Natsuhiko would never have imagined—even in his wildest dreams—that Danzo Shimura had become so utterly self-centered.
With Minato Namikaze choosing to recuperate at Mount Myoboku, and Hiruzen Sarutobi once again reclaiming control as Hokage, Danzo had somehow developed thoughts like these.
And it wasn't just Natsuhiko—Hiruzen himself likely never expected that the very man he had gone to such lengths to protect would harbor such ambitions.
That said, there was one thing Natsuhiko had guessed correctly: Hiruzen had indeed made enormous concessions when it came to Danzo.
He knew exactly what Danzo had done during the Nine-Tails incident.
Danzo had actually intercepted the Uchiha clan and prevented them from deploying.
On the surface, such a move might be considered cautious. But the reality was that Konoha had been desperately short on manpower at the time. Danzo had neither concrete evidence nor an official order from the Hokage to justify his actions.
Worse still, throughout the entire crisis, he had not deployed a single Root operative to contribute to the village's defense.
That alone left him wide open to criticism.
And as if that weren't enough, both Minato and Natsuhiko—as well as the ANBU assigned to protect Minato—had already confirmed that the one who attacked Kushina and unleashed the Nine-Tails was not an Uchiha of Konoha.
In contrast, the Uchiha clan had performed admirably during the incident. Compared to them, Danzo's actions appeared all the more inadequate—almost shameful.
To address this, Hiruzen had first taken steps to appease the Uchiha clan by granting them a more favorable position closer to the village's core during Konoha's reconstruction.
At the same time, to prevent Minato—or more importantly, Natsuhiko, who already had deep conflicts with Danzo—from pursuing the matter further, Hiruzen had even tacitly allowed the ANBU to change hands.
Because he understood something very clearly:
Given Natsuhiko's performance during the Nine-Tails incident—and his mastery of Wood Release—if he truly set his sights on Danzo, the latter would likely suffer greatly.
To protect Danzo, Hiruzen had paid a heavy price.
After all… Danzo was one of his closest friends.
Sitting in the Hokage's office, surrounded by familiar sights, Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh. Konoha was in a difficult state now—perhaps one of the most difficult periods it had ever faced.
But he had endured hardship before.
And he believed he could endure it again.
"Hokage-sama."
Just as Hiruzen was lost in thought, a ninja entered the office and bowed respectfully. "This is a document submitted by the ANBU Commander. Please review it."
"A document from the ANBU…?"
Hiruzen snapped back to reality, his heart giving an involuntary jolt.
He already knew quite a bit about what had been happening within the ANBU. After all, some of the operatives stationed there were still loyal to him, and through them, he had learned just how drastic Natsuhiko's actions had been.
First, killing a division commander in front of all ANBU members.
Then, disbanding an entire division.
Those actions alone had been enough to send his blood pressure soaring—but he had endured.
He had told himself that no matter what came next, it couldn't possibly put him in a worse position… nor raise his blood pressure any further.
"Leave it there."
Taking a slow breath, Hiruzen lifted his teacup and took a sip, his gaze casually drifting toward the document.
"Pfft—!"
The moment he read the title alone, he spat out the tea in his mouth, immediately breaking into a violent coughing fit.
"Hokage-sama, are you alright?" the ninja asked anxiously, stepping forward with concern.
"I'm fine… you may leave."
It took Hiruzen quite some time to steady himself before he finally waved the ninja away, his voice regaining its composure—though the tension in his eyes had already begun to deepen.
After the ninja left, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately picked up the document and began reading it carefully.
The further he read, the heavier his breathing became. Line after line, his expression darkened, and he could feel his blood pressure rising uncontrollably.
He had never imagined—not even in his dreams—that after revealing both his strength and his Senju lineage to the world, Natsuhiko would so quickly begin to display such an aggressive, uncompromising side.
And yet, Hiruzen had to admit it—Natsuhiko had the power, and the qualifications, to act this way.
But this plan… it went too far.
It wasn't just bold—it was an outright attempt to overturn decades of ANBU tradition.
"Was this Minato Namikaze's doing?"
Just like Trout, Hiruzen's first instinct was to attribute everything to Minato.
After all, Natsuhiko had been personally promoted by the Fourth Hokage—even at the cost of straining relations with Hiruzen himself.
If this truly was Minato's plan, then Hiruzen could more or less understand the intent behind it.
"Trying to build up your own foundation of power through the ANBU… what a clever move.
"And using one Senju to break a system established by another Senju… interesting. Truly interesting."
Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh of admiration. He had to admit—this was a brilliant maneuver.
The fixed size of the ANBU forces had never been arbitrary. On one hand, it served to limit the already immense authority of the ANBU. On the other, it was deeply tied to the distribution of power and influence among the village's factions.
Everyone knew that the ANBU were the Hokage's direct subordinates—the closest force to the Hokage himself.
Their authority was vast, which made them highly desirable to the major clans. Many families were eager to place their members within the ANBU.
Partly, it was a demonstration of loyalty to the Hokage and to Konoha.
But more importantly, it allowed them to leverage the ANBU's authority to access valuable intelligence—and perhaps even use that proximity to the Hokage to elevate their clan's standing through outstanding performance.
It was a position that offered benefits on multiple fronts.
And so, limiting the size of the ANBU—and restricting the number of clan members allowed in—had gradually become an unspoken rule.
Breaking that rule was no simple matter.
After all, it had been established by Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage himself.
Yet Minato's approach was undeniably elegant.
He had chosen a member of the Senju clan to dismantle the very system another Senju had created.
And that person—Natsuhiko—had already demonstrated overwhelming combat power, even wielding the Wood Release that the Senju clan had long been famed for.
There could hardly be a more fitting candidate.
"It seems you truly intend to expand your influence through the ANBU," Hiruzen murmured, shaking his head slightly after piecing together what he believed to be Minato's plan.
"But… is the person you've entrusted with this really someone you can rely on?"
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk as his expression grew more serious.
"Natsuhiko Senju is no simple child… that boy is a wolf. Handing the ANBU over to him is hardly a wise choice."
Then, suddenly, Hiruzen's expression shifted.
A thought crossed his mind—what if this wasn't Minato's plan at all?
What if it was Natsuhiko's own decision?
After all, he had already witnessed the boy's ambition firsthand.
But after a moment's consideration, he dismissed the idea. In the end, he still leaned toward believing that this was Minato's doing.
"Forget it… whoever is behind this, there's no point dwelling on it now."
Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh.
He had already relinquished control of the ANBU. Whatever happened next was no longer his concern.
In fact, a part of him even hoped that Natsuhiko and Minato might eventually come into conflict. If that happened, he might have a chance to reclaim control of the ANBU.
But for now, there were more pressing matters.
He needed to travel to the capital of the Land of Fire… and meet the Daimyō.
Minato Namikaze had not died, but his injuries were so severe that he needed a long period of recovery. In his absence, the position of acting Hokage in Konoha naturally fell to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Even so, as only an acting Hokage, there were still formalities he could not ignore—chief among them, paying a visit to the Daimyō.
To shinobi, the so-called Daimyō was little more than a joke, at best a convenient source of funding. Yet the relationship between the two sides was one of mutual benefit. Among ordinary people, the Daimyō still held considerable prestige, and there remained a nominal hierarchy between them.
So, at the very least, appearances had to be maintained. It was enough that the Daimyō believed he was being shown proper respect.
"I should take some time to meet with the Daimyō soon," Hiruzen murmured to himself. "And secure some funds while I'm at it. Rebuilding Konoha is going to cost a fortune…"
—
Meanwhile, Danzō had already conceived a plan—one so bold it bordered on madness.
He intended to have Hiruzen Sarutobi killed.
In simple terms, it would be a political assassination. With Hiruzen's death, the position of Hokage would once again be left vacant.
He had already analyzed the situation. There were not many people in the village who could compete with him for the title—but neither were there few.
Orochimaru had already been passed over once, and lately he seemed to have little interest in the Hokage's seat. Danzō did not consider him a threat.
That left Jiraiya and Tsunade. Both were troublesome, but Danzō was not overly concerned. During the Nine-Tails incident, neither of them had returned to the village.
"If you didn't contribute in its hour of need," he thought coldly, "what right do you have to covet the Hokage's position?"
Still, he knew better than to grow complacent. Preparations had to be made—above all, ensuring that the transfer of power would be completed as swiftly as possible, leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade no opportunity to interfere.
He could justify preventing them from returning to seize power, but caution was necessary. After all, on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, he himself had done nothing of note.
With that plan in place, the remaining obstacles were fewer. There were not many left in Konoha who could contend for the Hokage's seat.
Perhaps the Nara clan posed a threat. Both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze had shown clear favor toward Nara Shikaku, even intending to appoint him as the leader of the jōnin corps.
It was obvious how highly they regarded him—and with his achievements and capabilities, Shikaku's chances of becoming Hokage were far from small.
Someone like that was precisely the kind of opponent Danzō feared most. He needed to carefully consider how to deal with Shikaku if the man chose to oppose him after Hiruzen's death.
"Still… he's not untouchable," Danzō mused. "Fortunately, the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance is inseparable. That gives me an opening."
As he calmed himself, the instincts of a seasoned shinobi and the cunning of a conspirator surfaced in full force. His thoughts turned first to the three allied clans.
Each of them played a distinct role within Konoha: the Akimichi clan handled certain aspects of defense, the Nara clan was deeply involved in administration, and the Yamanaka clan specialized in intelligence work.
And Danzō had not forgotten—Yamanaka Inoichi, the heir of the Yamanaka clan, had once personally carried out certain actions against that boy, Natsuhiko Senju.
Within the ANBU, such things were not unusual. To preserve its purity and stability, there could be no room for irregularities.
But in the regular shinobi forces, it would be nothing short of a scandal.
Moreover, no one knew just how many secrets of the Senju clan Inoichi had uncovered. His report had been sealed directly into the archives, without any formal review.
No approval. No oversight.
Because the name had already been written on it from the start.
It was, in essence, outright falsification.
"If all of this were exposed at once…" Danzō's lips curled into a faint, chilling smile. "…the blow to the Yamanaka clan would be utterly devastating."
Because the Yamanaka clan was inseparably tied to the Akimichi and Nara clans, protecting one would inevitably require sacrifices from the others.
Together, the three clans formed a powerful alliance—but if that unity were broken, if only one or two remained, then they would no longer be anything to fear.
Danzō's thoughts had already become crystal clear. What he needed now was to gather intelligence and secure evidence, so that at the critical moment he could apply pressure on the Yamanaka clan. That, in turn, would force the Nara clan into a difficult decision. When the time came, he would personally approach Nara Shikaku and "persuade" him to withdraw from the Hokage selection of his own accord.
"With my potential rivals dealt with… the only one left is Hiruzen Sarutobi."
The thought echoed in his mind as a cold glint flickered in his eyes, brimming with hatred and killing intent.
"I'll need to win over someone close to him—someone who can track his movements. Then I can wait for the perfect opportunity to strike."
Danzō understood this all too well: this was no trivial matter. The man he was up against was someone who knew him better than anyone else—and whom he, in turn, understood just as deeply.
Because of that, he had to prepare for every possibility. If anything went wrong, his situation would only worsen.
He knew Hiruzen might not kill him outright—after all, there was still some lingering bond between them. There were few left from their generation.
But exile from the core of Konoha… that was almost certain. He might never again set foot in its inner circles.
And having already tasted the power he now held, he had no intention of letting it slip away.
As for strength, he no longer held much hope. Age had caught up to him. Unless he found some other way to enhance his power, all that awaited him was a steady decline—until one day, he would no longer be able to fight at all.
For a shinobi like him, there were only two things worth pursuing: strength and power.
If strength was no longer within reach, then he would use power to remain at the summit.
"Power… that's something I absolutely cannot lose. And as for strength… I'll just have to find another way."
Shimura Danzō drew in a slow breath, his expression turning solemn.
"As it happens, Wood Release isn't limited to that damn brat Natsuhiko Senju. I've got someone under my command who possesses it as well."
A faint, calculating smile tugged at his lips.
"Let's see how he performs. If his abilities prove stable and effective… then perhaps I, too, can one day wield the power of Wood Release."
—
"Rest here for now, Minato."
Deep within Mount Myōboku, Minato Namikaze lay sprawled on a bed, his body still weak. Kushina stood nearby with Naruto in her arms, while Fukasaku cast them a measured glance before speaking slowly.
"Your body is no longer in immediate danger. The one who treated you was highly skilled… though for some reason, they didn't fully restore you."
"Fukasaku-sama…" Kushina's voice trembled slightly as she looked at him with concern. "Are you certain Minato is really alright?"
"Don't worry. There's no immediate problem," Fukasaku replied with a gentle smile, though his tone soon grew serious.
"He only needs time to recover. The one who saved him was truly remarkable—they managed to preserve the spark of his Yang Release."
He paused, his gaze sharpening as he studied Minato.
"From what I can tell, Minato's life force should have already been on the verge of extinguishing completely. Just what happened… that led you to make such a choice?"
Fukasaku was genuinely puzzled. From his perception, Minato's life flame was still burning brightly.
And yet, the fuel sustaining that flame… did not belong to Minato himself.
It was an extraordinary method—one so impressive that, in all his memory, only Hashirama Senju had ever achieved something similar.
Even for Hashirama Senju, however, such power had only ever been used on himself. The idea of transferring that strength to another person… that was something else entirely—something almost unnatural.
Fukasaku recalled that long, long ago, the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, had once mentioned that only Asura Ōtsutsuki had ever been capable of such a feat.
But that had been a story from a thousand years in the past.
Just what had Minato Namikaze gone through to end up like this?
"…It's a bit embarrassing to admit," Minato said at last, his voice still weak as he let out a soft sigh. "I imagine you've already heard about the Nine-Tails incident, Fukasaku-sama. The method I used to deal with it was… the Reaper Death Seal."
"What?" Fukasaku stared at him in disbelief. "You used the Reaper Death Seal? That's impossible—your soul should have…" He suddenly paused, his eyes narrowing. "Wait. Then who exactly was it that saved you?"
"It was one of Konoha's ANBU," Kushina answered, stepping in. "His name is Natsuhiko. He's a member of the Senju clan."
"The Senju…" Fukasaku froze for a brief moment, then slowly nodded in understanding. "I see. That explains quite a lot."
"Fukasaku-sama, what do you mean?" Kushina frowned, confusion evident in her voice. "I know the Senju clan is powerful, but—"
"The Senju were never a simple clan," Fukasaku interrupted gently. "If it's them, then many things begin to make sense."
He hopped onto a wooden table, his expression turning distant, as though he had fallen into old memories. But just as quickly, he returned to the present, shaking his head lightly before organizing his thoughts.
"Their legacy stretches far beyond what you might imagine. There are some things I cannot speak of openly… but I can tell you this: the bond between the Senju and the Uzumaki runs even deeper than you realize."
He glanced at Kushina.
"I don't know the current state of the Uzumaki clan—we haven't left Mount Myōboku in a very long time—but from what I can tell, they've likely fallen on hard times. So it's not surprising that certain techniques have been lost to you… such as the method to undo the Reaper Death Seal."
"The method… to undo it?"
At those words, both Minato and Kushina straightened, their attention snapping into focus. This was the very question that had lingered in their hearts all along.
Back then, Minato had used the Reaper Death Seal fully prepared to die. He had entrusted his hopes for survival to Kushina and Naruto, choosing to face death himself without hesitation.
And yet, in the end, he had been given a different outcome.
He had lived.
Even if that life had been returned to him by Natsuhiko, who undoubtedly had his own motives, the result remained the same. Still, countless questions weighed on Minato's mind. What had truly happened? Just how far had Natsuhiko gone to achieve this?
Now, it seemed, he might finally have an answer.
"The method to undo the Reaper Death Seal was developed alongside the technique itself," Fukasaku explained calmly, clearly aware of their thoughts. "Every sealing jutsu has a way to be undone—there's nothing unusual about that."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"However, I've heard that this particular method is far from simple. In fact… it likely requires the sacrifice of a life."
"A life…?" Minato's eyes widened slightly, and then he fell into silence.
A memory surfaced in his mind.
According to ANBU reports, one prisoner had gone missing from their detention facility—a man rumored to possess near-immortality. No one knew where he had gone. Perhaps he had escaped amidst the chaos of the Nine-Tails' attack…
Or perhaps—
That man had been used by Natsuhiko as the sacrifice to undo the seal.
The thought settled heavily in Minato's chest, and he said nothing more. If his guess was correct, then that was likely the truth of it.
But no matter how he turned it over in his mind, he couldn't decide how he felt about it.
In the end, he could only shake his head with a faint, helpless sigh.
Natsuhiko… everything that man had done had ultimately been for his sake.
And the one Natsuhiko had used as the sacrifice… was someone who could not die easily.
Minato could only assume that Natsuhiko had reached some kind of agreement with that man—an exchange that allowed the technique to be completed, freeing Minato from the Reaper Death Seal, while the man himself vanished from Konoha's ANBU prison without a trace.
"Yes, a life is required," Fukasaku said, nodding solemnly. Then, after a brief pause, he added with a deep sigh, "But that alone isn't enough. To save you, one must also possess an extraordinary level of control over Yang Release… a level so high that it may very well surpass even Hashirama Senju."
Surpass Hashirama Senju?
Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance, both seeing the same disbelief mirrored in each other's eyes—yet beneath that disbelief, there was also a faint, undeniable sense of agreement.
The strength Natsuhiko had displayed was already beyond imagination. Perhaps he had not yet reached Hashirama's true level… but he was only fourteen years old.
The thought alone was staggering.
His future was something no one could measure.
And it wasn't just his strength. The depth of his schemes, the calm calculation behind his actions—those were what unsettled Minato the most. Without exaggeration, that boy felt like a fusion of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.
"Get some rest. Don't overthink things," Fukasaku said, shaking his head as he decided not to elaborate further. "I'll take my leave. Right now, recovery is what matters most, understood?"
"Yes, Fukasaku-sama," Minato and Kushina replied in unison, nodding earnestly. "We understand. Thank you."
Fukasaku gave a small nod before turning and quietly departing. Today, he had answered their questions—but in doing so, he had also gained quite a bit of information himself.
He hadn't expected someone like this to emerge in Konoha—a shinobi of terrifying strength, and one who seemingly possessed an exceptional mastery over Yang Release.
This was something he would have to report. And more than that, a question lingered in his mind:
Could that boy be the true Child of Prophecy?
Yet, from what he could tell, Natsuhiko's ties seemed limited to Minato. He had no deep connection to Jiraiya.
With that lingering doubt, Fukasaku slowly shuffled away, leaving the room in silence.
—
Inside, the atmosphere grew calm once more.
Kushina looked down at Naruto, still sleeping peacefully in her arms. After a long moment, she finally lifted her head and spoke softly, "Minato… don't think too much. Focus on recovering. Whatever is happening in Konoha now… doesn't need us to worry about it."
"I know. Don't worry."
Minato nodded gently, and then, unexpectedly, a soft smile appeared on his face.
"Actually… I've realized something," he said quietly. "This isn't so bad. At the very least, I'm no longer carrying that overwhelming pressure."
His gaze softened as it rested on her.
"And I get to be with the person I love most. Maybe… this is the life I've always wanted."
"Minato…"
Kushina stared at his smile for a long moment before her own lips curved upward.
He was right.
Here, he no longer bore the burdens of the Hokage—the endless responsibilities, the unseen darkness of Konoha that once weighed so heavily on him.
And now, the three of them were together, surrounded by the quiet embrace of nature.
It was hard to say whether this was misfortune… or something else entirely.
Perhaps… stepping away from all that noise isn't such a bad thing after all, she thought silently.
Being Hokage had once been their shared dream.
But after everything they had gone through, it suddenly felt as though their true dream had always been something far simpler.
To protect… to stay beside… the ones they loved.
Just like this.
"I think so too," Kushina said softly, her eyes glistening faintly with emotion as she smiled at him. "As long as I have you and Naruto with me… that's more than enough."
"Thank you, Kushina."
Minato reached out, gently brushing at the corner of her eye.
"And thank you, Naruto… Thank you for being here with me."
Perhaps… this was for the best.
At that moment, Minato found himself thinking the same as Kushina. Everything before him—this quiet life, this fragile peace—was something he had once been willing to give his life to protect.
But the calm did not last.
Very quickly, his thoughts were dragged back to that night—the night of the Nine-Tails.
The masked Uchiha who had orchestrated it all, who had nearly destroyed his family… Minato could not forget him. Not now. Not ever.
Even if he could live peacefully here for the time being, he still had to prepare for what lay ahead.
Stay vigilant in times of peace. It was a lesson he had learned over years as a shinobi.
Only by holding onto that mindset had he been able to move forward, step by step, without faltering.
There were those who lived only for the moment—shinobi who indulged in fleeting pleasures because they believed they might die on their very next mission. It was a life born of despair, one Minato did not judge… but could never accept for himself.
"Even if Mount Myōboku is safe," he thought quietly, "I still need to grow stronger."
Natsuhiko's mastery of senjutsu had left a deep impression on him. And here, in Mount Myōboku, lay the very source of that power.
"I'll use this time to train… to refine myself."
And beyond that—
"There's also the Nine-Tails."
Half of its chakra had been sealed within him. If he was to face the future, then learning to wield that power would be essential.
—
"It seems I guessed right."
Two days later, in the ANBU office, Natsuhiko finally received approval from the Hokage's office.
Every proposal he had submitted regarding reforms to the ANBU had been fully accepted.
Which meant that, from this moment forward, he could expand his forces openly and legitimately. The power in his hands would only continue to grow.
At the same time, he had gained insight into something else.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's attachment to Shimura Danzō ran deeper than he had expected.
Even after such grave mistakes, Hiruzen still intended to protect him. For a moment, Natsuhiko couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on in the old man's mind.
"But it doesn't really matter," he mused, a bright smile spreading across his face. "I've already gotten what I wanted."
And for now, that was more than enough.
He had no immediate intention of dealing with Danzō—in fact, he would rather the man live a little longer.
After all, Danzō posed no real threat to him, yet constantly created trouble for Hiruzen, inadvertently helping Natsuhiko expand his own influence.
Honestly, if possible, he would be more than happy to see Danzō live a long life.
"Of course, that won't happen," Natsuhiko thought calmly. "Once he starts pressuring the major clans for manpower and completely ruins Hiruzen's reputation… that'll be about the time I step in and finish things."
In his mind, he had already set a date for Danzō's death.
It might still be some time away—but at least now, he knew exactly what needed to be done.
After all, if Danzō didn't die, how could he avenge the grievances of the great clans?
"In that sense… Danzō really is a good man," Natsuhiko thought with a faint smirk. "At least, from my perspective."
A very useful one.
"But Danzō isn't something I need to worry about right now. The Nine-Tails' chakra, on the other hand… that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later."
Resting his chin lightly against his hand, Natsuhiko fell into thought.
At present, there were only two matters that required his attention.
The first was improving his Wood Release. That, at least, was relatively manageable—he had already begun cultivating the transplanted arm taken from Uchiha Obito.
The only uncertainty was time.
When he had previously cultivated cells from Hashirama Senju, it had taken only a week to see results. But now, even after a full week had passed, the White Zetsu body showed little reaction.
And then there was the second matter—
The Nine-Tails' chakra.
He needed to find a legitimate reason to travel to the capital of the Land of Fire. While there, he could also quietly deal with the so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja—those fools tasked with protecting the Daimyō, who had secretly been collecting the Nine-Tails' chakra.
How absurd, he thought with a faint scoff.
If the Daimyō truly required protection, then ANBU should be handling it—not a group of mediocre shinobi playing at being elites.
And the fact that they were gathering Nine-Tails chakra so recklessly…
Does the Daimyō have other intentions?
"…Hmm?"
Just as Natsuhiko was considering how to make his move toward the capital, his gaze suddenly fell upon a document resting on his desk.
Something about it immediately caught his attention.
...
PS: Danzo is actually a good guy—having him around means there's no need to worry about the Third Hokage ending up in a one-on-one showdown with Orochimaru. Still, he's going to have to be dealt with—at least wait until he's finished messing with the Third before taking action.
...
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