Capacity

Shimura Danzō seemed to be searching for something within the brushstrokes of the "Wind Forest Fire Mountain" calligraphy: "You have no power to refuse. Your fate is not in your own hands, but in mine."

Byakuya knew clearly in his heart that what he said was the truth.

Even if he could escape from the hands of Pakura, who possessed strength comparable to a Kage, and walk away gracefully from the maw of that dark green serpent, he remained under the control of others.

He ultimately lacked the strength to break his shackles. If he could fight Pakura to a draw, or subdue the dark green serpent as a summoning beast, he would have the backbone to negotiate with Shimura Danzō.

It was a pity that he did not possess such strength for the time being, but he would have it soon enough. He only needed to be patient and keep a low profile; time, after all, was on his side.

"The Hyuga Clan branch family has the Caged Bird seal carved into their foreheads. The village's ninja obey their superiors; even the Five Kage are bound by the same rules.

You were skilled at hiding your talents in the past. If Vice Principal Hiroya hadn't wanted to fulfill the mission given to him by Root and tried to pass you off as a filler, you wouldn't have been chosen, but you would have become necessary cannon fodder on the battlefield.

These are the chains bound to everyone. I cannot break free from them, Sarutobi Hiruzen cannot break free from them, and neither can you."

"This subordinate understands."

"Do you truly understand? Or are these just words of evasion to appease me?"

"Since I was born in Konoha, I have responsibilities."

Shimura Danzō nodded, setting the topic aside to speak of ninjutsu again: "The Second Hokage's Water Release: Water Severing Wave is something you deserve, and the Flying Thunder God technique is a resource I am tilting in your direction. Hiroya mentioned you needed money—one hundred thousand ryō, no more than that.

If you want more money, there is a mission in the Bounty Exchange to assassinate Higashi Shinin of Iwagakure. The bounty is three million ryō; you are free to take that contract."

Byakuya said calmly: "This subordinate knows his own weight; I am definitely no match for a Jōnin."

"Heh, you actually know that. I thought you might be blinded by greed and think of bringing back the head of Pakura from Sunagakure to claim the reward."

That old bastard Danzō was really twisting the truth with those words.

How could he dare? It was clearly Pakura who wanted to take his head!

Refuting him was by no means a wise move, so Byakuya simply lowered his head and said: "This subordinate is in the wrong."

"Shuten-doji, you are very clever and have not had the slightest thought of concealment. Pakura has already reported the details of your engagement to the high-ups in Sunagakure; I only learned of it recently.

However, it is beyond my expectations that you have mastered a Kekkei Genkai. It seems you used Storm Release to counter Pakura's Scorch Release, which is how you luckily returned to Konoha."

"Lord Danzō is wise."

"No need for flattery. You have proven your worth. Wait here; I will retrieve the copies of Water Release: Water Severing Wave and the Flying Thunder God technique for you."

Shimura Danzō slowly walked out of the room, leaving Byakuya alone.

Reflecting on their conversation, the old bastard definitely knew his real name, yet only called him by his codename, Shuten-doji, which left Byakuya slightly puzzled.

Furthermore, the old bastard was a disciple of Senju Tobirama, yet he did not call him "Master," instead coldly addressing him as "Lord."

It seemed he still harbored resentment toward Senju Tobirama for handing the position of Hokage to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Ninja villages all had their own internal conflicts; how could Konoha not have its own irreconcilable contradictions? It was only because they needed to resist external pressure together that they were forced to unite.

This was something he could actually exploit to secure space for himself to survive and grow.

Danzō returned quickly, personally handing him the scrolls for the two S-rank ninjutsu.

"In the future, there is no need to be so cautious in my presence. You are, after all, still a child; you should have some youthful spirit."

"This subordinate would not dare."

The old bastard was testing him again.

Danzō smiled coldly: "Go back. I have plenty of patience to wait for you to grow; I will not give you any more missions in the near future."

"This subordinate takes his leave." Byakuya bowed and exited the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Yakushi Nonō walked out from the inner chamber: "Lord Danzō, this child is adept at disguising himself and is very calculating. Without the curse seal to bind him, he will be difficult to control."

Shimura Danzō said: "Senju Tobirama took me, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and others as disciples. Sarutobi Hiruzen also has three disciples: Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. And now, Namikaze Minato, who is making a great name for himself on the battlefield, is also Jiraiya's student.

I have labored for Konoha my entire life with a public spirit, never taking on a disciple, but the cause of Konoha's Root must have someone to inherit it."

She was shocked, and asked: "Do you think that highly of him?"

"He is not from a prominent clan, his background is extremely clean, his parents died for Konoha, his talent is good, and at a young age, he understands how to judge the situation. Such a child—if one were to search all of Konoha, perhaps only one Shuten-doji could be found."

"Have you already decided he is your disciple?"

Danzō sneered: "The two missions he executed only let me know his value, but he has not yet displayed the necessary capacity.

Especially the second mission in the Land of Rivers—he was soft-hearted and did not slaughter all of San-Dan-Kun's subordinates, actually leaving the difficult problem for the village to handle. That was highly inappropriate!"

Yakushi Nonō said: "This child is always honest with you, and he has the means to make Hiroya willingly work for him; he has already far surpassed his peers."

"Nonō, I know you are tired of the life of an undercover agent. I had originally planned to let you leave after your next mission, allowing you to do what you like..."

Listening to Danzō's words, her expression shifted several times.

"But, that is no longer possible." Shimura Danzō closed his eyes, "I hear many have given you the nickname of the Wandering Shrine Maiden, which shows how much your abilities terrify them. But I hope that you are not just a shrine maiden walking the ninja world, but also a priestess who will assist the next generation of Konoha's Root."

Yakushi Nonō lowered her head in gloom: "Are you going to vie for that position?"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, as Hokage, has made frequent mistakes during his tenure, leading to Konoha being attacked by other great ninja villages in unison. His seat as Hokage will not last much longer."

"But that Namikaze Minato..."

"He is too young. Even with his distinguished military service, he would only ever be the Fifth Hokage, not the Fourth."

"What about Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade?"

"Jiraiya is lecherous and has no interest in power. Princess Tsunade is a gambler and suffers from hemophobia. As for Orochimaru, hmph, not only would Sarutobi Hiruzen disagree, but the rest of the village would as well; he lacks the most essential quality required to become Hokage. Besides them, who else is there but me?"

Yakushi Nonō understood. The reason Lord Danzō had conceived the idea of taking that boy as a disciple was because, once he became Hokage, he would not feel at ease handing over Root to anyone else.

Only a disciple raised by his own hand—a commoner with a clean identity and background—would be easy to control.

"And if his capacity does not meet your requirements?"

Shimura Danzō spoke as if he were discussing the most trivial of matters, "Then I shall have him die!"

"He knows too much that he shouldn't. A person so full of ambition who is also adept at biding his time is far too dangerous—both to me and to Konoha."

These words were also meant for Yakushi Nonō.