In a dim, underground chamber, Danzo and Orochimaru met.
"This place of yours isn't half bad," Orochimaru commented with a smile, his eyes scanning the surroundings from his chair.
"It's decent enough. It took me quite a bit of effort, after all," Danzo said, coughing twice as he settled into his own chair, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"If your injuries haven't fully healed, I suggest you check into the hospital for a few days. I can handle this mission on my own."
"There's no need. A minor wound like this isn't worth my concern." Danzo glanced at Orochimaru. "Alright, let's get down to it. Where should we start with developing a jutsu to suppress the Nine-Tails?"
"I gave it some thought last night. There are two relatively easy approaches," Orochimaru said, holding up two fingers. "First, naturally, is sealing jutsu. Back when Lady Mito was alive, the Nine-Tails was remarkably well-behaved."
"Unfortunately, the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed by an unknown party, and its most important sealing jutsu scrolls were plundered. Now, only Nawaki has received Lady Mito's true teachings."
"Therefore, we could have Nawaki transcribe the sealing jutsu scrolls. From that foundation, we could develop more sealing techniques and cultivate a specialized Sealing Corps. Not only would this be effective against the Nine-Tails, but it could also be used to handle the Tailed Beasts of other nations."
Danzo nodded. "This would be extremely beneficial for Konoha. I will speak to Hiruzen about it."
"The second method," Orochimaru continued, "is Wood Style."
"Wood Style? The technique that only the First Hokage could master?"
"Precisely. According to the data I have, Wood Style has the ability to suppress a Tailed Beast's chakra. If we could master the training methods for Wood Style and cultivate our own Wood Style users in Konoha, would we still need to fear the threat of the Tailed Beasts?"
"Don't think you're the only clever one, Orochimaru," Danzo said gravely. "Lord Second Hokage conducted countless studies on Wood Style. However, none were successful."
"Heh. That's likely because Lord Second didn't wish to desecrate his own brother's body."
"You mean..." Danzo's eyes narrowed. "Hiruzen would never agree to that."
"Oh, but he will, Sensei. He values the village more than anything else," Orochimaru said with a smile. "As long as it's for the good of Konoha, he would even sacrifice himself."
"...Very well. I will speak to Hiruzen."
"I look forward to your good news." Orochimaru stood up and turned to leave.
"Aren't you coming with me?"
"No, I have another mission to attend to."
After watching Orochimaru depart, Danzo pressed a hand against the bandaged half of his body and murmured, "If it's Wood Style..."
Meanwhile, Kaito and Tsunade were strolling through Konoha.
He had refused Tsunade's request to stop by a gambling den, and as a result, she was sulking.
Suddenly, Kaito pointed to a symbol on a nearby wall that resembled a fan. "That's the clan crest of the famous Uchiha clan, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Tsunade nodded. "The Uchiha clan's residential district is over there."
"The Uchiha's Sharingan is renowned throughout the shinobi world, but I've never seen it for myself. Could you take me to pay them a visit?" Kaito asked.
Naruto might as well be called the Legend of the Eyeballs. The Sharingan was such a crucial element throughout the entire story; naturally, he was incredibly curious and wanted to experience its power firsthand.
"You want to go in there?" Tsunade was clearly hesitant. "I don't really have any connections with the Uchiha clan. This feels a bit... awkward."
"What's so awkward about it? Aren't you the Princess of Konoha?"
With that, Kaito turned and walked straight down the lane.
"Hey!" Resigned, Tsunade had no choice but to follow him.
The Uchiha district was noticeably quieter than other parts of the village. Even as noon approached, there were few shops open along the streets. The Uchiha clan members who passed by from time to time all gave the two strangers curious looks.
Kaito paid their stares no mind and walked straight ahead, leaving Tsunade momentarily stunned.
"Where are you trying to go?"
"To chat with the Uchiha clan head, of course."
"And you know the way?"
"You just have to look at the scale of the houses. The biggest, most luxurious one is bound to be it."
"..."
After a few minutes of walking, they found themselves before a residence no less grand than Tsunade's own. The length of its outer wall alone was several times wider than the street.
"See? Didn't I find it?" Kaito smiled faintly and walked up to knock on the large gate.
With a creak, the gate quickly opened, and a young woman in a kimono-style outfit appeared before them. "Welcome, honored guests. Please, come in," she said respectfully.
"Let's go." Kaito gestured with his eyes for Tsunade to follow as he confidently took the lead, following the young woman into a spacious hall.
A stern-faced middle-aged man in a black, high-collared coat was kneeling on a cushion. Seeing them, he gave a slight nod. "Please, sit. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Jonin Tsunade?" His speech was stiff and formal; he was clearly a serious, traditional man.
"Clan Head Tajima, it wasn't my idea to come here this time," Tsunade said, pointing at Kaito. "He is an honored guest of Konoha. He heard of the Uchiha clan's great name and wished to pay a special visit."
"I see." The clan head turned to look at Kaito and nodded. "A pleasure to meet you. I am the head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Tajima."
"A pleasure, Clan Head Tajima. I am Kaito." Influenced by their formal demeanor, Kaito also became polite. "I have come today with a request."
"Please, speak."
"I would like to have a friendly spar with one of your clan members to experience the power of the Sharingan."
Upon hearing such a request, Uchiha Tajima couldn't help but frown. "A spar?"
"Yes. Isn't it through sparring and battle that ninjutsu is progressively perfected? Or does Clan Head Tajima disagree with that view?"
"Of course not." Uchiha Tajima glanced at Tsunade, then nodded. "Since Sir Kaito is an honored guest of Konoha, we will naturally satisfy such a small request."
With that, he clapped his hands lightly, and two figures abruptly appeared at his side. One was a young man who bore a slight resemblance to Uchiha Tajima, only much younger; the other was a beautiful girl with long, purple hair.
Uchiha Tajima looked at the young man. "Fugaku, you will have a friendly match with Sir Kaito."
"Yes, sir!"
'Sasuke's old man, Uchiha Fugaku?' Kaito sized up the young man before him with great interest, lamenting inwardly that time truly was a cruel master.
In his youth, Uchiha Fugaku was also a handsome young man, just with a slightly more serious face. He was like a completely different person from the man he would become twenty years later.
"He looks so much like you, Clan Head Tajima."
"Fugaku is my son."
"Oh, I see."
"I believe Fugaku is only a chunin, right?" Tsunade interjected. "Perhaps you should pick someone stronger?"
"No need. It's just a spar. I'll hold back," Kaito said, flatly refusing.
There was no way he was going to pass up this golden opportunity to beat up Fugaku.