Inside the Hokage's office.
"Transfer Aburame Tetsumaru to Root. There are already several Aburame under my command; I will sharpen him into Konoha's finest blade."
The speaker was, naturally, Shimura Danzo.
"Nonsense." This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't even give him the chance to play out their usual routine—there was no "You'll regret this" followed by "I am the Hokage." He simply shut Danzo down with a sharp rebuke.
Danzo tirelessly demanded every talented young ninja who showed promise, and despite being rejected repeatedly, he never grew tired of the game. He wasn't stupid; he didn't actually expect to get them most of the time. Those geniuses were Hiruzen's "forbidden fruit." Danzo merely used these demands as leverage—every time the Hokage rejected a request, it made it harder for him to block Danzo's smaller, private expansions of Root.
You deny me this person, so stay out of my business when I find my own.
But this time was different. Danzo truly wanted Aburame Tetsumaru. So what if the boy caused a stir? With those massive insects and that terrifying swarm, Danzo wouldn't have to rely solely on covert operations anymore. He could march into battle openly, using overwhelming shock and awe as a superior form of deterrence.
Most importantly, Danzo would finally have his first Kage-level subordinate. He would no longer have to look on with envy at Sarutobi Hiruzen's three "disappointing" disciples.
However, Danzo remained a political lightweight. He was a master of petty schemes and backroom conspiracies, but he was blind to the grander stage and his own position within it.
The Hokage could tolerate Root's secret growth and turn a blind eye to Danzo's reckless behavior, not just because a "black ops" hand was useful, but because the Hokage's indirect control over Root was absolute. He could decide Root's survival with a single word.
But the emergence of a second Kage-level ninja within Root would change everything. It would directly threaten Hiruzen's grasp on the organization, something he absolutely could not accept. For the Hokage, Root had to remain within his reach. He didn't even give Danzo another word before unceremoniously kicking him out.
Left alone in the office, Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe and gazed out the window at Konoha, silently pondering how to handle this sudden anomaly, Aburame Tetsumaru.
This young—no, child—ninja had grown too fast. He had disrupted all of Hiruzen's long-term planning, and he had done so while under Danzo's suppression. It was a massive headache.
Tetsumaru was also deep in thought. His goals were already set; his real worry was how to explain things to his family.
A series of coincidences had led to his decision to stop hiding. This wasn't just about revealing his strength; he could no longer mask his true attitude. After going toe-to-toe with the Raikage and coming home alive, there was no way he could go back to being a "nobody." If he wasn't a nobody, he had to be a somebody—and that required a status befitting his power.
Ninjas, as a class, were often politically stunted, largely due to the influence of the naive idealist Hashirama Senju. This had led to a world where Daimyos sat atop the heads of ninjas. Yet, the fact remained: ninjas were the masters of the world because they were the masters of violence.
A powerful ninja was an independent force of violence, with a status comparable to a warlord back on Earth. A hidden village had to grant such a ninja appropriate status and benefits to keep them content—and to reassure other powerful ninjas that their future was secure.
As for Danzo's "hardline" approach—attempting to control every powerful ninja or destroy them if they couldn't be leashed—it was utter folly.
At the end of the day, there was only one question: could his petty tricks actually control a Kage-level powerhouse?
Absolutely not.
If he couldn't beat them, he couldn't place them under a seal. Even the effectiveness of seals on Kage-level fighters was debatable. A "perfect" enslavement seal like the Hyuga's Caged Bird could only be applied in childhood; there was no record of it ever being successfully placed on an adult Hyuga who had already reached their prime.
That was why Danzo was so obsessed with collecting orphans and training children, hoping to raise a powerful ninja he could control from the root up. But a controlled ninja inevitably loses their independent soul. Could a slave, whose life and death are not their own, truly possess the iron will and tenacity required to ascend to Kage-level?
Nonsense.
Even if Danzo's luck was supernatural and he actually managed to cultivate such a monster, how would the rest of the village feel? They'd be terrified, feeling their own safety was non-existent. Danzo himself was so scared of the mere rumor of Kotoamatsukami that he immediately wanted to kill the user. If you can control me, it's only logical for me to kill you first to stay safe.
Other ninjas felt the same. If Danzo ever succeeded, the village would either tear him apart in a heartbeat or collapse as everyone fled for their lives.
Tetsumaru had spent over eight months in the Land of Tea, away from the prying eyes of Konoha's ANBU. He had been free to build broodmothers, create giant insects, and conduct research without restraint. It was pure bliss.
With the growth of the Mining Zerg and the introduction of the Creep, Tetsumaru had achieved economic independence. In the remote, desolate regions of the Land of Tea, he didn't have to worry about resource shortages. Aside from the occasional bout of loneliness, everything was perfect.
The insects he was developing after the Mantis and the Giant Wind-Bug were only going to get larger. His upcoming projects—aerospace, orbital warships, and the heavy industrial infrastructure required to support such grand designs—could never be built inside Konoha.
Konoha had evolved from the cradle that protected his growth into a shackle that bound his hands. Tetsumaru desperately wanted to leave and develop independently.
However, he couldn't leave as a rogue ninja.
Unlike the era depicted in the original story, the present-day Konoha didn't have rogue ninjas lurking behind every corner. They were rare, and their lives were miserable.
During the Second Hokage's time, the ANBU consisted of only seventy people. Under the Third, god only knew how many there were. While they performed internal surveillance, their primary missions were external intelligence and hunting down defectors.
The ANBU prioritized hunting rogues above all else. They would deploy multiple squads for a "carpet search," often giving these missions higher priority than actual wartime objectives. They were strictly required to produce a body—no head, no credit.
There were only two types of Konoha rogues who lived comfortably.
The first were those with prestigious backgrounds or deep connections, whose "defection" was shrouded in mystery. They weren't so much rogues as they were deep-cover assets or "black-ops" hands for the village, maintaining close, if secret, cooperation. Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi were prime examples. The ANBU kept their names on the list but never actually moved to kill them.
The second type were those who were completely obscure or presumed dead. The village didn't even know they had defected; their records simply listed them as "killed in action" or "missing." This included people like the forgotten Hiruko or Uchiha Obito. As long as they stayed low-profile and lived under an alias, they could survive.
Tetsumaru wanted neither. Leaving a village meant facing the world alone, and an individual's ability to resist risk is never enough. A lone wolf is easy prey for other villages; he would be plagued by endless spies and interference, leaving no time for research.
Moreover, Tetsumaru's projects were different from Hiruko's. He couldn't just dig a hole and rely on "gut feeling" to progress. He needed vast amounts of space, massive structures, and projects that would generate earth-shaking noise.
He couldn't hide even in a no-man's-land. Without the "Konoha" brand over his head to make other villages think twice, his life would be a non-stop parade of harassment.
Finally, he couldn't just walk away from eighteen years of bonds—family, friends, classmates, and students. Even a flawed home holds sentiment. He wasn't going to be a rogue.
Tetsumaru wanted to be a semi-independent warlord.
Creating a fiefdom inside the village was impossible, but in the remote Land of Tea, it was a different story. He didn't have to announce his independence; by simply being stationed permanently in the southwestern corner of the Land of Tea, the lag in transportation and communication would naturally create a state of semi-autonomy.
Tetsumaru thought this plan had legs. The Hokage surely wanted to stop Tetsumaru's prestige from growing further to ensure a smooth transition for the Fourth Generation. What better way than to move Tetsumaru far from Konoha, completely out of the public eye?
After two weeks in the hospital, Tetsumaru's wounds healed, and he was discharged to recuperate at home.
His convalescence leave was two months. His father, Wafu, forbade him from cooking, training, or "playing" with the Giant Wind-Bug or even the Mantis in the village. Bored to tears, Tetsumaru spent his days poring over Sealing Jutsu scrolls.
The fact that the Raikage had nearly been taken down by a Nine-Mountain Seal had made a massive impression on him. It turned out that the most powerful thing in the ninja world was Sealing Jutsu; every top-tier ninja had a mastery of it.
Sealing Jutsu wasn't picky about energy, either. It could use chakra or natural energy, and it could touch upon time and space. It was the peak of high-level theory. Tetsumaru realized he had to learn it—to master it and internalize it. It was both a trump card against enemies and a shield against being sealed himself.
Most importantly, Sealing Jutsu followed the path of runes. Mastering it would provide invaluable data for his own research into Chakra Runes.
But damn, it was hard. It was harder than learning organic chemistry from scratch.
While Tetsumaru was painfully grinding through the scrolls, the man he had been waiting for—Lord Hokage—finally came knocking.
Having sensed the Hokage approaching alone via his Domain, Tetsumaru didn't make a scene. He waited for the knock to startle Wafu, who hurried to open the door and ushered the lone Hokage inside.
Once a trembling Aburame Wafu led the Hokage to his seat, Tetsumaru served a cup of freshly brewed, fragrant floral tea.
Sarutobi Hiruzen caught the refreshing scent and took a deep breath before taking a sip. A satisfied smile spread across his face. After drinking half the cup in one go, he set it down and praised it. "Excellent tea. The fragrance is bright and the aftertaste lingers. What kind is it?"
"It's a spring tea I picked in the Land of Tea, roasted with jasmine. It's not worth much. I brought quite a bit back with me; if you like it, Lord Hokage, I can give you a few pounds."
"Most impressive. I think I'll take you up on that."
The Hokage stared at the teacup, lost in thought. He remembered Nara Shikato's comprehensive analysis and suggestions regarding Tetsumaru. Despite seeing the signs for himself, Hiruzen still found it hard to believe.
"Lord Hokage, as bizarre as it sounds, Aburame Tetsumaru is an exceptionally mature and steady ninja. I believe he will understand your concerns."
"Based on information from Lord Orochimaru, Tetsumaru is a master of long-term planning. It's likely he has already prepared his next move and chosen his destination."
"So, go talk to him directly. You don't need to worry too much."
"If I'm right, he will even drop hints—perhaps by serving you a specialty from the place he wants to go."
Just as Nara Shikato had guessed, Tetsumaru not only knew why the Hokage had come but had already provided his solution: he was willing to leave the village and take up a permanent post in the Land of Tea to the south.
But was this real? The boy was only eighteen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took several more sips of tea to steady himself, then let out a sigh. "The Land of Tea really is a wonderful place."
"It is. Warm climate, humid air... a place where you can face the ocean and watch the sunrise every day," Tetsumaru agreed, nodding. "The only downside is that it's a bit far from Konoha."
He glanced toward a corner of the room and added, "But distance has its benefits. No one to disturb you. You can study in peace."
Hiruzen paused, following Tetsumaru's gaze to the stacks of scrolls labeled "Seal" piled in the corner. He immediately understood the subtext.
The Hokage nodded repeatedly, praising Tetsumaru's dedication to learning.
They chatted about unrelated topics for a while longer. Hiruzen even complained about how naughty his youngest son was, saying he'd be satisfied if the boy had even half of Tetsumaru's scholarly spirit.
After three cups of tea, the Hokage took his leave. Wafu saw him to the door and returned with a look of utter confusion.
The village was at war. There were a million things for the Hokage to handle; rumor had it he only slept three hours a day. For such a busy man to spend an hour chatting about trivialities was incomprehensible. Even if he wanted to reassure his son, this wasn't the way to do it. It was too strange.
Tetsumaru raised an eyebrow but didn't enlighten his father. The deal was struck; there was no need to make his family worry further.
The Hokage didn't seem worried at all about the prospect of a semi-independent warlord. Perhaps because there had never been a period of a unified empire in their history, the leadership lacked a certain wariness toward distant, economically independent military forces.
This was perfect. Once he established his roots in the Land of Tea, he would achieve semi-autonomy—answering the call to duty, but ruling his own domain.
In the days that followed, Tetsumaru handed his study tasks to his shadow clones while he began preparing for his long journey.
He bought massive quantities of daily necessities and general merchandise. He organized his laboratories and packed his experimental equipment. He continued "exploring" the secret vaults of various clans to "borrow" some supplies. And he made sure to pay a visit to Root's warehouses, helping them account for some "logistical shrinkage."
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