Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"Grandpa Third."

Following the ANBU, Natsuro arrived at the Third Hokage's residence. There, he saw the visibly aged Sarutobi Hiruzen, puffing on his pipe, his bald head shining faintly in the light.

"Ah, Natsuro, you've come quickly," the Third Hokage said with a warm smile upon seeing him.

"Was there something you needed from me?" Natsuro asked, already having a guess.

The Third Hokage's smile slowly faded. Exhaling a puff of smoke, he finally spoke.

"Tsunade has told me about what happened to you. No matter what, I'm just glad you came back safely."

Natsuro nodded slightly, refraining from voicing any grievances about Danzō. It wasn't that the Third didn't care about him, his concern was obvious.

However, Natsuro understood the balance of priorities. He didn't want to pit the Third Hokage's concern for him against decades of camaraderie with Danzō. No matter who came out "ahead," the result would leave both sides feeling bitter.

"Thank you for your concern, Grandpa Third. Lady Tsunade already gave me a thorough checkup," Natsuro replied, choosing to downplay his experience and avoid adding to the Third Hokage's burden.

"Good, good," Hiruzen said, nodding in relief. Still, his expression betrayed hesitation, as if there was more he wanted to say.

"Is there something else, Grandpa Third?" Natsuro asked, eager to cut the conversation short and leave.

"Natsuro, about Danzō..."

"I understand, Grandpa Third. Right now, there's no concrete evidence linking him to what happened," Natsuro interrupted, unwilling to hear any justifications or excuses for Danzō.

The Third Hokage fell silent, staring blankly at Natsuro. Ever since he was young, Natsuro had been perceptive about such matters, and now was no different.

So... has he already lost faith in me?

"If there's nothing else, Grandpa Third, I'll take my leave," Natsuro said, feeling suffocated by the atmosphere and wanting to leave.

The Third Hokage didn't respond. Natsuro bowed slightly and turned to go. Just as he opened the door, he heard the old man's voice again, raspier and heavier than before.

"Natsuro... if you do find undeniable evidence, I won't stand in your way."

Natsuro paused for a moment, turning back to look at the Third Hokage. The man seemed even older now, burdened by his own words. Natsuro nodded.

"Alright."

After Natsuro left, the Third Hokage remained seated, smoking his pipe in silence. The cycle of inhaling and exhaling smoke became almost mechanical.

For a long time, he stared out at the scenery outside his window, his gaze filled with conflict and regret.

"Why... why, Danzō?"

After leaving the Third Hokage's residence, Natsuro let out a sigh of relief. He had genuinely been worried that the Third might plead for Danzō's case. While Natsuro wouldn't have listened, such a plea would have undoubtedly strained their relationship.

The way things ended now was likely the best possible outcome.

Of course, Natsuro caught the implicit message in the Third Hokage's words: As long as there's no solid evidence, don't touch Danzō, at least not fatally.

Natsuro wasn't planning to recklessly target Danzō anyway. Under the current circumstances, the best he could do would be to cripple Danzō's operations which was a decent result, but one Natsuro found far from satisfying.

If he could, he'd prefer to take Danzō out with a single decisive blow.

Sure, Natsuro had the power to charge in and kill Danzō outright, but what would happen afterward? How would the other clans in Konoha perceive him? A tyrannical Sixth Hokage who acted on personal vendettas?

Without sufficient evidence, even if everyone suspected the truth, it wouldn't matter.

And in the aftermath, Natsuro's authority as Hokage could be questioned. He might face internal dissent, with subordinates paying him lip service but defying him in practice.

Such outcomes were unacceptable to Natsuro.

Moreover, Natsuro remembered that Danzō still had Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan. While the Mangekyō no longer posed much of a threat to him, Natsuro wasn't dismissing it entirely.

Even Shisui's Kotoamatsukami wouldn't be enough to fully control him. At most, it might create some temporary influence.

"Lord Natsuro."

Natsuro turned to see who had called him.

As Natsuro stepped out of the Third Hokage's residence, he heard a voice call out, filled with awe.

"Lord Natsuro!"

It was Konohamaru, who looked at him with both admiration and a touch of nervousness.

To Konohamaru, Natsuro was someone deeply respected by his idol, Naruto. He had also heard many stories about Natsuro's achievements, making him seem almost like a legendary figure. Seeing Natsuro in person, Konohamaru couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.

"Hm? Konohamaru?" Natsuro responded with a smile when he saw the boy. "Just finished a mission?"

"Yes, Lord Natsuro," Konohamaru replied, nodding somewhat stiffly.

"There's no need to be so formal. You call Naruto your 'big brother,' right? You can just call me the same," Natsuro said, sensing the boy's nervousness but brushing it off casually.

"Really? I can?" Konohamaru's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Of course. After all, I call your grandfather 'Grandpa Third,' don't I?" Natsuro chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Konohamaru's hair. He felt quite satisfied with this simple interaction.

Naruto and Sasuke had already outgrown their youthful days, but Konohamaru was still in that golden period of development, he was a spirited young ninja with room to grow.

Natsuro had always liked Konohamaru. The boy had started as a clueless brat, but after being inspired by Naruto, he gradually found his path. His talent was evident. The fact that Konohamaru had managed to learn the Rasengan despite Naruto's less-than-stellar teaching skills spoke volumes about his potential.

Hardworking, ambitious, polite, and without any heavy emotional baggage. What wasn't to like about Konohamaru?

In fact, Natsuro thought, after Naruto's story, a Konohamaru Chronicles wouldn't be a bad sequel.

"Natsuro-nii-san!" Konohamaru said with a wide grin, scratching the back of his head in a way that strongly resembled Naruto.

"Good." Natsuro nodded with a smile, pleased to hear the boy call him that.

"Natsuro-nii-san, did you come to see Grandpa?" Konohamaru asked.

"That's right, but everything's settled now. Konohamaru, as your big brother, I have something important to tell you," Natsuro said, his expression suddenly turning serious.

"Please tell me!" Konohamaru immediately straightened up, adopting an equally serious expression.

Seeing the boy's earnest reaction, Natsuro couldn't help but smile again. He had only been teasing Konohamaru; it wasn't anything particularly critical.

"Spend more time with your grandfather. He's getting on in years, and I'm sure he would love to have you around," Natsuro said gently.

Konohamaru froze for a moment, then thought of his grandfather's aging figure. Slowly, he nodded with understanding.

"I will, Natsuro-nii-san. I'll spend more time with Grandpa. That's my duty as his grandson," Konohamaru replied with a warm smile.

"Good. I have some other matters to attend to, so I'll be going now," Natsuro said, stepping away.

"Alright. See you later, Natsuro-nii-san!"

After Natsuro left, Konohamaru made his way to his grandfather's room, just as he always did.

"Grandpa, I'm home!"

Then, as Konohamaru saw his grandfather smile upon his return, he noticed the deep wrinkles on his face. Suddenly, Natsuro's words resonated deeply within him.

The closer you are to someone, the easier it is to overlook the changes happening to them…

"Grandpa, I ran into Natsuro-nii-san at the door," Konohamaru said after a moment's thought.

"'Nii-san'?" The Third Hokage paused, surprised by the title.

"Yeah! Natsuro-nii-san told me to call him that. He also said I should spend more time with you!" Konohamaru replied with a grin.

"Good, good..." The smile the Third Hokage had forced earlier, weighed down by his concerns about Danzō, now softened naturally.

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Currently on Chapter 263 - Departing Konoha for a Fight