Basara POV
Konoha
We walked out of the Inuzuka compound at a steady pace. I rolled my shoulder, feeling a lingering tension from blocking some tsume hits.
Before we could even make it halfway down the main street, a familiar voice called out from up ahead.
"Basara!"
I barely had time to turn before Riku came charging toward us, practically vibrating with excitement. His eyes were wide, sparkling like he'd just witnessed the greatest thing in his life.
"You actually beat Tsume-nee?! Since when do you have the Mokuton?! Why didn't you tell me?! Was it some kind of S-class secret from the village or something?! How long have you been hiding it?!"
He rattled off questions, looking like an overexcited puppy that had been waiting all day to pounce. I smirked at him as Tsume, instantly annoyed, hooked her elbow around Riku's neck and yanked him into a headlock, dragging him along beside her as we continued walking.
"Alright, brat. That's enough questions, and I didn't lose," she said gruffly. "I'm tired, and so is Mr. Mokuton over here. We're going to eat. And he's paying."
I rolled my eyes. "Why should I pay?"
Tsume shot me a flat look, still keeping Riku trapped under her arm as he flailed uselessly. "That's what you get for hiding stuff from us. Besides, I'm hungry."
I scoffed but didn't argue; frankly, I was hungry too. Between the brutal morning training with Goru and the high-intensity spar with Tsume, my body needed more than the intermittent snacks I'd had. "Fine..."
Satisfied, Tsume released Riku, who immediately started rubbing his neck and grumbling, and led us toward a yakiniku place owned by the Akimichi clan near the edge of the civilian district.
We walked at a civilian pace, which was good for me. Despite my constitution, I was tired. My legs felt heavy, and my chakra reserves were running low from training the Senju-style Taijutsu, which was extremely chakra intensive. I sighed as I glanced around and noticed the smiles and warm looks from a lot of the civilian population.
There's no secret in this village, huh? I thought sardonically.
We eventually reached a popular yakiniku restaurant, the air rich with the delicious smell of grilled meat. Tsume raised a hand in greeting toward the large man behind the counter.
"Oi, old man! Three of us today."
The Akimichi, identified by the clan symbols on his shirt, exclaimed, "Tsume! Haven't seen you in a while. Come, come — I'll get you a good table."
We were led to a private booth near the back. A grill sat in the middle of the table, and you cooked the meat yourself. As soon as we sat down, Tsume started ordering without even looking at the menu, piling on various cuts of meat and vegetables she liked.
While the meat sizzled on the grill, I finally got the time to catch up with them.
"Tsume... what happened to the others? Are they being deployed separately?"
She flipped a piece of meat with her chopsticks as she answered me.
"No, they are not. We're all still a squad," she admitted. "And we are not being deployed. It's a little unusual. Normally, I would've already been informed about when our next deployment is, but I think the higher-ups are deliberately delaying things... because of you."
She pointed her chopsticks at me.
I nodded, not bothering to deny it. "Touka-obasan told me I'll most likely be deployed again in two to three weeks. Since we're still considered a squad, I'm guessing that's the plan."
Riku, who had been busy stuffing his face, suddenly perked up. "Why two to three weeks?"
Tsume gave him a flat look. "Because Mr. Mokuton here is now an S-rank bounty target. They're giving him time to train before throwing him back into the frontlines."
I swallowed the piece of meat in my mouth and answered dryly, "Yup. It's the time I was given to get stronger before being sent back to the front."
Riku frowned slightly. "Will that be enough?"
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I clenched my hands under the table, feeling the lingering soreness in my muscles.
"It'll have to do," I said.
I was growing stronger now. I didn't have to hide my Mokuton anymore; that itself would give me a huge boost in combat prowess. The proof of it was sitting in front of me, stuffing her face just like her little cousin. Just a few weeks back, there would have been no way for me to fight against Tsume, let alone win, but...
I bested her handily today...
Tsume caught me looking at her, then smirked.
"It's good we have time then. I'll be going through a training with the matriarch. Can't have you showing me up again."
"What training?" I asked her, curious.
"You'll have to join the clan to know..." She said, looking at me with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes and didn't rise to her bait. We continued eating in relative silence. Once we were finally full and the bill came, I paid without complaint — as promised.
As we stepped outside the restaurant, Tsume stretched her arms above her head with a satisfied groan.
"We'll meet up again soon," she said. "I'll even let the others know too."
I gave them both a small smile. "I won't."
With that said, we went our separate ways. Riku's earlier question lingered in my mind.
Will two to three weeks even be enough?
No, it wouldn't be enough. Not even close.
There were monsters in this war — people who had long since crossed the line into something beyond normal shinobi. Beings who could reshape entire battlefields and landscapes with a single technique.
A conical white flash... hundreds of meters of land and shinobi just gone...
I shuddered as the memory of the Tsuchikage came to the forefront. I might not be there yet, but now I had all the tools and the support I needed to reach that level. All I needed to do was train and learn all I could.
It was nearing evening as the sun gently fell on my skin. I entered the Senju compound, smiling, feeling and smelling the nature all around me as I made my way to the main house. I felt a large and dense chakra I had sensed once before.
I slowed down.
Standing in front of one of the trees I had grown during my earlier time here was a young blonde woman. She wore a standard Konoha Jonin vest over a dark green outfit, her arms crossed beneath her chest as she stared at the tree. Even from a distance, her presence was striking; there was a certain unique weight to her presence.
Tsunade Senju.
She must have sensed me approaching, because she slowly turned her head. Her amber golden eyes met mine; they were dead and lifeless, there was nothing there, just emptiness.
She let out a quiet sigh and spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
"So you're the one I've heard so much about, huh?"
One of her hands touched the bark of the tree. I stopped a respectful distance away, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, still I gave a polite bow in greeting.
"Tsunade-san."
She didn't respond right away. She simply continued staring at me with those dead eyes, then in a straight tone said,
"...Welcome to the clan."
That was all. Without another word, she walked past me. She raised one hand and pointed toward the main house.
"Go, Obachan is inside."
I stood there awkwardly, still caught off guard by her complete lack of emotion.
"Uh... thanks," I muttered.
I watched her go, a strange, uncomfortable feeling settling in my chest. I knew from my memories that she had lost both her brother and lover, and possibly her parents as well, during the last war. It was still a little saddening to see. There was nothing I could do. I shook my head and went towards the house, towards the tea room where I usually met Touka-obasan. As I approached the sliding door, a maid standing nearby gave me a small bow.
"Basara-sama," she said softly. "Elder Touka is currently with a guest, but she instructed me to let you in regardless."
I nodded. "Oh, I see. Thank you, I'll see myself in."
I knocked politely then slid the door open.
The moment I stepped inside, I froze. Because I recognized that man — anyone in my old world who even had a passing knowledge of Naruto would.
The man sitting across from Touka-obasan had short dark hair, but his right arm was missing from the elbow down, and his right eye was covered by bandages. An X-shaped scar marked his chin. There was no mistaking him.
Danzo Shimura.
And to my utter shock, he gazed at me warmly and said,
"You must be Basara-kun. Come, join us."
Touka-obasan also smiled as she gestured to the cushion beside her.
"Yes, come in, Basara-kun," she said warmly. "This is someone I wanted to introduce you to. This is Danzo-kun. He is one of Hiruzen's advisors."
I forced my expression to stay neutral as I stepped inside and sat down, though my mind was still reeling.
"It's nice to meet you, Danzo-san," I said politely.
Danzo's remaining eye crinkled slightly at the corners as he looked at me.
"It was quite the surprise when intelligence reported that the Mokuton had returned," he said genially. "And when Ane-ue confirmed it herself... I had thought the bloodline was gone after Lord First. Yet here we are."
Touka-obasan glanced at me with a small, proud smile.
"Indeed. And he already shows quite a bit of talent with it as well."
I gave a small, slightly stiff nod. "Thank you."
Danzo reached into his sleeve and pulled out a sealing scroll. He held it out toward me with his remaining hand.
"I came here today hoping to meet you in person," he said. "Since you weren't here earlier, I thought I would have to leave this behind. Consider it a welcoming gift."
I carefully accepted the scroll.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Armor," Danzo replied. "Designed to be worn over your standard Konoha uniform. Along with a pure chakra metal tantō and a full set of weapons. I hope it serves you well on the battlefield."
I blinked, genuinely surprised by the generosity.
"Thank you, Danzo-san. This must have been quite expensive..."
He waved it off with a small smile. "Think nothing of it."
Danzo then slowly rose to his feet. He turned to Touka-obasan first, his tone respectful.
"It was good to see you, Ane-ue. I'll be taking my leave now."
"Of course, Danzo-kun, take care of your health."
Nodding at her, he then looked at me with a kind expression.
"And you, Basara-kun... I will be watching your career with great interest."
A chill went down my spine as I acknowledged him. There was nothing threatening in his words, tone, or actions, yet I still felt uneasy towards him.
Danzo gave one last polite nod before quietly leaving the room.
Once the door slid shut behind him, Touka-obasan turned to me with a raised eyebrow.
"What's with that face?" she asked, sounding amused. "You looked quite uncomfortable with him."
I stared at her, unsure how to even begin explaining. From my perspective, this version of Danzo was completely different from the cold, ruthless man I knew from the stories. The warmth, the politeness, the almost gentle demeanor... it was bizarre.
I eventually just said lamely, "Just... his vibes, I guess."
Touka-obasan snorted.
"Younger generation these days... no respect." She shook her head with a small smile. "Danzo-kun is a sweetheart. Now come, let's get on with your ninjutsu training."
Okay... if you say so...