand ninja.
Although it wasn't yet time for an all-out war, the Sand's hostility was clear, and Konoha had to be on guard. That was why this mission had been assigned.
In a way, Kyosuke had the Sand ninja to thank for this opportunity.
After Orochimaru left, Kyosuke and Danzō stared at each other for a while.
Finally, Kyosuke broke the awkward silence. "Speaking of which, I haven't yet thanked you for your help before, Lord Danzō."
He was referring to when Danzō had dispatched Root to support him.
But Danzō completely ignored his thanks. Instead, he said something that left Kyosuke at a loss for words.
"How about you switch over to my tutelage and become my disciple?" Danzō proposed.
Kyosuke was stunned for a moment, then had no choice but to refuse. Even if he was willing, the Third Hokage and the others would likely not agree. Danzō was also aware of this; he had just been testing Kyosuke.
"Your previous analysis of the situation, was that your own opinion?" Danzō asked.
Kyosuke knew he was referring to his speech back at the Uchiha compound about Konoha's foreign policy. He simply nodded without saying anything.
"Are you paying attention to the current situation in the shinobi world? When do you think war will break out?" Danzō, unfazed by his silence, paused for a moment before asking another question.
It seemed that today, he was purely testing Kyosuke. If Kyosuke didn't answer, he would probably keep asking.
With no other choice, Kyosuke tentatively said, "I believe that all countries are currently recuperating and building up their strength, but... I'm afraid peace will be difficult to maintain for long."
"Why?"
"Interests, and hatred."
Danzō's eyes brightened, and he gestured for him to continue.
"Our Land of Fire is rich in resources. Not only is the economic environment good, but it's also a desirable place to live." Kyosuke paused, then looked directly into Danzō's eyes. "These are all reasons for war."
"And hatred?" Danzō asked, his expression unreadable.
"It's simple." Kyosuke's expression dimmed slightly before he continued. "The First and Second Shinobi World Wars have already caused countless deaths. For every person who dies, a new seed of hatred is sown. Revenge, naturally, becomes inevitable."
"Then do you think... there is any way to change this situation?" Danzō asked, his gaze fixed on Kyosuke's eyes. He truly wanted to know if this child shared his "views."
"It's simple. We just need to become strong ourselves. Strong enough that others are afraid of you. Then war can naturally be avoided," Kyosuke said.
Danzō nodded silently at his words, asked no more questions, and then turned and left the laboratory.
His thinking is good, but is it because he's too young? His ideas are still a bit one-sided, Danzō thought, grading Kyosuke's performance. However, this child is worth cultivating. At least he's much better than those wastes who can only shout about the "Will of Fire."
Standing in the corridor outside the laboratory, Danzō looked toward the Hokage Tower in the distance.
Hiruzen, I will not let you destroy such an outstanding child. Absolutely not!!!
In the Hokage Tower, in the Third's office.
Danzō, the Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura were all gathered.
The purpose was to discuss Kyosuke joining Root.
"Nonsense!" the Third Hokage shouted, his mustache bristling. He gripped his pipe so tightly it creaked, expressing his anger.
However, Danzō, his old friend, was not intimidated by his display. He even sat there with his eyes closed, not even bothering to acknowledge him.
Seeing this, the Third, knowing he couldn't scare him, sat back down. He sighed and said slowly, "Danzō, that child is only six years old. Isn't it a bit early for him to join Root?"
Hmph, any later, and I'm afraid he'll be ruined by your Will of Fire, Danzō thought, though he didn't dare to say it out loud. The "Will of Fire" was an ideal proposed by the First Hokage. Regardless of its effectiveness, no one dared to openly deny it. Otherwise, the other three in the room would probably drown him in spit.
Seeing that Danzō was still ignoring him, Utatane Koharu, who often acted as a mediator between them, spoke up.
"Even if we don't consider the child's age, we must consider his identity. Haven't you always been against the Uchiha..." She stopped there. The rest of her words were not suitable to be said aloud, not even with just the four of them present.
Danzō, of course, understood what she meant. He replied coolly, "This child is different. His vision is not narrowly confined to the clan level."
Hearing this, the other three remembered his speech at the Uchiha compound and all nodded in agreement.
"Ahem, of course, the reason he's so outstanding is because Orochimaru taught him well," the Third said shamelessly, praising his own disciple.
Danzō and the others looked at him with disdain, causing the Third's face to flush slightly.
And so, with their tacit approval, Kyosuke's entry into Root was smoothly approved.
"You'll see, Hiruzen. I will cultivate this child into the most outstanding ninja," Danzō declared, then turned and left.
The remaining three looked at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"It seems Danzō really likes this child," Mitokado Homura said with a smile.
The Third and Koharu also nodded in agreement.
"Hopefully, this child can change Danzō's radical style and bring some changes to Root," the Third said, standing up and looking at the blooming flowers outside his window.
(End of Chapter)
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