"Tsunade?" Orochimaru frowned slightly. "That's..."
Danzō also looked at Hiruzen in surprise.
"First, we're in a transitional period. Choosing Tsunade is a safe choice, and both of you understand why."
Hiruzen smiled, looking first at Danzō and then Orochimaru.
"Second, as Hokage, sometimes you need someone close to you who's willing to disagree with you. As long as they're coming from the right place and don't have too many ulterior motives, that can be extremely valuable."
"Take Danzō, for example..."
"Before I do something, just knowing he's there often makes me stop and think about what angle he'll criticize me from. Then I go over everything again to see if I've overlooked anything..."
"Otherwise, having him constantly telling me, 'Hiruzen, you'll regret this,' gets incredibly annoying. I used to have to replace the door to my office every couple of months..."
Hiruzen imitated Danzō's voice perfectly, then yanked open a desk drawer and slammed it shut as a substitute for the usual door-slamming.
Orochimaru and Danzō both laughed...
The Hokage actually had quite a sense of humor.
But as Danzō continued laughing, his feelings gradually became complicated.
If he was being truthful with himself, most of the time he had simply been picking fights with Hiruzen for the sake of it.
Yet Hiruzen had seen even that as motivation to improve himself?
Monkey, you really...
"In a sense, Tsunade will fill Danzō's role. She might not be willing to handle the dirty and thankless work Danzō did, but when it comes to speaking her mind, she certainly doesn't lose to our Darkness of the Shinobi..."
Orochimaru nodded grimly.
"She'll say absolutely anything! And now Hashirama-sama is in the village too, not to mention Mito-sama!"
"Consider it resistance training, kid..."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Listening to different opinions gives you a clearer view. The day even Tsunade can't find anything to criticize you for, you'll know you've made it."
"Learn how to make good use of Hizashi. He has excellent potential."
"As for Kirigakure and Amegakure, once you become my assistant, you'll need to show your face there from time to time. Decide for yourself which shinobi you need to establish contact with. If you need resources or assistance, come to me..."
Hiruzen spoke seriously to Orochimaru.
"Don't worry about bothering me. Everyone becomes Hokage for the first time, and the same goes for becoming the Hokage's assistant. When you find a problem, solve it. Don't get trapped inside your own head..."
"And as my student, don't get any ideas about 'striking out on your own without your sensei so you can prove yourself.' I'm your sensei. That makes me one of the resources available to you."
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth unconsciously curled upward as he listened.
Who could possibly have ended up with such a wonderful teacher?
What a difficult question...
Apparently, it was him!
Danzō sighed inwardly.
Seisui had already explained it to him...
Just as Tobirama had actually chosen Hiruzen long ago, Hiruzen had settled on Orochimaru long ago as well.
The outcome had been decided a very long time ago.
The reason Danzō had refused to accept it was ultimately because he hadn't wanted to face reality.
Looking back now, Danzō realized that Tobirama had already made himself perfectly clear decades ago. He had never given Danzō any ambiguous hints.
Danzō had simply convinced himself otherwise...
"Orochimaru, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
Danzō composed himself and spoke in a deep voice.
"Go ahead, Danzō-ojisan..." Orochimaru's thoughts stirred, and he readily played along.
Before, the two of them had enjoyed the pure, uncomplicated pleasure of attacking each other without any interests getting in the way...
But things were different now. If someone showed you respect, you returned it.
"I'm very interested in Cursed Seals. I'd like you to create one tailored to my cells that can draw in as much natural energy as possible, along with Hashirama cells that can increase my maximum chakra capacity..."
"I don't need to absorb the natural energy into my body. I only need to be able to draw it toward me. Since Hiruzen can't learn Sage Mode, I thought I'd see whether I can identify whatever problem is preventing him from sensing it..."
Danzō gave a light cough.
That was a lie!
In truth, Danzō didn't believe for a moment that Hiruzen was incapable of learning Sage Mode.
Even now, when Hiruzen genuinely couldn't sense natural energy, Danzō still possessed an inexplicable conviction that his sworn brother would definitely learn it eventually...
And that he'd do it just like Senju Hashirama—by waking up one morning, having a sudden realization, and somehow knowing how to do it...
The real reason Danzō wanted to research natural energy was that he and Tobirama had agreed to develop an ultimate Kinjutsu capable of protecting Konoha, with Danzō himself serving as its vessel.
Hashirama cells would form its structural foundation, combined with the Tsuchigumo clan's natural-energy explosive formula and the attraction mechanism of a Wind Release chakra vortex...
Finally, an enhanced Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique would serve as the restraint, allowing as much natural energy as possible to detonate within an enclosed area with enough force to shatter even space itself!
The idea behind the technique was simple: if Konoha ever faced an enemy it couldn't defeat, they would have a technique capable of taking that enemy down with its user and protecting the home everyone had painstakingly built together, one step at a time...
It was an extraordinarily bold concept, the kind only someone like Tobirama could devise.
It placed extremely high demands on both the user's resolve and mastery of Wind Release. Across all of Konoha, Danzō was the only person capable of meeting them...
Or rather, he was the person best suited to training in it.
"There's no need for that, Danzō..."
Hiruzen looked puzzled. "Don't worry. I'm not obsessed with Sage Mode. If I can't learn it, then I can't learn it. I'll just find something else to train in..."
"Besides, maybe it'll suddenly click for me one day. There's no way to know."
A specialized Cursed Seal sounded like something that would inevitably burden the body.
If possible, Hiruzen would rather Danzō enjoy a peaceful semi-retirement instead of putting himself through more of this...
"No, Hiruzen."
"I'll agree to anything else you ask, but not this."
Danzō's attitude abruptly became unyielding. For a moment, he seemed to turn back into the Hokage's assistant who had always found some reason to oppose Hiruzen.
"You don't get a say in this. Don't interfere!"
"This is a personal matter."
Hiruzen froze, then replied helplessly, "Fine, fine. Have it your way..."
Why was he suddenly acting up again?
What Hiruzen didn't know was that Danzō's obsession had changed from "becoming a Hokage greater than Hiruzen" to "becoming Konoha's greatest Hokage's assistant"...
After Hiruzen rescued him and he returned to the village, Tobirama had given Danzō a merciless tongue-lashing.
"The Raikage and Tsuchikage were enough to make you go that far? Is your life really worth that little?!"
"There are all kinds of enemies lurking behind the scenes in the shinobi world. The leader of the Crimson Organization alone is troublesome enough. What if he isn't Senju Tobirama?"
"Even if the Crimson Organization disappears, there'll be other organizations!"
"If you're going to do it, then do it properly! Don't be worse at it than Might Duy, one of your own Root operatives!"
It was only then that Danzō truly understood.
He had grasped a Will of Fire centered on protection!
He began measuring his role in the village against Might Duy, who possessed the Eight Gates' Formation of the Gate of Death. It also aligned perfectly with the belief Danzō had held since childhood—that a shinobi should die on the battlefield.
Hiruzen couldn't die.
Absolutely not.
So if they ever encountered an incomprehensible enemy, Danzō would charge ahead of Hiruzen and use this technique to take the enemy down with him—or, at the very least, leave them severely wounded...
Then Hiruzen could safely finish them off.
"I understand, Danzō-ojisan."
Orochimaru nodded seriously. "I'll do everything I can to help you. Don't worry!"
Danzō visibly relaxed at those words, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart, and smiled.
"Then thank you, Orochimaru."
Seeing Danzō smile made Orochimaru pause.
He suddenly remembered what Danzō had looked like when he was young...
He hadn't been bad-looking, had he?
At least he hadn't looked as sinister as he did now...
'Does your state of mind really show on your face?'
Orochimaru was reluctant to admit it, but after stepping down as the Hokage's assistant, Danzō really did seem much easier on the eyes than before.
"Sensei, that plan you mentioned before about collecting old texts from the villagers actually did help with our research into the Dragon Vein... There really may be some hidden experts among the ordinary people of Konoha and the Land of Fire..."
Orochimaru produced an old text. This was what he had originally come to discuss that day.
"According to our analysis, this text dates back a thousand years. It contains some ancient writings about controlling the Dragon Vein."
"Combined with the formulas we've found in Rōran, we've already begun incorporating the Dragon Vein into our information network. But there's one thing we need to be careful about: it may cause disturbances in space-time..."
Orochimaru's expression turned serious.
"Disturbances in space-time?"
Hiruzen frowned. "What makes you say that?"
Danzō also turned his attention toward him.
Time and space had always been profoundly mysterious things.
"It's only a possibility. According to this text, someone in ancient times once used the Dragon Vein to travel here from the future..."
"Extracting power from the Dragon Vein causes fluctuations in its energy."
Orochimaru lightly waved the text in his hand. "I've already verified everything this text records about the Dragon Vein, and so far it's all been accurate."
"So I don't think the possibility of visitors from another space-time is small enough to ignore. It's something we should take seriously."
Orochimaru smiled.
"Based on the case described in this text, I estimated the fluctuations caused by the village's extraction of energy from the Dragon Vein. If someone from another space-time really does appear, they'll probably be separated from us by around twenty years."
"To be honest, Sensei, I'm actually rather curious about what the version of me from a parallel timeline would be like..."
As for where this text on the Dragon Vein had come from...
Naturally, a certain helpful resident of Konoha's inner district, Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku, had lent a hand...
"According to this, every space-time is independent. They only occasionally become connected through extremely rare natural phenomena."
"At the beginning, each space-time is like an identical seed, or like our own cells before they differentiate. But as they develop, they gradually become different."
Orochimaru was clearly fascinated by the subject.
"It's certainly possible that another space-time could be completely identical to ours, and it's equally normal for one to be completely different. Most likely, though, it would seem familiar while containing various differences."
"Tomie's Mangekyō ability has also confirmed this."
"For example, maybe you never became Hokage, Sensei, and Danzō-ojisan succeeded instead..."
Orochimaru joked.
"Or perhaps I'm a woman in another timeline... But I believe Konoha in other timelines would still be very united, so there probably wouldn't be any major problems."
"Forget it. Even another version of me probably couldn't beat Hiruzen for the position. I'm done competing over that."
Danzō laughed as well, waving a hand with remarkable ease. "I've let it go!"
"As for your sex, I don't think that matters much. I've always thought you could switch whenever you felt like it..." Danzō added, giving Orochimaru a long look.
Orochimaru merely chuckled without comment.
Danzō wasn't actually wrong about that...
Hiruzen, meanwhile, sank into thought.
Visitors from another space-time...
What Hiruzen was considering was whether they might provide him with more information about the mysterious "deus ex machina."
And if they came from the future, he would need to find a way to establish a cooperative relationship with them.
The technology and ninjutsu developed on their side might complement Konoha's own development and benefit both sides.
'Hm?'
Something suddenly occurred to Hiruzen.
Would Konoha in another space-time count as "his" Konoha?
For example, if he provided limited assistance to Konoha in another timeline and helped make that Konoha a better place, would some of those results count toward his own talent?
But that idea depended far too much on abstract technicalities and was far removed from anything practical at the moment.
Hiruzen didn't let his thoughts wander any further.
There would be plenty of time to investigate once someone actually arrived...
Speculating now wouldn't accomplish much.
"We can invest more resources into the Rōran region."
"Orochimaru, I'll leave the arrangements to you..."
"As for your appointment and the others, we'll hold a meeting tomorrow and then make the announcement."
Hiruzen slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "The closer you get to the end, the less you can afford to relax. Konoha may have achieved some success at this stage, but we still can't let our guard down..."
"The mysterious Crimson Organization has appeared, and we still have no way of knowing whether some other unknown force stands behind them."
Danzō and Orochimaru nodded solemnly and answered in unison.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Just then, several ANBU arrived with the Five-Tails and knocked on the door.
The little horse immediately bounded toward Hiruzen the moment it saw him, its pure-white tails raised excitedly.
"I want to join Konoha!"
"But I don't want to become anyone's Tailed Beast and be sealed inside them. Can I become your companion instead? I can provide you with chakra, and you can ride me in battle too..."
Hiruzen blinked, then slowly nodded.
Keeping a little horse around actually sounded rather fun.
And this suited Hiruzen's intentions perfectly.
Having a highly mobile Tailed Beast dedicated to supporting the Hokage in battle would produce far more value than either of them could alone...
Konoha no longer desperately needed another Jinchūriki.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had previously suggested making Danzō the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki. That way, they could strengthen the Darkness of the Shinobi while also allowing Danzō to transform into the Tailed Beast during battle and support Hiruzen...
It took a lot to make the Hokage lose his composure, but that suggestion had genuinely done it.
What kind of idea was that?
Danzō had rejected the proposal as well, though mainly because he needed to train in the "Heaven and Earth Share the Same Lifespan" Kinjutsu, and the Five-Tails' chakra would only interfere with it.
There was no other reason...
"By the way, do you eat grass? Can you eat paper?"
Hiruzen asked curiously.
"Sure..." the Five-Tails replied as though it were perfectly natural.
"Then try this..." Hiruzen found a document scheduled for destruction and handed it over. "If you don't like it, that's fine. Don't force yourself."
The Five-Tails blinked and devoured the paper in an instant.
"Sweet..."
Hiruzen burst out laughing.
"Good! Then you can keep me company while I work from now on..."
Working alone all the time could get rather dull, even for the Hokage.
There might now be a mysterious woman inside him, but Kaguya had recently entered an intense observation phase, with the two of them locked in a contest of patience.
They couldn't talk too much each day, or it would look like they were surrendering the initiative...
The group and the Tailed Beast chatted for a while.
Orochimaru was the first to leave.
But when Danzō reached the door, he suddenly turned and looked back at Hiruzen.
"I'm leaving, Hiruzen!"
Hiruzen paused.
"Mm. See you."
Danzō slowly closed the door behind him.
He could consider that an early farewell...
After all, if the day ever came when he truly needed to use that technique, he probably wouldn't have a chance to say anything then...
And so...
Following the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha officially entered an entirely new stage.
Kaguya slowly reflected on the conversation between Hiruzen and the others.
So conflicts could actually be reconciled?
No matter how poor she was at understanding human relationships, even she could tell that Orochimaru and Danzō had been at odds before. Yet now they had put the past behind them and treated each other with mutual respect...
Kaguya also thought about how Hiruzen had handled Orochimaru.
She couldn't help wondering...
If she had treated Hamura and Hagoromo the way Hiruzen treated Orochimaru and Danzō, would things have turned out differently?
Would her two sons still have joined forces to seal her away?
Those questions plunged Kaguya into deep thought.
She suddenly realized that until one's personal strength was truly enough to overwhelm everything, learning how to unite the people around you seemed extraordinarily important...
'Should I learn from him?'
Kaguya secretly glanced at Hiruzen as he worked at his desk and gave a tiny sigh.
She would wait a little longer...
Kaguya was also extremely curious about visitors from another space-time.
Perhaps another version of herself possessed extraordinary combat skill and decisiveness, had broken free from her seal through her own power, made Hamura and Hagoromo deeply regret what they had done, and could even fight the elite members of the main Ōtsutsuki clan without being at a disadvantage?
If she could obtain information like that, it would obviously raise Hiruzen's opinion of her considerably.
Hiruzen, however, didn't have any of Kaguya's complicated thoughts.
The Kekkei Genkai threads inside his body still hadn't reached a bottleneck in his training, so he was in no hurry to communicate further with Kaguya. The Hokage's immediate priority was mastering the Eight Gates...
In a sense, the bond between Danzō and Hiruzen was making itself felt once again.
Danzō was thinking about burning himself away completely...
And Hiruzen likewise wanted a final trump card that would let him push himself to the absolute limit.
However, Hiruzen was also considering whether there might be some way to suppress the irreversible damage caused by the Gate of Death.
Not to open it without injury, but to reduce the cost to something survivable.
With Shinnō of the Land of Sky's Body Revival Technique combined with the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal's increased control over his body, Hiruzen had already begun to see the beginnings of a possible solution...
Under Hiruzen's guiding hand, both Konoha as a whole and the Hokage himself once again entered a quiet period of growth.
Everyone simply did what they needed to do.
...
Six months later.
The Rōran region.
A dazzling light erupted from the site of the Dragon Vein!
The visitors from another space-time had arrived right on schedule...
Naruto and Yamato from another timeline had been pursuing Mukade, a rogue shinobi from Sunagakure. After being transported through time, the two needed quite a while to recover before finally getting to their feet and dusting themselves off.
Then they raised their heads and looked around.
Both of them froze.
Was this really the same ruined Rōran?
Where the hell had they ended up?!
Was this the incomparably prosperous Rōran described in ancient records centuries ago...
Or had they somehow traveled hundreds of years into the future?
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