Danzo Shimura, the current advisor to the Hokage, was entrusted with immense authority by Hiruzen Sarutobi. If Hiruzen represented the light of Konoha on the surface, then Danzo bore the weight of its darkness.
At the same time, he harbored an unyielding ambition to ascend to the position of Hokage.
Under Hiruzen's trust, Danzo cultivated his own faction under the guise of the "Anbu Training Division"—an organization known as Root.
Root operated even deeper in the shadows than the Anbu, carrying out deeds that could never see the light of day.
As its leader, Danzo was extremely paranoid, cautious, ruthless, and methodical. He trusted no one and tolerated not even the slightest flaw in his plans—everything had to proceed exactly as he envisioned.
Now, the infamous Veigar Koshima had caught his eye.
After reviewing Veigar's file, Danzo sat in a dimly lit chamber and suddenly spoke, "Dove, put Veigar under close surveillance. You will personally monitor him."
"Understood."
In the previously silent room, a Root ninja wearing a dove-shaped mask emerged from the shadows at Danzo's side. After acknowledging the order, he once again vanished into the darkness.
"Veigar Koshima..."
Danzo tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden desk, already formulating a plan to bring Veigar under his command.
With Veigar's displayed talent and power, combined with his impeccably clean background, Danzo had no reason not to covet him.
The last individual with similar potential and background had already become a pillar of the village. Though Danzo had once desired to recruit him, he knew that the possibility of success was practically zero.
Veigar, however, was different. As of now, he had yet to be officially taken under Hiruzen's wing, nor had he formed deep ties with others. Danzo believed he still had a significant chance to win him over.
If he could groom Veigar, the young ninja would undoubtedly become one of his most valuable assets.
Deploying his personal operatives to surveil Veigar was a testament to just how much importance Danzo placed on him.
Dove acted swiftly. The moment he received his orders, he immediately took two other Root operatives with him. Without Veigar even noticing, they began their covert watch.
...
A growing hunger pang interrupted Veigar's training. As the sky darkened, he prepared to head downstairs to cook dinner when a voice called from outside his door.
"Veigar, are you home?"
Recognizing the voice instantly, Veigar responded, "Is that you, Guy? I'm here. Give me a moment."
When he opened the door, he was surprised by what he saw and asked, "Why are you all here?"
"Come on in."
Outside stood not only Might Guy but also Ibiki Morino, Ebisu, Genma Shiranui, Asuma Sarutobi, and Obito Uchiha, making a total of seven male visitors.
Alongside them were Shizune Kato, Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, and Anko Mitarashi—four female visitors.
In total, eleven people had come to see him.
"Sorry for intruding."
Hearing Veigar's invitation, the group politely acknowledged him before stepping inside.
After seating everyone in the living room, Veigar sat down as well and asked, "So, what brings you all here?"
Might Guy answered enthusiastically, "We heard about your application for early graduation today, so we came to celebrate in advance!"
"For that reason, I even brought you a gift."
With that, Guy stood up and pulled out a package he had prepared beforehand.
"Behold!"
Everyone present looked at the gift in Guy's hands and immediately felt a sense of foreboding, but Guy remained oblivious to their expressions as he proudly introduced it.
"It's breathable yet warm, allows for unrestricted movement, and perfectly accentuates one's physique. The moment you train while wearing it, you'll feel its difference—you'll fall in love with it instantly!"
"Before long, you'll be just like me, unable to resist wearing it all the time!"
"This is my absolute favorite!"
Faced with Guy's enthusiasm, Veigar couldn't bring himself to reject the gift outright. Instead, he forced a smile and said, "Thanks, Guy."
"Here, take it!"
Veigar accepted the green jumpsuit Guy handed him and set it aside.
At the same time, he resolved to store the jumpsuit away permanently—he would never wear it, not even under threat of death.
It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the jumpsuit's quality—it was well-made with excellent craftsmanship. The only issue was that it was an exact replica of Guy's green spandex suit.
"..."
The others, seeing the expression on Veigar's face as he accepted the gift, covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. If they were in his position, they would have reacted the same way.
One by one, they each took out the gifts they had prepared for Veigar. While none of them were particularly expensive, every single one carried deep bonds of friendship.
As the sky darkened, the sound of laughter and chatter echoed from Veigar's home. The lively gathering lasted for over half an hour before, one by one, everyone began bidding their farewells and heading home.
As he saw them off at the door, Veigar made a point to address Obito, who was about to escort Rin home.
"Obito, thank you for the kunai. I'll be sure to use it to pass the exams."
Obito smiled. "I'm glad you like it."
If not for knowing that Rin would be visiting Veigar, Obito—who had clashed with Veigar just yesterday—would never have shown up.
Much less brought a gift.
In truth, Obito had no deep grudge against Veigar. He was someone who extended goodwill to those around him, and his previous hostility toward Veigar had merely been an attempt to prove himself in order to catch Rin's attention.
However, after Veigar had seen through his feelings the previous day, Obito's attitude toward him had shifted. In a way, it was as if their past conflict had been washed away with a laugh.
At that moment, Veigar spoke again.
"To thank you for your gift, I have a special present for you, too."
Obito blinked in curiosity. "A present?"
Standing beside him, Rin also looked at Veigar with interest. Then, the two of them saw Veigar retrieve his 'special' gift.
"Here it is."
When Obito saw what Veigar was holding, his eyes widened in disbelief, his expression practically screaming, "Are you serious?!"
Veigar, however, looked at him with nothing but sincerity.
At that moment, Obito could feel an overwhelming wave of malice radiating from Veigar.
Rin, unable to hold it in any longer, burst into laughter.
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