Though Danzo yearned to stand in the sunlight, he had never intended to stand at the very top—at least, not yet.
He had already achieved his initial goal, and in a way that exceeded even his own expectations. There was no need to waste time engaging in political struggles with the Third Hokage and his faction.
Every time he thought about it, the presence of Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows—or even the spirit of the Sage of Six Paths himself—served as a constant reminder.
As for the Third Hokage's suppression? Danzo hardly paid it any mind.
The contingency plans laid out in the early days of his Trade Association had begun to bear fruit with the onset of war. Selling medical supplies and ninja tools to Konoha at exorbitant prices, the company had now become the village's most valued business partner. At least a third of the war funds allocated to Konoha by the Land of Fire had ended up in Danzo's hands.
Recruiting for Root had become even simpler.
Under the guise of the Trade Association, Danzo had established numerous shelters along the borders of the Land of Fire. In times of war, refugees and orphans were abundant. From them, he could select the most suitable candidates to replenish Root's ranks. This way, Root remained entirely self-sufficient, no longer reliant on Konoha.
Deep within Root's underground laboratory, expansion had continued. Rows of glass containers filled with experimental subjects gave the room an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
"Integrating the Wood Release bloodline leads to severe rejection within the body. The First Hokage's cells are simply too domineering—even when combined with Uchiha DNA, stability cannot be maintained..."
Inside the large glass tanks, numerous clones that bore a striking resemblance to Danzo—appearing around eighteen years old—floated in suspended animation.
Danzo stared at the youthful bodies in the glass, a flicker of longing in his eyes before he suppressed the disappointment rising in his heart.
Over the past two years, he had conducted numerous experiments using prisoners to test the possibility of transferring his consciousness into cloned bodies. Even with a perfect genetic match, there was no physical rejection. However, each transfer led to an inexplicable weakening of the soul.
Without a flawless vessel, Danzo dared not use the technique recklessly, fearing that his very soul would be damaged.
"You've done well. There's no need to blame yourself... If the First Hokage's cells were so easy to control, he wouldn't have been called the God of Shinobi."
Harnessing the true essence of chakra was proving to be far more difficult than anticipated.
"I will create the perfect body for you!" Shinraku's eyes gleamed with fanatical devotion. Helping Danzo achieve the ultimate vessel was not just a validation of his own abilities—it was his sacred mission.
Danzo nodded. "I believe in you... I still have time."
Yet, as he left the laboratory, he found himself less optimistic.
His current body had reached its absolute limit. For the past six months, even with double the training effort, his strength had barely improved. There were powerful jutsu he could theoretically master with his talent, but his physical limitations held him back.
His body had become the shortest plank in the barrel, restricting his growth.
Aside from essential expenses, Root's resources had been almost entirely poured into the lab, yet progress remained minimal.
"Do I really need Uchiha Madara's cells to create a stable fusion...?"
In his memories, Madara had died after manipulating Obito. But where Black Zetsu had hidden his corpse remained unknown. Later, Kabuto had managed to acquire his body, but by then, it would be far too late.
Thinking about the current Kabuto—just a young recruit undergoing training in Root—Danzo shook his head in frustration.
He stepped into his private jutsu development chamber.
"There's still time. If all else fails, I'll have to perfect this instead..."
His gaze fell upon the scrolls left behind by the Second Hokage, scattered across the room amidst a vast collection of research notes. Embedded in the walls were several containers preserving active cells.
The nameplates were still legible: Senju Tsunade, Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Kagami...
If training had become a waste of time, then Danzo would simply have to forge another path.
With the system's "Absolute Comprehension" ability inherited from Orochimaru,
Danzo had focused entirely on developing Tobirama's secret technique
Even with "Absolute Comprehension," this was still an immense undertaking.
The endless cycle of experiments made him somewhat nostalgic for Orochimaru's time in Root—back when he had a free labor force.
...
Meanwhile, on the battlefield,
Namikaze Minato had been making a name for himself. Half a year ago, in the presence of the Third Hokage, he had officially been promoted to Elite Jōnin.
Now leading his own squad, Minato frequently appeared on the front lines against Iwagakure. Even Orochimaru had nothing but praise for his performance.
At Konoha's war front with Iwagakure—
"Minato-sensei! Did you bring anything good back from the village this time?" Uchiha Obito rushed over eagerly upon hearing of his teacher's return.
"Idiot..." Kakashi muttered coldly as he followed.
"What did you say?! You bastard—"
"Obito..." Rin arrived just in time to mediate.
Minato smiled at his three energetic students, his expression as warm as sunlight.
He thought about the reward the Third Hokage had given him this time—a forbidden jutsu, secured with Jiraiya's recommendation. With this, he was one step closer to his dream.
"Alright, Obito... I did bring back a gift, but it's for Kakashi's promotion to Jōnin."
"Kakashi is a Jōnin already?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise.
Obito looked equally shocked.
"He's already strong enough," Minato explained. "His mission record meets the requirements. Once we return to Konoha, he can officially apply for Jōnin status. You two need to work hard as well."
Obito clenched his fists in frustration, while Rin gazed at Kakashi with admiration.
Noticing her expression, Obito shouted, "Hmph! It's no big deal! I'll be a Jōnin soon too, and I'll be way stronger than Kakashi!"
"How childish..."
"You—!"
Minato chuckled at their bickering and ruffled Obito's hair. "Alright, Obito, you need to keep working hard."
Then he turned to Kakashi. "Here, this is your gift."
Obito, feigning indifference, still stole a few glances at the present.
It was a small, black book.
"Is it a new jutsu? Or training notes?" Rin asked curiously.
Minato scratched his head sheepishly. "No... Konoha has strict rules about sharing jutsu. This is a book written by a great shinobi—a philosophy of the ninja way."
Rin leaned in closer, and even Obito couldn't resist taking a peek.
The front cover bore a simple phrase: "Never forget why we fight."
"Hah?! That's it? Minato-sensei, you're so stingy!" Obito grumbled.
"Obito!" Rin scolded him before she suddenly realized something. "Wait... this is a Root manual!"
Minato raised an eyebrow. "You recognize it?"
"I heard about it from the medics... and that Root's leader, Elder Danzo, is Kage-level..."
"I'll be Kage-level one day too!" Obito declared loudly.
Minato smiled as he looked at Kakashi, who was lost in thought, staring at the book.
"This book carries the Will of Fire, Kakashi. I hope you'll like it."
"Why we fight, huh..." Kakashi murmured, glancing at Rin from the corner of his eye.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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