Sign in From Naruto

Danzō sat kneeling on a tatami mat, his gaze fixed intently. Flanked by his Root operatives, he sipped from a freshly brewed cup of tea. In front of him, a group of Root members knelt on one knee, awaiting his orders.

"Lord Danzō," one of the Root members bowed his head respectfully.

"Speak."

At Danzō's command, the operative reported the information he had gathered.

As the report unfolded, Danzō's hand, which had been reaching for his teacup, froze mid-air. His eyes stared ahead, not focusing on the Root member but on something far deeper.

His hand clenched unconsciously before he finally lowered it, his expression darkening.

The information brought back by the Root member was simple: Xu Fan had invited Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen.

"What is this brat planning...?" Danzō muttered inwardly.

Having weathered countless storms in Konoha over the years, Danzō prided himself on seeing through most schemes. But Xu Fan's sudden emergence left him uneasy.

First, Xu Fan had saved Hinata before the Hyūga clan could intervene, resolving the Cloud ninja threat and earning Hyūga Hiashi's gratitude.

Then, through Sarutobi Hiruzen's intervention, Xu Fan had enrolled in the ninja academy.

"With such chakra reserves and talent, why was he rejected by the academy five years ago?" Danzō pondered, trying to connect the dots.

The ninja academy shouldn't have been a hurdle for someone like Xu Fan. His performance was on par with prodigies like Itachi Uchiha. Coupled with the Senju name, Xu Fan should have risen to prominence quickly.

"No... it's never that simple."

Danzō clenched his fists.

He tried to eliminate all impossibilities. The remaining possibility, no matter how improbable, had to be the truth.

The answer was Naruto.

"No, not Naruto himself... but what's inside him," Danzō's gaze deepened.

Though Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's orphan and a hero's son, Hiruzen had sealed that knowledge. Only the village's top echelons knew the truth.

But Naruto's true significance lay in what he carried—the Nine-Tails, Konoha's greatest weapon.

The village was built on the foundation of its clans: Senju, Uchiha, Sarutobi, Shimura, Hyūga...

These great families shaped Konoha's power structure.

The Senju, though in decline, saw Xu Fan as their hope.

The Uchiha, marginalized, posed no immediate threat.

The Sarutobi faction, led by Hiruzen, held the reins of power.

And now, the Hyūga clan owed Xu Fan a favor.

If Xu Fan were to align himself with Naruto, the jinchūriki...

Danzō inhaled sharply, chilled by his own analysis.

"No... Xu Fan is powerful, but he's just a teenager. He's not a ninja, nor does he have the life experience to orchestrate such a scheme."

"His ambition can't run this deep."

"It's that Sarutobi."

Bang!

Danzō slammed his fist on the table.

Deception was a double-edged sword, but the truth cut deeper.

It had to be Hiruzen. Five years ago, he had blocked Xu Fan's enrollment, forcing him to wait until now.

Hiruzen had likely manipulated class placements to bring Xu Fan and Naruto together.

And there was more.

How had Xu Fan ended up at the border forest that day?

Every action had a motive, but Xu Fan's presence there defied logic.

Unless...

Unless Hiruzen had orchestrated it all.

That day at the hospital, Hiruzen's behavior...

Yes.

It was all Hiruzen's doing.

He had discovered the Cloud ninja's plot and used it to position Xu Fan as a hero, earning the Hyūga clan's support.

It was terrifying.

For a moment, Danzō's forehead was drenched in sweat, his back soaked.

He had spent half his life competing with Hiruzen, always dismissing him as merely lucky.

But now, it was clear—Hiruzen was far more cunning than Danzō had ever imagined.

How far ahead had Hiruzen planned?

How deep did his schemes run?

No.

Danzō stood abruptly from the tatami mat.

At the very least, he couldn't allow Hiruzen and Xu Fan to gain control of the jinchūriki.

"Gather the Root!" Danzō barked.

Meanwhile, oblivious to Danzō's machinations, Xu Fan walked with Naruto toward Ichiraku Ramen.

"I'm telling you, Ichiraku's ramen is the best!" Naruto exclaimed, bouncing with excitement.

"Yeah, I've heard," Xu Fan replied with a smile.

Having lived in Konoha for five years, Xu Fan had tried all the village's famous dishes. While he preferred grilled skewers—beef cooked to perfection, seasoned with chili, cumin, and sesame, paired with beer—he wasn't about to turn down ramen.

"But..."

As they turned the corner and Ichiraku Ramen came into view, Naruto suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Xu Fan asked, turning to him. "Not going in?"

"It's just..."

Naruto lowered his head, avoiding Xu Fan's gaze.

"Huh?" Xu Fan tilted his head, confused. This wasn't a date—what was there to be nervous about?

"I..."

Naruto's voice faltered, his breathing quickening as an unfamiliar tension gripped him.

Seeing this, Xu Fan patted his shoulder. "It's okay. If you don't want to talk about it, don't force yourself. I'm here."

Naruto looked up, meeting Xu Fan's gaze briefly before looking away again. His voice was soft, almost fragile.

"I... we... do you... would you... be my friend?"

Xu Fan smiled at Naruto's sincerity and simplicity.

"What about you?" Xu Fan asked.

"Me?" Naruto blinked, surprised by the question. Then, nodding vigorously, he shouted, "I'm willing!"

"I'm willing!"