"Danzo-sama, that's how it is. Please forgive me, Danzo-sama. If we hadn't done that, it would have been very difficult for us to return."
In the dimly lit halls of Konoha's Root base, Hidezawa stood stiffly, bowing his head with perfect humility. The oppressive silence of the underground chamber pressed against his skin. Torches burned along the walls, their weak flames throwing long, shifting shadows across the pale stone. Outside the chamber, the faint sound of thud—thud—thud echoed as Root operatives trained, their strikes mechanical, devoid of individuality.
Beside him, Aburame Tatsuma's emotionless eyes followed the exchange, while the silent Root guards loomed like statues. It reminded Hidezawa that in this place, even the walls seemed to breathe Shimura Danzo's will. 'Best to be obedient here, until the chance comes to turn the tables.'
Danzo himself sat on his seat, hands tucked inside his robes. His expression was calm, but his single visible eye burned with calculation. To Hidezawa's sharp perception, it looked startlingly similar to Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze—except colder, sharper, and somehow more surprised.
Danzo was indeed surprised.
Yakushi Kabuto's report had been impressive enough, but hearing the same from Hidezawa's mouth confirmed it: this boy had gone into the Land of Wind and flipped Sunagakure upside down, all while letting Danzo's name hang over the chaos like a storm cloud.
A lesser subordinate, Danzo would have punished for recklessness. But this? This was cunning.
From Konoha's perspective, sabotaging Sunagakure's fragile peace with the Kirigakure stripped Rasa of his bargaining chip against Iwagakure. A weakened Sunagakure was a controllable Sunagakure—far easier to herd into Konoha's camp. No one in the council could argue that.
And personally… Danzo still bore the scars of the Third Great Ninja War, the humiliation Rasa had brought him. For Hidezawa to dangle Ebizo as a potential "ally" in all this? Even better. Ebizo hadn't agreed, of course—too cautious, too shrewd—but the seed had been planted.
Danzo's fingers flexed beneath his cloak. 'Could even I have arranged this so efficiently?'
Finally, his voice cut through the stillness. "No. You did very well. Exceptionally well."
Hidezawa kept his face carefully composed, though inside, irritation stirred. "Exceptionally well", but when Danzo continued, the praise soured.
"Your growth satisfies me. Your strategy is sound. As for your mission, her living is more valuable, so it can be considered completed."
'Considered?'
Hidezawa's eye twitched. 'Damn it, I practically carried Sunagakure on my back, and it's only "considered" a completion?' He wanted to curse aloud.
Before he could, his interface flickered.
[Mission Completed: Eliminate Pakura]
[Mission Evaluation: S]
[Reward: 5 Free Points]
[Due to completing a high-difficulty mission, special reward obtained]
[Danzo's Wind Style]
Hidezawa blinked, then smoothed his face into a respectful mask. He bowed slightly. "Thank you, Danzo-sama."
Inwardly, however, his grin stretched wide. The special reward wasn't perfect—Wind-style wasn't his strongest affinity—but five free points in one go? That was a jackpot. 'So the harder the mission, the higher the evaluation, the more points I rake in. Perfect.'
Before, he had treated Root missions like wage labor under a stingy boss. 'Why risk my life if Danzo barely hands out allowances?' He had coasted along as the "intern", tagging along with teams, doing just enough to survive.
But now? Now he saw the system's rules clearly. Risk equaled points. And points equaled power.
Danzo's voice interrupted his calculation. "Also, I will not pursue Kabuto's matter. He contributed to this incident as well."
Hidezawa blinked. 'So the snake got off lightly, huh?'
"But you must remember—Root must abide by Root's rules. Understand?"
"Yes, Danzo-sama." Hidezawa bowed, repeating it with just enough deference to soothe the old man's pride.
For a moment, Danzo's gaze seemed to wander, as though remembering another troublesome subordinate—Kinoe, perhaps. The ghost of a frown crossed his lips. Then he waved his hand.
"You may leave. Kabuto should have returned by now. Meet him. The subsequent liaison mission with Sunagakure will fall to you."
Hidezawa suppressed a sigh. "I understand. This subordinate will take his leave."
He had wanted to leave long ago. Trading words with Danzo was like wrestling with shadows—pointless, exhausting, and best avoided. Besides, his curiosity about the new rewards was clawing at him.
As he stepped out of the Root chamber and up toward the faint daylight leaking through the stone corridors, he mused. 'Of course Danzo won't go himself. Not after the Rain incident, when Nagato slaughtered half his best men. Until he slaps a Hokage hat on his head—"the Fifth-and-a-Half Hokage", perhaps—he won't dare step outside Konoha again.'
The thought almost made him laugh. Instead, he muttered under his breath, quoting, "The former king began the enterprise but died exhausted halfway…"
Outside the gate of the Root base, the air felt less suffocating. He slipped into the shadow of a tree, finally letting his mask drop. 'Now let's see what the system gave me.'
"I got another five free points… this is really a sudden windfall!"
His pulse quickened as he pulled up the panel. Rarely did missions hand out more than two or three points. Five was cause for celebration. But now came the hard part: allocation.
"First, raise Yang Style to LV2. Then pour the rest into Chakra reserves."
The decision locked in. Power surged through him, his body warming, his chakra coils swelling.
[Shigen Hidezawa]
[Overall Physical Attributes: LV7]
[Chakra: LV7]
[Abilities: Cursed Seal LV3, Yin Release LV3,Yang Release LV2, (omitted)…]
[Free Points: 0]
Hidezawa clenched his fist, marveling at the vitality thrumming through him. His body felt sturdier, his chakra smoother. His perception sharper. 'Now… am I at elite-jōnin level? At least in physique, I might already be beyond many of them.'
As for the special reward—[Danzo's Wind Style]—Hidezawa chuckled quietly. "So it's basically a targeted version of Ninja World Dr. A shortcut, but only for Wind-style."
Not bad. In fact, it was perfect timing. He needed Wind-style to build toward Scorch-style. Supplement that with Fire-style, and he might finally open the path.
He smirked. "The Land of Wind taught me one thing—without versatile ninjutsu, I'll be pinned down in the wrong terrain. This patch fills the hole nicely."
He stretched his shoulders, gaze turning thoughtful. 'Once I've sharpened my jutsu enough, I'll push my body again. If I really am walking toward Ashura's path… then I want to see how far I can go.'
The thought lit fire in his chest. Ashura's power—Yang incarnate, infinite growth, a body that defied limits. 'Why should Naruto have a monopoly on that?'
He grinned, whispering to himself, "Step aside, Uzumaki Naruto. I'll be the next Ashura."
Clenching his fists, Hidezawa made up his mind.
But just then, a familiar figure approached—Yakushi Kabuto, clad now in ordinary Konoha attire, glasses glinting under the afternoon light, walking toward him.
*****
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