"Third, are you suggesting disbanding the Anbu Training Department?"
Danzo Shimura stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi and questioned him. Disbanding the Anbu Training Department would make it a bit troublesome to increase Root members, but it could be done covertly. There were also benefits; he could operate completely hidden in the darkness.
"Children are Konoha's future and cannot be trained in this manner."
Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to save Danzo Shimura some face. After all, they had both been members of the Second Hokage's guard squad, had experienced several life-and-death crises, and were comrades they could entrust their lives to.
During his years as Hokage, Danzo Shimura's contributions were not to be overlooked.
"Hiruzen! Don't you understand! Excess emotions lead to hatred, and hatred is the fuse for war! Anbu need to be tools that execute orders and eliminate threats to Konoha, not emotional Ninja who are affected by their missions!"
Danzo Shimura said loudly. From the beginning, he couldn't stand Hiruzen Sarutobi's conservatism. In his opinion, this was a sign of weakness!
"Absurd! If you truly cared for Konoha, you wouldn't be training ANBU Ninja, training Root Ninja, in this manner now, when Konoha needs to rest and recuperate its strength! Danzo, don't go too far! My patience has limits!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want his relationship with Danzo Shimura to become too strained. Normally, he could turn a blind eye to some matters, but now, he could no longer convince himself with "everything Danzo does is for Konoha."
"Change your training methods, Danzo." Hiruzen Sarutobi calmed his emotions, turned, and walked out. "I will be watching you, Danzo."
Danzo Shimura looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's back, his expression grim, with a hint of solemnity in his eyes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who rarely inquired about or paid attention to the Anbu Training Department, had made a sudden visit today, and his intention to reprimand was all too obvious.
Could it be… A quiet, cold figure appeared in Danzo Shimura's mind. Hiruzen Sarutobi's abnormal behavior could only mean one thing.
Is it because I contacted your disciple, Hiruzen… Did my past proposal lead to today's bitter consequences?
Danzo Shimura recalled his past suggestion to have the geniuses of various families join Anbu, which was actually an attempt to absorb them into Root and make them his own people. He had been a bit too hasty, allowing Hiruzen Sarutobi to see through his intentions and reject his proposal.
Danzo Shimura was not surprised at all that Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he had contacted Orochimaru.
As Assistant Hokage, cultivating talent for Konoha, what was wrong with that?
What if Hiruzen Sarutobi knew?
Hiruzen, what if the disciple you painstakingly nurtured became a member of Root?
A cold smile appeared on Danzo Shimura's face. Since Hiruzen Sarutobi had come to reprimand him because of Orochimaru, then he would specifically make Orochimaru a member of Root.
Training Ground
Orochimaru sat on a treetop, meditating to increase her Chakra reserves, and couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Hiruzen Sarutobi went to find Danzo Shimura.
I wonder how things are over there. Hiruzen-sensei and Danzo are both in their prime; they might get hot-headed and start fighting… If only I could be there to watch them fight up close.
Thinking this, it was as if a little person in Orochimaru's heart was frantically waving flags and shouting, "Fight! Fight!" fearing nothing less than chaos.
Whoosh—!
A hurricane swept by. Orochimaru reached out, and four scrolls landed in her hand. On the scrolls were written the characters for Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, respectively.
As the Shadow Clones dispersed, Orochimaru gained their memories. A large amount of carefully organized insights on the four main Ninjutsu of Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, compiled by Hiruzen Sarutobi, appeared in her mind. There was no feeling of being force-fed; the Shadow Clones watching was equivalent to her watching.
So that's it. It seems that when learning Ninjutsu, having a good teacher is crucial… No wonder most rogue Ninja aren't very skilled.
Orochimaru showed a thoughtful expression, walking down the tree trunk with her feet. She paused, then quickly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Orochimaru took a deep breath, and the Wind Release Chakra condensed in her mouth was fired out like bullets.
Bang, bang, bang—!
A series of loud sounds rang out, wood chips flew, and the trunk of the large tree in front was riddled with holes of varying depths, with a hole in the middle of the trunk that allowed one to see through to the other side.
Why does it feel like I'm shooting bullets from my mouth?
Orochimaru looked at the damage caused by Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere on the tree trunk, thinking of Danzo Shimura's appearance in the original story, puffing out his cheeks and pouting his lips to perform Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere… She also thought of the Hidden Stone Ninja's Earth Release: Rock Bullet Technique, spitting out rocks from their mouths to attack enemies.
"Who's there?!"
Orochimaru looked around vigilantly, hooking a Kunai from her Ninjutsu pouch with her finger.
"Orochimaru, it seems you have already mastered Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere. Your talent exceeds my imagination."
Danzo Shimura looked at the marks left by Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere on the tree trunk, his heart greatly shaken. He had only given Orochimaru the scroll last night, and today she had already learned Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere and could unleash impressive power. This was beyond what could be described as mere genius.
"Danzo-sama."
Orochimaru looked at Danzo Shimura in surprise, jumping down from the tree trunk to the ground.
No way, Hiruzen-sensei went to see you not long ago. Could it be that he just left, and you immediately ran to the training ground?
Orochimaru complained inwardly, but on the surface, he calmly asked, "Why are you here?"
"I guessed you'd be here training when you didn't have a mission."
Danzo Shimura said with a smile, showing great patience towards a genius like Orochimaru.
If before he only wanted to invite Orochimaru to join Root at an opportune time, now he not only wanted Orochimaru to join Root, but also wanted Orochimaru to make the decision to join Root himself. He wanted to prove that his ideology was more suitable for Konoha, and that he, Danzo Shimura, was more suitable to be Hokage than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Orochimaru, I believe you will become a great Ninja who can stand on your own in the future, a pillar of Konoha. If you need anything, you can contact my people through this method. I will be quite busy recently."
As Danzo Shimura spoke, the figure of a Root Ninja emerged from the ground and placed a scroll on the ground.
"Danzo-sama, why do you think so highly of me?" Orochimaru asked, puzzled.
"I saw your potential, and I trust my own judgment."
The Sharingan is really convenient!
Through his Sharingan, Danzo Shimura saw the amount of Chakra in Orochimaru's body, which far exceeded that of her peers. Without a special Bloodline Limit, to have such an amount of Chakra showed how terrifying her talent was.
Since you've said so, I won't be polite.
Orochimaru picked up the scroll from the ground and opened it to read. After she finished reading, it seemed to trigger some sort of jutsu, and the scroll automatically burned to ashes.
As expected of the old schemer who trains Anbu...
Orochimaru watched the ashes dissipate with the wind, complaining inwardly.
On the other side, Danzo Shimura was very satisfied, having confirmed that Orochimaru had read the scroll. If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't made him change his training methods and disrupted his plans, he would have definitely shown up in front of Orochimaru every now and then.
He would have gained Orochimaru's favor as a kind and friendly Assistant Hokage, thereby subtly influencing him.
Danzo...
Hiruzen Sarutobi nearly crushed his pipe. Looking at the scene in the crystal ball, he never expected that Danzo Shimura, whom he had reprimanded, would still have the thought to seek out Orochimaru. Clearly, his wicked intentions were not dead!
It seems I need to give you more things to do, Danzo!