Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 80: Visiting Danzo
Looking at Danzo, who was like some wise old man imparted his knowledge make Hiruzen visibly annoyed, he decided to reveal the news that will shock him.
"Danzo, the Uchiha Clan can now use Wood Style," Hiruzen revealed quietly while looking at Danzo face.
For a brief moment, Danzo simply blinked at him in disbelief before raising his voice.
"WHAT? Repeat what you just said!"
Hiruzen watched his old comrade with an almost nostalgic look. It was ironic. Just moments ago, Danzo seemed like a tired, retired elder, calm and indifferent to the world he once manipulated. But the mention of the Uchiha had sparked something in him again. His fire. His hatred. His fear.
And for a moment, Hiruzen almost smiled luckily he manage to control his face on time.
Danzo noticed the smile and felt instantly foolish. He was being played with Hiruzen.
"Tch! Go away, you old liar," Danzo snapped.
"When did I ever lie to you?" Hiruzen replied, feigning innocence.
"Don't fool me, Hiruzen. I know you," Danzo hissed.
"Yes, and this time, I am telling you the truth. The Uchiha truly possess Wood Style now. Uzumaki Clan experiment with that dead body was a success and Raiken injected wood style cells into selected members of the Uchiha clan. It was all done without my approval," Hiruzen admitted.
"WHAT?! How dare you allow those devils to have Wood Style? The Uchiha have no right to wield the power of Wood Style, this is power is belong to Senju Hashirama the first Hokage!" Danzo fumed.
"They did it on their own, Danzo," Hiruzen said with a tense voice. "Raiken only informed me after the fact it was done and I was as shocked as you are."
Danzo clenched his jaw. But after a moment, he composed himself, lowering his voice.
"Now that the experiment has succeeded… did he provide you with samples? For other ninja to develop Wood Style?"
Hiruzen shook his head slowly.
"No… Raiken said that Wood Style is particularly compatible with the Uchiha because of their Yin chakra. He refused to provide the cells to anyone else. He doesn't trust that other ninja can wield it safely anymore, Danzo. And frankly… I can't blame him."
Danzo remained silent for a while. There was no more yelling. Just cold calculation in his eyes.
"What do you mean by 'can't blame him'?" Danzo asked.
"According to the reports, there's a reason Wood Release works so effectively when combined with Uchiha blood. It's not only the Sharingan or their genetics, it's also the nature of their chakra. The Uchiha have a strong Yin chakra that balances well with the Yang nature of Wood Kekkei Genkai cells. In contrast, clans like the Uzumaki have an overwhelming Yang chakra. Raiken theory suggests that if an Uzumaki or Senju were injected with Wood Style cells, their bodies would react too violently and the volunteer would most likely die due to poisoning. But for the Uchiha, something changed. Somehow… it works."
"And, according to his tests, only the Hyuga Clan has a similar chance of survival," Hiruzen revealed.
Danzo looked genuinely shocked at that.
"So no Senju or Uchiha have been injected so far?" Danzo asked.
"No. Not even one. The risk is too high," Hiruzen replied.
"What about other clans? Like the Nara or the Kurama? They have strong Yin chakra too," Danzo pressed.
Danzo question echoed Hiruzen own concerns. The Nara Clan, for example, specialized in Yin-based jutsu like Shadow Manipulation. Even their children could handle Yin chakra with ease. Hiruzen had already discussed this with Raiken, and Raiken had confirmed that there was a possibility they could wield Wood Style as well. If Wood Style required strong Yin control to balance the Yang nature of Wood Style kekkei genkai cells, then the Nara might be the closest alternative. But they lacked one thing the Uchiha had that stabilized wood style even more, the answer is Sharingan.
And the Sharingan made the difference. It allowed the Uchiha to balance the volatile Yang chakra in the foreign cells, stabilizing their bodies even more.
"Your guess is correct. Their chances of surviving the injection are as high as 73 percent. But Raiken doesn't want to take the risk of killing either of those clans. Not unless he's absolutely certain there won't be any fatal side effects," Hiruzen replied.
"Even if the Nara could survive the cells," Hiruzen thought to himself, "they would never volunteer. They're too cautious. Too smart to gamble with their lives… especially during peace."
"So they refused to try?" Danzo asked.
"They said that during wartime, it might be different. But right now, in peace, the Uchiha are enough. Let them master Wood Style, and let them be the ones to grow stronger for the future," Hiruzen answered.
Danzo forced himself to calm down. In his mind, he could already see the Uchiha gaining control and eventually throwing Konoha into chaos. If not them, then the Uzumaki Clan would change the very structure of the village. Everything felt as if it was slipping out of his grasp.
"Hiruzen... you are the Hokage. Don't trouble me with this anymore. I am no longer the leader of Root," said Danzo coldly.
Ever since being imprisoned in his own home, he had spent more time with his wife and children. Of course, the Anbu were always there, shadowing his every move to ensure he didn't give any orders or attempt anything suspicious.
Yet, isolation had given him something he rarely experienced, reflection.
In the past, he always put Konoha first, neglecting his family. He would return home only a few times a month and it could be count with one hand, sometimes less. He had believed sacrifice was necessary. That the darkness he took on would protect the village.
But now, months into his house arrest, he had finally begun to see something else. There were things he had missed out on. His daughter, now 5 years old, was cheerful and bright. His son, 6, looked at him with both admiration and confusion, not understanding why his father was always at home.
Perhaps out of pity, or perhaps out of lingering loyalty, Hiruzen had allowed Danzo to retain a pension more than sufficient for his family of four. It was enough for them to live quietly and peacefully.
But today Hiruzen came to him, talking about the Uchiha, talking about the future of Konoha… it dragged Danzo back into a world he had been forced to leave behind. It reminded him of his failures.
He failed to take over Konoha leader ship and govern it the way he believed it should be governed and now, he had no power to stop what was coming.
So, he thought bitterly, let Hiruzen deal with it.
Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go to my patreon.
Chapter 108: Retreat
Chapter 109: Aftermath
Chapter 110: Where Is Hokage?
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