C31 – Danzo's Methods
Naruto and the others were not in a hurry, and they sailed slowly on the sea. When they returned to Konoha and met Tsunade, they had already heard about the conflict between Kumogakure and Kirigakure. It happened almost exactly as Naruto had predicted before, but after the initial clash, things calmed down in the same way most border incidents did during the era of the Five Kage Summit.
Naruto reported the whole incident to Tsunade, who said, "Naruto, I didn't expect this mission to be completed so smoothly. I believe that the Raikage and the others would never dream that it was our Konoha who did it. Especially considering the Fourth Raikage's distrust of deception tactics."
Naruto said, "Hokage-sama, I think the Raikage is already suspecting that it was our Konoha who did it. The Raikage is the leader of Kumogakure after all. Although he has a bad temper, he is definitely not stupid. Among all the ninja villages, the most likely to have a powerful Water Release user is Kirigakure and our Konoha. From Konoha's perspective, we are the ones who benefit the most from seeing them clash. The Raikage must have realized this, so they only had a brief conflict."
Tsunade supported her head with her hands, thought for a while and said, "What Naruto said makes sense, but the Raikage will still doubt Kirigakure as long as the evidence points that way. And as long as he distrusts them, the threat to us is greatly reduced. You completed this mission very well. I plan to promote you to captain of the Anbu. From now on, you can mobilize some personnel directly, though not the Root division Danzo controls."
Naruto said, "Thank you, Hokage. However, judging from the current situation of Konoha, there is still a high possibility that other villages will target us. We may be busy in the future. Then, I will go back first."
After reporting to Tsunade, Naruto returned home to rest as usual, giving his tired body and mind some time to relax. Tsunade promoted Naruto's status in the Anbu and gave him more power, but with it came more troubles. In addition to the mission, the biggest trouble was Danzo.
As the captain of the Anbu, he held a relatively high position and had more opportunities to come into contact with Danzo. Danzo had a high status in the Anbu world his Root division existed outside Tsunade's direct authority—and in many matters, his influence even surpassed the Hokage's. Naruto disagreed with many of Danzo's methods. Sometimes, too much darkness brought more harm than good. But Naruto dared not oppose Danzo openly for the time being. Although Danzo would not kill Naruto, Naruto was extremely worried about Danzo's Mangekyō Sharingan and the dangerous Kotoamatsukami mind-control technique, so Naruto basically avoided him whenever possible.
But there was still no way. Danzo went directly to Naruto to discuss things. As a subordinate, Naruto had no way to refuse. Danzo took Naruto to his private office, a very secluded underground room similar to where he once commanded Root agents in the manga. Naruto believed that if he was killed, no one outside would know immediately. However, for a genius like Naruto, as long as he was sincere in doing things for Konoha, and since Danzo was also firmly committed to Konoha's survival, the possibility of him being killed was still not high.
After Danzo brought Naruto in, he didn't turn around. The office door closed automatically, and then came Danzo's unhurried voice: "Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's genius, the boy who attracted attention during the Chūnin Exams and survived threats even from Orochimaru. All the missions so far have been completed excellently, and this trip to the Land of Lightning has fully demonstrated your talent. Naruto, you and I both have great aspirations for the future of the village, but many things cannot be done in the light. You still lack something. The darkness in you is not enough for Anbu, and that will hinder your future achievements."
Naruto did not move after entering the house, and kept listening to what Danzo said. After Danzo finished speaking, Naruto said: "I am willing to do anything for the village, but everyone's methods will be different. There are some means that don't need to be used all the time. I hope Danzo-senpai can understand." Naruto recalled how the Third Hokage had always warned him that strength without compassion was an empty path, something Danzo always ignored.
Danzo said: "Naruto, follow me, this will be more beneficial to your development. Only by embracing the necessary darkness, as the Anbu once did under the Second Hokage, can you protect the village's future."
"Senior, I still stick to my original choice," Naruto said.
Danzo turned around, as if nothing had happened, and coughed softly. "So, Naruto, how about we make a deal?"
"What deal?" Naruto said.
Danzo said, "If you do me a favor, I'll give you a Sharingan."
Naruto didn't expect Danzo to use such a thing to make a deal with him. To be honest, it was very attractive. Even if it was only a three-tomoe Sharingan, its use was self-evident. Kakashi earned the title of Copy Ninja with just one Sharingan, copying over a thousand jutsu. However, Naruto had other plans, and after transplanting the Sharingan he could not allow others to know. He would likely end up like Danzo himself—forced to hide an eye under bandages because of the taboo techniques involved.
Naruto said directly to Danzo: "It is indeed a very tempting deal, but I don't want to cover one eye with gauze."
Danzo showed a trace of surprise on his usually calm face, but he recovered immediately and said, "Some people are not interested in ocular powers. Then what about the cells of the First Hokage? You went with Yamato on this mission, correct? You should be very clear about the power of Wood Release. But I won't hide it from you: not everyone can successfully accept the cells of the First Hokage, and the extent of Wood Release that can be awakened varies greatly. Even I cannot use Mokuton the way Senju Hashirama once did."
Naruto had always pursued power, and the cells of the First Hokage were of course very attractive to him. Yamato himself was proof of how much potential they held. But as Danzo said, it was truly uncertain whether the transplant would succeed. Still, Naruto really wanted to try.
"So, what does Danzo-senpai need me to do?" Naruto said.
Danzo said: "It seems this does attract you somewhat. What I need you to do is not easy at all, and there is a high chance you may lose your life. Otherwise, I would not ask you. I want you to infiltrate the Land of Earth and eliminate the current Daimyō of the Land of Earth. And your identity must never be exposed."
Hearing this, Naruto instantly understood the situation. The Land of Earth must also harbor ill intentions toward Konoha, and Tsunade hoped to resolve tensions through continued negotiations. Moreover, the Land of Earth had taken no definitive action yet, so Danzo had no justification to launch Anbu operations through official means. And this mission was definitely not something ordinary shinobi could accomplish. If a powerful or well-known ninja were sent, their identity could easily be deduced by the Tsuchikage's intelligence unit, which would worsen diplomatic tensions. Therefore, sending a new face like Naruto, who had already displayed remarkable ability in concealing his identity during the previous mission, made Naruto the most suitable choice.
Danzo continued, "As a shinobi of Konoha, you must consider the village's safety. If the Daimyō of the Land of Earth is assassinated, the Land of Earth will surely fall into political turmoil for some time, and they will not have the energy to threaten Konoha. I know you prefer the kind of peaceful solution Tsunade favors, but in the shinobi world, that idea is too unrealistic. The Second Hokage understood this well."
Naruto interrupted Danzo and said, "So, when will you transplant the cells of the First Hokage into me?"
Danzo said: "I will arrange the transplant first. If the procedure fails, you will not be able to undertake this mission at all, because without the First Hokage's vitality or ocular powers, survival inside the Land of Earth's heavily fortified daimyo grounds is impossible. You would be discovered by their barrier corps instantly."
Naruto thought to himself, no wonder he was willing to give me such a big benefit—he is afraid I would not be able to complete the mission. Danzo, this old fox, really is willing to go to such lengths for what he calls the 'safety of Konoha.'
But Naruto still said on the surface: "Then let's do as Danzo-senpai said."
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