Jiraiya had no intention of hiding it.
This was the Konoha encampment, and as the commander, Danzo held a clearance level high enough to be informed about intelligence regarding the Flying Thunder God Technique. In fact, he needed to know. Only then could Minato Namikaze be properly assessed as a strategic asset and deployed accordingly in the war effort.
There was no reason for secrecy.
Yet, precisely because Jiraiya spoke so openly, Danzo, upon hearing the news so abruptly, felt a deep sense of unease settle within him.
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
He knew it too well.
It was the signature technique of the Second Hokage. With it, Tobirama Senju had earned the title of the fastest shinobi in the world, slain Uchiha Madara's younger brother Izuna, and rewritten the course of ninja history.
Danzo himself had once attempted to learn it in his youth. However, his talent was insufficient, and he had been halted at the very beginning of its comprehension. Despite his unwillingness to accept it, he had no choice but to abandon the pursuit.
At least, at the time, no other student of the Second Hokage had succeeded either. That small fact had offered him some comfort.
But now, a technique lost for over twenty years had been mastered by a younger shinobi.
How could Danzo possibly feel at ease?
A sense of frustration rose within him. Why was it always Hiruzen Sarutobi's faction that produced such exceptional individuals?
Not only the Three Sannin, but even their disciples were extraordinary, each one surpassing the last.
He had once considered Minato Namikaze to be merely a gifted ninja. But now, that judgment seemed laughably shallow.
Could someone who had grasped the Flying Thunder God Technique still be called ordinary?
Once Minato fully mastered it, what kind of battlefield achievements would remain out of reach for him?
And if that continued, what chance would there be for Danzo to compete for the position of Hokage?
It was not that his own side lacked effort. It was simply that the opposition kept producing people who defied common sense.
The night air of the Land of Hot Water was warm, yet Danzo felt as if he were trapped in a relentless winter storm, cold and hollow.
If there had been music at that moment, it might have sounded like drifting snow and howling wind across an endless wasteland.
He exhaled slowly.
"Forget it."
His voice carried exhaustion, as though he had aged several decades in a single instant.
"What Yugakure, what Jashin cult, it is all meaningless."
"Sir…" Kimoku began cautiously.
Danzo raised a hand, stopping him. The gesture was heavy, devoid of energy.
"I will rest. Leave me."
Kimoku hesitated, then bowed slightly before silently withdrawing.
For the first time, Danzo did not even bother to organize the documents on his desk. He simply extinguished the oil lamp and lay down fully clothed.
Sleep came quickly.
And then, he dreamed.
It was a familiar scene, one he had not visited in a long time.
The sun had already set, leaving the world swallowed in darkness. Distant explosions echoed alongside the sounds of pursuing enemies.
Seven figures stood gathered around a map.
On the right stood a young Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes filled with concern as they remained fixed on Danzo.
Danzo was heavily injured from a recent explosion.
On the left stood Uchiha Kagami, a man Danzo had once disliked. Nearby was Koharu, who had always harbored quiet feelings for Kagami.
Further left, Koharu was focused entirely on the map, her brows tightly furrowed as she calculated their escape route.
She was still in her twenties, youthful and strikingly beautiful.
Danzo's gaze lingered for a moment before shifting forward.
Directly opposite him stood the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Emotions stirred within Danzo as he looked at him.
Of all people, the Second Hokage had shaped him the most. His entire life had been built upon studying and imitating this man.
A shame, however, that Tobirama favored Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"What is wrong?" Hiruzen asked gently, still observing Danzo. "Is your arm alright?"
Danzo did not respond.
Looking at him now, Danzo felt a faint sense of irritation.
Perhaps this was what it meant for admiration to sour into resentment.
A moment later, the Second Hokage spoke in a grave tone.
"We are surrounded. Someone must remain behind to hold off the enemy while the rest retreat."
Silence fell over the group.
Everyone understood what that meant.
A sacrifice.
Danzo did not hesitate.
"I will do it."
Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly. "Danzo, your arm is injured. I should be the one. I am stronger overall."
Danzo looked directly at him.
"I raised my hand first."
There was a faint sense of satisfaction within him. Finally, he had taken a step ahead of Hiruzen. Even Koharu looked at him with surprise and admiration.
This was supposed to be the moment.
The Second Hokage observed him quietly for a long time before speaking.
"Danzo, you are still too impulsive."
"At a moment of life and death, you must think before acting. Otherwise, how can I entrust the future of the village to you?"
Danzo froze.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward instead.
"I will stay behind."
The Second Hokage nodded without hesitation.
"Very well. Hiruzen Sarutobi, from this day forward, you are the Third Hokage."
"Danzo, support him well."
Danzo stood still.
Everything around him blurred.
Inside the tent, the sleeping Danzo's eye twitched, and a single tear rolled down his aged face.
Elsewhere, far from the encampment, Hayashi had already learned of Minato Namikaze's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique even before the messenger frog arrived.
Because the Space Attribute within his system had finally been unlocked.
He had waited for this moment for a long time.
The system's voice echoed faintly in his consciousness.
System-kun: Finally able to surface. This is worse than a life sentence.
Space itself was a difficult concept to define. Invisible, intangible, yet real. It could be called a form of innate talent.
Without it, even with deep understanding of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Hayashi could grasp every formula, carve every seal, and comprehend every principle, yet still fail to cross the boundary of space itself.
Now, that limitation was gone.
With the Space Attribute unlocked, he could directly allocate points to elevate it from nothing to an advanced level.
Mastery of the Flying Thunder God was now only a matter of time.
Hayashi opened his system interface.
From the displayed data, he was already approaching the upper tier of Kage level strength, though the system labeled it with a note indicating "initial self-preservation capability."
He exhaled softly.
The comparison standard remained unclear. First Hokage, Madara Uchiha, or perhaps even something beyond them.
His chakra level had already reached a high stage within Kage classification, approaching the threshold of extreme power. This was not only due to allocated points but also the awakening of his Mangekyo Sharingan, which had significantly increased his reserves.
Even so, he was still far from Hashirama Senju, who stood at a level beyond ordinary classification.
Beyond that level lay something even higher, the Six Paths realm.
Among all his attributes, the most significant was still the system's Fusion function.
When two different chakra natures were combined in a precise ratio, they could form a new nature transformation known as a Bloodline Limit.
Explosion Release, for example, was born from Earth and Lightning chakra, a technique once used by an enemy who had been eliminated earlier by Nawaki.
However, such fusion required precise balance, something most shinobi could never achieve.
The system's role was to calculate and perfect that ratio, allowing complete and stable fusion.
And now, with Space finally unlocked, that path had truly begun.