In the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Konoha leadership was once again arguing over the issue of Naruto.
"Naruto's strength is too great!" Naruto and Itachi's simple clash had already been noticed by the higher-ups. In their minds, Itachi Uchiha, with his Kage-level strength, was definitely one of Konoha's top shinobi. The power of his Sharingan was enough to make anyone wary. Even the Third Hokage was not confident he could defeat Itachi.
And yet, such a powerhouse had come out on the losing end of a confrontation with Naruto. It was hard to imagine just how strong Naruto was.
"Danzo, have you not been paying attention to Naruto's progress? When he first joined Root, he was barely at the Jonin level," the one-armed Third Hokage demanded, his face dark. His eyes were filled with anxiety and anger. He had handed his most perfect creation over to Danzo, only to find that Danzo had been completely negligent.
Hearing this, Danzo's expression turned ugly. From the reports of various missions, Naruto's strength should have been at the elite Jonin level at most. When had he become strong enough to be on equal footing with a Kage-level shinobi? And his opponent was Itachi Uchiha, no less. One had to know, even he was wary of Itachi!
"So, Danzo, you should just let Naruto join the ANBU. You can't control him," Tsunade said with a cold laugh, crossing her ample chest. "Your methods won't work on him."
On the matter of handling Naruto, Tsunade and the Third Hokage were in agreement. They wanted Naruto to integrate into Konoha and inherit the Will of Fire. It was just that the Third Hokage's previous methods had been too despicable for Tsunade's liking.
Faced with the questioning, Danzo's face was extremely grim.
"I will handle this matter properly," he snorted, before turning and storming out.
His rude behavior made both Tsunade and the Third Hokage frown.
"Old man, it seems your old friend is getting more and more audacious," Tsunade said, her eyes turning cold. "If Root's power is not divided, Konoha will never be strong."
Tsunade did not hide her thoughts. After the deaths and defections of one Kage-level shinobi after another, she had long since developed a killing intent towards Danzo. It was just that no one knew Danzo's true strength, nor did they know what tricks he had up his sleeve. A suspicious man who lurked in the darkness, constantly absorbing power, would surely have all sorts of backup plans.
In recent years, Jiraiya had also gathered some information about Root. He knew very well that Konoha's Root possessed one of the top intelligence networks in the ninja world, and that it was completely loyal to Danzo. Making a move against Danzo would not be easy.
Vwoom.
In the forest, a gentle breeze blew, and a figure flitted past like a ghost. The branches he stepped on didn't even tremble.
Naruto looked at the test tube in his hand, which was filled with a pink, fleshy substance, and a smirk unconsciously touched his lips. After a long moment, he put the test tube back in his pocket and continued on his way.
Soon, Konoha was in sight.
After showing his identification, Naruto walked into the village. Before him were the bustling streets and the villagers coming and going. The scene made Naruto feel a bit dazed. The Konoha of this moment overlapped with the Konoha of the other world. Back then, he had brought despair and destruction to the arena. Now, he was entering Konoha as one of its own.
It was truly a lamentable state of affairs.
The feeling of unreality made him sigh. If he were to truly leave Konoha and return as an enemy, what would he feel then? At that time, he would surely achieve his goal without hesitation. If Konoha stood in his way… then let it be destroyed.
Naruto walked with a firm stride towards the Root headquarters. Along the way, quite a few villagers greeted him. His years of disguise had not been in vain; a small portion of the villagers' attitude towards him had greatly improved.
Arriving at the Root headquarters, he found himself in the same familiar, dark room. But Naruto keenly sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
In the darkness, Danzo sat in his high seat, his shadowy eyes filled with suspicion and doubt. Although he knew that the mission assigned to Naruto might not have been difficult enough to require his full strength, and so it was understandable that he didn't know Naruto's true power. But! He was Naruto's master! Shouldn't a student report his training progress?
When Naruto stood before him, Danzo said in a low voice, "How did the mission go?"
Naruto took out a piece of intelligence paper. "That mysterious Kage-level shinobi in the Sand Village is very secretive. Even I couldn't gather enough useful information. This is everything I've learned. If I had investigated any deeper, I would have been discovered."
Taking the report, Danzo glanced over it briefly. It contained a rough description of Shukaku's appearance, his daily routine, and so on. Danzo tapped his fingers on the armrest, his brow furrowed.
"Did that Kage-level shinobi not notice anything unusual?" he asked, looking into Naruto's azure blue eyes, hoping to see some sign of panic.
But he was destined to be disappointed. Naruto's eyes were as calm as a placid lake.
"Because of my Kekkei Genkai, my control over my chakra is much more precise than that of an ordinary ninja. Coupled with my extreme caution, I was not discovered," Naruto said, neither servile nor overbearing.
Danzo nodded thoughtfully. Originally, the purpose of giving this mission to Naruto was to probe his true strength. He hadn't expected Naruto to be so cautious. He was indeed an excellent ninja. It was just a pity that such a ninja was extremely difficult to control.
"Has your strength already reached the Kage level?" he asked, putting down the report, his question direct.
"My sensory abilities have," Naruto said after a moment's hesitation, a thoughtful look on his face. "My resistance to genjutsu seems to be very strong. Ordinary genjutsu no longer has any effect on me."
Hearing this, Danzo roughly understood. Naruto's Kekkei Genkai was a genjutsu-type Kekkei Genkai. Therefore, his resistance to genjutsu was stronger. That was how he had been able to break Tsukuyomi and cause Itachi Uchiha to suffer a backlash.
He looked deeply at Naruto and asked, "Did you encounter any special situations during your mission?"
"I encountered Itachi Uchiha. After breaking his genjutsu, I went on to carry out my mission," Naruto replied.
"Your Kekkei Genkai seems to have a very good resistance to genjutsu. Go to the laboratory and give a tube of blood. We have to give the ANBU an explanation. Itachi is a Kage-level rogue ninja of Konoha. After you broke his Tsukuyomi, the Third Hokage and the others have been putting pressure on me, demanding that I collect your cells for research and comparison, to prove that your Kekkei Genkai has the ability to resist Tsukuyomi."
Danzo's face showed a look of guilt, and his voice was somewhat low. "If I were the Hokage, I could definitely protect you," he said, his voice even choking up slightly.
It was as if he was saying that he regarded Naruto as his own son, that he had painstakingly cultivated him to become a great powerhouse. But he had never expected that the political struggles would be so unscrupulous, that they would even covet his own student. Danzo was sad, disbelieving, and even guilty. A mixture of emotions made the old man seem to have aged even more.
"I understand, Master," Naruto's mood also became somewhat downcast. "Master, I have always wanted to protect Konoha," he emphasized. He looked like a wronged boy who had dedicated himself to Konoha, only to be misunderstood.
"I know, I know everything. Master will always believe in you," Danzo said, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears as he gently patted Naruto's hand, showing his understanding.
He took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry. With me here, they won't be able to hurt you."
"This experiment is not a bad thing for you. Our Root laboratory can also begin research on your Kekkei Genkai. As long as we master the mysteries of your Kekkei Genkai, we will have the opportunity to develop a potion that can enhance it. It will be nothing but beneficial for you."
Danzo wiped the murky tears from the corners of his eyes and returned to his usual demeanor.
"I understand. I will do it," Naruto said, also returning to his calm demeanor.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
A picture of fatherly love and filial piety.
Naruto followed the directions to a special laboratory, left a small vial of blood, and then left without a second thought. Behind him, the laboratory researchers immediately stored his blood, their movements extremely careful. If they made a mistake, they would be punished by Lord Danzo.
After receiving the news that the blood had been successfully collected, Danzo couldn't help but laugh out loud in his room. From the past to the present, he had been researching various Kekkei Genkai. From the First Hokage's Wood Release to the Uchiha's Sharingan, and now to Naruto's mysterious Kekkei Genkai, his entire life had been a pursuit of more powerful Kekkei Genkai to integrate into his own body.
He unwrapped the bandages on his arm, revealing the densely packed Sharingan beneath, his eyes wild. He had always believed that the power of the Sharingan was second only to the Wood Release. But he had never expected that Tsukuyomi, a Mangekyo technique just like Kotoamatsukami, would be defeated by Naruto. According to the intelligence, Tsukuyomi had been broken in an instant, and Itachi Uchiha had suffered a huge backlash. And Naruto… was completely unharmed!
As long as he possessed Naruto's Kekkei Genkai, Danzo was confident that he would be invincible in the ninja world! For the sake of a Kekkei Genkai, what did it matter if he sacrificed a student?
But he had no idea that Naruto had already seen through his every intention.
He walked out of the Root headquarters, strolling leisurely under the sun, a playful smile on his lips as he hummed a little tune. It was a sunny, cheerful scene, yet it sent a chill down one's spine.
"My blood is not so easy to research."
Naruto's blood contained Reiatsu.
Hollows contained Reiatsu.
The result of the research was obvious.
Naruto looked up at the brilliant sun, a joyful curve to his lips.
It seemed… Konoha was eager to welcome the flying sparks.