Bearing

Shimura Danzo seemed to be trying to read something in the strokes of "Wind Forest Fire Mountain." "You have no right to refuse. Your fate isn't in your own hands, but in mine."

Byakuya knew he was telling the truth.

Even if he could escape from Pakura, who was close to Kage Level, and swagger away from the Azure-Black Serpent's jaws, he was still under someone else's control.

He still lacked the strength to break free of his shackles. If he could fight Pakura to a draw, or tame the Azure-Black Serpent as a Summoning Beast, he would have the leverage to negotiate with Shimura Danzo.

Unfortunately, he didn't have that strength yet. But he would soon enough. He only needed to keep his head down and be patient. After all, time was on his side.

"The Hyuga Clan's branch family members have the Caged Bird seal carved into their foreheads. The village's shinobi obey their superiors. Even the Five Kage are bound by rules.

"You used to be good at hiding your abilities. If Vice Principal Hiroya hadn't wanted to halfheartedly fill the quota for Root's mission, you wouldn't have been selected—but you would have become necessary cannon fodder on the battlefield all the same.

"These are chains binding everyone. I can't break free of them. Sarutobi Hiruzen can't break free of them. And neither can you."

"I understand, sir."

"Do you really understand, or are you just giving me a perfunctory answer?"

"Being born in Konoha comes with responsibilities."

Shimura Danzo nodded, then changed the subject back to ninjutsu. "Second-sama's Water Release: Water Severing Wave is something you've earned. The Flying Thunder God Technique, on the other hand, is a resource I'm choosing to invest in you. Hiroya mentioned that you need money. One hundred thousand ryo is the limit.

"If you want more, there's a mission at the Bounty Exchange to assassinate Higashi Shinin of Iwagakure. The bounty is three million ryo. You're welcome to take it."

Byakuya replied calmly, "I know my own limits. I'm no match for a jonin."

"Heh. You do know, then. I thought you'd get carried away and try to bring back Pakura of Sunagakure's head for the bounty."

The old fox was twisting the truth.

As if he'd dare! Pakura had been the one trying to take his head!

Arguing back wouldn't be wise, so Byakuya simply lowered his head. "I was wrong, sir."

"Shuten-doji, you're very clever. You didn't try to hide anything. Pakura has already reported the details of your fight to Sunagakure's higher-ups, and I only learned of it recently.

"Still, I didn't expect you to have mastered a Kekkei Genkai. It seems you used Storm Release to counter Pakura's Scorch Release and were lucky enough to make it back to Konoha."

"Danzo-sama, you're wise."

"No need to flatter me. You've proven your worth. Wait here while I fetch copies of Water Release: Water Severing Wave and the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Shimura Danzo slowly left the room, leaving Byakuya alone.

As he thought over their conversation, Byakuya realized the old fox must know his real name, yet only called him by his codename, Shuten-doji. That puzzled him a little.

And the old fox was Senju Tobirama's disciple, yet he didn't call him "teacher." Instead, he addressed him distantly as "Second-sama."

It seemed he still resented Senju Tobirama for giving the Hokage Position to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The various shinobi villages had their own conflicts, but Konoha was hardly free of irreconcilable divisions of its own. They had simply been forced to unite against outside pressure.

That was something Byakuya could use to secure room to keep his head down.

Danzo returned soon and personally handed him the scrolls for the two S-Rank Ninjutsu.

"From now on, you don't have to be so cautious around me. You're still a child, after all. You should have a little youthful spirit."

"I wouldn't dare, sir."

The old fox was testing him again.

Danzo gave a cold chuckle. "Go back. I have plenty of patience to wait for you to grow. I won't assign you any more missions for now."

"I'll take my leave." Byakuya bowed, left the room, and gently shut the door.

Yakushi Nonō walked out from the inner room. "Danzo-sama, this child is good at concealing himself and taking things one step at a time. Without a Cursed Seal to restrain him, he'll be difficult to control."

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

"I've spent my life laboring for Konoha, always acting for the common good. I've never taken on a disciple, but someone has to inherit the work of Konoha's Root."

Still shocked, she asked, "You really think that highly of him?"

"He's not from a prominent clan, his background is exceptionally clean, and his parents died in battle for Konoha. He has talent, and despite his young age, he already knows how to read a situation and act accordingly. Search all of Konoha, and perhaps you'll find only one child like him: Shuten-doji."

"You've already decided to take him as your disciple?"

Danzo scoffed. "The two missions he's carried out have only shown me his worth. He hasn't demonstrated the bearing he ought to have.

"Especially during the second mission in the Land of Rivers. He was softhearted and didn't kill all of San-Dan-Kun's men. He actually left the problem for the village to deal with. That was completely unacceptable!"

Yakushi Nonō said, "The boy is honest with you, and he has a way of making Hiroya willingly work for him. He's already far beyond others his age."

"Nonō, I know you're tired of living undercover. I'd planned to let you go after your next mission and leave you to do whatever you wanted..."

As she listened to Danzo, her expression changed several times.

"But not anymore." Shimura Danzo closed his eyes. "I hear quite a few people have nicknamed you the Wandering Shrine Maiden. That shows how much your abilities frighten them. But I hope you'll be more than a shrine maiden wandering the Shinobi World. I want you to serve as the priestess who helps the next generation of Konoha's Root."

Yakushi Nonō lowered her head sadly. "Are you going to pursue that position?"

"As Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen has made mistake after mistake during his tenure, leading the other great nations' shinobi villages to attack Konoha together. He won't hold onto the Hokage Position much longer."

"But Namikaze Minato..."

"He's too young. No matter how distinguished his achievements in battle, he could only become the Fifth Hokage, not the Fourth Hokage."

"What about Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade?"

"Jiraiya is a lecher with no interest in power. Princess Tsunade is a gambler and suffers from hemophobia. As for Orochimaru, hmph. Not only would Sarutobi Hiruzen oppose him, but others in the village wouldn't accept him either. He lacks the one thing most essential to becoming Hokage. Besides, who else is more suited than me?"

Yakushi Nonō understood. The reason Danzo-sama had considered taking that boy as his disciple was that, once he became Hokage, he wouldn't trust anyone else with the Root Organization.

Only a disciple he'd personally trained—and a civilian with a clean background—would be easy to control.

"What if he doesn't meet your expectations?"

Shimura Danzo spoke as if discussing something perfectly ordinary. "Then I'll have him killed."

"He knows too much that he shouldn't. Someone so ambitious and skilled at keeping his head down is too dangerous to me—and to Konoha."

Those words were meant for Yakushi Nonō, too.