I’m Not Naruto, But I Got a Better Bloodline

While Kitagawa Gen continued pestering Kakashi in the hospital room, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat silently, lost in thought as he read over a set of documents.

"That boy… is he really that interesting?"

He'd witnessed Deidara's behavior yesterday with his own eyes, and hadn't intervened when Naruto ran into him.

After all, Naruto would eventually need to stand on his own as a shinobi. It wasn't a bad thing for him to get some firsthand experience with how other villages trained their ninja.

But still… those two really caused that much chaos?

"And Ōnoki's planning to send Kitsuchi over for talks too?"

He flipped through another document—one that had arrived overnight. It clearly laid out Iwagakure's intentions.

That at least brought some satisfaction. Kitsuchi was Ōnoki's son; his presence would serve as both a diplomatic gesture and a show of sincerity.

"I just hope… we can get more intel out of this. Though in the end, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe. He fully intended to dig deeper into Iwagakure's dealings—but he also knew full well that there were things they would never willingly share.

And Deidara? There was no way they'd be able to keep him here long-term. At best, they could extract what they could while he was still around.

Fortunately, Deidara had already shared some useful intelligence—and Jiraiya had returned with critical information of his own.

"—Hiruzen, you called for me?"

The doors suddenly burst open, and Shimura Danzō strode in with a scowl.

"You're here. Have a seat."

Hiruzen barely reacted, not even bothered by the fact that Danzō didn't so much as address him as 'Hokage.' At this point, he was used to it.

"If you've got something to say, say it. I still need to get back to intelligence work."

Danzō raised an eyebrow, his tone curt and annoyed.

"That organization is dangerous and complex—I don't have time to waste on anything else."

Not that he was actually that passionate about the mission. It was just that last time, he'd gone out of his way to send Jiraiya off somewhere… and it had amounted to nothing.

Now Jiraiya had returned from Iwagakure with a pile of achievements—and Danzō could feel the ground shifting beneath him.

If things kept going this way, he'd lose the advantage.

"Well then, since you're so motivated…"

Hiruzen nodded, drawing a long breath. His tone dropped slightly.

"There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead."

Danzō nodded in satisfaction, instantly switching into 'business mode'—but the very next second, his expression turned crimson with heat.

"Are you familiar with Hanzo the Salamander?"

"…"

That damned name—Danzō knew it far too well.

Even now, the events in the Land of Rain remained vivid in his memory. His entire Root division had been destroyed precisely because of Hanzo's schemes.

If Hanzo hadn't had the sense to remember that the explosive confrontation was happening on his own turf—and voluntarily stayed behind to deal with that lunatic—

Who knows? They might've ended up fleeing side by side, howling all the way.

"Why are you asking about that guy?"

Even though Danzō's fists had clenched tight, he still did his best to rein in his emotions.

"Because this investigation… involves Hanzo."

Hiruzen knew about some of the things between Danzō and Hanzo. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to him.

"Jiraiya and the others paid a visit to Iwagakure. There, they ran into some rather… interesting individuals. But to confirm a few details, we need to cross-check with Hanzo."

Jiraiya again.

Hanzo alone had already made Danzō's blood boil, and now Jiraiya too? He could hardly contain his fury. Couldn't there be just one piece of good news?

Even now, he vividly remembered the day he walked into the office—only to hear Hiruzen saying to Jiraiya: 'The Hokage position is yours.'

Why didn't you ever say that to me?

He was beginning to seriously suspect that Hiruzen had only called him here just to disgust him.

And yet… what could he do? He wasn't the Hokage.

"Hanzo has been in seclusion in Amegakure. I have no way of contacting him."

"But weren't you two quite close over a decade ago?"

"…"

"So, can't you find a way? There are some matters I need to consult him about."

"…"

Shimura Danzō's breathing grew heavy. What he really wanted to say was: That was then. This is now!

If he could, he'd strangle that bastard Hanzo with his own hands.

He had poured years of effort into building Root, only to destroy it in order to gain that bastard's support, and in the end—

'Wait a minute—could it be!?'

Suddenly, Danzō remembered the intelligence sent from the Fourth Mizukage's side.

A man with orange hair. A woman with blue hair…

That scene—it looked exactly like those people from back then.

'No… that can't be right. Wasn't the one who died the orange-haired guy?'

Danzō still remembered the events clearly, but the faces… didn't quite line up.

Wasn't it the redhead who survived?

"Do you know something?"

Hiruzen asked while tapping his pipe, frowning in suspicion. "Why do I get the feeling that you…"

"Hmph. I'm just thinking—what if that guy is dead after all?"

Danzō shook his head decisively. Though a flicker of unease crossed his heart, his expression remained cold.

"According to the intel, he's been living in complete seclusion for years. Doesn't show his face at all. It's entirely possible that he's already dead."

If Hanzo were dead, Amegakure would certainly keep it under wraps. After all, the Land of Rain was still considered a strategic zone.

Not only did it border multiple smaller nations, but it also lay adjacent to the three great countries of Wind, Fire, and Earth. Without Hanzo, what would become of that land? The very thought was unsettling.

"That is possible," Hiruzen muttered, his brows knitting together. "But we still need to try—just in case."

"Danzō, about this matter—"

"Hold on. I heard Ōnoki's apprentice—Deidara—is currently in Konoha?"

Danzō finally lost control and cut him off.

This was something he could act on, yes. But he would not make any promises—and he would never accept it as an order.

No one understood better than he did what kind of wretched mess the Land of Rain really was.

"Hm? Yes, that's right. Why?"

Hiruzen blinked, a hint of alertness rising in his tone. But Danzō replied flatly: "I propose we keep him here."

"Are you out of your mind?"

Hiruzen's face changed instantly. But Danzō only shook his head calmly.

"He came here of his own accord. We didn't detain him. And Ōnoki holds him in high regard. If that's the case, we shouldn't discard this card so easily."

"No. How many times have I said it—don't just think short-term. Detaining him isn't the solution. The shinobi world needs peace. Don't you understand that?"

"Iwagakure has never been friendly toward us. Using him as leverage against Ōnoki—what's wrong with that?"

"I said no! We're not doing this!"

"You haven't changed. Still just as soft. Whether it's the Uchiha back then or now—sooner or later, you'll regret it!"

"Enough! I am the Hokage!"

"Hmph."

Danzō seemed genuinely infuriated. With a sharp turn, he made to leave.

"Do as you please. I'll see what I can do about Hanzo—but I'm not promising anything."

[Bang—!]

The door slammed shut with force. That felt good.

He'd not only disgusted his old friend, but also avoided having any direct orders imposed on him.

Even if, deep down, he felt rather disgusted himself…

"But how am I supposed to deal with this now?"

As he made his way toward the Root base, Danzō couldn't help but dwell on the problem.

Go to the Land of Rain and find Hanzo?

What a joke. That place was where everything had fallen apart for him—it was where Root had been buried.

And besides… he didn't even know how Hanzo felt about him anymore. Without securing his own safety first, he wasn't about to make any reckless moves.

"If we need to send someone to check it out, then…"

As he walked, a name suddenly popped into his mind.

"Maybe… I could send Orochimaru to try?"

"And it might even stir Jiraiya into action…"

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