Out on a ledge near the training field, Shinra sat cross-legged on the ground with a leaf sticking to his forehead. He was training his chakra control, and this time he managed to maintain the leaf for around fifty minutes without losing control. He glanced down at the flowing river below and sighed.
He was currently in his second year at the Academy. His progress was remarkable, but not at the level of talented geniuses. Mainly because he focused more on the basics to build a solid foundation. He spent half of his training time exercising with his weighted vest around the field, while the other half was divided between chakra control and practicing hand signs.
This caused his body to become much sturdier, allowing him to rank third in taijutsu, behind only Inumaki and Uchiha Ren, and eighth overall. While his body was stronger, his technique wasn't quite as refined.
'Exams should be coming up soon… I wonder where I'd rank this time.'
Shinra never once thought of himself as talented. That was because he understood that the power difference between him and a genin or a chunin was smaller than the difference between them and a jounin — and the same applied to every level beyond that.
His current goal was simple: to grow strong enough to survive Pain's attack on the village. Reaching that level meant he wouldn't have to fear for his own survival.
'At first, my plan was that even if I wasn't talented, I could reach a high level through pure taijutsu. But now that I know I have some talent in sensory techniques… do I branch out? If I spread my training time too thin, my progress will slow immensely.'
He kicked a stepping stone into the river and watched the ripples expand outward.
'There's no avoiding it. I need to get my hands on the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Even if it's not as dangerous or hard to acquire as Multiple Shadow Clones, it's still a B-rank jutsu. It won't be easy.'
Shinra stood before the river and pulled a kunai from his waist pouch. Closing his eyes, he began expanding his chakra field. This time, the field was much smaller, tightly enclosing him.
'It feels very different from last time. I can make out the shape of chakra signatures… and observe their patterns more clearly.'
He focused on a school of fish swimming beneath the surface and threw the kunai.
Opening his eyes, Shinra watched as a fish skewered on the blade was pulled from the water — exactly as he'd expected.
'I can't maintain the field without complete focus. The moment my concentration slips, it collapses. That makes it difficult to apply in head-on battles.'
He retrieved the fish and stared at it briefly.
'If I can overcome that weakness, this technique would be roughly equivalent to a downgraded Byakugan… minus the ability to see chakra points.'
Shinra took the fish with him and headed home. Along the way, he overheard something that caught his attention. The same statement repeated itself from multiple people.
"The demon fox got reincarnated into a small child."
His expression didn't change.
'It seems Danzo is already doing his job, demoralising the villagers. Naruto should only be two years old right now.' Shinra turned a blind eye to it. There was nothing he could do at the moment.
…..
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen sat behind his desk. This time, the gentle smile he usually wore was absent. His expression was cold — angry.
"Get Danzo over here immediately," he said.
One of his personal ANBU vanished without a word.
Less than an hour later, the door opened, revealing a bandaged man in his fifties. His single visible eye flicked toward Hiruzen before he closed the door behind him.
"Why did you call for me so urgently, Hiruzen?" Danzo asked, studying his old friend's expression.
"Don't play coy with me, Danzo," Hiruzen said sharply. "Revealing the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki's identity before he's even grown — are you trying to betray the village?"
He stared Danzo down, waiting.
Danzo met his gaze calmly, unlike his usual self. "Everything I do is for the sake of the village. The jinchūriki can't be left in the center of Konoha. If the seal weakens and the Nine-Tails breaks free, the disaster would surpass what happened two years ago."
"So you announce his identity," Hiruzen replied in a low voice, "so our enemies know exactly who to target?"
"The jinchūriki is a weapon," Danzo said flatly, glossing over the accusations. "Hand him over to Root. I'll turn him into an emotionless killing machine — a perfect ninja."
"That will never happen," Hiruzen cut in. "Naruto is Minato's child. He will live like any other child his age. Don't ever bring this subject up again."
He picked up a scroll and tossed it onto the desk.
Danzo's eye narrowed slightly as he picked it up. "This is?"
"The names and numbers of children who've disappeared over the past few months," Hiruzen said, turning toward the window as he put on his Hokage hat. "I want Root to investigate these disappearances."
Danzo immediately understood.
'Damn you, Hiruzen. You're blackmailing me — spreading out Root while reminding me not to make a single move on the jinchūriki.'
Without another word, Danzo walked to the door. Before leaving, he looked back once more.
"Don't forget, Hiruzen. You are the light… and I am the darkness."
Hiruzen didn't turn around.
"You're right. Light cannot exist without darkness," he said calmly. "But a tree won't grow if its roots are rotten."
Danzo slammed the door shut.
Hiruzen stood alone.
"Dog."
Kakashi appeared behind him instantly.
"I want Orochimaru's location," Hiruzen said. "Report back to me. It's time to clean up the village."
"Yes."
Kakashi vanished, leaving Hiruzen as he began preparing his battle gear.
…..
Night fell quietly over Konoha.
Shinra sat on the roof of his house, legs hanging over the edge as he stared at the dimly lit streets below. The village looked peaceful from up here — lanterns glowing softly, the sound of chattering filled the streets.
'Propaganda and misinformation are so easily spread in this village.'
He thought back to the words he'd overheard earlier that day. The way that even people whom he had interacted with before and were kind to him spoke in hushed tones their words filled with hatred and fear for Naruto who barely spoke coherent sentences.
'Though I guess if I didn't have my knowledge I might have been the same. It's funny how despite being the strongest and richest of the five villages, it's internal politics is the worst.'
Shinra observed as the police force ordered the people to evacuate the streets, though the reason was vague the citizens complied.
'Is something going to happen tonight?' Shinra thought as he jumped down from the roof and entered into his house.
———
A/N:
The timeline is a bit vague, as after Danzo's assassination attempt on Hiruzen I couldn't find the time difference between that and Orochimaru's defection.