Danzo stared blankly at Kazekaze's
retreating figure
. The
frustration of defeat
left a deep sense of
bitterness in his heart
. Lowering his head, his eyes landed on the
shattered ground
, pulverized by Kazekaze's single punch. If that punch had
landed on him directly
, it wouldn't have been
just a few broken ribs
. He might have
died on the spot
!
The fact that
Tobirama had intervened
to stop the match was proof of that. If that punch
wasn't fatal
, why would Tobirama
bother interrupting
? But then again...
What the hell did I ever do to Kazekaze to deserve this?!
Did he really have to open the
Gate of Pain
just to beat me?!
"Sigh..." Danzo shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"So this is Kazekaze... the one who inherited Lord Hashirama's genes. He's not just strong—he's a monster." More than Kazekaze's
talent
, Danzo was
jealous of his bloodline
.
If Kazekaze
hadn't inherited Hashirama's vast chakra reserves
, could he have unleashed such
unbelievable monstrous strength
? If he
hadn't inherited Auto-Regeration
, could he have
withstood
the damage caused by the The Eight Inner Gates?
Impossible!
No matter how gifted Kazekaze was— The
Senju bloodline played a decisive role
in his strength.
'If only I had Lord Hashirama's genes...'
Danzo clenched his teeth.
For the
first time
, he truly
felt the gap between bloodlines
. No matter
how hard he worked
, he couldn't even
start
where Kazekaze had
begun
. He could already
see the future
— In
twenty years
, under
Tobirama's strong recommendation
, Kazekaze would gain the
Feudal Lord's approval
... And become the
Third Hokage of Konoha!
The more
Danzo was awed
by Kazekaze's strength, the more
jealous
he became!
"I never thought Kazekaze-sama's power would be this terrifying." Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the
cracked and broken earth beneath their feet
.
Forget a
punch
—even with ninjutsu, he
doubted he could cause this much destruction
. He recalled
Danzo's confident boasting
before the match. And now, looking at
this scene
,
The
powerlessness, the humiliation
—just thinking about it sent
chills down his spine
. He patted Danzo's shoulder.
"A monster like Kazekaze-sama is beyond human standards... We should just focus on doing our best."
This wasn't just advice for Danzo— It was
something he told himself as well
. Whether Kazekaze
really learned the The Eight Inner Gates in a day
... Or if, like Tobirama speculated, he had
trained in secret for two years
— To Hiruzen,
it made no difference
. It was like comparing
10 million ryo to 100 million ryo
— It didn't
matter
, because he had
neither
! There was
no doubt
—Hiruzen
hated
geniuses like Kazekaze. Someone so
unreachable
that he couldn't even dream of
catching up
. Kazekaze was like a
mountain
, blocking
his entire path forward
.
Koharu was the next to step forward, speaking softly to Danzo.
"Danzo, don't put too much pressure on yourself. No matter which one of us fought Kazekaze... the outcome would've been the same."
Homura and Torifu
nodded furiously
. In their hearts, they felt
immense relief
that
Tobirama had chosen Danzo
as Kazekaze's opponent. If it had been
one of them
instead— They
would never recover
from the psychological trauma!
"It's not that we're weak... it's that Kazekaze-sama is just
too ridiculous
." Uchiha Kagami let out a
bitter smile
.
It was only now that
Tobirama remembered Danzo was still standing there
. He had been
completely absorbed
in his shock and
concern for Kazekaze
. For a moment, he had
forgotten about Danzo entirely
. Hearing the others
comforting Danzo
, he finally turned around.
"Danzo..."
But as soon as he
opened his mouth
, He
paused
. What was he supposed to say? Danzo hadn't
underestimated his opponent
. He hadn't made
any mistakes
. This was just
pure, brutal, overwhelming strength
. No matter
how Danzo fought
, the
result wouldn't have changed
. After a long pause, Tobirama finally spoke.
"You did well today. Go home and get some rest."
With that, the
match between Kazekaze and Danzo
officially came to an end. Tobirama took Kazekaze and
left the training ground
. Even though Kazekaze had
Auto-Regerenation
, as a
grandfather worrying about his grandson
, Tobirama decided to take Kazekaze to
the hospital for a check-up
, just to make
absolutely sure
he was fine.
Meanwhile, the others
stayed behind to console Danzo
. Until Might Bai
went off to continue burning with youthful passion
.
"Enough." Danzo
cut off their attempts to comfort him
, his voice serious.
"I'm not that fragile." Then, he slowly
spoke each word with absolute certainty
"But if anyone dares to spread today's events... I, Shimura Danzo, will never forgive them!"
Even though
Danzo fully acknowledged
Kazekaze's
bloodline, talent, and strength
, Losing to a
seven-year-old
... That was something he would
bury as a dark history
,
Never to be spoken of again.
Meanwhile...
Tobirama led Kazekaze
to Konoha Hospital
. Just in case, he wanted
a full-body check-up
for Kazekaze. Kazekaze had
no reason to refuse
. Ever since coming to this world, he had
never undergone a medical exam
.
Sure, he had
Regeneration Ability
, but
better safe than sorry
. However, he
chose to walk beside Tobirama
instead of letting his
great-uncle carry him
. After all, while his body was
seven years old
, his
mind
was
a twenty-year-old adult
. Getting
carried around
? No, thanks.
"Kazekaze."
Just as they were about to enter the
main street
, Tobirama reached into his robe and pulled out a
black kunai
, handing it to Kazekaze.
"I didn't expect you to defeat Danzo, so I wasn't prepared. Take this as your reward for winning." Tobirama, usually
strict and firm
, was suddenly
speaking in an unbelievably gentle tone
.
Kazekaze was
taken aback
. He carefully examined the kunai— It gleamed with a
newly polished metallic sheen
. It was obvious that
Tobirama had chosen this kunai carefully
. The
handle was wrapped in cloth
, and
etched onto the blade
was a
Flying Thunder God seal
.
If Kazekaze
hadn't watched Naruto before transmigrating
, he might not have
noticed this detail
.
"Thank you." Kazekaze politely accepted the kunai and stored it away.
To others, this was
just a kunai
. But Kazekaze
understood
. This kunai
carried Tobirama's emotions
—his care and
worry
for his grandson. And indeed— Ever since the
Survival Training in the Forest of Death
, Tobirama had been both
awestruck by Kazekaze's talent
and
terrified
that he might face
danger
. During the fight with
Danzo
, Tobirama hadn't even dared to
blink
— He had been
holding his breath the entire time
. Afraid that
something would happen
to Kazekaze.
"As long as Kazekaze carries this kunai... no matter what danger he encounters, I will reach him in time. Kazekaze, no matter what happens—starting today, I swear, I will always protect you." Of course, Tobirama
kept those words to himself
— He would
never say them out loud
.