"Tell me what you've found out."
In the pitch-black underground base of the Root organization, Danzo Shimura, one of the three top advisors of the Hidden Leaf Village and the leader of Root, sat upright in silent meditation atop a high seat, his eyes narrowed in a near-sleeping state.
Three years had passed, but aside from the bandage-wrapped right arm that now hung conspicuously in front of him, Danzo hadn't changed much. His left hand gently stroked his right arm as he patiently listened—just as he always did—to his subordinates reporting the intelligence they'd gathered.
"Yes, Lord Danzo... First, regarding the new recruit selection for Root—based on the current candidate list you provided, members of the Aburame Clan and Yamanaka Clan show promising potential. Both have talents worth nurturing, though the final selection still requires your personal judgment."
"The Aburame who command insects and the Yamanaka with their mental techniques, huh? Hm… Not bad. I was just worrying about how to replenish our sensor-type shinobi after provoking a rift between the Hyuga Clan and the village's leadership.
Even though they're nowhere near the Byakugan in terms of ability, they'll have to do for now."
Danzo, who possessed deep insider knowledge of the various clans and secret techniques within the village, pondered silently after hearing the listed names.
After a moment's pause, he gave a small, satisfied nod, signaling his subordinate to continue.
"Your selections were within my expectations—optimal, given the circumstances. You've done well on this mission."
"I'm not worthy of the praise. It's all thanks to your guidance, Lord Danzo... Now, moving on to the report on the Third Hokage's recent movements."
The masked ninja—his true appearance hidden behind a mask patterned with strange markings—remained kneeling like a statue before Danzo.
Only when commanded did he finally speak. Even when praised, his youthful voice showed no sign of emotion—neither joy nor fear—as he coldly, methodically continued his report like a machine.
"As per your orders, I've been monitoring the Third Hokage day and night. A few days ago, when he suddenly deviated from his planned route and left his office, I followed immediately. He passed through the Hokage Rock, the commercial district, the Ninja Academy... among other places. Unfortunately, due to his extreme alertness, I couldn't maintain close surveillance and lost track of him toward the end. However, I can confirm his final destination before returning to the Hokage's office was Training Ground Three. He stayed there the longest."
"Training Ground Three? Out of the blue, Hiruzen just decides to go there? Could he be meeting someone?" Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Besides Hiruzen, did you see anyone else enter that place?"
"Rest assured, my lord. Ever since the Third Hokage entered the training ground, I've kept watch at its only entrance. Until late the next night, aside from the Third Hokage returning to the office, no one else went in or out of Training Ground Three."
"No one else entered or left? How is that possible?" Danzo's previously relaxed expression hardened into a frown. He muttered to himself as he pondered, "Training Ground Three… Hiruzen, what kind of game are you playing, wandering all over the village like that?"
Cynical and suspicious by nature, Danzo couldn't bring himself to believe that his old comrade—entrusted with the title of Hokage by the Second Hokage—had snuck off without any deeper motive.
But after repeatedly reviewing all the possible conclusions, he couldn't find any evidence to refute the seemingly mundane truth.
After all, he knew very well that the subordinate before him had survived the brutal training and selection process of the Root organization.
He was already a living tool—one who followed orders without question. Even if Danzo ordered him to commit suicide now, the ninja wouldn't hesitate. In other words, there was absolutely no chance that the intelligence he reported was false.
"...Very well. I've gotten a clear enough picture. Good work. Go back and continue monitoring Hiruzen."
With a dismissive wave, Danzo signaled his subordinate to leave, then rested his chin on his hand and sank into deep thought.
"Insufficient intelligence... Is Root falling behind?" He clenched his jaw. "If you really are plotting something, Hiruzen, then fine—consider this round your minor victory."
Unable to extract anything more from the Hokage's strange behavior, Danzo let out a long sigh and stopped trying to exhaust himself further.
His eyes drifted to his heavily bandaged right arm. A chilling, bloodthirsty glint flickered in his gaze as he whispered:
"But don't get too full of yourself. Once I obtain the power of the Sharingan… the Hokage seat will be mine."
After leaving the Root base, the masked ninja stepped into the early morning sun. Squinting at the sudden brightness, he raised a hand to shield his eyes, scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was tailing him. Then, with a few quick leaps, he vanished into the thick forest.
As if rehearsed countless times, the masked ninja moved swiftly and silently, evading detection and slipping through a window into the Third Hokage's office.
While removing his mask, he greeted the smiling old man in front of him—who had both hands resting on a strange crystal ball, as if he'd been waiting for this moment.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Third Hokage."
"I already told you, didn't I?" Hiruzen chuckled, his smile deepening. "When no one else is around, there's no need for formalities."
He slowly lifted his hands off the crystal ball, watching the image inside gradually sharpen. "So? What did he say?"
"Rest assured—Shimura Danzo didn't suspect anything from the report I gave him."
The ninja's tone was no longer cold or mechanical. Lazily ruffling his hair, he smiled as his eyes curved playfully. "Though that's only natural—after all, I told him nothing but the truth. I really didn't see anyone else use the front entrance of Training Ground Three besides you… So I suppose we've gained a slight edge in intel this time."
"Haha! That little rascal Naruto sure keeps surprising me." Hiruzen exhaled, amused. "I was even considering using a genjutsu to temporarily alter your memory to cover up your contact with the boy. But I didn't expect his level of caution to rival that of a full-fledged ninja… Even I'm starting to wonder—how did he manage to move in and out of the training ground freely without using the main entrance?"
Finally receiving the information he'd been waiting for, Hiruzen let out a clear sigh of relief. Smiling at the boy's cleverness, he waved the ninja closer while returning his gaze to the image inside the crystal ball.
"Actually, you're back just in time. The other night, that boy represented the Hidden Leaf's leadership as a Jinchūriki and escorted the Hyuga Clan Head's heir back home. In doing so, he unintentionally eased the Hyuga Clan's resentment toward the village. Now he's somehow made contact with Uchiha Fugaku's eldest son, Uchiha Itachi as well..."
"If that ridiculous-sounding prophecy of Naruto's turns out to be true, then Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui might become the key to thwarting Danzo's ambitions. Don't you want to see for yourself whether this young Uchiha is truly worthy of Naruto's trust and recommendation?"
"After all, before long, he'll be joining the Anbu… and becoming your teammate and subordinate, Kakashi."