The Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi set aside his stack of processed docunts and closed his eyes for a brief rest.
Though he looked like he was napping, his mind was actually deep in a complex internal construction: he was building his unique Strength of a Hundred Seal.
The Yin Seal was effectively a high-capacity capacitor, gathering and storing every bit of leaked or surplus chakra for use as a secondary ergency battery. If he had pursued a standard version, he would have completed it weeks ago.
But Hiruzen wasn't a standard ninja. As Konoha thrived, his own potential underwent a "Secondary Growth." He could feel his chakra ceiling slowly rising every day.
To account for this, he had to design his Yin Seal to be "future-proof."
On Hiruzen's forehead, a faint, translucent mark was beginning to manifest. It looked like a thin golden thread tracing his brow, curling into two small circles at the center of his forehead. To soone who didn't know better, it looked like a Golden Circlet crowning his brow.
"A tribute to the Monkey King," Hiruzen mused, rubbing his temples with a smirk.
In his past life as Arata, he had grown up fascinated by the legends of Sun Wukong—the mischievous, all-powerful king who could travel on clouds. Now that he held the power of a god-tier shinobi, the idea of looking the part appealed to his sense of irony.
A few monts later, there was a knock at the door.
Danzo Shimura entered. Hiruzen took a slow sip of his tea, looking up with a neutral expression. "Ah, Danzo. You're here."
The mont he saw Danzo's face, a surge of pure, unadulterated hilarity hit Hiruzen's heart.
He couldn't help it. He thought of his Master, Tobirama Senju, currently a hundred ters beneath them, working overti to build his new Uchiha body.
When those two finally t, the social explosion would be legendary.
The revival of the Second Hokage in an Uchiha vessel was a secret shared only between Hiruzen and his teacher. He hadn't told Danzo, Koharu, or Homura. In the Ninja World, intelligence was a spectrum of risk. A secret shared with three people wasn't a secret; it was a leak waiting to happen.
But more importantly: Authenticity.
Danzo was the premier "Uchiha-Hater." If he t a talented, sharp-tongued Uchiha teenager who happened to fight exactly like Tobirama Senju, Danzo would target the boy with everything he had. He would fra him, spy on him, and try to break him.
And that would be the perfect cover for "Uchiha Tobirama." If the "Darkness of the Leaf" believed the boy was an Uchiha threat, no one else in the world would doubt his identity.
Thinking of Danzo accidentally picking a fight with his own idol, Hiruzen lost his composure for a second. He swallowed his tea too fast and broke into a coughing fit to hide his laughter.
Danzo stared at Hiruzen with deep suspicion. Does he think my face is a joke? That's not logical.
Danzo instinctively touched the bandages over his right eye and forehead. Is the wrap loose? Do I look disheveled?
"Hiruzen, what is so funny?" Danzo asked, his face darkening.
Though their bond was strengthening, Danzo couldn't break fifty years of habit. If he couldn't find a major policy error to argue about, he would find a minor social slight. He felt empty if he wasn't "correcting" the Hokage.
"Ah, just... a stray thought. My apologies," Hiruzen said, waving it off as he caught his breath. "Co, have so tea."
He personally poured a cup for Danzo—a small "reparation" for the absolute ntal torture the Assistant was going to endure in three months.
Fighting with Master Tobirama will be the ultimate political training for you, Danzo. Think of it as an internship for the Hokage seat, Hiruzen thought.
"The tea is acceptable, but you've been acting strange all morning," Danzo noted, still glaring.
"I was thinking about our bet," Hiruzen pivoted. "Now that Kakuzu is officially a contractor for the Leaf, shouldn't we pick a date for your 'Radiant Youth Patrol'?"
"I'm expecting a lot of smiles, Danzo. And rember, the Police Force is your first stop. As Anbu Commander, you need to show our Uchiha brothers so 'warmth.'"
Danzo's hand holding the teacup trembled.
The idea of walking through the Uchiha compound with a "Might Dai-style" blindingly white grin, enthusiastically waving at everyone... it was the ultimate nightmare. It would destroy his aura of dread. It would kill his prestige.
"Does a financial transaction really count as a 'Will of Fire' conversion?" Danzo argued desperately. "We paid him thirty million Ryo! You could buy a Jonin's life for half that!"
"Hiruzen, don't go handing out 'Will of Fire' labels to every greedy rcenary you et. We're devaluing our brand!"
Hiruzen burst out laughing.
"Are you leveling a 'Character Assassination' charge at your own Hokage? Bold move, Danzo."
"Fine. I'll give you a pass on that one. Let's consider it a down paynt on the headache you're going to have later."
Hiruzen's tone shifted, becoming serious and instructional.
"But we need a standard, don't we? Everything in this village must be governed by trics and systems. As the Kage and the Assistant, we set the tone."
"If a ruler is crooked, the nation is bent. If a minor fault isn't corrected, a major disaster is inevitable," Hiruzen said, quoting a piece of classical statecraft Arata had morized in his past life.
Danzo's expression turned solemn. He's doing it again. High-level leadership logic. It sounds so... cultured.
Danzo pulled out his small notebook and began scribbling. 'If a ruler is crooked...'
"My conditions are simple," Danzo said, looking up from his notes. "If Kakuzu ever performs a mission for Konoha without accepting paynt, I lose. My word is my bond."
To Danzo, the idea of Kakuzu—a man who would charge for his own mother's funeral—doing anything for free was a mathematical impossibility.
Hiruzen shrugged. "Fine. But if I win, the stakes go up. You have to smile and tell every squad: 'You boys are the real heroes.'"
Hiruzen knew his student. Kakuzu's curiosity was piqued. Once he felt the warmth of a village that didn't treat him like a tool, and once he realized Hiruzen was his most profitable client, the "Immoral Accountant" would eventually find a reason to do a pro-bono favor just to "balance the books."
"Deal," Danzo said, dismissing the possibility.
"Now, for the Grass Village. How long until the intelligence phase is complete?"
"I want the geography, the fortification layers, the key high-value targets, and the locations of all foreign spies," Hiruzen said, ticking off fingers. "And I want the Anbu strike to be surgical. One hour. I want every high-ranking mber of the Grass council neutralized in sixty minutes."
"I want us in and out before the Stone or the Cloud even realizes the front gate is open."
Danzo nodded. The "Kumogakure Strike" had given him a taste of what Konoha's elite could do when properly unified. The Hidden Grass didn't stand a chance.
"Three months," Danzo calculated. "I will have their entire roots exposed by then."
Hiruzen nodded. Three months. Perfect.
That was the exact tiline Tobirama had given for the vessel's completion. The "Rescue" would happen just as the body was ready.
"Hiruzen... that mark on your forehead," Danzo said, finally addressing the elephant in the room. "What is it? Are you developing another new jutsu?"
Danzo felt a pang of competitive anxiety. He was still struggling to find the "Spark" for his Wind Style Chakra Mode. If Hiruzen had already achieved another breakthrough, the gap was only widening.
"Ah, this? Just a hobby," Hiruzen said, tapping the golden mark.
"It's a variation of the Yin Seal. I'm calling it 'Sovereign Seal: Modified.' I had a flash of inspiration while discussing sealing chanics with Lady Mito."
"Regarding the Grass Village mission... I've decided to involve the Uchiha Clan. I want a frontline squad of their elites to participate in the final strike. What is your assessnt?"
Danzo's eyes narrowed into slits. The professional air vanished, replaced by the "Naturally Evil" scowl of the Ninja of Shadows.
"Hiruzen... you're playing with fire. You'll regret this!"
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