"Big Brother Kizaru, were you training too hard yesterday?"
"You scared me half to death today, Big Brother Kizaru!"
"Oh, right, Big Brother Kizaru! I took notes on everything today. Want to have a look?"
On the way home with the three little ones from the Shimura family, the chatterbox Shimura Yoshihiko stuck close to Kizaru, his mouth firing like a machine gun without pause.
Kizaru gave him brief replies as he quickened his pace, and they soon arrived at the Shimura Clan's main residence.
"You three go on ahead. I'm going to see the clan head." As soon as he pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard, Kizaru spoke up.
"Big Brother Kizaru—"
Shimura Yoshihiko tried to say more, but Shimura Yuki and Shimura Tanin promptly dragged him away.
"See you later, Big Brother Kizaru!"
The two girls smiled as they each took one of Yoshihiko's hands, dragging along the oblivious boy while waving to Kizaru with their free hands.
"See you!"
After watching the three little ones head off, Kizaru sighed with relief. He picked his ear with his pinky, lowered his hands, shoved them into his pockets, and headed for the courtyard where Danzo lived.
Kizaru's excuse that he was going to see Danzo wasn't just a way to get away from Yoshihiko. Danzo had asked him to come.
The lessons at the Ninja Academy were too gentle and basic to help Kizaru much, so Danzo had told him to come for training after class every day.
Kizaru had no objections. He knew that every privilege and benefit came from strength.
That was true within the clan, in the village, and even throughout the entire Shinobi World.
So he rarely questioned the clan's arrangements for his training.
Danzo's residence stood in the center of the main courtyard, only a few hundred meters from the gate.
When Kizaru pushed open the wooden courtyard door and entered Danzo's grounds, he found Danzo standing alone in the middle of the courtyard.
"I'm not late, am I, Lord Clan Head?" Kizaru asked with a cheeky grin as he faced the stern-looking Danzo.
Danzo had always disapproved of Kizaru's irreverent attitude. He had brought it up plenty of times, but to no avail.
Protected by the three elders for so long, Kizaru always listened seriously to the lectures without ever changing his ways. It gave Danzo a terrible headache.
Rather than correct Kizaru's attitude yet again, Danzo simply turned and headed toward the house.
"Come with me."
Kizaru followed Danzo into the house. They sat opposite each other at the tea table.
"I heard from Isshin that you spent class sleeping and daydreaming today?"
"Uncle Isshin, honestly—did he have to report even that?" Kizaru grumbled with a smile, scratching his head.
Kizaru wasn't surprised that Danzo knew what he'd been doing. He had always known that the clan had assigned a Jonin to protect him in secret.
"Those lessons aren't worth listening to, so a little extra rest is good for you."
To Kizaru's surprise, Danzo—who usually seized every little detail and minor issue as an excuse to lecture him—didn't scold him this time.
"No need to look so surprised. I don't want you listening too closely to those ideological lessons either. They're meant for the people below us," Danzo continued.
"Kizaru, you're different from those mediocre people. You have the potential to bring change to the entire Shinobi World, just like the First. You're a born strongman and leader! You should think about the world with the mindset of the strong, with the mindset of a ruler!" Danzo said with utter seriousness, fixing his sharp eyes on Kizaru.
"Rule the world? That sounds like a lot of trouble," Kizaru replied with a smile. "My dream is to find a job that pays well, doesn't ask much of me, and comes with a high position, then enjoy the rest of my life."
Instead of getting angry at Kizaru's answer, Danzo laughed.
"Isn't Hokage just that kind of job?"
"I don't see it."
"That guy Hiruzen is living the life you want right now. The thing he does most every day is probably hide in his office and use his Crystal Ball to spy on the women's bathhouse," Danzo said with a laugh.
"Hey, hey, Lord Clan Head, I might tell Lord Hokage!"
"Go ahead! While you're at it, you can ask him how much he's made each year since becoming Hokage."
Danzo had complete faith in his good friend. Their relationship was probably the closest and strongest in the village.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to the village with their teacher's dying wish and sought to succeed him as Hokage, the village's various factions hadn't exactly supported him.
Without Lady Mito's backing and Danzo's wholehearted support on behalf of the Shimura Clan, Hiruzen—supported only by the Sarutobi Clan—couldn't have taken the Hokage's seat so easily.
For more than ten years, Danzo and Hiruzen had worked together, one in the light and the other in the shadows. Without that cooperation, how could Hiruzen have taken control of the Hokage's authority so easily?
Hokage was just a title, a name. Becoming Hokage didn't mean you had truly become the village's leader.
Only after gaining control of the village's military and financial power could a Hokage truly be called the Hokage.
"You and Uncle Hiruzen really are close, Uncle," Kizaru remarked.
Danzo gave a restrained, self-satisfied smile and nodded. "Just a little."
"Kizaru, I know you don't like dealing with trouble, but you need to understand that trouble always finds you on its own! So you don't have to like trouble, but you must have the ability to deal with it," Danzo continued. "Great strength can solve most problems, but using strength to solve them is trouble in itself. What do you think?"
"That's true," Kizaru agreed.
"So you need your own faction. Leave the trouble to your subordinates—that's the easiest way to deal with it," Danzo said, patiently guiding him.
"So you still want me to compete for the Hokage position someday," Kizaru said.
Danzo nodded, his expression resolute. A hint of ruthlessness glimmered deep in his eyes as he said with absolute certainty, "Not compete for it. The Hokage position will be yours one day! That's my promise to you."
It was the first time Kizaru had seen Danzo wear the expression of a ruthless, ambitious leader. He wasn't afraid; if anything, he liked Danzo a little more. No matter how bad the man's reputation was among Naruto fans in his previous life, at least for now, Danzo was looking out for him.
Kizaru knew Danzo's kindness came with his own interests and ulterior motives. But how much kindness in this world was truly given without reason or benefit?
"Fine. I, Kizaru, will definitely become the man who becomes Hokage someday!" Kizaru played along.
Speaking of which, how old was Tsunade when she became Hokage? Could I enjoy a kept-man lifestyle without shame?
As he said it, Kizaru's thoughts wandered off.
Danzo looked satisfied with Kizaru's declaration, his lips curling into a broad smile.