Inside the Hokage Tower's meeting room, a heated discussion was going on between some people who remained here after the clan meeting.
*Bam!*
"I swear I will kill that kid! We must do something right now!!" Danzo cried in anger while staring intensely at Hiruzen.
"We can't," Hiruzen replied tiredly while sorting out some papers in front of him.
"Why?!" Danzo cried again with veins visible on his hands and head.
"Just drop this matter all together Danzo. If we really get on that kid's bad side, we will lose. We are powerless and you saw it too." Homura suddenly replied opposite to Danzo.
"Are you defending the kid now?!" Danzo asked, surprised that this man had suddenly changed sides when he knew all too well how much Homura loved money and power.
"But why should we really do anything to the kid when he has done nothing wrong? Just let him be Danzo." Koharu chimed in.
"You too!" Danzo said furiously as he pointed at Koharu accusingly.
"The boy always stayed within the boundaries of our laws, Danzo. So I don't think it's appropriate to suddenly point fingers or do something illogical and irreversible," Homura said while adjusting his glasses.
Danzo was about to spit in their faces out of disgust. He already knew what these two were planning and knew just how greedy they were.
Above all, they were afraid and cowardly!
In a moment of notice, they would change faces and betray you like right now. Throughout these years, these two had become more corrupt and were slowly getting more involved with the underworld, secretly committing inhumane and unspeakable things.
Even though Danzo himself was much worse than them, at least he didn't commit whatever of these atrocities with his own two hands, nor did he ever try to commit crime for fun. All his actions had an agenda and were overall good for everyone. But these two?
Does he really need to mention some small things like how many slaves they had in the underworld? Or how they had been secretly siphoning village funds for years? They were already eyeing Garou's wealth and business, and now that they saw how the kid had some backbone and didn't fold like they predicted, they were scrambling to switch sides.
"Sighhh, Danzo... I think you should calm down and just forget about this matter," Hiruzen said while looking at his friend tiredly.
"Are you seriously telling me to forget what we just saw and what that kid did?! He humiliated us in front of everyone! Every single person now look at us like we are worth shit! And you tell me to calm down?!" He cried with spit flying everywhere as he stared at Hiruzen angrily.
"Then what do you suggest? Go and kill him? Are you able to do that?" Hiruzen asked a series of questions with a slight mocking tone, which made Danzo calm down a little.
"..."
"Danzo, I have a really bad feeling about that boy. His aura is much more terrifying than the last time I saw him, and I can't take risks by making him our enemy! Or at least I don't want to send ninjas outright to kill him." Hiruzen added while lighting up his cigarette pipe slowly.
"We can–" Danzo was about to say something but got interrupted.
"My instincts can't deceive me, Danzo. I had a feeling that if we had fought with him, then something extremely bad would have happened. I also felt an imaginary future where we wouldn't come out of the confrontation without any casualties, and I couldn't believe this myself at first!" Hiruzen said with a frown, which made the elders' faces turn gloomy.
*Bam!*
"Then why didn't we know about all of this?! How can he be this strong personally without us knowing all this time?! We are a ninja village for Rikudo's sake!" Danzo let out furiously as he punched the table in front of him, which made cracks on it.
"This is actually a matter of concern!" Homura said with a thoughtful look.
"Maybe we missed something here, and the fault is not in our ninjas!" Koharu said calmly.
*Puff!*
With the smoke of his cigarette pipe coming out of his mouth, "I don't know why, but I am %99 sure if we have fought him, we wouldn't stay alive and go down with him dying. And It's not a matter of him just being that strong, no, he isn't particularly on our level, yet. I just... don't know how to tell you, but we would have died in some way or another." Hiruzen responded solemnly as he thought about that colossal figure staring down at them when Garou used that reddish, ominous, and destructive power.
For a very brief moment, Hiruzen felt... small.
Then he added, "I suspect that maybe... maybe Mito-sama is involved in this,"
And with this, the elders became silent instantly. They all thought: if Mito was involved, then it was reasonable. The boy must have trained under her all this time to be this strong, and she also must have given him some fuin seal to be able to go under the radar like this for years.
"If Mito-sama is involved, then I suggest that we just forget about him and let him be!" Koharu said with a fearful expression. The last thing she wanted was to cross that devilish woman.
"I agree. Him being someone favoured by Mito-sama is not something we should involve ourselves with at all! We have made a grave mistake by even doing what we did in the meeting." Homura said in a moment of wisdom while adjusting his glasses. His mind was already racing with ways to get closer to Garou's wealth through more legitimate means. Perhaps a marriage arrangement or a business partnership that would give him a slice of that Heaven's Feel pie. After all, after that stunt the kid pulled in the meeting, many clans will grovel before him. He is sure as an elder, he will benefit greatly if he got in Garou's good side and his title as an elder will help him out.
"What about his abilities and what do we know about it?" Danzo asked in a low tone.
"Except our current data about him, no one knows anything more accurate about his abilities, but I plan to visit Mito-sama and ask about it soon, even though I am sure she wouldn't say anything noteworthy." Hiruzen responded calmly.
"Well, I think that's enough for today. Homura, Koharu, you may leave. I need to speak with Danzo privately about some matters," Hiruzen said, his tone shifting to something more serious.
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances. They understood the dismissal. Without a word, they stood up, and left the room, closing the door behind them.
The silence lingered for a moment after the door clicked shut.
"Finally! Those pieces of shits left. Hiruzen! Don't trust those two at all. After the events of today, no doubt they will sell themselves to that Kid and the GMA in exchange for privileges!" Danzo said with gritted teeth.
"I know." Hiruzen replied with narrowed eyes.
"Good. Now, I think you have something in mind. It's not everyday you want to speak with me in private." Danzo said, his voice cold.
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe, letting the smoke curl around his face before speaking. "The boy is a problem, yes. But he is not our only problem, he is a symptom of something larger as you already know."
Danzo's eye narrowed. "The Daimyo."
"The Daimyo..." Hiruzen nodded, "The Shogun, the Samurai, and this entire system that has been slowly strangling us for years. The boy's success is built on the Shogun's system, and long as that system exists, people like him will continue to rise, and we will continue to lose power even in our own turf."
Danzo leaned forward, his interest piqued. "So what do you propose becauseI have already decided to act on my own about this matter and infiltrate the GMA, but now that you brought this up, I can assume you want join me, right?"
Hiruzen set down his pipe and folded his hands. "That plan is too shallow alone, so listen to me. This cannot go on, so we need to change the entire game. What I thought about is that, the Daimyo's family is large, and he has many heirs with potential to take control of the throne. If something were to happen to him, there would be chaos as his children will then fight for the throne."
"You're suggesting we assassinate the Daimyo?" Danzo grinned. How bold Hiruzen, I like it.
Hiruzen nodded slowly and calmly, as if talking about the weather. "Yes. If the Daimyo were to die, his children would tear each other apart. We could manipulate and help one of them... the weakest and the most controllable, into eliminating the others. In exchange, we would ensure their ascension to the throne. Once they are in power, they would be indebted to us and then they would answer to us, not to the Shogun."
"..."
"At first, not quickly, but slowly, we will cut of the land of fire's connection to the land of Iron and the Shogun."
Danzo was silent for a long moment, considering the implications. "And the other hidden villages?"
"Quite simple, the same solution. We reach out to them one by one and offer them the same plan. Let them assassinate their own Daimyos and install their own puppet rulers. Together, we can weaken the Shogun's influence across the entire continent."
Danzo nodded slowly as his grin widened. "I like where this is going. What about the Shogun himself?"
Hiruzen reolied, "Well, he will be isolated bevause if the Daimyos no longer support him and if the GMA loses its political backing, he will simply become powerless."
"Last but not least, what of the Samurais?" Danzo pressed for more information as he already started to picture what he will do in detail based on Hiruzen's suggestions.
Hiruzen paused as he thought deeply about this, "There are others who oppose the Samurai. The Khans of the Land of Iron have been at war with the Samurais and the Shogun for generations. The Khans are numerous, close to a million heads, and they are desperate because the Samurais' numbers are thrice or larger, but many of them are scattered around the Elemental Nations. If we secretly support the Khans, supply them with weapons, intelligence, and funding, then they can weaken the Samurai forces in the land of Iron, which forces the Shogun to call back many Samurais that are scattered around the world to the land of Iron, which will give us time to breath and enough opportunities to overthrow many Damiyos in many nations. So, the goal is to keep the Samurais busy simply."
Danzo was already on his feet as he excitedly looked at Hiruzen, "And while they are busy killing each other, we consolidate our power."
"Exactly. Garou at that time will still be a problem. He may be powerful right now, but no one can stand against a new entire system raised from the ashes of the old world that WE will create. Basically a dragon problem will become a snake problem."
In Hiruzen's mind, if his plan succeeded, then the golden age of ninjas will finally commence all because of him, and the Samurais will die out at last.
While Hiruzen was at it, he might even receive a title or two. God of Shinobi was good. Or maybe The Professor? That one is not bad also.
'What a man does to be powerful.' Hiruzen thought as he was disappointed with himself, but does he regret his actions? Not a single bit. Why would he when the world was practically against him?
The moment he slaughtered an entire village in his younger days during one of his many missions, all his goodness and bullshit like that became a false pretence to trick the world that he was still good. But deep down, he knew who he really was behind his mask. Just another ninja with unspeakable sins committed, nothing more nothing less.
He was beyond the point of regrets and guilt for anything, much less for his enemies.
"I will begin operations immediately. My Root agents will start gathering intelligence on the Daimyo's children and find the weakest child then begin the process of turning them into our puppet."
"And I will reach out to the other Kages. They may be suspicious at first, but I am sure the promise of power over their own Daimyos will be too tempting to ignore. It's not just us who are suffering from this annoying Shogunate system."
"What about the Khans? I don't have much manpower to spare taking that long journey to the land of Iron. I want to focus on the land of fire." Danzo said with a frown.
"Don't worry, I will arrange for a discreet meeting with their leaders using my Anbus. We will offer them what they need, and in return, they will do as we want which is for them to just slaughter the Samurais in great numbers."
*step step step.*
Danzo walked toward the door, "Good, then I will begin immediately. Everything for Konoha!"
Then he left.
Hiruzen sat alone in the empty room, staring at the door that had just closed. He took a long drag from his pipe and let the smoke curl upward.
Yes, Everything is for Konoha.
.
.
.
.
.
.
____________________
Garou's POV/
I came here and sat alone in my office after leaving Mito's room and had been sitting here for hours, thinking, and the more I thought, the clearer one thing became.
The clan meeting had made it painfully obvious that Hiruzen, Danzo, and the elders weren't going to stop.
They had tried taxes, political pressure, and when none of that worked, they had resorted to intimidation and threats.
But they weren't done, and they would never be done because fucked up men like Danzo don't accept defeat that easily. They will scheme endlessly and find new ways to attack.
Maybe through business, allies, family, assassinations, sabotage, kidnappings... nothing was off the table for a man like him, and Hiruzen would let it happen, turning a blind eye and claiming ignorance while Danzo did the dirty work as usual.
So I needed to prepare.
My biggest weakness right now was manpower because maybe I had money, connections, the GMA, and the Daimyo's favor, but when it came to raw military power, I was outmatched.
Hiruzen and Danzo controlled thousands of ninjas, Root alone had hundreds of trained killers.
And the Ino-Shika-Cho could only help so much without risking their own clans safety.
I needed my own army, and that thought had been simmering in my mind for weeks ever since I used monsterification on the Sea King.
My blood could transform living creatures into loyal monsters that would follow my commands without question, but there were limits I didn't fully understand yet. Especially when it came to sentient beings like humans.
Would they retain their intelligence, memories, and personalities, or would they become mindless beasts useful only for brute force? I needed to experiment before I could rely on this ability, but I wasn't about to test it on my friends or allies because the risks were too high.
If something went wrong, I could lose people I actually cared about.
So I needed test subjects.
Criminals, bandits, and mercenaries are people nobody would miss. People who had already proven themselves to be a threat to others and didn't deserve the mercy they would get from me.
The underworld was full of them, scum who preyed on the weak and lived by violence. Those guys would serve a better purpose as my experiments, and if any of them survived the transformation with their minds intact, they could become the first members of my new organization.
I wouldn't kill such people, because I have a promise to hold first from myself, and second Arata-san who warned Miller or in this case, me, to not ever kill. But I don't really need to kill anyone to achieve what I want. Nobody said I can't cripple or turn people into Monsters. Essentially, both are alive and not dead.
Why would I even wanna kill evil bastards when I can make them suffer for the rest of their lives? Killing is just an easy escape for the wicked, I am not willing to grant them that until they suffer greatly.
I am not God, but I can do God's work here.
.
For now, an organization.
A secret network of operatives who would serve me, protect my interests, and counter the village's machinations.
It will not be like a traditional army, but something more flexible.
A large group of individuals who will share my ideals and are willing to fight for them.
This idea had been forming for a while, and now I had a clear vision for what I wanted to build.
[The Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.]
A brotherhood of killers who operated in the shadows, striking down tyrants and protecting the innocent from the corrupt systems that ruled this world.
I had gone through Miller's memories and knew about them cool assholes.
Their creed and their methods, were actually things I quite respected. No heroism or bullshit, just strike and make the world better. Proper version of ninjas and heralds of justice you could say.
I knew that something like that could work here. A group that opposed the ninja villages and their hypocrisy, that fought for freedom and justice everywhere, even if that freedom had to be carved out of blood.
I reached for a blank scroll, unrolled it on the desk, and dipped my brush in ink.
I began to write...
************
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted. This is the foundation of our order. We do not accept the lies of the ninja villages or the false honor they claim to have. So we create our own truth, our own path."
"We work in the shadows to serve the light. The Creed will operate in secret, unknown to the villages, the world, and its leadership."
"We protect the innocent and punish the guilty. We will not become like the ninjas we oppose and we will not kill for profit or pleasure. We strike only when necessary, and we always seek to minimize collateral damage."
"We oppose tyranny in all its forms anywhere and everywhere. The ninja villages and many nobles are corrupt institutions and people that exploit the weak and sacrifice the innocents for their own gain. The Brotherhood will work to undermine their power and protect those who cannot protect themselves."
"A world where strength is used to protect, not oppress, where power is a responsibility, not a privilege, and where the innocent can live without fear of the powerful."
"Today, I hereby announce three tenets for the creed...!"
"Stay your blade away from the flesh of an innocent.
Hide in plain sight.
Never compromise the Brotherhood!"
************
I set down the brush and read over what I had written.
Just like Hiruzen whom represents light...ew... and Danzo whom represents dark... absolutely... TheHero Association will represent the light and deal with more mundane matters. While TheAssassin'sCreed Brotherhood will represent the dark and deal with more bloody matters the light can't publicly do.
But first, I would need to recruit carefully, starting with criminals and bandits I could capture and transform.
If the monsterification process worked on them and they retained their intelligence, then they would become the first members of my order. If they didn't survive or became mindless beasts, I would learn from the failure and try again.
The underworld was full of potential test subjects, and I had the resources and connections to find them.
Bandit camps, mercenary dens, criminal hideouts, I would hunt them down in a short amount of time.
"Should I go for Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad or Ezio Auditore da Firenze as the Mentor of the order?" I muttered to myself with a smile.
.
I rolled up the scroll and tucked it into my sleeve, then stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the village below.
Hiruzen and Danzo.
They thought they had the upper hand.
But this is one of the advantages of knowing the future.
After careful observation at the history of this world and how everything didn't add up with what I knew from the Naruto series, I came to a conclusion about why the canon was so messed up in this version of Naruto world.
In canon, the Shogun didn't exist, the Damiyos were too weak and practically served the hidden villages or even if not serve, then depended on the hidden villages too much.
There was also no GMA or any form of these kinds of advanced business systems or large scale capitalism in canon.
So after being confused for so long, I knew what happened.
Just like usual. Hiruzen and Danzo, maybe with the secret help of Black Zetsu and the Toads just got rid of the Shogunate system and weakened the Damiyos and Samurais by whatever means.
After that, the second world war happens. Yes, not the second NINJA war but the WORLD, because apparently, many assassinations targeting people of power will happen in this time period before the war, which will immediately cause unease and power vacuums simply everywhere, and a game of blame of who did the assassinations will start.
Then the countries will go to war with each other ( obviously manipulated with some sort of bullshit like Genjutsu. )
Followed by Ninja villages to avoid any blame just in case ( Assasinating some of their own to appear like victims too. )
The Samurais will also get occupied with the Khans most likely... or maybe. Not sure about that one.
Etc etc etc.
Until everything will change... literally.
The global system collapses in only 5 years or so and a new system takes its place which will probably be controlled by the hidden villages primarly from then on.
Finally, everything will be put on track and the canon from the Naruto series that I know of will finally go off.
Now it makes sense.
But will I let that happen and just let the ninjas take over the world?
Fuck no!
The End
[If you don't like this development, just say, because I can still change it.]