Shigeo snorted coldly at the sight of Danzō collapsing to the ground.
"Some people think they're powerful," he said as he turned to leave. "But all they know are schemes and tricks. If they had to fight fair and square, maybe they couldn't even beat a chūnin."
As he walked away, he called back over his shoulder:
"Lord Third, don't forget what you promised me today. I still owe Konoha one more mission."
Hiruzen's heart was heavy, and even Enma frowned. The Monkey King turned his sharp gaze toward Shigeo's fading figure and muttered,
"Why do you seem so afraid of him? We haven't even started a real fight yet. What makes him so terrifying?"
Hiruzen only shook his head and dismissed the summon. "It's nothing. Let's go."
Danzō staggered upright, trembling from the lingering pain of Shigeo's Wood Release technique.
"Thank you," he muttered. "You saved me today."
"Saved you?" Hiruzen snapped. "I saved the village! If he had killed you in the heart of the Hokage's building, he would have become a missing-nin instantly. Tell me, Danzō—would that have hurt you, or destroyed Konoha? I've told you again and again: don't provoke him. But you never listen! If you had to face him in a fair fight, who could you ever defeat? Who?"
With a shake of his head, Hiruzen turned to leave. At the doorway he added coldly,
"If you dare use Konoha's name again to stir his hatred, I'll expose every one of your secrets to the entire village. You'll be remembered not as a hero, but as a traitor."
When the Hokage was gone, Danzō slumped against the wall, pale and shaking. The pain from Shigeo's wooden spikes still throbbed through his body. For the first time, the Root's leader felt true fear.
He replayed Shigeo's words in his mind: "Not today? Then tomorrow. The next day. Or the day after that."
Would he live the rest of his life under that boy's shadow?
If he stayed in the village, he might not survive the night.
Biting back his pride, Danzō slipped away from Konoha before dawn.
Shigeo, meanwhile, had been tracking him with his Mirror Sense. As expected, Danzō fled.
"If he hadn't run," Shigeo muttered, "I would've taken his head before sunrise."
Beside him, Jiraiya finally spoke after a long silence.
"The Third has suppressed the truth about the five tailed beasts inside you. He swore no one else will know."
That revelation made Shigeo pause. He nodded after a moment's thought. For the Hokage to hide such explosive news proved that—for now at least—Konoha had no intention of making him an enemy.
"I understand," Shigeo said softly. "That's a favor I won't forget."
If the truth spread, every great village would fix their eyes on him. He could become a weapon to control the world—or its enemy. Hiruzen's decision had spared him from that fate, at least for now.
For the next two days Shigeo sensed nothing of Danzō's presence. Just as he was preparing to leave the village and travel on his own, two figures appeared at his doorstep.
They looked exhausted, nervous, and rushed.
"You… you're Hyūga Shigeo, right?" one asked breathlessly. "We're shinobi from Takigakure. We came to request your help directly. Lord Hokage refused our mission petition, so we had no choice but to seek you out."
"You want me for a mission?" Shigeo raised an eyebrow.
No wonder Hiruzen had declined. He and the Hokage had agreed on three missions. The first—winning the joint exams—was done. The second—sparing Danzō—was reluctantly counted. That left only one more. Hiruzen would never let that final task be wasted on something trivial.
"Yes!" the two Waterfall ninja bowed deeply. "We know this oversteps the rules, but we're desperate. Please, we beg you… help us."
At that moment, members of the Uchiha Police Force arrived, eyes cold.
"Hey, you two! Didn't we tell you to leave the village immediately? Get out now, or don't blame us for using force."
The two Waterfall ninja paled. They turned back to Shigeo and cried,
"It's Fū! Her life is in danger. You saved her once before—please, save her again!"
Before they could say more, the Uchiha officers grabbed their arms, dragging them toward the street corner.
Shigeo's eyes flashed. He stepped forward. "What's going on?"
One of the Uchiha glared at him.
"Mind your business, brat! You don't know the rules. Missions like this aren't for you to decide. Get lost!"
Shigeo's voice went cold. "You want to say that again? Fū is my friend. She's in danger—and you're telling me I'm not even allowed to ask?"
The Uchiha released the Waterfall ninja and squared up to Shigeo instead. Their resentment simmered.
It was this blind boy, after all, who had stolen Uchiha Itachi's glory at the joint exams. If Itachi had won first place, their clan's pride would've been restored. Instead, they had been pushed further into the village's shadows.
Now this child dared to insult them openly. How could they possibly let it slide?
(End of Chapter)
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