Deep beneath Konoha lies the secret base of the Root.
Almost at the same time the Third Hokage received the report from the Anbu, an identical piece of intelligence was delivered to Danzo Shimura through the Root’s exclusive, covert channels.
In the dim, cold secret chamber, candlelight flickered, casting Danzo’s face in shadow—one half aged and somber, the other covered by eerie bandages, radiating a heavy, malevolent aura.
He lowered his head, scanning every word on the report.
His aged eyes narrowed suddenly, flashing with intense shock, which was quickly replaced by extreme greed and fervor.
“Where on earth did this brat pop out from? To actually possess such an inconceivable talent?”
Danzo gripped the intelligence paper tightly with his fingertips, his knuckles turning white, his tone carrying an unquestionable dominance.
“Such a peerless talent is exactly what the Root needs! He must be brought into my ranks and used for my purposes!”
“Immediately! Investigate his entire background, past experiences, and every detail—not a single thing must be missed!”
The report clearly stated that Chiba had already been accepted as a personal disciple by Tsunade, but Danzo did not care in the slightest.
In his eyes, Tsunade was nothing more than an immature, playful, and troublesome young girl; she was completely unworthy of holding the teaching rights for such a genius and was absolutely nothing to fear.
“Yes!”
The Root Ninja standing by, bowing in wait, remained expressionless.
He acknowledged the order in a deep voice and vanished into the darkness the moment he turned.
Several hours later, an incredibly detailed investigation file was delivered to Danzo.
Danzo read it word for word, his expression growing more shocked, and the obsession and craving in his eyes intensifying.
“Only five years old?”
“Refining Chakra and beginning Ninjutsu training took him less than two weeks?”
Danzo muttered to himself, his face full of disbelief: “In just over ten days, he was able to improve several basic Ninjutsu, and his combat power rivals a low-level Genin… This child is simply a monstrous talent for the ages!”
After reading all the background information, he understood immediately.
“So that’s it, he is actually a descendant of the Senju!”
“I knew it; how could an ordinary Konoha civilian child possess such heaven-defying talent?”
At this moment, Chiba’s monstrous growth speed and Ninjutsu talent instantly reminded him of his own teacher, the Second Hokage—Senju Tobirama.
Danzo’s eyes flickered violently, his thoughts churning crazily.
“If cultivated with care, this child might just grow up to be a second Teacher Tobirama!”
He was genuinely moved to properly nurture this young Senju seedling.
A crazy thought even began to sprout in his heart—
If he could personally cultivate a powerhouse who could rival or even surpass Tobirama, would that mean that he, Danzo Shimura, had already surpassed his teacher from back then?
“No!”
Danzo suddenly looked up, his gaze growing firmer.
“I absolutely cannot let Tsunade delay such a genius! That female gambler is fickle-minded, afraid of hardship and fatigue, and simply doesn’t understand how to teach according to aptitude. She will only waste his talent!”
“Only I have the qualifications and the ability to cultivate him into a top-tier powerhouse!”
Decisive and never one to procrastinate.
Danzo stood up immediately, left the deep Root base, and headed straight for the Hokage’s office building.
The moment he stepped into the office, he dispensed with any pleasantries and confronted the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting there.
His tone was firm and determined to get his way.
“Hiruzen! That brat Chiba, I want him! Hand him over to me to train!”
“This child’s talent is extraordinary, comparable to Teacher Tobirama. Throughout all of Konoha, only I can fully cultivate him into a talent!”
“Huh?”
Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then looked speechless, frowning as he watched Danzo acting like he’d gone mad.
“Danzo, have you lost your mind? Running over here for no reason to make unreasonable demands?”
“Regardless of his talent, he is now Tsunade’s personal disciple and my grand-disciple. His status is set, and don’t even think about this matter!”
The Third Hokage sneered inwardly.
He was not stupid; how could he possibly hand over such a genius with infinite potential to the ambitious and self-serving Danzo?
This wasn’t cultivating talent; it was personally helping Danzo grow his wings and creating a future enemy!
“Hiruzen! You are simply muddled!”
Danzo was instantly enraged, his tone sharp and aggressive: “Tsunade only excels at Medical Ninjutsu; her combat and Ninjutsu instruction are a total mess! Are you just going to watch as a super-genius comparable to Teacher Tobirama is wasted?”
“My decision does not need to change!”
The Third Hokage was also thoroughly provoked, his expression serious, refusing to yield an inch: “He has already taken her as his master, how can that be changed so easily?”
“Even if Tsunade has shortcomings, I am still here! I am his grand-master, and I will naturally step in to teach him myself!”
“The methods of the Root are dark and cruel; they are simply not suitable for a genius with a pure heart. Danzo, this matter is non-negotiable. Please leave!”
“You…!”
Danzo was left speechless, pointing a finger firmly at the Third Hokage, his whole body trembling slightly with anger, his chest filled with endless frustration and fury.
At the end of the day, he was only the Hokage’s advisor, and his authority was not equal to the Hokage’s!
If the person sitting in that seat today were him, why would he be held back at every turn?
Danzo gritted his teeth, enunciating each word, full of unwillingness and gloom: “Hiruzen, you will regret this!”
The Third Hokage’s expression was indifferent, his gaze extremely steady: “Danzo! I am the Hokage!”
“Hmph!”
That simple sentence was like a sharp thorn, stabbing fiercely into Danzo’s heart.
He almost couldn’t help but roar on the spot.
How could he not know the other party was the Hokage?
Why did the other party have to remind him all the time!
Back when the war ended, if he had taken the initiative to express his stance to the teacher first, firmly surpassing Hiruzen Sarutobi, the person sitting in the Hokage’s seat today should have been him, Danzo Shimura!
This was his lifelong regret, and also his eternal obsession and unwillingness.
He never acknowledged that he was inferior to Hiruzen Sarutobi!
If it weren’t for him bearing all the darkness in the shadows and clearing away hidden dangers all these years, how could Hiruzen Sarutobi have sat securely in the Hokage’s seat?
Danzo took a deep breath, suppressing his churning malevolence, and left behind a cold declaration.
“I will not give up.”
After the words fell, he turned and swept his sleeves, leaving angrily with a full body of malevolence.
The office returned to silence.
Puff, puff.
Hiruzen Sarutobi helplessly lit his pipe, and blue smoke curled upwards.
He lowered his head to look at the complete intelligence that had just been delivered to the table, which clearly recorded Chiba’s heaven-defying growth trajectory over the past two short weeks.
His gaze was deep, and he calculated inwardly.
Danzo could see the terrifying potential of Chiba, who was comparable to Tobirama, so how could he not see it too?
“If I had known your talent was this terrifying earlier, no matter what, I would have snatched you from Tsunade’s hands and taken you as my personal disciple.”
A grand-disciple is, after all, not as close or reliable as a personal disciple.