Between Fellow Disciples

"Are you done talking?"

In the alley.

Katsuki tried very hard to put on a kind smile, but for some reason, her muscles, which she usually controlled with ease, were stiff and completely out of control.

Left with no other choice, she simply put on a blank face, expressionless, just like Otoha when they first met, cold as ice, as if wearing a mask.

Thinking about it, it seems like a lot of people in the Uchiha Clan have expressionless faces! Is that a specialty of the Uchiha Clan? My thoughts suddenly drifted away again...

The ANBU Anbu with the tanuki mask looked at the distracted Mizuki with a puzzled Katsuki. What was this guy thinking? Was he looking down on him? He'd been daydreaming in front of him time and time again; did he think he couldn't see through it?

It's a ghost!

He cursed inwardly in anger, but fortunately he remembered Danzo's instructions. He was only there to deliver a message, not to cause trouble. Moreover, the person in front of him was not only strong, but also had a powerful Great Buddha behind him, Hatake Sakumo.

The Konoha's White Fang was infamous, and he didn't want to provoke this Great Buddha.

"Cough cough."

Katsuki coughed lightly, snapping out of her reverie.

"I have finished speaking. I hope you will consider it carefully. 'Root'... welcomes like-minded comrades to join us at any time."

After giving Katsuki a deep look, the ANBU Anbu with the tanuki mask Hand Seals, and with a gust of wind beneath his feet, disappeared from the spot.

The popsicle wrapper rolled along with the warm breeze, then glided slowly at low altitudes. It didn't fly far before the wind weakened and it fell, landing with a thud on the large, irregularly paved bluestone pavement.

"... Coming and going like the wind, how capricious!"

"What else could be added to the root? Tsk! Have you taken the wrong medicine? How could you possibly add the root? Dream on!"

Katsuki spat out a mouthful of anger, as if releasing the pent-up frustration in her heart. Her expression returned to calm as she strode towards home.

Hokage Building.

"A member of Root? Danzo really won't stop causing trouble. Isn't the Uchiha Clan enough to keep him busy?"

The Third Hokage stood by the window, gazing at the buildings of varying heights in the village. He spoke softly, his expression calm, seemingly unsurprised by Danzo's actions.

"When will you ever change your ways? You always try to hug everything you see that looks nice, like you're still a child? It's so frustrating... Sigh!"

The Anbu at the table lowered his head, not daring to speak. This was not something he could interrupt; he only needed to follow orders.

The Third Hokage turned around and walked to the table, opening the brocade box on the table. Inside was a crystal ball the size of a melon, sparkling and spotless, showing that it was carefully maintained every day.

However, the outstretched hand remained suspended in mid-air, not falling for a long time.

"You're saying that Gen's people openly met with Uzumaki Katsuki in an alley?"

"Yes, the person from the Root appeared directly in front of Uzumaki Katsuki. Although it was in an alley, he didn't try to conceal his presence. Besides, the area is only deserted recently because of the martial law; it's not a secluded place."

"I see! I understand. You may leave now."

The Third Hokage closed the box again, dismissed the informant from the Anbu, and silently pondered while smoking his pipe.

Smoke filled the room once again.

Underground base.

"So, you're saying that Uzumaki Katsuki isn't interested in our ideas?"

Danzo read the scroll in his hand, not even glancing at the Anbu of the tanuki-face mask, his voice cold and devoid of any inflection.

"Yes."

"Hmm... a genius's personality! It's really a headache."

He uttered a sentiment remarkably similar to that of the Third Hokage, while simultaneously studying the text on the scroll intently, multitasking.

"But... never mind, let's wait until he comes back alive from the battlefield. Kids are all so naive. Once they've rolled around in piles of corpses a few times and seen what real war is like, they'll know how insignificant killing a Jonin is... Forget it, what's the point of talking to you about this? Go on."

Suddenly feeling somewhat listless, Danzo closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

After the Anbu withdrew, Danzo turned his head and looked at the rock wall on his right.

In the early days of the Root, everything was very rudimentary, including this underground base. The room maintained a rugged beauty, with uneven walls and many sharp corners on the rough rock walls that had not been smoothed out. If you accidentally bumped your head on it, you would definitely end up with your brains splattered.

"Hiruzen, hiding like this isn't befitting your status as Hokage. Or are you saying you can't take it anymore and are planning to step down?"

On the right-hand rock wall, the gray rocks suddenly began to twist and distort, and the figure of the Third Hokage slowly appeared. In the dim candlelight, a huge black shadow enveloped the right-hand wall, causing it to shake violently.

"Hmph, my health is perfectly fine. I'll continue serving for another twenty or thirty years before considering retirement. You don't need to worry about it. This position has no future for you."

As expected of fellow disciples, the Third Hokage Danzo, mercilessly retorting with sarcasm and violently reopening Danzo's wounds.

He failed to become Hokage.

This was Danzo's greatest regret, and he couldn't help but feel remorse whenever he recalled it.

To be honest, back then, with the First Hokage gone and the Second Hokage in power, his chances of succeeding as the Third Hokage were no less than Hiruzen's.

Hiruzen is said to be the direct disciple of both the First and Second Hokage, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the First only had Hiruzen as his disciple, while the Second Hokage took in Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu.

It's crystal clear.

The Second Hokage claimed to be Hiruzen's master, but this was merely a way of protecting the First's only disciple. It's not uncommon for people to forget their masters once they're gone, and Hiruzen's talent was exceptional, so the Second Hokage could provide some guidance to prevent him from wasting his potential.

The Second Hokage hesitated for a long time regarding the selection of the Third Hokage. Both Hiruzen and Danzo were so outstanding that even the Second Hokage, who was known for his shrewdness and decisiveness, found it difficult to make a choice. One was the personal disciple of his deceased elder brother, and the other was the disciple he had carefully cultivated.

When faced with a desperate situation and the final test of the second generation's life, Danzo backed down, but Hiruzen persevered.

Because of that one wrong decision, Danzo missed out on the position of the Third Hokage of the Danzo lineage, and they never met again.

"Snort!"

Upon hearing the Third Hokage's sarcastic retort, Danzo's face darkened instantly, turning completely black, and he coldly snorted.

"What do you want? Get out of here, I have nothing to offer you."

They can change their minds as easily as turning the pages of a book.

Danzo no attempt to hide his impatience; he was practically ready to kick him out.