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Hokage's Office
"Hiruzen! Uzumaki Naruto has been wasting two months at the Academy!"
Danzo's cane struck the floor with a crack. "Why indulge in such meaningless theatrics?"
Initially, he hadn't reacted to Naruto's enrollment—knowing Hiruzen would never hand the Nine-Tails' vessel to ROOT.
But Naruto's talent was monstrous.
Mastering the Three Basic Jutsu in days—a feat that took ordinary children years—coupled with terrifying chakra reserves? He was another Minato in the making.
Under Danzo's control? ROOT would flourish. The Hokage seat would be his.
"This isn't meaningless. The Academy nurtures the Will of Fire," Hiruzen exhaled smoke wearily.
(This was their fifth argument this week.)
Danzo barely resisted snarling "The Will of Fire is bullshit!"—too blatant. Instead, he pivoted:
"How do you guarantee he won't be corrupted there? What if he befriends an Uchiha? Hand him to me. I'll forge him into Konoha's ultimate weapon."
"Your prejudice blinds you!" Hiruzen's brows knitted. "The Uchiha are Konoha shinobi—not enemies."
"Do you even believe that?" Danzo's sneer was venomous. "Who controlled the Nine-Tails that night? You know the Uchiha's eyes can enslave tailed beasts!"
(Decades ago, Uchiha Madara had wielded the Nine-Tails against Hashirama at Valley of the End.)
Hiruzen fell silent.
He didn't fully trust the Uchiha.
"ROOT is his only safe path," Danzo pressed. "I'll teach him the Will of Fire too."
"You can't give him friendship," Hiruzen countered. "Bonds are what truly anchor a person."
(Danzo, a loner by choice, would only create a hollow weapon. Too risky if the Nine-Tails broke free.)
"Sentimental garbage!" Danzo's face purpled with rage.
"Enough, Danzo!" Hiruzen's palm slammed the desk. "I am Hokage!"
"You'll regret this!" Danzo stormed out—literally taking the door with him.
Moments Later
"Old man, your office get robbed?" Jiraiya blinked at the doorless frame.
Hiruzen massaged his temples. "What do you want?"
"Heard you made Tsunade exam proctor. Add me in."
Jiraiya flopped onto the sofa.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed through the smoke. "You've been investigating the Uchiha and Hyūga since returning. Now this? Explain."
"Don't trust me now?" Jiraiya scowled.
(He'd been extremely discreet—but Hiruzen, if determined, could uncover anything.)
"You're the one distrusting me!" Hiruzen tapped his pipe. "Does Mount Myōboku outrank Konoha now?"
(Jiraiya's sudden interest reeked of toad prophecies. The man was an open book.)
"Of course not!" Jiraiya hesitated, then relented. "Fine. The Great Toad Sage foresaw... special eyes threatening Mount Myōboku."
(No confidentiality clause anyway.)
"Special eyes?" Hiruzen's pulse spiked.
(Hadn't he just debated Uchiha controlling tailed beasts?)
If Mangekyō Sharingan could enslave the Nine-Tails... why not others? Enough to raze Mount Myōboku?
(The Hyūga's Byakugan, though... meh.)
"So you're eyeing Itachi?" Hiruzen deduced.
"Bingo." Jiraiya sprawled lazily. "Found two anomalies—Uchiha Shisui and Itachi. Three-tomoe at their age? Their potential's terrifying. Need to assess their... temperament."
(The current Uchiha/Hyūga leadership were already plateaued.)
"Approved."
(Hiruzen also wanted to gauge Itachi/Shisui's loyalties.)
Earlier - Outside the Hokage Tower
A kunoichi intercepted Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, Orochimaru requests your presence."
"Now?" Danzo's grip tightened on the door he'd ripped off.
"He said you'd be... interested."
Danzo's rage cooled into calculation. "Lead the way."
(Their alliance began three years ago when Danzo traded Yamato for Orochimaru's support. Yet Hiruzen still clung to power.)
Orochimaru's Hideout
"Leave us, Guren." Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed.
The violet-haired kunoichi vanished.
"Well?" Danzo's tone was ice.
"A proposition." Orochimaru's tongue flicked. "I exterminate the Uchiha. In return... Shisui and Itachi's eyes."
(Desperate measures. After losing Itachi's trust and failing to steal Shisui's eye during the Cloud conflict (thanks to Sasame), Orochimaru needed new avenues.)
(Killing Sasame would anger Tsunade—a useful ally for future... contingencies.)
"You're serious?" Danzo's lone eye widened.
(He'd long coveted this but lacked justification.)
"We both crave their eyes," Orochimaru hissed. "And the Uchiha compound is overflowing."
"The logistics—"
"Hence this collaboration." Orochimaru's grin was scalpel-sharp. "Tomorrow, arrange for Uchiha Sasuke to... vanish briefly."
(*Three years observing Itachi revealed his true priorities: 1) Will of Fire, 2) Shisui/Sasuke.*)
"I'll summon Itachi under the guise of exam discussions. Shisui will likely accompany him. When conflict erupts..."
Danzo's mind raced.
(Assaulting a Sannin = treason. Even Hiruzen couldn't ignore that.)
"For Konoha's future," Danzo intoned solemnly, "sacrificing the Uchiha is a necessary price."
(His absolute conviction in this twisted logic was almost... admirable.)
Orochimaru resisted rolling his eyes.
(The Will of Fire had rotted into a tool for power grabs. Time to fan the flames.)
Academy Grounds
After Mikoto and Sasuke left, Itachi exhaled.
(Interacting with the Jinchūriki invited scrutiny.)
He bid Sasame farewell and rejoined his team.
"Big Bro, I should... get back to class." Naruto forced a smile, guilt-ridden over potentially causing trouble.
[Sasuke's Fate Shifted! +19 FP]
[Naruto's Fate Shifted! +8 FP]
As Naruto left, Tsunade arrived, spotting Sasame in his isolated corner.
"Nervous?" She settled beside him, coat flaring.
"A little." Sasame blinked up at her. "But seeing you helps."
Tsunade's fingers pinched his cheeks—so soft—before the PA system crackled:
"All examinees report to assigned classrooms. Exams begin shortly." —Jiraiya
(Wait—Jiraiya* as proctor? Since when?*)
"Sasame." Tsunade stood, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "For luck."
(...That's a debuff, right?)
"Dissatisfied?" Tsunade's smirk was lethal. "Earn your reward after passing."
Sasame's eyes ignited. "Leave it to me!"
(Tsunade's ego preened—still got it—before reality hit:)
...Did I just flirt with a ten-year-old?
First Exam Hall
Sasame tuned out Jiraiya's instructions, mind racing.
(Why replace Tsunade? Why was Jiraiya still in Konoha?)
Only one answer: Toad Mission.
The Great Toad Sage must've issued new prophecies—likely tied to Sasame's butterfly effects.
[Total Fate Points: 1,611]
(*The 3,900 FP Sage Body was distant, but a *30 FP/minute temporary version*? Worth it for emergencies.*)
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 115 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 30 power stones I will publish the next chapter.
(Give me all your power stones)