Hiruzen Sarutobi would definitely hand the Earth Grudge Fear creation technique over to Danzō.
Shingetsu had neither the time nor the interest to cultivate more Earth Grudge Fear himself.
He might as well hand it over to the village in exchange for immediate combat power.
As for the idea that giving Earth Grudge Fear to Danzō was helping the enemy…
Please.
What could Danzō actually keep for himself?
After all the effort he’d put into creating the Wood Release user Tenzō, didn’t Hiruzen Sarutobi just swoop in and take him?
The reason the Third Hokage had kept Danzō around all this time, aside from a little old affection, was mainly because the man simply did not have the ability to escape his control.
With his experience in taming Earth Grudge Fear, no matter how powerful the Earth Grudge Fear Danzō created became, Shingetsu was confident he could seize it.
The explosive tags were not important.
What mattered was having an excuse to make Danzō…
No, the explosive tags were still important.
They were worth quite a lot.
…
The next day.
“Shingetsu, aren’t you going to say goodbye to your family before you leave?”
At the village entrance registration desk, a pineapple-headed boy asked with a bitter smile.
Shikaku Nara, son of the Nara Clan Head, was also the teammate Shingetsu had chosen for this squad.
Shingetsu signed the document and replied flatly, “We already had that kind of scene once.
Ever heard of getting tired of the same thing?”
“You’ve left the village before.
I haven’t…”
He had wanted to say a proper goodbye to his family…
“Stop talking.
Come sign.”
Shikaku signed helplessly, his expression so bitter it looked like he was signing away his life.
He could originally have dragged things out for another half a year before graduating, but Shingetsu had barged straight into the academic affairs office and submitted a graduation application on his behalf without permission.
As someone with connections, Shikaku received special handling.
By the next day, he had become a member of Shingetsu’s squad.
…
Shikaku walked along the forest path with his head drooping, looking utterly listless as he glanced up at the heavy, leaden clouds in the distance.
“Why are we going to the Land of Rain?
With your status as Orochimaru-sama’s disciple, there should be safer places you could go, right?”
Dressed in a black fitted combat suit, Shingetsu stepped over the muddy dirt road, specks of mud splashing onto his ankles.
He frowned slightly and asked deliberately, “The Land of Rain is only a small country.
What danger could there be?”
Shikaku knew perfectly well that he was asking a question he already knew the answer to, but he answered anyway.
“The Land of Rain sits at the border where three great nations meet.
There have already been no fewer than ten recorded conflicts there recently.”
“That can’t be explained away as minor friction.”
“Konoha and Iwagakure are both cutting off each other’s supply routes.
That’s standard blockade tactics, meant to prepare for a large-scale offensive.”
“The Land of the Wind’s signals are even clearer.
The Third Kazekage has appeared at the border.
The official excuse doesn’t matter, the deployment of the Puppet Brigade already shows his intent to intervene in the war.”
“Hanzō, who left the Land of Rain, has returned…”
“But even Hanzō, who defeated the Land of Iron, can’t possibly drive out the ninja of three great nations.”
“He won’t be able to hold out at all against a war on the scale of the great nations.
The Land of Rain will become the battlefield of an all-out war.”
“In other words…
the main battlefield of the Second Shinobi World War.”
From beginning to end, Shikaku’s voice barely rose or fell.
It sounded less like speculation and more like a conclusion.
Drip, drip…
A fine drizzle began to fall, sliding down their cheeks and into their collars.
An unreadable smile appeared at the corner of Shingetsu’s mouth.
“The Second Shinobi World War, huh…”
“When do you think the war will start, how long will it last, and which side will win in the end?”
Shikaku raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not surprised at all?
Is there some front-line intelligence I don’t know about?”
“No.
It’s because I can predict the future,” Shingetsu said honestly.
Shikaku would rather believe that Shingetsu, like himself, had deduced the situation from known information than believe that nonsense.
Fortunately, after spending more than half a year around him, their group had long since grown used to Shingetsu’s occasional absurd remarks.
“At the earliest, war will break out this year.
Maybe it’s already begun.”
“On the optimistic side, the war should end within three to five years.
The conflicts that have built up since the First Shinobi World War will ease, and after that, there should be about ten years of stability.”
Shingetsu thought about it.
That was not far off from what he remembered.
“So what you’re saying is…
the Third Shinobi World War will happen a little over ten years from now?”
Of course Shingetsu knew how intelligent Shikaku was.
In terms of raw numbers alone, he was second only to his son, Shikamaru.
But when it came to command and strategy, Shikamaru could not compare to Shikaku.
Put simply, Shikamaru was good at winning a battle, while Shikaku was good at winning a war.
Shingetsu had not expected him to predict the timing of the Third Shinobi World War before the Second Shinobi World War had even begun.
“It’s not hard to see the pattern, is it…”
Shikaku’s shoulders moved slightly, as if he had laughed, or perhaps sighed.
“Looking at economics and other factors, the cycle follows the growth of a single generation.”
“It will keep going like this until someone like Lord First appears again.”
He lifted his head and let the rain fall over his face, his expression somewhat dim.
“If I’m lucky enough to survive, then my child will probably take part in the Fourth Shinobi World War.”
“Hmm…
If it’s a daughter, I really wouldn’t want her to become a ninja.
It would be nice if she could marry into nobility.
I think the Chūnagon Yoshitō family would be a good choice.
She wouldn’t have to take part in the highest-level decision-making, and…”
“You’re getting way off topic.”
Shingetsu cut off his wandering thoughts and said, “You’re going to have a son.
Maybe he’ll even become Hokage.”
“Haha, is that the future you predicted, Shingetsu?
Then thanks for the blessing.”
“Hokage, huh…”
Shikaku rubbed his chin.
“Given my family’s temperament, if my son could become Hokage, then something truly incredible must have happened to the village…”
Is this the ninja world’s Nostradamus…?
If I let him keep analyzing, even I won’t know the plot anymore…
He had only wanted to bring along an external brain, but being with someone too smart really did take away some of the fun.
Shingetsu quickened his pace.
“Keep up.”
Shikaku tugged at his collar, covering half his face and leaving only a pair of half-open eyes exposed.
Watching Shingetsu’s hazy figure through the rain, he lowered his head slightly.
The key to ending this cycle of war…
Shingetsu, could that be you?
…
Three days later, at Konoha’s temporary camp in the Land of Rain.
“You got here quickly, Shingetsu…” Orochimaru’s gaze shifted to Shikaku, and he smiled faintly.
“Shikichi-senpai’s son.
Your name is Shikaku, right?”
“Orochimaru-sama.” Shikaku bowed respectfully.
Shikichi Nara was the current Clan Head of the Nara clan, as well as the Chief Strategist of Konoha’s eastern front, responsible for dealing with the threats from Kumo and Kirigakure.
Ever since Konoha was founded, the Nara clan had been practically tied to the strategist position.
They were Konoha’s most useful brains.
Shikichi’s planning had played a crucial role in rescuing Kushina from the situation in the Land of Whirlpools.
So this is the partner you chose.
You have a good eye…
Orochimaru looked at Shingetsu with a trace of relief in his eyes.
The wise, composed Nara Clan was exactly what was needed to balance out the Uchiha’s hot-headedness.