Hiruzen lit his pipe. Only after Danzō calmed down on his own did he exhale a mouthful of smoke and speak unhurriedly: "I understand what you're thinking, but you also need to consider Seisui's position…"
"Although this was Mito-sama's arrangement, he is now the Uchiha Clan's publicly recognized future leader. And your relationship with the Uchiha has always been sensitive…"
"The other Uchiha don't know his identity. If he rashly approaches you, what will happen to his reputation within the clan?"
"Seisui has made major contributions to integrating the Uchiha into the village. If that process is interrupted, the loss would outweigh the gain…"
"Besides, think about it. From the moment he entered the village, you were hostile toward Seisui. After that, you inexplicably tried to force him to become your disciple, then repeatedly provoked and even suppressed him…"
"How is he supposed to actively come and take you as his sensei?"
Danzō's expression turned awkward.
On the very first day Seisui had arrived in Konoha, Danzō had actually noticed that the boy bore a resemblance to Tobirama in appearance…
At the time, Hiruzen had even been surprised. How exactly had he seen that?
But back then, Danzō had felt that for Seisui, as an Uchiha, to resemble Tobirama was a desecration of the god in his heart…
Naturally, he had been extremely wary and hostile.
But once Tobirama's bloodline was added, and Seisui became a legitimate grandson certified by Mito…
Then that was a case of "the grandson resembling the grandfather"—a tremendously good thing!
At this thought, Danzō somehow blurted out: "Hiruzen, I told you Seisui looked like Tobirama-sensei, didn't I? You didn't even notice it back then…"
"Yes, I didn't notice. But I also didn't call him a naturally evil Uchiha brat."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. You're actually proud of that?
Danzō fell silent, somewhat embarrassed.
Who could have imagined that Tobirama-sensei's bloodline would combine with the Uchiha?
Even if Tobirama-sensei himself had been present, he couldn't possibly have done something that insane, right? This was all the fault of that unknown son of Tobirama-sensei for acting far too irresponsibly…
"You need to understand. Seisui combines the strengths of both Izuna and Tobirama-sensei. He isn't like the First Hokage's son, who lacked any great talent…"
"Isshin reported to me. Whether in combat or administrative management, Seisui is extremely gifted. Behind him, he also has the entire Uchiha Clan as resources…"
Hiruzen took a draw from his pipe.
"Even as a member of the Hokage faction, he has already passed Mito-sama's approval." "Even if he needs someone to vouch for him on the surface, that person does not necessarily have to be you."
Hearing this, Danzō frowned deeply.
If not him, then who else?
That was what Mito-sama had designated…
But thinking carefully, if Seisui insisted on not coming to his side, there really seemed to be nothing he could do.
'Seisui was born in Kusagakure, after all. Though he carries the Hokage's bloodline, he suffered through hard times. Given Mito-sama's sympathy for juniors, she probably wouldn't say anything even if he didn't become my disciple…'
Danzō's heart tightened.
Could it be that he would take Orochimaru as his sensei?
Danzō also understood that Mito sending Seisui to his side carried the intention of supervising him…
After all, Seisui was a hot-blooded youth who dared to point out the village's mistakes.
And in Danzō's view, Mito had always been extremely wary of scientific research. In the past, she had kept a very tight watch over Tobirama…
So sending Seisui to Orochimaru would also be entirely reasonable.
At that thought, Danzō's heart tightened.
If Orochimaru got his hands on Seisui, wouldn't that be disastrous?
Wouldn't that be the end of it?!
Seisui already inherited Tobirama-sensei's talent. If his aptitude for ninjutsu research and scientific work also resembled him…
Wouldn't that be like giving Orochimaru wings?
On the other hand—
If he himself obtained Seisui…
As sensei and disciple, the disciple's achievements would naturally count as his own. That would make up for the gap between him and Orochimaru in this area of contribution…
At this moment, Danzō realized even more deeply just how important Seisui was.
Not only was he a way to repay his sensei, he was also a crucial support in Danzō's path toward becoming Hokage!
"Hiruzen, help me!"
Danzō said sincerely, "Tell me what I should do. You must have a way!"
"If I tell you, will you actually listen?"
Hiruzen exhaled a stream of smoke, which drifted and spread within the barrier: "How many times have I reminded you about Root? I've told you openly, hinted at it indirectly, even said it in front of Mito-sama!"
"If I hadn't stabilized the Root shinobi in advance, would Seisui's impeachment of you have ended so cleanly? You always say you want to become Hokage, but from what I see, you only want it in words…"
Hiruzen put on an expression of disappointment: "I was worried you'd accuse me of favoring Orochimaru. For the sake of the village's development, I had to support him—but every time he received resources, I always tried to give you a share too, so you could compete fairly…"
"But Orochimaru can recognize problems. Look at how well he handled the Iburi Clan and the Tsuchigumo Clan. Now look at you—you don't listen to a single word I say…"
Hiruzen waved his hand with a lack of interest, taking a deep drag from his pipe until the tobacco glowed faintly.
He was clearly a bit hurt.
Danzō suddenly became somewhat at a loss.
In the past, whenever he and Hiruzen argued, it would always turn into shouting matches…
Even in recent years, Hiruzen would arrange tasks clearly, and he would carry them out with full conviction.
But this time, it was his own failure.
He had almost turned something that should have cleared obstacles on his path to becoming Hokage into a disaster that ignited ideological conflict across the entire village…
Danzō took a deep breath and, rarely, lowered his head: "Hiruzen, I absolutely acknowledge your fairness. It's not that I refuse to listen to you. I swear in the name of Tobirama-sensei's disciple—nothing like this will happen again!"
"I'm begging you, Hiruzen—help me one more time. Seisui is truly important to me!"
The moment he swore on Tobirama, Hiruzen smiled inwardly.
For Danzō, that was finally a proper guarantee.
Though even then, it wasn't entirely reliable—Danzō often caused problems not out of malice, but simply through his actions…
So Tobirama-sensei still needed to personally "train" Danzō as a kind of safety valve.
Hiruzen observed Danzō through the drifting smoke and smiled.
In the Hokage's view…
The future Danzō would no longer truly be Danzō—but a tool bearing Danzō's name while actually acting as Tobirama.
'Once Tobirama-sensei is by Danzō's side, with his restless nature, he'll definitely find ways to do more things—and in the process, he'll gradually take control away from Danzō…'
'Not only that, he'll operate from behind Danzō, avoiding damage to his reputation while holding real power.'
'And Danzō will actually be happy about it. After all, that's "Seisui"—Tobirama-sensei's grandson…'
Danzō taking Seisui as a disciple was similar in principle to Hiruko taking Asuma as a disciple.
It was a sign of complete trust from the Hokage, bringing immense psychological satisfaction.
"Danzō, you swore in Tobirama-sensei's name…"
"You'd better mean every word!" Hiruzen extinguished his pipe and said sternly.
"Rest assured, Hiruzen!" Danzō replied with utmost seriousness.
"In that case, let's talk."
"This matter is actually simple. You know what the Uchiha are like—most of them care a great deal about face…" Hiruzen cleared his throat: "If you want Seisui to avoid being affected by your taking him as a disciple, then you need to show them proper respect…"
"That respect isn't just for the Uchiha—it's for Seisui as well. After all, you've suppressed him time and again. You need to handle this properly, don't you?"
"When Tobirama-sensei scolded you in the past, was it ever without reason?"
Danzō nodded deeply in agreement. "I was in the wrong…"
Hiruzen couldn't help but smile.
If not for the title of Tobirama's grandson, even with the tone set in the fireside meeting, Hiruzen didn't believe Danzō would truly take the Will of Fire to heart…
Some things were ingrained too deeply to change easily.
But when it involved Tobirama, Danzō became unusually compliant and proactive.
"In the next couple of days, pick a time to visit the Uchiha Clan. You can hold a small gathering…"
"You should say that you've recognized your mistakes, that Seisui was right to point them out, that your ninja paths align, and that you hope he can join the Hokage faction—nominally as sensei and disciple, but in reality as mutual growth…"
Hiruzen continued slowly, "And emphasize that you support the Uchiha's participation in ANBU and the new Root, allowing them to propose suggestions and exercise reasonable supervisory authority."
Apologize to the Uchiha—and even chat and laugh with them?
Danzō's expression gradually became conflicted.
"Danzō, if you want to become Hokage…"
"Beyond strength, the most important thing is to mobilize and integrate the village's various resources with the least internal friction…"
"You need to view the relationship between the village and the Uchiha dynamically…" Hiruzen said calmly: "You'll have to face this sooner or later. Do you really think that in today's Konoha, even if you became Hokage right now, you could command all the clans just by holding the title?"
"If you want to get things done, you need to lay the groundwork in advance. No one remembers extra polish—you need to step in when it actually matters!"
If this had been said in the past, Danzō might have argued back.
But after experiencing the days when Hiruzen wasn't around, facts spoke louder than words.
By comparison, Danzō's favorability among the shinobi clans now didn't even match Orochimaru's…
"And besides, this is also beneficial to you personally."
"Lower your stance a bit and say a few good words to the Uchiha Clan—people will notice…" Hiruzen said meaningfully: "If you don't move first to secure the Uchiha position, someone else might beat you to it."
"I want to see you and the various Konoha council members maintain relatively harmonious relationships and form a united force."
During the days when the Hokage was absent from Konoha, Orochimaru had lamented that there were too many factions within the village…
But Hiruzen didn't think there were too many—he thought there were too few!
So-called factions were essentially small circles formed through shared interests and interpersonal relationships. To a certain extent, they actually helped reduce internal friction within the village and were, in essence, part of lowering governance costs.
They simplified the coordination of massive numbers of individuals into the management of a small number of key figures, significantly improving administrative efficiency.
Human relationships, shared interests, and cooperation were the norm in any organization. There was no need to forcibly suppress or dismantle them with a one-size-fits-all approach.
But what mattered was that these factions must never become impenetrable monoliths.
A combination like Danzō and the Uchiha, for example, was ideal.
Both sides held mutual wariness, yet due to easing relations, they could still engage in deep cooperation.
Hiruko and Orochimaru were similar—by making Asuma Hiruko's disciple, the so-called "research faction" could never become a black box.
And then there was Tsunade—a unique figure who simply didn't follow the rules.
It wasn't that Hiruzen didn't trust Orochimaru or Danzō.
As Hokage, this was simply what he had to do.
Prevent others from having the opportunity or environment to make mistakes.
That principle applied regardless of closeness or distance…
Of course, all of this depended on Hiruzen's authority and will being able to permeate all of Konoha.
"Someone else taking it first?"
Danzō's heart tightened, and he clenched his fists.
"I understand, Hiruzen! Leave it to me!"
He had already missed two opportunities in a row—was he going to miss a third?
Lowering his head to the Uchiha? Then so be it!
Not just lowering his head—even bringing a couple bottles of good sake to drink with Isshin and Fugaku crossed his mind…
Breaking precedent for once!
After all, Konoha wasn't so strict about shinobi conduct rules anymore…
Though Danzō hadn't drunk in a long time, as a shinobi rooted in intelligence work, he could still effortlessly handle the kind of performative socializing required at the table…
Hiruzen smiled as he watched the newly fired-up Danzō.
This was exactly what he wanted to see.
If Danzō didn't lower himself and politely ask Tobirama-sensei to accept him as a disciple…
Then even with an Uchiha body, there was no way Tobirama would grant Danzō that kind of recognition.
This was nothing like an ordinary sensei-disciple relationship…
This required the "sensei," Danzō, to go and beg the "disciple," Seisui, to come to him—only then would Tobirama agree!
"As for matters concerning Seisui, unless there's something urgent, don't bring them up again."
"At the right time, I'll find a way to gradually let things unfold…" Hiruzen said as he released the barrier technique.
Danzō nodded heavily. "Understood, Hiruzen! I'll go make preparations right away!"
Hiruzen chuckled as he watched Danzō leave in a flurry.
In truth, he felt that Danzō wasn't incapable of thinking of this approach himself…
He simply needed Hiruzen to say it out loud so his awkward pride could accept it more easily.
In a way, it also reflected the level of trust he had in him as Hokage.
'Counting the days… Kakuzu should be arriving soon…'
'If he doesn't come during this period, then he probably never will,' Hiruzen thought as he took a sip of tea.
He had reviewed Kakuzu's history and also asked Mito about him.
Most rogue ninja in the shinobi world were effectively unstable.
But Kakuzu, in Hiruzen's view, was different.
He was a normal person.
After suffering the oppression of Takigakure—being clearly sent to his death as a sacrificial pawn—if he had still followed the shinobi code and willingly accepted execution, that would have been abnormal.
Even after defecting, he hadn't done anything excessively extreme. Instead, he had followed the rules of the shinobi world and lived freely as a bounty hunter…
Mito and Kakuzu—two relics who had survived since the Warring States Era—gave Hiruzen a rare sense of familiarity…
Because their emotions and logic were relatively stable. They weren't erratic or volatile.
'If I'm not mistaken, Kakuzu's dependence on money is likely a manifestation of replacing his inner need for order after the collapse of the hidden village system…'
'In the current shinobi world, Konoha's order and stability are second to none.'
'And Konoha's financial revenue is not only immense, but most of it is used for public expenditure. I wouldn't call it particularly advanced, but compared to Takigakure, it's far ahead…'
'If Kakuzu's mindset is as I think, the village should leave a strong impression on him.'
Hiruzen very much wanted to recruit Kakuzu.
For the village to gain a Kage-level combatant would naturally count as his own performance.
Kakuzu's network from the underground bounty exchange, along with decades of experience, would also greatly benefit Konoha.
If Kakuzu showed interest in Konoha, Hiruzen wouldn't hesitate to "break convention to recruit talent"!
"Hashirama-sama's past kindness toward him is also a factor…"
"And through malicious intent sensing and the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, we can further confirm what he truly thinks…"
Hiruzen tapped the desk lightly, and a special ripple of chakra spread outward.
Hyūga Hizashi quickly entered and said in a deep voice, "Hokage-sama!"
"Hizashi, Kakuzu may come to Konoha soon. If ANBU or the patrol units spot him, tell him I've been waiting for him in Konoha."
"Set a limit of three months. If he doesn't come, then when ANBU or Root encounter him during missions, they should be more cautious and treat him as a potential enemy."
Hiruzen gave his instructions calmly.
It had been quite some time since the deposit was handed over to Kakuzu…
Whether it was the growth of Earth Grudge Fear or the gathering of intelligence, there should have been more than enough time by now.
"He's most likely observing. After all, for a bounty hunter to enter Konoha—there's always the fear of never coming back…"
"But the incident where Madoka Masamune stirred up condemnation against Konoha—and even rallied overseas nobles—also ended up, objectively, spreading Konoha's new mission system and the Will of Fire…"
"Kakuzu, as a veteran bounty hunter, couldn't possibly be unaware of that."
"If he can become a like-minded companion, then he will come to Konoha… We've already given him enough time. Konoha's goodwill and patience are not limitless."
Hizashi nodded heavily, utterly convinced.
From his perspective, the Hokage was a bit too compassionate…
Far too patient with those ungrateful shinobi!
Any shinobi who didn't immediately throw themselves into the Will of Fire, Hizashi considered heretics—people who deserved to be dealt with decisively!
"Hokage-sama…"
"My wife is already pregnant. I request permission to undergo the Chimera Technique experiment—to contribute to the village!" Hizashi said in a deep voice.
Hiruzen showed a look of sudden realization.
He had been wondering why there were such heavy dark circles around Hizashi's Byakugan…
So it turned out he had been working day and night just to ensure an heir—so he could then risk himself in dangerous experiments for the village…
That was certainly loyalty!
Though the behavior itself was… difficult to evaluate.
"Wait another month. Make sure your wife's pregnancy is stable…"
"And Hizashi, among the Kekkei Genkai currently stored in the village, is there one that truly suits you?"
Hizashi hesitated.
"Not particularly. The Second Hokage's archive doesn't contain many Kekkei Genkai samples. The ones relatively compatible with me would be Steel Release and Swift Release…"
Hiruzen pondered.
"Don't force it, Hizashi. Your close-range combat is already supported by Gentle Fist. Even if you enhance it further, it won't add much diversity to your combat style."
"I'm thinking—given the Hyūga Clan's chakra control through Gentle Fist, if you could pair that with a long-range attack method that complements the Byakugan's vision, it would have immense strategic value."
"Shinobi have different roles. That's why we need companions at our side. You don't need to focus on fighting powerful enemies directly. Being able to quickly reduce the enemy's effective forces is also an important capability."
One-on-one combat strength was difficult to develop. Simply adding another Kekkei Genkai wouldn't bring a fundamental transformation.
Even if Hizashi obtained Steel Release, it would still be of little significance against a shinobi on the level of the Third Raikage.
If that was the case, then it was better to focus on efficiently targeting enemy support units.
Precision strikes weren't a bad path at all…
Hizashi nodded seriously.
He also felt that the Hyūga Clan had been overly fixated on Gentle Fist for generations—clinging to "ancestral methods must not be changed"—which was simply wasting the Byakugan's true potential.
Sakumo had once joked, "Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms? What kind of shinobi can even withstand that many hits… I kill with a single strike."
"I've looked through the Kekkei Genkai records. Storm Release would suit you well…"
"It's a Kekkei Genkai formed by combining water and lightning chakra. Its techniques possess both lightning's speed and water's adaptability, allowing for tracking-based attacks…"
Hiruzen spoke slowly: "However, Storm Release users are rare and mostly concentrated in Kumogakure… So don't rush. One day, we'll find a Storm Release user. Good things are worth waiting for."
"You might think that undergoing the experiment early is a way to contribute to the village—but your very existence is already an important asset to it…"
"You are my eyes. Many people say that, and quite a few say it as flattery…"
Hiruzen looked directly into Hizashi's Byakugan and smiled: "But I personally think so as well. I don't want to go blind too early…"
Hizashi felt as if his entire body had been struck by Storm Release.
His whole body went numb, and a strange emotion rose within him…
He couldn't take it anymore—he wanted to die for the Hokage right now!
...
Three days later.
Kakuzu, wearing the black robe with red clouds that Hiruzen had given him on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, appeared near Konoha.
He carried large bundles of items and had a massive scroll strapped to his back.
Inside were the materials and intelligence he had gathered for Konoha, along with gifts for Uzumaki Mito.
Last time, Hiruzen had told him that if he came to Konoha, he should visit Mito…
It could even be considered a meaningful reunion.
"I've come this close, and no one has noticed me yet? I should tell the Hokage—they need to strengthen the village's security. Though, I suppose it's also because my infiltration experience is simply too advanced…"
Kakuzu's green eyes scanned the surroundings.
Even he didn't realize that he was already thinking in terms of Konoha's interests…
At that very moment—
His presence had already been detected by the Inuzuka Clan's ninken and the Aburame Clan's insects.
The patrol units began reporting upward through the chain…
Kakuzu concealed his presence as he slowly approached Konoha.
But before he could go much farther, Hyūga Hizashi—wearing the uniform of a Konoha council member—was already standing in the distance.
'A coincidence?' Kakuzu thought instinctively.
"Hokage-sama said you might come to Konoha soon…"
"So we were told to be careful—not to treat you as an enemy or harm you. I was specifically sent to receive you."
Hizashi's face was cold. "Come with me."
Kakuzu froze.
The Hokage already knew he had arrived?
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