Chapter 54: The Commotion
The next morning, Dana emerged with dark circles under his eyes.
He hadn't slept a wink. Not only was he not used to the hole in his wall, but with his heightened senses, he could clearly hear Maki's breathing and heartbeat from the next room. He even knew that she hadn't slept well either; he'd heard her tossing and turning her long legs all night. He had come home for a good night's sleep after a long stretch of intense work, and he ended up even more tired.
When he got up, Maki immediately got up as well and came to help him dress. Seeing the same bloodshot eyes and the same nervous expression on her face, he didn't have the heart to refuse.
At breakfast, he shot his mother a look of utter disapproval, but she just pretended not to notice.
After eating, he went to the Raikage's tower. He had Maki wait on the first floor while he went through a hidden door to the underground headquarters of the "Special Strategy Division."
"Good morning, my lord."
"Good morning, my lord."
The ninja he passed along the way all greeted him with a respectful bow, and Dana slipped back into his usual persona. Here, he was not the awkward boy who couldn't sleep because of the girl next door, but the head of the "Special Strategy Division," the one who pulled the strings of the ninja world. This side of him was known only to his subordinates, his father, and Dodai. No one else, not even Arashi or Hiroto, knew what he was like when he was working.
"My lord," one of his subordinates said, "how should we lay the bait this time?"
Dana considered the situation for a moment. "If we're going to lay a bait," he said, "let's make it a big one. Otherwise, even if the fish bites, it won't be hooked deep."
Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village
"Run! The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero is here! She'll make all the boys cry!"
"Get back here! I'm going to beat you all to a pulp!"
Under the setting sun, a red-haired girl was chasing a group of boys, while a yellow-haired boy ran behind them, shouting.
"Kushina! Calm down!"
"Shut up, you sissy Minato! If you say another word, I'll beat you up too!"
The yellow-haired boy's face fell. When had he become a sissy? He was usually so popular. Why was he so disliked by Kushina?
"But," Minato said helplessly, "they only make fun of you because you hit them."
"Then I'll just have to hit them harder!" Kushina Uzumaki said, cracking her knuckles.
The noisy schoolyard was chaotic, but there was a certain charm to it. However, the children were unaware that two figures were watching them from a nearby rooftop.
"Danzo," Hiruzen said, "don't get any funny ideas." He didn't even have to look to know what his old friend was thinking.
Danzo slightly concealed the greed in his eyes. Remembering the insights he had gained from his "ally" in the Cloud, he decided to try one last time.
"Hiruzen," he said, "a weapon like a Jinchuriki cannot be an ordinary ninja. The Jinchuriki of all the nations are ineffective because they are treated as people, not as weapons. A person can be confused, troubled, and can feel pain. A weapon cannot. Only when a Jinchuriki is turned into a true weapon can they be truly effective. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the tailed beast, they are just a ticking time bomb that can't be used. Hiruzen, when Lady Mito was alive, we had no choice. But now, the next Jinchuriki is about to be created. Give the girl to the Foundation. I will give you back a powerful, usable weapon!"
The previous Jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki, was growing weaker by the day. The next one had already been chosen: this little girl. Danzo had been trying to get his hands on her, but all his overt attempts had been blocked by Hiruzen. He fumed with impatience. The next Jinchuriki was running around the Ninja Academy every day, and he couldn't even get close to her. Today was likely his last chance to make his case.
Hiruzen actually considered his words. There was some truth to them. Ever since the First Hokage had distributed the tailed beasts to the various villages for the sake of peace, the role of the Jinchuriki had been created. But in all these years, the tailed beasts, which were supposed to be incredibly powerful, had rarely been used to their full potential. Partly because the First Hokage's... aggressive... method of capture had not exactly endeared them to their hosts. I was just chilling, singing a song, and suddenly I get captured, lose my body, and get sealed inside a human. Why would I cooperate with you? Most of the tailed beasts were doing well if they weren't actively causing trouble.
Another reason was the risk of a rampage. A Jinchuriki going berserk could cause massive damage to their own village. Over time, the tailed beasts had come to be seen as a malevolent force. The Jinchuriki were often ostracized in their own villages, and their loyalty was always a concern.
After a long moment of thought, Hiruzen finally knocked the ash from his pipe and shook his head. "Even with the special constitution of the Uzumaki clan, there's no guarantee she can completely suppress the Nine-Tails. A person's own will has power. For a Jinchuriki, their own will is a crucial part of the seal. Manipulating the child's mind could make her even more dangerous."
He felt that his old friend's thinking had become more and more radical in recent years, and it worried him. He reached out and turned Danzo's shoulders so that he was facing him. "Danzo," he said, his voice firm, "give up on this. I will not let you do it. And from now on, you are to have no further involvement with the Nine-Tails."
Seeing Hiruzen's serious expression, Danzo hesitated for a moment, then finally relented. "I understand."
Hiruzen nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and then disappeared from the rooftop.
Danzo remained, watching the red-haired girl from a distance, his mind calculating. He watched her until she had beaten up every last boy in sight (including the yellow-haired one) and left the school grounds.
Just then, a Root ninja appeared at his side and handed him a scroll.
Danzo examined the scroll, then, after making sure it hadn't been opened, waved him away.
He returned to his secret base and took out the scroll again, then began to decipher it using the method he had memorized. This was how he communicated with his "ally" in the Cloud, his most deeply hidden secret. No one in Konoha knew about it. Multiple layers of security ensured it was foolproof.
In recent years, he had come to value his communications with his Cloud ally more and more, not just because it was a brilliant long-term strategic move, but because he always learned something new from their exchanges.
As he deciphered the message, a slow smile spread across his face.
Land of Rain, Hidden Rain Village
Ever since the two Cloud ninja instructors had arrived, Hanzo had given them his full support. He had established a Ninja Academy in the village. Not only had all the talented, age-appropriate children been enrolled, but even some of the adults who already had a Rain forehead protector had been sent back to school for re-education.
Though it had only been a short time and the number of students was small, the results were already starting to show. It had also shown Hanzo the vast gap between the Hidden Rain and the great villages. The great villages had a systematic way of training ninja. Assassination, infiltration, code-breaking, and trap-setting were all mandatory subjects. A small village like the Rain, with its weak foundation, could only focus on combat ability. They had nothing else to teach. As a result, even if they had a few promising students, they could only produce quickly trained, one-dimensional fighters.
The children of the great villages, even the ones with average talent, might not be much stronger than the students of a small village at first, but they were well-rounded. They had the potential for future growth. In contrast, the students of a small village, even the one or two with exceptional talent, might excel at the Genin level, but their potential would soon be exhausted, and their growth would stagnate.
Watching the young ninja in the Academy training diligently, Hanzo felt a sense of satisfaction. This was the future of the Hidden Rain.
"My lord," his deputy said, appearing at his side and making a subtle hand gesture, "an important document has arrived."
Hanzo saw the gesture and nodded. It was the signal that the message was from the Cloud. In the Hidden Rain, only his most trusted deputies knew about their alliance.
He returned to his office and opened the scroll. It was written in the same encrypted text. After deciphering it, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"As expected of a great village," he said excitedly. "To have hidden such a thing."
The next morning, Hanzo and three of his most trusted men set out from the village. In a small village, the leader often had to handle important matters personally. They headed for the border region where the lands of Rain, Grass, and Fire met.