"But now that I think about it, the title of a Legendary Sannin's disciple is worth quite a bit."
"After all, Orochimaru is the Third's disciple, part of the Hokage's inner circle."
"If I followed him, it really would be easier to succeed him as Hokage someday."
But after reconsidering, Aragaki Yasushi pushed the idea aside.
"If Orochimaru defects someday, being his disciple would actually count against me when it comes to becoming Hokage."
"Besides, there's no need to become Hokage."
"In a world where individual strength reigns supreme, power is what matters."
"As for forbidden techniques, I'm a Konoha genius. I can get them through legitimate channels, so why would I need to beg him to teach me?"
Aragaki Yasushi put the thought aside and headed toward the camp.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking,
Aragaki Yasushi returned to the village with the main force.
A few days later, Konoha's gates came into view.
Ninja stood guard at the entrance, keeping a strict watch.
Aragaki Yasushi looked up at the gate guards.
"What a shame. The village doesn't have its Gate Guardian Gods yet, so it's missing something."
"Come to think of it, Izumo Kamizuki, one half of the Gate Guardian duo, has a face that looks exactly like Danzo's."
"And his weapon is pitch-black, like the eye the Three-Tails is missing."
"Maybe Izumo Kamizuki really is Danzo's illegitimate son."
"Maybe Danzo had Root ninja secretly get the Three-Tails' eye for that weapon."
But after reconsidering, Aragaki Yasushi felt something didn't add up.
He had lived in Konoha for years and had never heard that Danzo had any children—not even a wife.
It was probably just a resemblance, nothing more than a rumor.
Still, as a low-ranking ninja, there was no way he could know the private