"But Orochimaru remains an uncontrollable factor."
Fu Yamanaka voiced his concern. He'd worked under Danzo for years and had crossed paths with Orochimaru more than once.
That man always wore a cynical smile, yet Fu could sense an even more terrifying threat from him than from Danzo.
"Don't forget—we still have our ace up the sleeve."
Danzo cleared his throat twice, as though prompting Fu to remember something.
Fu's eyes flickered slightly.
"You mean—"
"That's right. When the time comes, I'll unleash it."
"But wouldn't that make the village even more unstable?"
"It's during chaos that people cling to power—when they'll finally give me the authority I deserve."
As he spoke, Danzo turned his gaze deep into the underground bunker. Beneath layers of staircases, the sound of chains sliding echoed faintly.
A soft but ominous clanking drifted through the air.
"Oh, by the way, I heard that the Shiki Uzumaki boy has been doing well."
Danzo withdrew his greedy stare and turned his attention back to Fu.
To be continued.
Chapter 186: Danzo's Reflections
"I've heard the young Shiki Uzumaki has been showing impressive performance,"
Danzo suddenly remarked. Fu wasn't surprised.
"Yes, that child has surpassed all the geniuses of his year, including Sasuke Uchiha, whom Orochimaru favored. Even Neji Hyuga, the Hyuga clan's prodigy, can't match him now."
Fu's tone carried a trace of amazement—he'd left a deep impression during their past battle.
Opening the Limit Gate—the Fifth Gate of the Body—and pushing a Jonin to such a desperate situation was simply unimaginable.
However, after learning that Shiki Uzumaki's meridians were nearly destroyed, Fu became more composed.
If every child who hadn't even graduated from the Academy could somehow temporarily rival or surpass a Jonin,
the entire Ninja World would fall into chaos, with countless people raising young warriors to fight and die.
The injury Shiki Uzumaki suffered was only natural.
Although during that battle, Shiki had injured him as well, for Fu, those were trivial matters.
His sole purpose was completing the mission assigned by Danzo. Injuries were simply part of what should be expected. Had Shiki become one of Root afterward, he wouldn't have given it a second thought.
Upon hearing Fu's words, Danzo fell into brief recollection. Back then, the boy's talent had indeed been extraordinary. Driven by his obsession with acquiring tools and weapons, he couldn't help but try to turn him into another tool.
But now, Shiki Uzumaki had not fallen into despair because of this.
Instead, he made full use of all his resources to grow stronger.
Still, one question lingered deeply in Danzo's mind—who exactly had helped the boy back then?
Though he initially suspected the Third's involvement, upon further reflection, he realized that the person who helped Shiki Uzumaki divert attention back then wasn't among the Third's subordinates—it must have been someone else.
Someone capable of effortlessly obstructing a Jonin and a group of Chunin certainly wasn't an ordinary figure.
Yet no matter how much he pondered, he could find no answer. In the end, he still had to attribute it to the Third.
But now, he had just heard some news—whether it was good or not remained uncertain.
"Shiki Uzumaki went to seek treatment from Princess Tsunade, didn't he?"
Danzo asked in a cold tone. This information had already reached him a month ago through reports.
Right now, he simply wanted to learn more about how this situation was developing.
Fu Yamanaka gave a slight nod. "Yes, that's correct. However, we haven't received any updates so far."
"Today is the day of the official Chunin Exam matches. In Hayate Gekko's team, two genin are participating—how come they still haven't returned yet?"
Danzo questioned suspiciously. Everything about this seemed both unnatural and strange. After all, for genin, the Chunin Exams should be an extremely important event.
Unless...
Danzo had already thought of an answer, or rather, his question earlier was merely rhetorical—he asked himself.
Still, he silently waited for Fu Yamanaka to provide a response.
Indeed, as he said, he couldn't carry the burden of Root forever.
Once he completed his great deeds that would shake the Ninja World, there still needed to be someone to carry on the legacy of Konoha.
For now, however, he had no suitable candidates. It seemed as if everyone in the village had been indoctrinated with Sarutobi Hiruzen's way of thinking.
If he were to choose a successor sharing his ideology, he might only have to choose between Fu Yamanaka and Torune Aburame.
But compared to Torune Aburame, he preferred Fu Yamanaka instead.
That child, Torune, seemed to lean toward Hiruzen's way of thinking. At the very least, his legacy shouldn't fall into hands like that.
Fu Yamanaka, on the other hand, was his most preferred choice.
Because Fu Yamanaka, just like himself, was willing to go to any lengths necessary to accomplish his goals. Only a man with such strong methods could ensure Konoha's reputation struck fear across the land.
Fu Yamanaka was indeed thinking hard. Gradually, he came up with an explanation, and thus spoke:
"In the last few days of this month, Hayate Gekko's team finally found Tsunade-sama. Therefore, the treatment could only commence at this time. Compared to the Chunin Exams, Shiki Uzumaki's injuries are naturally more important."
This explanation made perfect sense. After all, the Chunin Exams took place twice a year. Relative to Shiki Uzumaki's condition, missing one occurrence held little consequence.
"Hmm. That consideration isn't bad. This also suggests one thing—that Tsunade has agreed to treat Shiki Uzumaki."
"Shall we eliminate him?"
Fu Yamanaka cautiously asked. From events two or three years ago alone, it had become clear that Shiki Uzumaki would never serve Lord Danzo.
Moreover, those past incidents had clearly made the boy hate Lord Danzo.
Even though he was still very weak, Root had no qualms about eliminating even the slightest potential threat in advance.
"No, Feng, you still don't see the big picture."
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