[Ding! Successfully recruited the original protagonist as a subordinate]
[Fusion Progress +10%]
Along with the pleasant notification sound, Aiden felt his power surge once again.
An increase in fusion progress meant one thing—
another ability unlocked.
Thinking of that, Aiden immediately focused inward, sensing the changes in his body with anticipation.
What he wanted most right now were two abilities:
Flight, and heat vision.
Compared to those, everything else felt a bit underwhelming.
But very quickly—
disappointment set in.
The newly unlocked ability was Super Hearing.
"…Tch."
A bit disappointing.
Still, it was a new ability.
Barely acceptable.
After familiarizing himself with the changes, Aiden turned to Naruto, who was looking at him with pure admiration.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
"From now on, just come to the Sarutobi compound if you're looking for me."
"Train properly."
With that, Aiden took Izumi and left the barbecue restaurant.
Naruto stayed behind, clenching his fists in determination.
I have to train hard…
I can't fall behind Big Brother Aiden.
It didn't take long for news of Aiden and Naruto's interaction to reach Konoha's upper echelons.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo already knew—and had discussed it.
But there were still two people left among the village leadership—
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
If it had only been Aiden, they wouldn't have said much.
But the moment they learned that Uchiha Izumi was staying by his side as a personal attendant—
they panicked.
"Hiruzen! You can't just let Aiden do whatever he wants!"
"How can you allow a member of the Uchiha clan to get close to the jinchūriki?!"
"This is far too dangerous!"
"Exactly," Koharu echoed. "What she said makes sense."
Facing the two of them, Hiruzen felt nothing but a headache.
Danzo and I have already agreed—what are you two still making a fuss about?
Out of respect for old friendships, Hiruzen didn't snap back.
Instead, he had someone summon Danzo.
When it came to tearing people apart verbally—
Danzo was far better suited.
After all, Hiruzen's arguments only worked on Danzo.
Against others, he wasn't particularly sharp.
Soon enough, Danzo entered the office.
One look at Koharu and Homura, and he immediately understood the situation.
"What?"
"You two have objections?"
The moment Danzo opened his mouth with such an aggressive tone, the two advisors instinctively shrank back.
But after a brief pause, they hardened their resolve.
Because of Sarutobi Aiden, the long-hostile relationship between Hiruzen and Danzo had noticeably eased.
For the two advisors, this was not a good thing.
Their authority was already limited.
If those two continued to stand united—
their positions as advisors might not even remain secure.
They had to take a hard stance today.
"Hmph! Of course we object!"
"We don't oppose Sarutobi Aiden interacting with the jinchūriki."
"But this Uchiha Izumi—"
"Have you both forgotten the Nine-Tails incident?!"
With that, Koharu and Homura made their stance clear—
while deliberately distancing Aiden from the issue.
We're targeting Uchiha Izumi. The Uchiha clan.
And they deliberately emphasized the Nine-Tails calamity.
Hearing this, Hiruzen cleared his throat and said calmly,
"Uchiha Izumi is already Aiden's personal attendant."
"She may even change her name to Sarutobi Izumi in the future."
"By all rights, that makes her one of our own."
"Are you saying you don't even trust your own people?"
Listening to Hiruzen's blatant nonsense, Koharu and Homura were speechless.
As if changing her name magically stops her from being an Uchiha.
"No!"
"She must be brought here!"
"We need to question her personally!"
Seeing the two push their luck, Hiruzen and Danzo exchanged a glance.
Knowing Aiden's temperament all too well, they directly ordered someone to summon him.
If these two are asking for trouble, don't blame us for not stopping it.
When it came to Aiden, Hiruzen and Danzo were unusually aligned.
One could say this was a transmigrator's privilege—
unconditional favoritism from both sides.
At this stage in Konoha, it was practically the ultimate cheat.
Before long, an ANBU appeared in front of Aiden and Izumi.
"Young Master Aiden, the Third Hokage requests your presence at the Hokage's office."
Seeing the ANBU's long purple hair, Aiden instantly guessed her identity—
Uzuki Yugao, an ANBU directly under the Hokage.
Since his grandfather was calling him, Aiden didn't waste time.
He brought Izumi along and headed straight for the Hokage Tower.
Soon, the two entered the office.
The moment Aiden saw the grim expressions on Koharu and Homura's faces—
he already knew what this was about.
What Aiden himself didn't realize was that, over the past ten years—
perhaps due to Danzo's constant favoritism—
he now found Danzo oddly benevolent.
Meanwhile, the two elders in front of him looked increasingly unpleasant.
The moment Aiden and Izumi arrived, Koharu and Homura immediately went on the offensive.
"Uchiha Izumi!"
"You approached the jinchūriki without authorization!"
"What exactly are you plotting?!"
"Or is the Uchiha clan scheming something despicable again?!"
"Speak! Now!"
The barrage of accusations instantly left Izumi stunned, unsure how to respond.
At that moment, Aiden stepped forward and blocked her.
"I told her to approach him."
"So?"
"You got a problem with that?"
That dismissive tone instantly sent Koharu and Homura exploding out of their seats.
"Sarutobi Aiden! What kind of attitude is that?!"
"Do you have any respect for us at all?!"
"Hiruzen! Danzo!"
"This is how you educate your grandson?!"
Over the years, the rapid rise of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans had filled the two advisors with resentment.
All that suppressed frustration finally erupted.
As Koharu's scolding grew more heated—
and the expressions of Aiden and the others darkened—
Homura suddenly felt something was very wrong.
And without anyone noticing—
Aiden had already walked up to Koharu.
By the time she realized it,
the first thing she saw was Aiden's face—
half-smiling, half-threatening.
A chill instantly ran through her entire body.
"S-Sarutobi Aiden…?"
"W-What are you trying to do?"
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