In truth, Minato Namikaze was overthinking things—or perhaps Natsuhiko's acting skills were simply too good.
The Senju clan did indeed once possess its own intelligence network.
However, that network had long since become practically defunct.
Back in the day, Tobirama Senju had established the ANBU to counter the Uchiha. At the same time, he created Root to keep the ANBU in check.
In doing so, much of the clan's intelligence network had been folded into those organizations.
As things stood now, the Senju clan had pitifully few intelligence sources left.
Aside from his own deductions, most of the information Natsuhiko handed over had required considerable effort on his part to obtain.
But Konoha couldn't possibly know the true internal condition of the Senju clan in detail.
And that gave Natsuhiko a perfect opportunity.
No matter what he said, Minato couldn't verify it with absolute certainty, could he?
Watching Minato's grave expression, Natsuhiko maintained his gentle smile.
He could sense the conflict and hesitation within Minato's heart.
But hesitation was good.
He had never expected to possess Naruto's overwhelming charisma. Even though he had been carefully crafting a persona of being "trustworthy, gentle, and refined," the time had been far too short.
And he was ANBU.
That alone was enough to inspire caution.
Minato's hesitation meant he was thinking.
And once he started thinking, Natsuhiko's chances increased significantly.
Even if Minato instinctively wanted to trust Hiruzen Sarutobi—the man who had personally promoted him and enabled him to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage—
The current situation forced him to reconsider.
Natsuhiko had simply seized this opportunity.
An opportunity that would make Minato hesitate—and find it difficult to refuse.
After a long silence, Minato finally nodded slightly.
"I understand. Thank you for the intelligence."
"It's my duty, Lord Hokage," Natsuhiko replied with a smile.
"But I still have a few questions."
Minato fixed his gaze on Natsuhiko and spoke word by word.
"Are you certain it's appropriate to hand over clan intelligence like this?
And regarding the captain you marked—not as loyal to the Third Hokage, but to a mysterious individual—do you have more detailed information?"
"Please rest assured, Lord Hokage. Although I haven't reported this to my family, it would likely be considered a good thing for them."
On the matter of intelligence, Natsuhiko deliberately remained vague—never fully committing one way or the other.
But he was confident Minato would understand.
Sure enough, after hearing those words, Minato nodded thoughtfully.
Natsuhiko had said this was his personal action, unrelated to the clan.
Whether it was truly unrelated was another matter entirely.
Minato suspected that even if the clan did know, they would pretend not to.
The necessary intelligence would still be provided.
The unnecessary questions would never be asked.
It was equivalent to establishing another line of connection.
Placing bets on both sides wasn't unusual.
Putting all one's eggs in a single basket—that was unusual.
Unless there was no other choice.
After a brief pause, Natsuhiko continued:
"As for the captain whose loyalty I couldn't clearly label, I believe Lord Hokage has heard of a certain person."
"Who?" Minato asked directly.
Natsuhiko smiled faintly before slowly uttering a name:
"Shimura Danzō."
Minato froze slightly upon hearing it.
Then his expression turned exceedingly complicated.
He was, of course, very familiar with that name.
After all, that man was one of Konoha's most powerful figures, holding real authority within the village.
But why—
Why would he extend his hand into the ANBU as well?
Minato Namikaze knew very well that Shimura Danzō had always harbored ambitions of becoming Hokage.
After all, Danzō had never tried to hide it.
And as a shinobi of Konoha, who didn't carry a dream of becoming Hokage?
But Danzō and the Third Hokage shared such a deep bond. They weren't just classmates—they were comrades who had faced life and death together.
Even now, the ANBU remained under the Third Hokage's control.
Was this arrangement tacitly approved?
Or had Danzō secretly made his own moves?
Minato truly couldn't understand.
Because if Danzō had acted independently, it would almost amount to betraying the Third Hokage.
Minato leaned more toward the idea that it had been permitted.
But then—why would the Third Hokage hand over part of the ANBU's authority to Danzō?
Danzō already controlled Root!
"Could there be a mistake?" Minato frowned. "Or is there some hidden reason?"
"Lord Hokage, you're asking the wrong person."
Natsuhiko spread his hands helplessly, putting on an innocent expression.
"I'm just an ANBU squad captain. How could I possibly know that much?
However, I can tell you this—the time when that captain aligned himself with Danzō was roughly before you were elected Hokage."
Before his election?
That would mean during the nomination period—when he and Orochimaru were competing for the position.
Suddenly, Minato began connecting many scattered pieces of information.
From various fragments, it seemed that Danzō hadn't originally supported Orochimaru.
At that time, rumors about Orochimaru conducting human experiments had spread throughout Konoha.
But then something happened that forced Root to undergo restructuring.
During that period, the rumors gradually disappeared—and Danzō shifted to supporting Orochimaru.
"Was it because of Root's restructuring that Danzō sought to gain influence over the ANBU?
And in exchange for that leverage, he supported Lord Orochimaru's rise?
Believing Orochimaru would surely win, did he begin making moves on the ANBU in advance?"
The more Minato thought about it, the closer he felt to the truth.
And the closer he felt—
The colder his spine became.
The internal power struggles within Konoha's upper ranks had far exceeded his imagination.
Was this truly the Hokage position he had dreamed of?
Taking a deep breath, Minato suppressed the turmoil in his heart and looked toward Natsuhiko.
His gaze was complicated.
Handing him this intelligence had forced him to consider so many possibilities.
If the information was true, the help it offered him would be immeasurable.
If it was false—
Then Natsuhiko, or perhaps the declining Senju clan, intended to undermine the village itself.
"I must investigate this thoroughly. I need to personally verify all of this."
Minato made a swift decision internally.
At this moment, he didn't feel he could fully trust anyone.
Konoha had always given him warmth.
But now, he felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
Looking steadily at Natsuhiko, Minato adjusted his emotions and spoke calmly:
"I understand. Thank you for this intelligence. It is very useful to me."
"There's no need to say that, Lord Hokage."
Natsuhiko shook his head, his smile fading into seriousness.
"It would be best if you personally verify these matters. There are things even we cannot fully confirm."
Natsuhiko's frank attitude made Minato nod slightly.
He did not pursue the topic further.
Placing the scroll Natsuhiko had given him on the ground, Minato formed hand seals and released a Fire Release technique.
The scroll ignited instantly and quickly burned to ashes.
Thin smoke rose into the air.
Watching the fading flames, Minato spoke calmly:
"Now, I will teach you sealing techniques—and the Flying Thunder God Technique. Are you ready?"
"I've been ready for a long time
Natsuhiko revealed a warm, gentle smile.
"Then please instruct me, Lord Hokage."