One month later, in the Hokage's Office.
Upon learning that Jiraiya had regained his mobility and had not suffered any lasting effects, Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to use his crystal ball to check on the villagers' living conditions as usual, he heard footsteps coming from outside.
Without knocking, the person pushed open the door and walked step by step to Hiruzen.
"Danzo, is there something you need?"
Relieved that he hadn't had a chance to use his Telescope Technique, Hiruzen looked up at his old friend and asked him curiously.
"I have a plan here that needs your help."
Danzo, expressionless, placed the scroll he was holding in his left hand on Hiruzen's table, his one eye fixed intently on the other.
"Plan?"
Hiruzen took the document with a puzzled look, and immediately expressed his opposition after reading it. "Danzo, this plan is too radical, I will not agree to it!"
Looking at his old friend in shock, Hiruzen hadn't expected his friend to be so audacious as to attempt to harm the Jinchuriki of another hidden village.
Danzo had anticipated Hiruzen's reaction, and spoke calmly, "Hiruzen, to protect Konoha, you must agree."
"Danzo, you should know how important Jinchuriki are to a village. If something goes wrong, it will instantly destabilize the already unstable situation, and war will break out sooner than expected!"
Hiruzen gripped the scroll tightly in his hand, his mind already conjuring up scenes of various hidden villages besieging Konoha.
"But if successful, it will delay the war for many years. The Tailed Beast need to be sealed into the Jinchuriki when they are young, and both need to grow together. You should know how much effort it takes to cultivate a new Jinchuriki if something happens to the Jinchuriki."
Ignoring Hiruzen's almost fiery gaze, Danzo his one eye, his tone flat. "Besides, I'm not trying to seize the Tailed Beast, I'm just trying to force a change in their Jinchuriki due to some unforeseen circumstances."
"No hidden village would actively start a war while they are rebuilding their Jinchuriki, would they?"
Hearing Danzo's explanation, Hiruzen's tone softened. "But the opponent is Jinchuriki, and Jinchuriki under the village's special protection. Even if you and I personally intervene, I'm afraid..."
"Therefore, your disciples will need to take action. I heard that Jiraiya has returned to the village. He and Orochimaru are both skilled in infiltration, so they can split up and subdue the unruly Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
Seeing that Hiruzen was showing signs of relenting, Danzo finally revealed his true purpose. "If my Root had this kind of strength, I would have sent people to do it long ago, instead of wasting time arguing with you here."
"Jiraiya and Orochimaru, they are indeed excellent infiltration ninjas, but what if they fail..." Hiruzen felt somewhat resistant when he thought of them as his outstanding disciples and the backbone of Konoha.
Danzo's plan had great potential for profit, but also great risks.
If Jiraiya and Orochimaru perish outside, Konoha's strength will suffer a tremendous loss.
"A ninja's destiny is to sacrifice. Other ninjas can sacrifice themselves, so why can't your disciple? If it's for Konoha, I'd even be willing to sacrifice my own son." Danzo pressed on relentlessly, giving Hiruzen no room to think.
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen had no room for rebuttal. His brows furrowed tightly, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
After a long pause, Hiruzen said leisurely, "Leave the scroll here, I'll arrange for someone to make it."
"My Root— " Danzo was about to say something when Hiruzen interrupted him, "I don't need your ninjas' cooperation. I will send out the Hokage's direct Anbu."
Upon hearing this, Danzo Hiruzen a deep look, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately gave up and turned to leave with slow steps.
Upon reaching the door, Danzo finally couldn't hold back and turned to look at Hiruzen: "You're too weak, Hiruzen."
This time, Danzo, and the slowly rising smoke obscured their vision.
"Kid, your movements are not bad, but your counterattack is too aggressive."
In the hospital courtyard, Jiraiya, who had just regained his mobility, sat on a bench, watching Kazashiro fight Tsunade.
Compared to the whip -Jinchuriki Iku and the zero-frame start of Aburame Ryoma, Tsunade's attacks can only be described as wide-ranging and powerful.
For Kazashiro, who had undergone long-term beatings and developed strong dodging abilities, fighting Tsunade wasn't too difficult. Of course, this was also because Tsunade wasn't using her full strength; otherwise, he might have ended up like Jiraiya.
"I surrender!"
Just as Kazashiro was about to launch a counterattack from a blind spot after dodging Tsunade's punch, he discovered that Tsunade had somehow twisted her body and was about to flick his head with a flick. He quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Hmph, kid, you surrendered pretty quickly."
Tsunade flicked Kazashiro's forehead lightly, then smiled as she watched Kazashiro crouch on the ground, clutching his head and groaning in pain. She strode over to Jiraiya's side.
"Alright, you can play with this kid now, I have to get back to work."
Because she had to take care of Jiraiya, Tsunade, who was penniless, accepted the hospital's invitation and used her spare time to train the doctors.
Kazashiro's appearance here wasn't because he deliberately wanted to make his presence known to Jiraiya, but because...
Obito was also affected by Tsunade's punch and was hospitalized.
In order to prevent Obito from falling behind in his studies while he was hospitalized, Makoto Ito chose to have Kazashiro, who seemed to be closest to Obito, deliver his notes to him after school.
"So, where's Lin? Why didn't Lin come?"
Obito on his face, looked at Kazashiro and said with a pained expression.
"Lin and the others are in class. What's wrong? Do you feel wronged that I came to see you?"
Seeing that Obito was so ungrateful, Kazashiro gently patted him on the head.
Ouch, that's sharp!
He wouldn't have come if it weren't for the opportunity to get away from Shimura Ikko's training sessions, which were like picking cotton.
"No, it's just..." Obito muttered to himself, "I don't want to sit with that peeping tom."
Upon hearing this, the peeping tom Obito called him bulged with veins on Obito forehead, "You brat, if it weren't for you, how could I have almost been beaten to death by Tsunade!"
Jiraiya had figured it out: this Uchiha Clan was even more despicable than the Shimura Clan. The one was wicked, but this one was a complete idiot!
"You bastard, you think you're in the right to spy on others?!"
Obito's loud voice quickly attracted the nurses' attention.
Seeing that the women in the hospital were about to overwhelm him with malicious stares, Jiraiya hurriedly reached out to cover Obito's mouth, to stop him from spouting the truth.
"Alright, you two, you're both being discharged tomorrow anyway, so stop looking so glum and smile."
Watching the two entangled together, Kazashiro had a feeling that these two guys seemed surprisingly compatible.