The Hokage Building loomed in the midday sun.
After the graduation assessment concluded that morning, Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his office. Paperwork was set aside for now. He sat behind his desk, pipe smoldering, gaze fixed out the wide window. He was not waiting for reports. He was waiting for an inevitable guest.
Danzo will come. He always does.
Hiruzen's jaw tightened. He already knew what his old comrade would demand. The boy named Fujiwara Lock had caught his attention. Of course, he would. That child's ability isn't something Root would ignore.
But Hiruzen had already made his decision.
No matter what, I cannot let him have Lock. The boy has a rare aptitude, quick wit, and a strength that surpasses his age. Trained properly, he could become a pillar of this village one day… perhaps even a talent on par with Orochimaru, Jiraiya, or Tsunade.
Yet, beneath that potential, Hiruzen had also sensed something else. Lock was different from other children—sharp, quiet, calculating in ways most six-year-olds could never be. If nurtured under Danzo's methods, that cleverness could twist into something dangerous, not just for Konoha's enemies, but for Konoha itself.
Hiruzen drew a long breath of smoke. No, the village doesn't need another child stripped of his humanity.
The doors slammed open.
"Speak of the devil," Hiruzen muttered.
Danzo strode inside, cane striking against the floorboards, his presence as cold and sharp as the steel hidden beneath his robes.
"You came," Hiruzen said flatly.
Danzo's single visible eye glinted. "You know why. Hand over Fujiwara Lock."
"Impossible," Hiruzen replied at once. His refusal was firm, absolute.
Danzo scowled. "His ability is unlike anything I've seen. Perfect for espionage. With my training, he will become the finest covert operative this village has ever produced. I am thinking of Konoha's future, Hiruzen. You have no reason to stand in the way."
Hiruzen's pipe tapped softly against the edge of his desk. "There are many ways to serve the village. Lock need not walk the path you envision. I will ensure he grows into a shinobi worthy of Konoha—without your interference."
Danzo's voice sharpened. "So, once again, you set yourself against me?"
"I have never sought to oppose you," Hiruzen said, his eyes narrowing. "But your vision is too extreme. That boy is not fit for the life you would force upon him."
Danzo's tone turned heated. "You saw it with your own eyes, Hiruzen! His technique—vanishing from sight. Even I couldn't trace him. Such a gift belongs in Root. As a spy, he could turn the tide of wars."
"Enough." Hiruzen set the pipe down and let his chakra pressure fill the room. The air thickened, the weight of the Hokage's authority pressing against his old rival. "I will not repeat myself. I am Hokage. I decide what is best for the village. And I have already decided—Lock will not fall under your control."
Danzo's cane dug into the floor as he leaned forward, aura turning icy. "Are you threatening me, Hiruzen?"
"This is not a threat," Hiruzen answered, voice like stone. "It is an order. You will not lay a hand on that boy. I let matters with you and Sakumo slide once, but on this issue, there is no compromise. Push me further, and you'll find my patience has limits."
The silence between them crackled like drawn blades. For a moment, both men's chakra flared, filling the office like colliding storms—Hiruzen, still in his prime, steady and unyielding; Danzo, dark and relentless, yet wary.
Danzo's eye narrowed. He had known Hiruzen too long to mistake this for a bluff. If he pressed now, he would gain nothing but a clash he could not win.
"Tch. Then I don't need the boy himself," he said finally, voice low. "But I will obtain his ability to hide. That much is necessary."
Hiruzen hesitated. He knew Danzo well enough: deny him outright, and Root would move from the shadows regardless, perhaps even against Lock himself. That would endanger the boy—and that was something Hiruzen would not allow.
"…Very well," Hiruzen said at last, his voice heavy. "I will bring him here. He may explain the nature of his technique. But hear me, Danzo: if he refuses, you will not force him. You will not harm him. If even a scratch appears on that child because of you, I will come for you personally."
Danzo's lips curled in disdain. "To think you would threaten me over a brat who hasn't even shed his baby fat. You place far too much faith in him."
"This isn't about favoritism," Hiruzen countered, eyes steely. "Every child of this village is my responsibility. That includes Fujiwara Lock."
Danzo gave a derisive snort. "Still the same hypocrite, Hiruzen."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Hokage Building, Lock and Hatake Kakashi were completing their formal registration.
The process was meticulous—birthday, height, clan, address. Every detail mattered. Their names would now be etched into the official records of Konohagakure, each assigned a number that would follow them for the rest of their shinobi lives.
"Hatake Kakashi, shinobi number: 009720. Fujiwara Lock, shinobi number: 009721."
Lock stared at the number for a moment, committing it to memory. The symbol of a student was behind him now. He was, at last, a shinobi.
Because both he and Kakashi had graduated ahead of their peers, their future team assignments had not yet been decided. That, too, was in the hands of the Hokage.
A sudden chill swept the corridor. A masked ANBU operative appeared before Lock in an instant, the porcelain cat mask concealing all expression.
"Fujiwara Lock. Hokage-sama has summoned you."
Lock's brow furrowed. The Hokage? Why me, and not Kakashi?
Still, he nodded. "Understood." He gave Kakashi a brief wave before following the silent figure.
The walk felt longer than it should have. By the time he stepped into the Hokage's office, Lock had already noticed the tension in the air. Two figures awaited him inside: the Third Hokage himself, calm yet unreadable… and Danzo, whose very presence set Lock's instincts on edge.
Lock bowed quickly, concealing his unease. "Lord Hokage. Genin Fujiwara Lock, reporting."
"Ah, you're here," Hiruzen greeted warmly. "Have you completed your registration?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Good. Then there is only one matter left." Hiruzen's smile softened, but his eyes betrayed the weight beneath his words. "Earlier today, during your assessment, you used a rather… unusual ability to conceal yourself. I'd like you to explain it."
For a moment, Lock's chest tightened. So that's what this is about.
But he forced himself to stay composed. He scratched his head lightly, feigning casualness. "Truthfully, Hokage-sama, I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is… when I channel chakra across my body, it bends light around me somehow. It makes it harder to see. To most people, I just… disappear."
The office fell silent.
Both Hiruzen and Danzo leaned forward slightly, eyes sharpening. For the first time, the two lifelong rivals shared the same expression—undeniable surprise.
Fujiwara Lock's gift was no simple trick. It was something more.
A power with the weight to change the future.
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