Xing Ran pushed open the doors to the Hokage's Office. He had come here a few times before, so he still clearly remembered the image of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. But the moment he entered, he quickly noticed another familiar stranger.
Shimura Danzō—the man he had often seen in anime in his previous life. This was his first time coming face-to-face with him in this life.
Danzō's forehead was wrapped in bandages, with his right eye covered as well. His right arm seemed injured and was tucked within his kimono, making movement inconvenient. However, Danzō had not yet begun using a cane. He was still middle-aged Uncle Danzō.
Xing Ran swiftly swept his gaze across Danzō's face, then unconsciously activated his X-ray vision and looked toward Danzō's right arm.
In Xing Ran's vision, Danzō's right arm had not yet been implanted with Sharingan. Though covered in scars, it still looked like his original arm. No—not entirely his original arm.
So Danzō had already begun coming into contact with First Hokage's Cells. His arm was currently sealed by the Sealing Technique inscribed on the bandages. The muscle tissue was ash-gray, making Xing Ran think of White Zetsu. This transplantation method was still primitive and cautious, however. With the cells' activity sealed, the First Hokage's Cells were completely suppressed. As long as Danzō did not engage in strenuous activity, this arm—which resembled a ticking time bomb—would not show any major abnormalities.
Xing Ran noticed that the sealing formulae on the bandages around Danzō's arm were extremely complex. Although he knew little about Sealing Technique, he could easily guess that aside from sealing the First Hokage's Cells, there were also plenty of techniques to prevent others from peering inside. At the very least, the Byakugan would definitely be unable to spot anything wrong. Only Xing Ran's X-ray vision, an ability entirely different from the Chakra system, could so easily uncover the secret within Danzō's arm.
Danzō really was a madman. Konoha's transplantation technology for First Hokage's Cells had clearly failed, yet he still dared to use it on himself under such circumstances. As expected, ruthless people started by being even more ruthless toward themselves.
Unfortunately, Danzō had the nerve but not the luck. Not only was his movement restricted now, but his strength had undoubtedly suffered greatly as well. No wonder he later implanted the many-eyed arm Orochimaru cultivated from Shin Uchiha. Otherwise, in his current state, he absolutely would not have Kage-level strength.
Xing Ran might have had plenty going through his mind, but in reality, he had only glanced at Danzō after entering before quickly following Danzō's arm with his eyes toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at the head of the room.
The entire process had taken less than two seconds, and his expression had not changed in the slightest.
Xing Ran knew that under normal circumstances, he would not know Danzō. Since he had come to see the Hokage, he should not show too much interest in Danzō. He had handled it perfectly. No matter what, while his Superman abilities were still underdeveloped, it was best not to have anything to do with Danzō.
"Lord Hokage." Xing Ran walked past Danzō and approached the Hokage's desk, looking as though he awaited orders.
"Danzō, I have other matters to attend to. Let's leave it here for today." The Third Hokage nodded to Xing Ran but did not speak to him first, instead issuing Danzō a dismissal.
"Hmph." With a cold snort, Danzō did not bid the Third Hokage farewell and simply headed for the door. Before leaving, he cast Xing Ran a sideways glance. For a moment, he had felt as though this brat had been observing his arm.
That glance from Danzō sent a chill down Xing Ran's back. It was not that he had been intimidated by Danzō's presence; it was simply an inferior's wariness toward a superior. What he feared most now was being targeted by Danzō. Feeling guilty, Xing Ran, a newcomer to the ninja world, still lacked experience.
Shaking his head slightly, Danzō soon left the Hokage's Office. How could a brat who trembled after being glared at possibly have discovered the secret of his arm? It seemed Hiruzen had truly affected his mood today.
"Don't mind him. Tell me, how is your body doing? You've been out of the hospital for some time now, haven't you? How has your recovery been..." Like a kindly old man next door, the Third Hokage gave Xing Ran a gentle smile after Danzō left, dispelling the slightly strange atmosphere from before as he asked after Xing Ran's recovery.
"I'm completely fine now. Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage. May I ask why you summoned me? Is there a mission?" Xing Ran felt unaccustomed to the Third Hokage, with whom he had little contact, suddenly being so kind to him. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.
On the way here, he had already made up his mind. Though Superman's Steel Body was still underdeveloped, it was more than enough to crush ordinary people. How could he waste such an outstanding talent? Until Hai Yi returned, the matter of his mind and soul could only be set aside. But becoming stronger was certainly the right direction.
He wondered if he could find Might Guy. With his current learning ability, mastering the Eight Gates should be easy. The problem was that Guy's blockhead nature would probably be hard to fool.
Superman's physique combined with the forbidden technique of the Eight Gates—just thinking about it made him a little excited. It should create some miraculous chemical reaction, right?
"It's good that you're fine. The others from Team 16... you should know what happened afterward. This world is like this. Sometimes, human lives are simply so fragile... To avoid encountering similar tragedies in the future, we must look ahead... As long as our Will of Fire remains, it can be passed down without end and prevent even more tragedies..." The Third Hokage's words were highly persuasive.
He quickly went from the sorrow of the team's annihilation to the inheritance of the Will of Fire. As long as someone still yearned for the light in their heart, they would soon be influenced by the Third Hokage's words and regain a positive attitude toward life.
Xing Ran was a little bewildered. Why had the Third Hokage suddenly pulled this move? Had he discovered the cheat I had hidden for days and started trying to win me over early?
Xing Ran could not figure it out. Of course, the Third Hokage knew nothing about Xing Ran's Superman powers. Rather, the annihilation of Team 16 had given him a new idea.
An idea for continuing to maintain peace. It required the active participation of those involved, and Xing Ran's attitude was very important.
According to the Anbu's post-incident intelligence analysis, Xing Ran had shown slight aftereffects of war after leaving the hospital. He would also strike fellow villagers without mercy. Though he had still exercised restraint—the dog-faced Anbu from before had only suffered minor injuries—they had to take seriously the possibility of further deterioration.
"..."
Seeing Xing Ran remain silent, the Third Hokage did not know whether his speech had had any effect. He had already said this much. If it had no effect, then it meant this Yamanaka Family boy carried too much darkness in his heart, and he probably could not inherit the Will of Fire. Perhaps Root would suit him better.
But those were matters to consider after this mission. For now, he should continue with the main matter.
Before you continue