Uchiha Itachi

After Danzo woke up, he chose to leave the hospital that same day.

With peace talks set to begin in three days, Danzo needed to review as soon as possible the many files and intelligence reports Hiruzen Sarutobi had handled as Hokage, so he could make more accurate judgments.

Danzo was no warmonger. He was one of Konoha's Hawks. He opposed peace talks between Konoha and Iwagakure not because he wanted war, but because he felt that after fighting for so long and sacrificing so much, Konoha had yet to receive the compensation it deserved from Iwagakure.

Konoha was still fighting on multiple fronts: locked in a stalemate with Iwagakure, maintaining a low-intensity war with the Hidden Cloud, and sparing a small number of troops to keep an eye on the defeated Hidden Sand and Hidden Mist, in case either turned against them again.

To end the war as soon as possible and give the village time to recover, the Third chose to negotiate with Iwagakure when Minato had turned the tide of the war and Konoha had regained the upper hand. He was even willing to agree to end the war and sign a peace treaty with Iwagakure on terms that cost them practically nothing.

That was the real reason Danzo was so dissatisfied and opposed the peace talks.

In Danzo's view, although Konoha was fighting on multiple fronts and had suffered enormous losses, the other villages were in no better shape. The question now was who could hold out longer. Whoever did would win outright.

Then Konoha could secure the compensation it deserved in negotiations.

Late that afternoon, in the Hokage Office, Danzo sat in the Hokage's chair, carefully reading the many files spread across the desk.

"How does it feel to be Hokage?" Shiraishi's voice sounded beside Danzo.

Danzo jerked his head up, set down the scroll in his hand, and frowned at Shiraishi, who had appeared without warning.

"Don't worry. No one else can hear our conversation." Shiraishi walked over to Danzo, sat on the desk, and casually picked up a scroll.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Konoha's losses are considerable! Are you really planning to keep fighting?" The scroll in Shiraishi's hand contained a list of casualties sent back from the battlefield.

Danzo stared at Shiraishi. "What are you getting at?"

Shiraishi put down the scroll. "Nothing in particular. I was just wondering whether, after becoming Hokage, you'd turn into that incompetent coward you called Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Hmph!" Danzo snorted in displeasure, then said, "You don't need to test me. For Konoha's sake, I won't agree to these peace talks."

Shiraishi smiled and clapped, then stood and moved to Danzo's side. "That's a relief."

Danzo turned to look at Shiraishi and asked, "Is that why you came here?"

Shiraishi shook his head, then held up two fingers. "That was just small talk. I came to tell you two things."

Danzo gazed at Shiraishi without speaking, waiting for him to continue.

"First, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave me a mission: to keep an eye on you long-term." As he spoke, Shiraishi lowered his middle finger.

A mocking smile tugged at Danzo's lips. "That man still hasn't given up!"

"Second, I want all the information you have on Impure World Reincarnation. Also, when Orochimaru gets back, I want to meet him," Shiraishi continued.

At the mention of Impure World Reincarnation, Danzo asked cautiously, "That Forbidden Jutsu isn't complete. What do you want it for?"

Shiraishi smiled. "I'm a little curious about it."

Danzo didn't believe him. "Just curious?"

Shiraishi knew Danzo wouldn't believe him, but still said, "Just curious."

Danzo hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

"Impure World Reincarnation is fine, but if your research makes any progress, you have to share it with me."

"Of course!" Shiraishi agreed.

Danzo said with satisfaction, "Tonight, I'll make you a copy of the information on Impure World Reincarnation."

"As for Orochimaru, you can meet him, but you must keep your identity secret," Danzo added.

Shiraishi replied unconcernedly, "I'll leave the arrangements to you. After all, one of our agreements was that you'd use every resource at your disposal to help me create a new body."

Danzo fell silent for a few seconds. He regretted agreeing to this deal. He must have been out of his mind to make it just to spare Hiruzen Sarutobi's life.

"Our deal was for you to preserve Hiruzen Sarutobi's soul, not to have him reincarnated into my body," Danzo said, voicing his dissatisfaction.

Shiraishi smiled and rested a hand on Danzo's shoulder. "Our deal was to keep Hiruzen Sarutobi from dying. Didn't I do that?"

"You!" Danzo glared at Shiraishi, but soon reined in his anger and said in a low voice, "I'll arrange a suitable identity for you to meet Orochimaru."

"That's great." Shiraishi patted Danzo's shoulder, then turned and headed toward the window.

"I'm warning you. I'm Hokage now. You're not to do anything that endangers the village." Danzo watched Shiraishi's back and warned him, still uneasy.

"We're the best of partners. Why would I ever endanger Konoha?" Shiraishi glanced back, his eyes narrowing with a smile.

With that, Shiraishi vanished in a flash of the Body Flicker Technique.

Danzo sat in the Hokage's chair and stared for a long time at the spot where Shiraishi had disappeared. He raised his right hand into a fist and slammed it down on the desk.

That bastard! He had to find a way to counter him. He couldn't let him keep running rampant.

In the park at the center of the village, Uchiha Itachi, not yet four years old and just returned from the battlefield, walked alone along a path beside the river.

The brutal scenes he had witnessed on the battlefield kept resurfacing in young Itachi's mind, especially the Iwagakure Ninja who had been lying there, badly wounded. Itachi had gone to help him, only to be attacked in return and forced to kill him with his own hands.

Why was there war? What was the meaning of life?

Perhaps he was too deep in thought. Head bowed, Itachi walked absentmindedly forward and accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" Itachi stumbled back a step and instinctively bowed in apology.

"An apology isn't enough, you know!" a teasing voice said, making Itachi look up.

Standing before him was a young-looking big brother, handsome and fresh-faced, with a hint of heroism about him.

Shiraishi smiled at Itachi. He hadn't come looking for him; running into him was pure coincidence.

But since the opportunity had presented itself, he might as well plant a pawn.

"Kid, what's your name?" Shiraishi asked with a smile.

"My name is Uchiha Itachi. I'm really sorry for bumping into you!" Itachi politely apologized again.

"Uchiha Itachi? Then I'll just call you Itachi. You look like something's bothering you. Want to talk about it, little prodigy?" Shiraishi said, acting as if they were already old friends.

Itachi stared at Shiraishi with bright eyes, hesitating.

Seeing this, Shiraishi raised the stakes. "You just got back from the battlefield, didn't you?"

Shiraishi deliberately sighed, then shook his head. "The Uchiha are crazy, taking a little kid like you onto the battlefield."

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Shiraishi. "You're..."

"Surprised I knew?" Shiraishi asked, his manner growing even kinder as he bent down to bring himself closer to Itachi.

Itachi honestly nodded.

"Because lots of ninjas who return from the battlefield, especially rookies, look just like you," Shiraishi replied.

"Why?" Itachi asked curiously.

"If you want to know, come with me. It's tiring standing around talking."

With that, Shiraishi didn't wait to see whether Itachi agreed. He simply headed for a long wooden bench nearby.