In front of Konoha's great wooden gates, the arrival of the Third Hokage had already changed the atmosphere completely.
What had started as a tense standoff between Hidan and Danzō was now drawing a crowd.
Shinobi from every corner of the village began to gather, drawn by the commotion.
Among the arrivals were several faces that Hidan instantly recognized.
Hatake Kakashi, the silver-haired prodigy with the Sharingan hidden beneath his forehead protector, known across the village as a genius even at such a young age.
Sarutobi Asuma, the Third's own son, already growing into a formidable shinobi despite his youth.
Hiashi Hyūga, stern and dignified, the head of the Hyūga clan, his Byakugan scanning everything in icy silence.
Nara Shikaku, the village's strategist and the mind behind many of its defensive measures.
And there were more...veterans and clan heads, curious jōnin, even some chūnin who had stopped to see what was happening at the village's very threshold.
They whispered among themselves, their eyes flicking between two sights that were equally shocking:
Hokage Sarutobi himself, standing protectively in front of a bloodied silver-haired boy; and opposite him, Shimura Danzō, radiating malice and frustration.
"What in the world…?" one ninja muttered.
"Why is Hokage-sama shielding some outsider?" another whispered.
The tension thickened with every passing second.
"Hokage-sama, what is happening here?" Nara Shikaku finally broke the silence.
Calm and composed as always, he stepped to Hiruzen's side, his voice low but edged with curiosity. As the man many called Konoha's 'brain,' his words carried weight.
"Hmph!" Hiruzen puffed out his pipe, the smoke curling in front of his face as his kind features twisted into rare anger.
"Ask Danzō! I can't believe he would actually try to cut down a genius youth who came to us of his own will!"
The words struck the crowd like thunder. Heads turned sharply toward Danzō.
"Danzō-sama…?" Shikaku's calm eyes narrowed, and the weight of everyone's gazes shifted to the older man.
Danzō's face darkened. Dozens of eyes boring into him felt like a blade at his back. Inside, his frustration boiled, this was the last situation he wanted.
He had thought he could quietly erase the boy before Sarutobi ever arrived. Now, under everyone's gaze, his plan was shattered.
Damn it.
He forced his voice steady, though it grated against his pride. "This time… it was my mistake. I did not review the situation carefully and misunderstood this boy, Hidan."
The words were bitter poison to him, but at least if he framed the whole thing as a "misunderstanding."
He could walk away with nothing more than verbal rebuke. His reputation was already poor, it wouldn't sink much further.
Shikaku's eyes glimmered. He understood enough to realize what was happening, but wisely stepped back. This was no place for him to intervene.
"I'll leave it to Hokage-sama to handle."
Hiruzen's gaze turned. "Hidan, what do you say?"
He wanted to hear it from the boy himself. This wasn't just about saving face...this was about accountability.
Danzō was growing more brazen lately, and Hiruzen couldn't let this slide without setting some kind of precedent.
"Damn you... Hiruzen" Danzō cursed inwardly. He knew exactly what Sarutobi was doing: giving the boy a stage to speak would strengthen Sarutobi's hand and weaken his own.
That brat will surely cry out about being attacked, about being nearly killed. If he opens his mouth…
But what came next shocked everyone.
"Huh? Didn't Lord Danzō already say it was just a misunderstanding?" Hidan said innocently, his tone light, his expression almost cheerful despite the blood still staining his body.
"Besides, I'm fine. Let's just forget it."
The words dropped like a stone in the middle of the crowd.
"Cough—cough!" Hiruzen choked on his pipe smoke, coughing furiously. He hadn't expected that at all.
This brat! Are you serious? He almost killed you, and you're brushing it off like nothing?!
Even Danzō's eye twitched. For a moment, he was genuinely surprised. What is this little ghost playing at? Just moments ago, his killing intent toward me was real… so why suddenly change his tune?
Around them, confusion spread like wildfire. Shinobi exchanged baffled looks. Even Shikaku, usually impenetrable, frowned slightly. None of them could make sense of what just happened.
"Haah…" Hiruzen sighed at last, tamping down his pipe and looking at the crowd.
"This boy's name is Hidan. He is someone Tsunade herself has recommended. From today onward, he will be a member of Konohagakure. I hope all of you will treat him kindly."
"Wha—!"
The crowd erupted instantly. Gasps and mutters rippled outward like a wave.
"The Hokage-sama accepted an outsider into the village?"
"This has never happened before…"
"Did he really say Lady Tsunade recommended him?"
It was unprecedented, a move no one had expected. But Sarutobi didn't linger to explain.
He simply placed a hand on Hidan's shoulder and led him away from the gates, leaving the whispers to rise behind them.
Later, inside the Hokage's office, the air was quieter but heavier. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pipe smoking once more, his sharp eyes fixed on the boy standing before him.
"Why didn't you tell the truth back there?" the old man asked seriously. His tone was calm, but there was weight behind it.
"I felt it. Your killing intent. You aren't the type to just let something like this go. So why spare Danzō?"
Hidan grinned broadly, his sharp teeth flashing.
"Old man, it's simple. I didn't want to offend that geezer too early. Better to give him a step down, right? That way he won't be tripping me up at every turn in the future."
Sarutobi frowned. "Trip you up? You think he would dare?"
The boy's grin widened. "Didn't he just dare? Under your nose?"
Hiruzen paused. He couldn't deny it.
"Listen, old man. Let me break it down for you." Hidan's voice grew more serious, though his cocky smirk never faded.
"As an outsider, you let me join Konoha right in front of everyone. Do you really think they'll be at ease with me?"
"Of course not," Sarutobi admitted slowly.
"Exactly! They don't know me like Tsunade-neechan does. They don't trust me yet. My being around every day will only make them wary. I don't want to be stared at like a freak."
Hidan shrugged. "So… I decided on the best solution."
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"I want to join the Anbu."
Hiruzen's brows rose. "The Anbu? You realize that's a world of blood and shadows. Not a place for children. Even prodigies like Kakashi and Itachi… they were rare exceptions."
But Hidan didn't hesitate. "Old man, you know as well as I do...the Anbu is the fastest way to prove myself. It's where missions pile up, where credits are earned, where you rise by merit."
"If I want Konoha's approval, then I'll get it the fastest there."
The Hokage's eyes softened slightly with understanding. "You want to be recognized… not just by me, but by the entire village."
"That's right," Hidan said, his grin widening. And besides, he thought privately, the Anbu are right in the heart of the Uchiha conspiracy. If I get in… the Sharingan will be within my grasp.
Hiruzen sighed deeply. "What you say makes sense. In this village, titles and papers mean little."
"Recognition from the people matters most. Only then do you truly belong to the Konoha family."
"So you agree, old geezer?" Hidan asked, his smile sly, thinking he'd won.
"Who said I agreed?" Hiruzen's face darkened suddenly. His brows furrowed, beard bristling as he glared at the boy.
"You little brat. You know nothing about respecting your elders, and yet you want to march into the blood-soaked halls of the Anbu?"
"If you want my approval, then show me the strength to make me agree. Otherwise, you'll enter the Anbu and not even know how you died!"
Hidan blinked. "…Seriously?"
He groaned inwardly. So after all that talk, we're back to fighting for it, huh? Figures…
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