Shimura Danzo sat in his dimly lit chamber, his expression cold and unreadable. His right arm, wrapped in bandages, hid a terrifying secret—rows of Sharingan embedded into his flesh. Each red eye, adorned with three black tomoe, stared outward like a collection of restless spirits.
"Danzo-sama, the medicine injection is complete."
"You shouldn't experience any more side effects for the time being."
A medical ninja carefully withdrew the syringe and bowed slightly, his hands trembling ever so slightly.
Danzo slowly opened his eye and glanced at the medic. His gaze alone carried a suffocating pressure, making the man instinctively tense up.
'Is this… killing intent?'
The moment passed, and Danzo withdrew his gaze, lifting his right arm slightly. "Bandage it."
As the medic wrapped his arm in fresh bandages, Danzo's expression remained unchanged.
"How long will it take for Orochimaru to complete his work?"
The medic swallowed before answering. "Orochimaru-sama says it is still under development. It may take some more time."
Danzo frowned slightly. "Tell him to speed it up. I don't intend to be consumed by Hashirama's cells."
Long before the Uchiha Massacre, Danzo had secretly contacted Orochimaru and made a deal. The result was a successful transplantation of Hashirama Senju's cells into his body.
But the power came with a cost. The cells were too strong—too alive—and without constant suppression through special medication, they would devour his body.
Only Orochimaru's research could fully stabilize them.
In the past, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been hesitant about wiping out the Uchiha clan. His so-called peaceful nature had led him to consider alternative solutions.
First, because Hashirama himself had once said that the Uchiha should be treated with kindness.
Second, because the Uchiha had contributed greatly to Konoha's founding, even if their power had declined over the years.
But Danzo saw things differently. To him, the Uchiha were a threat that needed to be eliminated. And beyond that, he had his own personal goal—stealing their eyes.
His ultimate ambition was to stabilize Hashirama's cells, collect the Uchiha's Sharingan, and finally… become the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails himself.
In his eyes, no one else was more qualified to wield that power.
"Knock knock."
The secret door to his chamber echoed with sudden knocks.
A voice from outside called out. "Danzo-sama, Uzumaki Naruto has arrived."
Danzo exhaled slightly and stood up, gripping his cane as he walked toward the reception hall.
Root Base – Reception Hall
Danzo entered the hall, expecting to see a nervous child standing at attention.
Instead, Naruto sat comfortably at the table, legs crossed, eating melon seeds as if he had all the time in the world.
Even as Danzo approached, Naruto only lazily lifted his gaze before continuing his snack.
[Shimura Danzo anger value +32]
Danzo's expression darkened slightly, but he remained silent.
A Root member beside him, however, was not as patient.
"Presumptuous!" the ninja snapped. "Why do you not kneel and greet Danzo-sama properly?"
Naruto casually set his melon seeds aside and took a sip of tea. His gaze was calm, but his words were anything but.
"Kneel? Why should I kneel?"
He leaned back slightly.
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, kneel only to the god and to my parents." He paused. "Tell me, is your Danzo-sama the god? Or my parent?"
His lips curled into a slight smirk.
"Or perhaps… is he the Hokage?"
[Shimura Danzo anger value +58]
[Ishikawa Ryuto anger value +32]
Danzo remained outwardly calm, but a flicker of irritation passed through his mind. Ever since sensei died, few had dared to speak to him so boldly.
But he had no intention of wasting time on meaningless arguments.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he said slowly, taking his seat. "Let's discuss your recent activities."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "My activities?"
Danzo narrowed his eye. "At the Academy, you were nothing more than an average student. Yet, in a short period of time, your strength has increased significantly. This is… unusual."
Naruto blinked. Then realization dawned on his face.
"So that's why you called me here," he muttered.
Danzo nodded. "There must be a reason behind your sudden improvement. I expect you to explain."
Naruto fell silent for a moment, as if considering his options. Then, he shrugged.
"Of course, it's because of the Nine-Tails."
Danzo's fingers stilled. His eye narrowed slightly. "The Nine-Tails?"
"Yeah," Naruto continued casually. " We made a deal. So the fox agreed to teach me."
Danzo studied his expression carefully.
"He is knowledgeable, after all," Naruto added with a small grin. "With a teacher like that, of course my strength would improve."
Danzo remained silent for a long moment. Then he leaned back slightly.
'I see. So that's the reason.'
It made sense. If Naruto had truly formed some kind of cooperative relationship with the Nine-Tails, then his rapid growth was not entirely impossible.
Still, Danzo's mind was already calculating his next move.
This only made his goal more urgent. He needed to accelerate Orochimaru's research. If he was to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the time to act would be soon.
Danzo found himself unconsciously staring at Naruto again, mentally calculating his next move.
Naruto, however, caught the look instantly and squinted.
"Oi, Danzo… why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, his voice filled with suspicion.
Danzo's eye twitched. "What do you mean?"
Naruto slowly leaned back, crossing his arms like a detective interrogating a suspect.
"I know that look," he said gravely. "That's the 'I just came up with an evil plan' look."
Danzo's grip on his cane tightened slightly. "Hmph. Ridiculous."
But Naruto wasn't done. He gasped dramatically. "Wait a minute… don't tell me… you're not—" He shuddered. "You're not into little boys, are you?"
Danzo's entire body stiffened. "WHAT?!"
Naruto scooted back, fake fear all over his face. "That greedy look in your eye… the way you were sizing me up… Don't tell me you brought me here to—"
"ENOUGH!" Danzo slammed his cane down, his face darkening like a storm cloud.
Naruto clutched his chest, gasping for breath. "Oh, thank Kami! You scared me for a second!" He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Listen, old man, I respect personal preferences, but I gotta say, I'm not that kinda guy—"
"GET OUT!" Danzo roared.
Naruto grinned. "Gladly!"
With a puff of smoke, his shadow clone vanished, leaving Danzo seething in silence.
For the first time in years, he genuinely considered booking a therapist before he developed a permanent eye twitch.
(End of Chapter)