Daichi kept his breathing even as the tension rose. He glanced at the other three ninjas in his backyard and noted that all their attention was focused on the mysterious enemy. 'Good. They don't suspect anything. I needed to play some theatrics. By the time this whole charade is over, I'll be out of the suspect pool. And since Dragon is using the Chakra Masking skill and altering his signature, they won't be able to match his energy with mine.'
Tobirama's gaze was sharp and cold. 'Capturing him is not going to be easy. I need to strike when he least expects it. But I doubt he's going to let his guard down any time soon. Not only that, he knows my identity. Something very few people are aware of.'
Hiruzen's eyes were narrowed, calculating as he looked at the intruder. 'I don't recognize his chakra signature. So either he's masking his chakra or his claim to be a member of the village to Jiraiya was a lie... Even with the barrier modifications Lord Tobirama made, he still got through here? This man is a headache…' He felt the chakra of the Genin standing behind Kakashi. 'What does he want with Daichi?'
Kakashi stood slightly behind the Third and to the side near Daichi, one hand near his kunai pouch, Sharingan fixed on the masked intruder. He sensed the two Kages of the village getting tense. 'They're all one twitch away from a fight…'
Despite being surrounded, Dragon stood in the center of the open space with his back straight and a relaxed posture.
Tobirama's gaze flicked around the area once, then settled on Dragon. "If you think you can simply escape with the teleportation jutsu," he said, "you're mistaken. Now that you're in front of me, it won't be that easy."
"Hahahaha…" Dragon's chuckle made Tobirama frown. There aren't many people alive who could take him lightly and he knew that.
Dragon looked at the Second Hokage. "You know, it was a shock when I learned that you were brought back to the world of the living. I thought for sure it was Danzo's doing." The man shifted his eyes to look at the aged Third Hokage. "Never knew you had the spine to use the Reanimation jutsu."
"Then you should know, fighting against me is pointless. You can't hurt me. And you won't be able to escape." Tobirama looked like he was getting ready for a battle.
"Haha. Did you really think I'd come here myself, knowing that you're here?… That jutsu you created is a marvelous thing. Being in two or more places at once is quite convenient."
The eyes of the Leaf ninjas slightly widened. One thought went through their minds. 'Shadow clone jutsu.'
"I know just how strong you are, Lord Second. Fighting you at this time would be costly for me. I wouldn't take that risk." The slightly playful tone in Dragon's voice changed. "But if you insist on a battle, I don't mind taking you on."
Tobirama internally groaned. 'If he's a shadow clone then even marking him with my seal would be pointless. But the question is, is he bluffing or is he telling the truth? Maybe I should see it for myself.'
Seeing that Tobirama was looking to take action, Hiruzen stepped forward to stop things from escalating further. "I'd prefer not to fight here," the Third spoke with a heavy, cold tone. "But don't mistake that patience for weakness. You attacked Danzo. You infiltrated Root. Now you appeared in Daichi's home. So I'll ask again…"
He took a slow step forward. "Who are you really… Dragon? Why are you doing this?"
Dragon tilted his head slightly. "I told you," he replied. "I'm a revolutionary. Someone who got tired of the system and decided to fix it by force. That's why I attacked the Root. Danzo Shimura had to go."
There was no bravado in his tone. Only certainty.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "No matter what Danzo did, it wasn't your place to attack him or his men. That authority only belongs to the Hokage."
Hearing that, Dragon scoffed softly and looked at Hiruzen. "You nor anyone else were going to. You were all very busy pretending you didn't see what he was doing. So I took the matter into my own hands."
He turned his head and looked straight at Daichi.
"Daichi, the world considers this village the birthplace of many geniuses. People who can create miracles on and off the battlefield. They envy the people here." Dragon said. "But the thing is… this village is also their grave. Sakumo Hatake. Minato Namikaze. Orochimaru. Shisui Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha and many more. They either die or become traitors."
Kakashi's shoulders tensed at the mention of his father. Hiruzen's eyes shadowed at the other names.
Tobirama's jaw tightened and crossed his arms. "You may not be wrong… but you're not saying it because you care, are you?"
Hiruzen's brows drew together. "Is that why you're fighting the village?" he asked. "To… correct what you see as its sins?"
Dragon shook his head. "I'm not fighting the village," he replied. "I'm cutting out the tumors that threaten the Leaf… And that which threatens the stability of the world. Danzo was both."
Tobirama frowned as he felt the man's chakra. 'I can't sense any fluctuations. It's as if he truly believes what he's saying.'
Hiruzen's fingers tightened into fist. 'Is he like Danzo? He also thought he was protecting the village using any means necessary.' For a brief instant, the image of Danzo's final moments flashed in his mind—his former friend's last stand, that sealing jutsu, the choice he had made at the very end to take Orochimaru with him for the sake of the village.
He exhaled slowly. "Danzo's methods were wrong," Hiruzen said quietly. "But he had the Leaf's best interest at heart. In his own way, he gave his life for this village."
Daichi glanced at the old Hokage's back. 'Even now you say that… You really are too kind to your own ghosts.'
Dragon was silent for a moment. Then a soft chuckle escaped his lips.
"Danzo believed a lot of things," he said. "Let me ask you something, Third Hokage. Do you remember the reports on the surprise attack on Tsunade's camp launched by the Sand and Rain during the Third World War? The ambush where the Leaf village lost two hundred and eighty-five ninjas in a single night?"
Hiruzen's expression hardened. He glanced briefly at Tobirama and then gave a slow nod as a reply. "…Yes," Hiruzen said quietly. "It was a failure in intelligence. We missed the alliance between Sand and Rain and underestimated their ability to coordinate. A bitter failure in intelligence gathering that became a costly mistake."
Dragon's head tilted. "A mistake?" He took a step forward. "Wrong!" Dragon replied with a sharp tone. "You didn't miss it. That was Danzo too."
The backyard went very still.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed to slits. Kakashi's visible eye widened. "What?"
"That's impossible." Hiruzen snapped, the calm cracking for the first time.
"Is it?" Dragon tilted his head and looked at the old man.
Hiruzen quickly recalled the incident and began speaking. "Danzo led the Root to reinforce the front after their attack. We have the records. He—"
"–arrived just as the heaviest casualties had already been inflicted," Dragon finished for him. "That's what the reports say, isn't it? Danzo and his Root show up and drive back the combined forces of Sand and Rain ninjas while Tsunade barely holds the line as the Leaf bleeds… He appeared as a savior on the battlefield."
Everyone was silent.
Dragon's voice grew slightly sharper. "Here's the question no one asked back then. Not properly. Not publicly."
He looked straight at Hiruzen. "How did Danzo get to the battlefield so quickly?"
Tobirama's stare sharpened and he spoke. "Maybe he was nearby on a separate operation," he said. "Or the messenger birds reached him first."
"Convenient assumptions," Dragon said. "Reality is much simpler. He knew," Dragon continued. "He knew in advance about the joint operation between the Sand village and the Rain. He knew Leaf's forces would be vulnerable. He knew their attack pattern, their timing, their target. And he moved Root in advance, so that he'd arrive at the perfect moment. to 'turn the tide' and salvage what was left."
Hiruzen shook his head slowly. "There's no proof of that." But even he doubted his own words. 'Danzo. What did you do?'
"Isn't there? Let's see." Dragon turned his head slightly… and looked straight at Daichi. "He's a smart kid. Let's ask him."
Kakashi and Hiruzen tensed as Dragon's attention was now focused on Daichi. Tobirama looked at the man and knew his guard was up like an iron wall even though he was not looking at him. 'Not now. If I attack now, he'll react in time. And if he disappears now, the next time he might try something else. Need to find out as much as we can about this man here and now.'
Dragon knew Tobirama and the others were trying to subdue him but he wasn't worried and he showed that in his posture.
He looked at Daichi with a calm expression. "Your grandfather Kensei Yasaji wasn't blind," he said. "I'm sure he warned you about Danzo once or twice. So tell me, kid… how do you think Danzo knew about an alliance that the rest of the village's sensors, spies and code-breakers completely missed?"
Daichi felt all eyes briefly shift to him. He sighed and looked at Hiruzen's stony expression, then at Tobirama's cold eyes. 'Their reactions are just within my expectations.'
The Gamer ninja was quiet for a few seconds and then, "Most likely…" Daichi began to cautiously reply, "because he facilitated it. He helped create the situation. Without either side knowing his role."
Dragon chuckled. "A for the Genin," he said. "Full marks for that correct answer."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "That's enough," he snapped. "You're throwing accusations toward a dead man who can't defend himself."
"Hearing the truth isn't easy, is it?" Dragon replied as he looked at the old man and the Second Hokage. "Or does it just sting because you didn't see it back then?"
Kakashi watched the tension spike between the three. 'Is he deliberately antagonizing them?' The silver haired Jonin recalled all he knew about Danzo and his character. 'Manipulating both sides into a temporary alliance, having them attack the front line camp and then arriving as a savior. Letting Lady Tsunade take the blame and assuming command… Yeah. That sounds just like him.'
Daichi watched Hiruzen carefully. The old man's shoulders were slightly tense as if preparing for battle. 'Can't let it escalate too fast.'
"Why?" The Genin suddenly asked, buying more time and steering the conversation the way he wanted. Everyone looked at him. "It was the Third War. Even if Danzo wanted power, sabotaging your own side doesn't make sense. What would he gain from causing that much harm to his own village?"
"For the Hokage's seat. What else?" Dragon replied, as if it were obvious.
Hiruzen's shoulders sagged the barest fraction. 'As I feared…'
Dragon's tone remained calm, but there was a razor's edge to his words now. "Tsunade was the battlefield commander at the time," he said. "So she couldn't avoid responsibility for what happened. It was a heavy loss after all. Even if there were valid reasons, Danzo made sure she was held accountable."
He held up a hand, counting on his fingers.
"First: the moment he and his Root repelled the invading forces, he publicly pinned the failure on Tsunade and took over as commander-in-chief on that front. It was a clean transfer of authority in a crisis. And it boosted his influence on the front lines."
His gaze slid to Hiruzen. "Second," Dragon said, "As your student, her disgrace would be a stain on your reputation. It weakened your prestige in the eyes of the ninja forces, elders and the Daimyō."
Hiruzen's jaw tightened.
"Third: if he could 'turn the tide of war' after such a disaster, his reputation among the Leaf shinobi would skyrocket. The man who steps in when the Hokage's favored student fails? That's how you move from the shadows and into the spotlight. From advisor… to candidate."
Kakashi frowned as he looked at Dragon. "Even if all that is true, that alone wouldn't be enough to secure the Hokage position."
Dragon nodded. "I agree," he said. "At a glance, those three advantages are the most Danzo could obtain from that one maneuver. Not enough, by themselves, to guarantee him the hat. After all…" He looked at Hiruzen. "Despite your mistakes, your reputation was unmatched."
Hiruzen did not deny it. His face remained blank, but his eyes were distant.
Dragon looked at Tobirama and continued. "It wasn't obvious on the surface but there weren't many other candidates. Tsunade, for one, never truly cared about becoming Hokage. And with her hemophobia… the Elders would never agree to it. She was strong, but not 'stable' in their eyes. Then we come to the one who everyone thought would succeed you… Orochimaru."
His gaze flicked to Hiruzen. "At that time, the failure at Sand–Rain ambush on the front lines had no direct bearing on Orochimaru. He was on another battlefield and was still the favored candidate to inherit the title. Genius, war hero, your… prized student."
Hiruzen's eyes darkened hearing the last two words. Dragon continued. "But Danzo had Orochimaru's greatest weakness in his hands. His little… experiments." His tone dipped slightly. "All those hidden labs, forbidden research, human trials. All the things that could never see the light of day. All the evidence needed to at the very least remove Orochimaru's candidacy."
Hiruzen's shoulders stiffened. To the Third kage, the pain of that choice was old, but not forgotten.
"Then came the war with the Hidden Stone," Dragon went on. "The long conflict. The casualties. The eventual reparations. Danzo wanted to continue the war but you knew the village was exhausted. Fighting multiple countries was taking its toll. And the political pressure from the Daimyō. It all came down on you, Third Hokage." He tilted his head. "And you stepped down."
Hiruzen's lips thinned but he didn't deny it.
Daichi watched Hiruzen's profile carefully. 'He already knows all this. He's just never had it laid out like this, step by step.'
"If you're forced to step down, someone has to wear the hat." Dragon spread his hands again. "As long as Danzo exposed Orochimaru's experiments at the right time, he could eliminate his biggest rival cleanly. No need for assassination. Just a scandal. Then there was Jiraiya. He never had any intention of leading the village. He's a wanderer. You know that better than anyone. Danzo knew it too. So no danger there."
Hiruzen didn't respond.
"Imagine Danzo's board," Dragon said quietly. "Tsunade, unwilling and blocked by her trauma. Orochimaru, destroyed by exposure. Jiraiya, disinterested. And you—pressured into retirement by war, reparations, and internal tension. And there stands Shimura Danzo. 'Reluctant' but 'prepared' to carry the burden. All he had to do was step forward at the right time."
Hiruzen didn't respond to Dragon's words while Tobirama was trying to figure out Dragon's ideology.
Kakashi's mind walked the path Dragon was sketching. 'I never knew so many things happened behind the scenes before Minato sensei became Hokage...'
The Jonin focused his eyes on his enemy. 'Saying all these things now… What exactly is this man's intentions?' Kakashi's eyes hardened. "But that didn't happen. Danzo didn't become Hokage in the end."
Dragon chuckled. "No. Because he made the one move Danzo didn't expect." He said pointing at the Third. He looked straight at Hiruzen and smiled. "I suspect you realized at least some of what Danzo did, didn't you, Third? Even if you didn't have any proof. That's why you chose Minato Namikaze instead. The golden boy and the hero everyone loved. You made the one move Danzo didn't see coming."
To Hiruzen, those words brought back memories of that day when he made that pivotal decision. The council room flashed across Hiruzen's mind. The two elders arguing with him, Danzo's anger and finally, Minato's calm face.
"You chose Minato Namikaze as Fourth Hokage."
Hiruzen finally met Dragon's gaze but stayed silent as the other man talked.
"Minato won the hearts of the people," Dragon said. "Once that happened, Danzo couldn't contest him openly. Not without turning the village against itself. His careful setup had cracked and he had to slink back into the dark."
Dragon scoffed quietly as he looked at the old Hokage. "During the Third War, you all mocked the Sand village for their internal strife. But the truth is… it was the Leaf village that was fractured. You just couldn't see it through the smoke of the battlefield."
The backyard went quiet. Only the rustle of leaves and distant village noise remained. Kakashi remained silent. Hiruzen's face was unreadable. Tobirama's expression had grown very cold.
"…And all of this," Tobirama said finally, "you pieced together from Root's stolen documents?"
"Yes. Don't look so surprised. Danzo was quite meticulous but he kept things he shouldn't have." Dragon said. "Anyways, it's all ancient history now."
Hiruzen took a slow breath and his eyes finally sharpened. "If your main goal was to get rid of Danzo," he said slowly, "then why did you take the village's hidden jutsu and so much of its intelligence?"
Dragon's tone didn't change. "Because in war," he said, "having intelligence on all parties is fundamental. Whether they be friend or foe."
Tobirama's eyes slightly widened. 'Those words… It can't be…'
Just then, before the Second Hokage could say anything, Hiruzen spoke with narrowed eyes. "Is that what this is? Do you intend to start a war with the Leaf?"
Dragon let out a short, humorless laugh. "This village doesn't have the capacity to go to war with me," he said. The reply came calmly. Dragon didn't shout those words nor did he sound arrogant and that in itself set Kakashi and Hiruzen on edge.
Suddenly-
"You dare threaten this village in front of me?" The Second Hokage growled. His chakra flared in anger.
A crushing wave of blue chakra surged from him. It was dense and cold, cracking the soil at his feet and rattling the windows of the house. Hiruzen and Kakashi both felt their lungs tighten under the pressure.
Large suffocating waves of killing intent rolled across the yard. The ground beneath Tobirama's feet trembled with each wave of his power.
Kakashi's Sharingan spun wildly, instinctively cataloging and measuring the energy. 'This is… insane. I knew he was strong but…'. During the rescue mission in the Land of Earth, no one saw Tobirama go all out.
Hiruzen and Kakashi both looked at him in shock. "Lord Second," The Third Hokage tried to speak but before he could continue, another wave of chakra surged outward battling against the Second Hokage.
Dragon's chakra erupted like a storm, wild and roaring. It hit Tobirama's aura head-on and the two pressures grinded against each other.
The air between them distorted as dirt and pebbles kept grinding against each other as if caught between tectonic plates. Cracks deepened in the soil. Small rocks were lifted several feet into the air and trembled before being violently brought back down.
Hiruzen's eyes widened as he felt the power emanating from the mysterious enemy. "This chakra… It's on par with Lord Second. Maybe…" 'Even stronger than Lord Second... Dragon. Who is he?'
Kakashi swallowed, an instinctive shiver running down his spine. 'They're both at Kage-level… And even stronger than Lord Third. If these two actually start a fight here…'
Dragon's voice cut through the surging energy. "I'm not some Uchiha brat you can intimidate by flaring your chakra," he said. "You'll have to try harder than that, Second Hokage."
The two chakra waves fought against each other with neither backing down. Just as it looked like they were going to start a battle another more powerful energy erupted near them.
An enormous volume of chakra burst out from behind Kakashi and it made the air thick as heavy as lead. The ground groaned beneath the pressure and small fissures spiderwebbed outward like broken glass. Trees around the yard shook violently as the leaves started flying everywhere.
Hiruzen and Kakashi staggered, feeling a crushing weight fall over their shoulders as if gravity had increased several times. They turned their heads in surprise.
"This—" His eyes widened. "Daichi…?"
Daichi stood there as a monstrous amount of energy burst forth from his body. The diamond seal on his forehead glowed and was expanding all over his body.
The Strength of a Hundred seal had been released. His chakra, refined and dense, surged like a tidal wave.
'This… Even after the battle with Orochimaru, he still has this much chakra stored…?' Kakashi had a stunned look behind the mask.
"Enough!" Daichi took a step forward and stared at Dragon and Tobirama with a hardened expression. "I don't care who you are," he began, addressing both of them with a steady voice. "how powerful you are, or what position you hold."
His chakra flared again and the cracks in the earth deepened. Everyone could even tangibly sense the shift in the atmosphere.
"This is my home. If you two start a mess here… I won't hold back. So disperse your Chakra." Daichi's eyes narrowed and everyone could see that it held a dangerous glint.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Hiruzen internally sighed even as he felt the energy wash over him. 'Daichi, you won't even give face to Tobirama sensei? You're just as reckless and unruly as Kensei was in his youth.' His eyes then shifted to his predecessor and Dragon. 'What will you two do now?'
All three powerful chakra signatures pressed against one another—Tobirama's sharp and cutting, Dragon's heavy and coiling, Daichi's deep and overwhelming.
Dragon turned his head toward Daichi, studying him silently. There was no humor in his gaze now—only a serious, measuring look.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed at the boy, assessing the magnitude of chakra and the control behind it.
After a second, Dragon let out a slow sigh and allowed his chakra to recede, the pressure easing off the yard. "I'm not here to start a fight," he said quietly.
Tobirama held his ground for a breath longer… then slowly drew his chakra back as well. The air lightened. "Put away your chakra boy. Whether I start a battle here or not depends on him."
Daichi looked at the Second Hokage and after a few seconds gave a small nod. He dialed his own chakra back down, though he kept the Strength of a Hundred seal fully active on his forehead.
Kakashi and Hiruzen sighed in relief. The Jonin looked at Daichi and saw that the seal was still active. 'Looks like he's going to keep it open till this encounter is over.'
The backyard was quiet again.
Daichi had a hardened, cold expression on his face but inwardly he was grinning like an idiot. 'Man, why didn't I become an actor in my previous life? This is so much fun.' The Gamer ninja thought with glee as he enjoyed the theatrics.
—---------------
Author's Note:
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