Tobirama's Contingency

Hiruzen Sarutobi forcibly suppressed his anger, sat back down, and picked up the thin file on Cangshu Qianyu from the desk. His gaze passed over the words, "Parents presumed dead during the Nine-Tails incident; no claimant; identity unverifiable," and he sank into thought. Smoke once more curled through the air, partially concealing his complicated expression.

After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of reminiscence and uncertainty. "Perhaps... there is only one explanation. This child may be a direct descendant secretly left behind by one branch of the Senju Clan when my teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, dissolved the clan and had them assimilate into the village. Perhaps even..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Danzo and the two advisors as he slowed his words. "He may be... a contingency Teacher Tobirama left behind."

"A contingency?" Homura Mitokado's eyes narrowed.

"My teacher... devoted his life to researching bloodline limits and forbidden techniques, especially his elder brother's Wood Release." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice lowered, bearing reverence for that stern and wise mentor.

"He understood the significance of Wood Release to Konoha, and he also understood how difficult it was for that bloodline to be passed down. Before the Senju Clan was dissolved, given my teacher's foresight, it would not have been entirely impossible for him to secretly preserve the purest branch of the bloodline and find a way for it to grow safely elsewhere, waiting for the right time to return to Konoha..."

This speculation not only explained the source of Qianyu's Wood Release, but also somewhat diluted the Uchiha associations brought on by his appearance. It further placed his emergence within the narrative framework of "Konoha's legitimate lineage," neatly sidestepping the most sensitive and dangerous connection: Madara Uchiha.

Danzo's expression shifted unpredictably. Instinctively, he doubted this explanation—it was too convenient, too beneficial to Hiruzen Sarutobi's control. But at this moment, faced with irrefutable evidence of Wood Release and Hiruzen's firm stance, he could not directly refute it.

"Teacher Tobirama's arrangements..." Koharu Utatane mused, seemingly more willing to accept this explanation.

"Regardless of the truth," Hiruzen Sarutobi finally declared, his tone leaving no room for dispute, "from this day onward, Cangshu Qianyu will officially be placed on the Hokage's direct watch list.

"I will personally oversee his training and protection. Danzo, put away your thoughts. And you two, make sure to keep everything you saw tonight confidential, especially the details regarding Wood Release."

His eyes shone fiercely as they swept over the three once more. "Konoha needs stability. It needs unity. Any internal strife and suspicion that could undermine that stability must be strangled in the cradle. Understood?"

Silence filled the office. Cold moonlight spilled in through the window, illuminating the four faces, each bearing a different expression.

The blood vessels in Danzo's single eye looked ready to burst. He abruptly stepped forward, his cane striking the floor with a heavy, muffled thud. "Since there are so many doubts, why not have the Yamanaka Clan's intelligence division search his mind directly? Whether he is genuine or false, loyal or treacherous, we'll know at once! Better than making baseless guesses here and raising a tiger that will bring disaster!"

"Danzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice suddenly rose, carrying unquestionable pressure. "Get ahold of yourself! You want to use such methods on a child who just helped the village fend off a spy attack and demonstrated the potential to inherit the Will of Fire? Do you want to completely chill the hearts of every child, or do you want Konoha branded with the infamy of persecuting children?!"

He drew deeply on his pipe, forcing himself to calm down, though his tone remained decisive. "He is a seven-year-old child. His six years in the orphanage and more than a year at the academy—all of his actions can be traced. There is no concrete evidence whatsoever that he has endangered the village.

"On the contrary, his thoughts and his answers prove that he is a child who deeply understands the Will of Fire and is willing to practice it! Heavy-handed methods will only drive a potential friend to the opposing side!"

He paused, sweeping his gaze over the livid Danzo and the two contemplative advisors before announcing another decision. "As for his Wood Release and physical condition... I will personally write to notify Tsunade."

"Tsunade?!" Danzo blurted out. This time, he was genuinely rattled. If Princess Tsunade—who harbored grievances against both the old man and the village, yet placed immense importance on medical arts and the Senju bloodline—returned, then given her personality and status, she would never allow anyone to lay a hand on this child in the name of research or training! Danzo would truly have no further chance to bring this power under his control!

"She understands the Senju bloodline and the First Hokage's power better than anyone, and she is currently the foremost medical ninja." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice calmed.

"She is the most suitable person to confirm and guide this child. Perhaps... this can also become an opportunity to bring Tsunade back to the village." As he finished, a flicker of complicated hope and exhaustion passed through his eyes.

Danzo ground his teeth until they creaked, but he could no longer argue. Tsunade returning to the village was, publicly and privately, a proposal beyond reproach. He could only clutch that cold piece of wood tightly in his palm, as though he wished to crush it—or draw from it the vitality that drove him mad with envy. He shot Hiruzen Sarutobi one last vicious glare, his gaze so sinister it seemed ready to drip with venom. Then he spun around, his black robes billowing as he stormed out and slammed the door without looking back.

The impact of the heavy wooden door echoed down the hallway and struck at the hearts of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. The two exchanged a glance, each seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.

Elsewhere, in a ward of the medical unit.

The wounds on Qianyu's arm and side had been carefully treated with the Mystical Palm Technique and properly bandaged, leaving only a faint, dull ache.

A silent ANBU escorted him back to his small wooden cabin—or rather, watched over and protected him at once.

Upon returning to the familiar shabby room, Qianyu could clearly sense that the atmosphere around the cabin had changed. It was no longer Abin's elusive, eerie surveillance, nor the cold sensation of being secretly tailed by Root. Instead, there were at least two distinct chakra signatures—highly trained, deliberately keeping their distance, yet maintaining a tight perimeter.

ANBU. And clearly a protective deployment.

"Heh..." Qianyu tugged at the corner of his mouth and let out a self-mocking chuckle. "Never thought I'd get to experience the treatment of a crown prince."

But this treatment had come at such great risk, at the cost of a new scar on his shoulder and a future completely exposed beneath the spotlight. He lay down on the hard plank bed. Exhaustion flooded over his body like a tide, yet his mind was unusually clear—almost exhilarated.

Was he afraid in hindsight? Of course he was. The cold sensation of that kunai tip stabbing toward his throat still seemed to carry the breath of death. But what he felt more was the icy certainty of a calculation finally settled.

Revealing his Wood Release had been a gamble he made after weighing it over and over. He did not believe Danzo would let someone with his face go, nor did he believe Danzo's operation this time had lacked Hiruzen Sarutobi's tacit consent—or at least his watchful allowance.

That seemingly benevolent Hokage needed a stick weighty enough to knock the increasingly uncontrollable Root into line. At the same time, he needed bait tempting enough to make the Hokage personally step in to protect him.

And Cangshu Qianyu had happened to become both that stick and that bait.

Fortunately, he had won the first step of the gamble. Hiruzen Sarutobi had appeared in time, stopped the assassination, and personally witnessed the Wood Release.

That had transformed him from "a troublesome suspected remnant of Madara Uchiha" into "a precious legacy who might possess Hashirama Senju's bloodline." That change in how he was defined had fundamentally transformed his room to survive. At least in the short term, there would no longer be any overt attempts to erase him.

But in exchange, he had been dragged completely out of the shadows and onto center stage. What came next would be the true test of his acting and resolve.

"That was close, Little Dried Fish." Abin's low, sticky voice, still lingering with fear, came from beneath the floorboards.

Qianyu stared at the dim ceiling, the exhaustion in his eyes gradually replaced by a cold clarity. He gently exhaled, his voice calm yet carrying a bone-deep chill and mockery.

"Yeah. I'll remember this."

"The Konoha higher-ups."