บท 4: Chapter 4
Danzo entered the Hokage's Building, his mind still focused on how he should train the upcoming generation while also creating enough countermeasures to deal with Obito or Black Zetsu.
Truthfully, the second of the two was far more dangerous, as Danzo was unsure on how capable the being was in combat.
He remembered in the anime, he was completely outclassed in terms of speed by the Mizukage, yet he was able to sneak up and attack the strongest version of Madara, who could also be considered close in power to Kaguya.
And the less said about that old monster, the better.
But at the current point in time, the only choice Danzo had was to focus on the things he could tangibly affect (Though he still would make his contingency plans) like creating a Space-Time barrier to cover the Village or ensuring that the Seals on his base still prevented anyone from spying.
Danzo made his way to the door of the Hokage's office, yet when he entered, he saw that he wasn't alone with Minato, as another individual had decided to join the meeting unbeknownst to him.
Danzo saw the one person who he felt was an enigma, as he couldn't properly calculate for the man's behavior.
In one moment, he would be a bumbling idiot that would seem to not understand the larger implications of the politics in the Village, either knowingly or unknowingly, yet in the next, he could a man that could single handedly take down any nation that was not a member of the Great Five Superpowers.
And in his memory, he could tell that he and Jiraiya had intersected multiple times due to them both possessing Spy Networks, yet the way each approached the art of espionage was seperate.
Jiraiya seemed to specialize in spreading his informants out as they either ran brothels across the world or had specific women that served as the informants under him, each specializing in gathering information.
Danzo, on the other hand, chose spies to be nurtured from a young age, with each of them being prospects that would be sent to smaller nations or the larger nations for them to be recruited to many different positions, with them ranging from being Shinobi to even caretakers. The level of growth that they would have would depend on their own talent, but anyone that learned critical information would immediately be extracted, the information allowing them to come back to the Village and serve primarily in the ROOT.
This made another key difference, as in the anime, it seemed as if the method of having his Shinobi kill off their emotions was common, when this version of himself had yet to start doing so. The only similarity they had was the seal that concealed their information.
That could be due to either Hiruzen still remaining in a far stronger state than his alternate counterpart, or Minato not being deceased yet.
Either way, it meant that while Danzo possessed an elite fighting force of Shinobi, they were actual people rather than machine-like-humans that knew nothing more than killing and possessed no form of emotion.
However, the key difference between Danzo and Jiraiya lied in one key point: Danzo would sacrifice his informants if he felt the situation needed it, or if he felt that they would be taking a risk on their life to gain said information.
Jiraiya would not.
He felt obligated to provide them safety, and he directly them to abandon any missions viewed as too dangerous for them to survive from.
That single difference made the two similar to water and oil, as they represented two completely opposite ideals of the way Konoha should be run and their interpretation on what the Will of Fire truly represented.
Jiraiya stood for an idealist, someone who wished for peace more than anything and would not hesitate to ensure that the Village maintained itself under a peaceful way of life. He knew that he would one day teach the Son of Prophecy, the person who would bring peace to all, and he was determined to ensuring that Konoha remained the bright and great place that it was in his mind.
Danzo stood for a realist, someone who was willing to get his hands dirty if it meant ensuring that Konoha remained as the hegemony of the Shinobi World. He did not care what means he had to go towards if it meant that Konoha would survive, as in his heart, that was all that truly mattered. He would backstab, sabotage, murder, and destroy any threat that became major towards Konoha, as only the preservation of it mattered.
Jiraiya felt that the Will of Fire was meant as the will to sacrifice yourself to ensure that the following generation would not be faced with the same tough battles, as things could only get better for them.
Danzo felt that the Will of Fire was created to serve as an inspiration, an ideal for Konoha Shinobi to fight around so that they could ensure that their mission was successful and that the civilians and family that they came back to were safe.
Jiraiya represented the First Hokage's ideal view of what the Village should be.
Danzo represented the Second Hokage's ideal view on how the Village should function.
That singular difference was all that mattered.
"I see we have an uninvited guest? I did not know that one of the 'Illustrious Sannin' decided to grace the Village with their presence. Perhaps they can finally be useful for once and actually do something beneficial?" Danzo asked with an amused glint in his eye.
Even as a new person, he felt he seemed to have a slight bit of enjoyment of pissing off the Sannin, something that he achieved with Jiraiya quite quickly.
"Well, you can never be too careful around men who hide in the shadows. And since my student, The Hokage, has no issue with it, I don't believe that a mere elder would dare to raise a fuss." Jiraiya responded as he sat down on one of the chairs.
Danzo simply then ignored Jiraiya, something that pissed the Sannin off even further, as he placed his sole eye on Minato.
He stared at the Yellow Flash, as he knew that he would be testing the man fully with the question that he wished to ask, yet he felt that it was the only option that he had in regards to building his own version of the Sannin, a new generation of Shinobi that could take on the threats that would come in the future and handle the overwhelming power that they possess.
"I apologize for bothering you, Lord Hokage. I merely came to speak to you today regarding a personnel transfer, as I hope that a few key individuals can be sent to work under me rather than remain in their current station in the ANBU and the Active Reserve. I believe that I can help nurture their prowess, as I will be doing with a few other major individuals." Danzo said.
Minato's mind began to move at speeds that rivaled a supercomputer, with him not being able to understand who Danzo might wish to gain under his command.
While he didn't have many interactions with him before becoming the Hokage, he knew enough of the man to completely steer clear of him.
And after becoming the Hokage and learning more truths surrounding him and his operations, he practically viewed the man as an enemy, at least politically wise, that would counteract many of the programs he wished to enact as the Hokage.
Even in his first year alone, Danzo had personally blocked the Laws he proposed to create newer institutions for creating more Medical Ninja and creating a school to teach Fuinjutsu, with the man always stating that taking those resources away from other places that needed them so soon after the end of the Third Great Shinobi World War would lead to chaos.
So now, hearing that he wanted some of his personnel, Minato was slightly on guard as Danzo would not come to him to ask for some inconsequential Shinobi.
"Oh? And who would you be requesting, Elder Danzo?" Minato asked while maintaining his smile.
"Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Kakashi Hatake."
Minato's smile instantly vanished as he stared blankly at Danzo, him no longer maintaining the kind image that he had shown the people of Konoha.
He was now the Yellow Flash, a man who easily took the lives of a thousand Shinobi in under a minute, and the one who could be attributed to single handedly ending the Third Great Shinobi World War.
Jiraiya's eyes changed to showcase a serious expression, him staring at Danzo with his intent showing that he would be on the side of his most prized pupil, no matter what.
"And may I ask why?" Minato asked, his blank stare being one that could send chills down the spines of even other members of the Gokage.
Yet Danzo, the man known as the 'Shinobi No Yami', was unfazed by Minato's stare.
"Kakashi is wasting his potential. He has the talent to become the greatest Shinobi that the Leaf has ever seen, similar to you. He could achieve greatness that surpasses that of any genius before him, to reach the same level of his Father, someone who excelled past all those in his generation, including the Sannin. I wish to ensure he reaches that level.
Kurenai has shown Chakra Control talent that has allowed her to excel in nearly all Genjutsu she has available to her, and while many underestimate the art of Genjutsu, I believe that with my teachings, she will reach an entire new level of mastery over Genjutsu, a level that would allow her to control the flow of entire battle without making a single step.
Might Guy stands as the premier Taijutsu master in the Leaf, and while his abysmally small Chakra Reserve is viewed by many as a downside, I believe that if pair with a certain technique, his level of danger will reach unprecedented heights.
I am hoping that you don't let personal bias sway your decision. I am truly wishing to impart my skills to the next generation so that I can ensure that the Leaf has a budding generation of sprouts that will one day take your place, the same way your generation will take ours." Danzo finished, his sole eye staring straight into Minato's.
Minato began to think about what downsides this request could bring to Kakashi, as he wished for the safety and protection of his student before everything else.
However, Minato thought about the fact that it was Danzo that gave him the intel that stopped what could have been a disaster for both his family and the Village, making him wish to give the man a slight bit of trust.
"If the three of them agree, I have no issue with agreeing to your request, Elder Danzo. But I feel that I must make myself completely clear on this fact.
If ANYTHING, happens to them, we will have an issue. Do I make myself clear?" Minato said as his Chakra enveloped the room.
Rather than it being overwhelming like Hiruzen's or eerie like Orochimaru's, it possessed a nature of simply being sharp.
Extremely sharp.
Sharp enough that it seemed to even be cutting the floor just by it simply being released.
Danzo narrowed his eye, with his Chakra emerging, yet rather than go towards the Hokage since it may be seen as insubordination, it merely surrounded him, with it forming an impenetrable layer that stopped Minato's Chakra from affecting him.
ANBU agents appeared from the ceiling a mere second later, while Jiraiya stood and seemed to prepare to release his own powerful Chakra.
At the same time, the ROOT agents Ryu and Kai appeared from behind Danzo, as if preparing to guard him against any threats.
"Crystal." Danzo said as he turned on his cane and left the room, while Minato's Chakra receeded.
'I didn't expect Minato's response to be so extreme, it seems he still is on guard against me. No matter, I got what I came for. With those three plus Shisui, I'll be able to form a proper group of shinobi that can reach the level of S-Class or higher.' Danzo thought as he left, already formulating the training regimen that he would use for each of the four.
Danzo left as he headed towards the home of the first of the three: Kakashi Hatake.
~
"What do you think he's planning?" Minato asked his teacher, because as much as he thought about it, he couldn't understand what Danzo was planning.
And wasn't that a dangerous thought, when you don't know or understand what someone like Danzo was planning, it could either mean the biggest benefit of the Village or something extremely dangerous for everyone.
Even Minato was slightly fearful of what the man was capable of accomplishing with enough time, as the man had single-handedly led to the death of the Third Raikage through the use of his spies and information, something that nearly no one else on the planet would have been capable of accomplishing, especially without them realizing that they were being manipulated in the first place.
But, something that made Minato more cautious was the simple response that his Sensei gave.
"I don't know."
~
Inside the Laboratory, Orochimaru and Hiruzen sat opposed to each other, with each seemingly waiting for the other to speak first, with neither speaking their real feelings for the fear that it may hurt the other.
Yet, they knew this conversation needed to be had, because if not, who could tell what would happen to their relationship in the future?
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