The Terrifying Third Hokage

"Damn, it's the Substitution Technique!"

The Root member focused his eyes and realized that Kakashi, whom he had been facing, had somehow turned into a piece of dead wood.

He hurriedly leaped out the window, landed on the tips of his toes, and swiftly moved toward an uninhabited area.

A black figure followed close behind, pursuing him relentlessly like a ghost.

The two chased each other into a small forest rarely visited by anyone in the village.

The Root member suddenly made a sharp turn, his body briefly hanging in midair in defiance of physics.

"Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger, Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."

A massive fireball hurtled toward Kakashi. Kakashi curled his lip. Wasn't this the Fire Style: Can't Hit Anyone Technique?

Kakashi slammed both hands onto the ground. "Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall carved with dog heads rose from the earth, blocking the incoming fireball.

Even if I was low on chakra, I still had to carve dog heads into the wall. That was the ninja way of Kakashi Hatake!

The Root member's figure had somehow appeared behind the earthen wall, his kunai pressed against Kakashi's throat.

"You're nothing special after all. I wonder what Lord Danzo saw in you."

"Mm, are you talking about me?"

The Root ninja felt something sharp pressed against the middle of his back. He turned around in disbelief.

"Kakashi... How is that possible?"

He looked again at the figure he had under control and said regretfully, "A Shadow Clone... Damn it, when did he?"

Kakashi put away his kunai and kicked the dazed ninja to the ground.

"I hope you learned the most basic respect today." Kakashi vanished into the night.

"Logically speaking, Root members shouldn't have such complicated emotions, let alone talk this much. Could Danzo have sent him to test my strength?"

Still thinking as he returned home, Kakashi could not calm down for a long time.

His father, Hatake Sakumo, flickered in and out of his mind. He could even feel his father's gaze upon him.

"Whew, calm down!"

Kakashi forcibly calmed himself and began to think.

According to the plot, Danzo would die at Sasuke's hands more than ten years later.

But Kakashi had no intention of letting Danzo live that long, nor did he intend to let him die by someone else's hand.

"I will personally send you on your way." Kakashi muttered word by word.

"At this point, it should be the plot point where the Third Hokage takes office again." Kakashi guessed.

After the Nine-Tails incident, the Fourth Hokage had sacrificed himself, and Konoha's higher-ups planned to elect a new Hokage.

Danzo, who had coveted the position of Hokage for a long time, intended to take the post. However, to stop him, the Third Hokage decided to resume the position himself.

Danzo was unwilling, but he had no way to stop it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to travel to the daimyo's residence and receive the daimyo's authorization before he could rightfully become Hokage again.

Danzo, meanwhile, seized this opportunity to turn Kakashi against the village and gather ANBU assassins to prepare for a coup!

Kakashi gently stroked his forehead protector, his mind racing.

Come to think of it, according to his memories, Danzo should have approached him earlier, and the Third Hokage should have gone to accept the daimyo's appointment earlier as well.

Hmm, Kakashi thought of a possibility.

"Could it be that because of my changes, Danzo can no longer be sure he can turn me against them, while on the Third Hokage's side..."

Kakashi worked backward based on the known plot and the Third Hokage's current reaction, then suddenly discovered something terrifying.

The Third Hokage might have long known that Danzo harbored malicious intentions!

If the enemy did not move, neither would he. Since Danzo had not tried to recruit him, the Third Hokage deliberately did not contact him either, creating the impression that he had been abandoned.

That way, Danzo would likely believe that Kakashi belonged to the Fourth Hokage's faction and had been cast aside by the Third Hokage.

Danzo truly was calculating. He had actually noticed the changes in Kakashi and remained so patient.

But the Third Hokage was one step ahead. He knew Danzo's plans completely and had directly set a trap to catch him.

Kakashi gave a bitter smile, sounding an alarm for himself inwardly.

Even if he knew how the plot unfolded, he could not let his guard down in the future.

The Third Hokage, Danzo—none of these political experts were simple characters. If he relied entirely on the plot, he might not even know how he died in the end.

Since the Third Hokage had long known of Danzo's scheme, this was likely a setup meant to warn Danzo.

Everything was to make Danzo understand that his power was not enough to stir up any real trouble, and that he should obediently keep working for others.

Kakashi's role in all this was insignificant. The Third Hokage had probably only tested a pawn's loyalty in passing.

Kakashi sighed. He knew very well that the Third Hokage had no intention of getting rid of Danzo.

There might have been some fellowship between disciples of the same master, but more importantly, Danzo was capable, resourceful, and ruthless enough to handle things that could not be brought into the open.

Where there was light, there was darkness. The village's peace required a certain amount of cleansing, nipping factors harmful to stability in the bud.

So for now, Danzo's position was extremely secure, because Hiruzen Sarutobi needed him, and Konoha needed him.

But!

As long as Kakashi one day displayed enough strength and gained enough influence in Konoha, Danzo would no longer be irreplaceable.

And that day would be Danzo's death day!

Kakashi made up his mind. Since that was the case, he would follow the original plot, sell Danzo out, and show the Third Hokage his loyalty.

In a quiet, deserted place west of the village, Kakashi met Danzo.

Looking at the half of Danzo's face exposed outside the bandages, Kakashi wanted nothing more than to stab him twice, but he kept his emotions under control.

"Lord Danzo." Kakashi bowed respectfully.

Danzo watched the fleeting gloom in Kakashi's eyes, as though he could see the darkness burning fiercely within him.

Danzo was delighted. It seemed this child could be recruited!

Of course, he had no idea that look was aimed at himself!

"Kakashi Hatake... I've been watching you for a long time. I began paying attention to you when you were still young."

Danzo spoke after carefully choosing his words. He wanted to draw closer to Kakashi.

Kakashi sneered inwardly. You killed my father, so naturally you started watching me when I was young.

If there had been any sign of trouble, you would have uprooted the problem early, wouldn't you?

Danzo continued on his own. "As the Fourth Hokage's disciple, you have long been branded with the Fourth Hokage's mark. That fellow Hiruzen will never value you again."

"As a genius ninja, if you had no place to use your abilities for the rest of your life, that would be even more painful than killing you."

Kakashi remained silent and merely nodded lightly, as though he had been persuaded.

Seeing Kakashi like this, Danzo felt completely at ease and stepped forward to pat Kakashi on the shoulder.

"But I'm different. If I become Hokage, I will promote you to become the head of ANBU."

"You are a smart and capable person. You should know what to do, shouldn't you?"

Suppressing his inner disgust, Kakashi nodded. "I understand, Lord Danzo."

Danzo nodded in satisfaction. "Go, Kakashi. I'll be waiting for your good news."