Danzo disliked this kind of uncertainty.
"What is Fang Xu's temperament like?"
Takuma said, "Cautious, mature for his age, and hardworking in training."
"He behaves respectfully toward the Third Hokage and shows no obvious inclination against the village."
"He gets along well with his classmates, especially Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi, and Might Guy."
"Recently, he has been leading Ninja Academy students in extra training as a group. His influence is growing rapidly."
At this, Danzo finally raised his head.
"Six years old, and already able to lead a group of his peers."
"A talent worth molding."
Takuma asked, "Should we approach him directly?"
Danzo said coldly, "Not yet."
"Sakumo has only just taken him as a student, the Third Hokage is watching him too, and Tsunade has gotten involved."
"Acting now would make it too easy to expose ourselves."
He paused, then added, "But we cannot leave someone like him to grow under Sakumo."
"Root needs children like him."
"Erase his unnecessary emotions and sever his useless relationships, and he will become a very useful blade."
Takuma lowered his head.
"What if he refuses?"
Danzo's voice did not waver in the slightest.
"If he cannot serve Root, he cannot be allowed to aid anyone else."
"Especially not as a blade in Hatake Sakumo's hands."
Takuma understood.
"I will continue monitoring Fang Xu and avoid exposing myself."
Danzo nodded.
"Do not get too close."
"Sakumo is no ordinary ninja."
"The Third Hokage's Anbu may also be watching him."
"Only observe and record. Do not act without permission."
Takuma answered, "Yes."
With that, his figure silently receded into the darkness.
Danzo rose and walked out with his cane.
He did not intend to simply wait in the shadows over this matter.
If he could openly secure Fang Xu for Root, all the better.
The night was dark, but the lights in the Hokage Office were still on.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, a stack of documents piled before him.
The door was pushed open.
Without waiting to be announced, Danzo walked straight in.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at him with a slight frown.
"Danzo, it's late. What is it?"
Danzo stood before the desk and went straight to the point.
"Hand Fang Xu over to Root."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened instantly.
"What did you say?"
Danzo's tone was calm.
"Fang Xu has an affinity for lightning, can create his own nintaijutsu, and has an aptitude for kendo."
"A child like him is wasted at the Ninja Academy."
"Root can give him the most suitable training."
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe.
"Absolutely not."
Danzo frowned.
"Hiruzen, you rejected that too quickly."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice grew sterner.
"This is not open to discussion."
Danzo said coldly, "War is coming. The village needs weapons."
"Emotions, classmates, teachers-those things will only slow his growth."
"Hand him over to Root, and I can make him a true ninja sooner."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at him.
"Your so-called true ninja is a tool with no name or emotions, capable only of obeying orders?"
Danzo did not deny it.
"Tools are the most reliable."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood, keeping his voice very low.
"Fang Xu is not a tool."
"He is the orphan of Konoha ninja, Sakumo's newly accepted student, and a descendant of a Senju branch family."
"You want him in Root, but Sakumo will never agree, and neither will Tsunade."
"And I certainly will not."
Danzo's expression grew uglier.
"Hiruzen, you are too weak."
"Putting a promising talent in Sakumo's hands will only raise his standing further."
"Can't you see that people in the village are already comparing him to you?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze turned cold as well.
"That is no reason for you to reach out and snatch a child."
"The matter of Fang Xu ends here."
Danzo thumped his cane heavily against the floor.
"Root serves Konoha too."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, stressing each word, "Root exists with my permission."
"That does not give you leave to lay your hands on the village's children as you please."
The office fell silent for a moment.
Danzo looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, then finally gave a cold snort.
"You will regret this."
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not yield.
"That is still my decision."
Danzo turned and left.
After the door closed, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained standing there, his expression taking a long time to ease.
Danzo's reach was growing longer and longer.
Over the years, Root had expanded too quickly.
Secret abductions, coercion, threats-it used every kind of means to recruit gifted children and clan ninja.
Many clans had been pressured by Root, but for the village's stability, and because certain dirty jobs still required Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi had kept the matter suppressed without taking decisive action.
But now, Danzo had actually set his sights on Fang Xu, a six-year-old child who had only just revealed his talent, a child connected to Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had already made up his mind. He had to use this matter to curb Danzo's power and arrogance, preventing Root from slipping out of control and threatening his rule.
The Root Underground Base.
Danzo sat beneath a dim light, an old file spread out before him.
The papers in the file were yellowed, their edges worn, and many of the records had become indistinct.
But one line remained glaring.
Descendant of a Senju branch family.
Changed surnames several generations ago and integrated into Konoha's civilian population.
Fang Xu.
Danzo's finger rested on that line, his expression turning colder by degrees.
"Senju descendants who integrated into the civilian population..."
He murmured it once, without a trace of warmth in his tone.
The Senju had voluntarily integrated into the village back then, ostensibly for Konoha's sake, but in reality, they had left far too many loose ends.
These people no longer bore the Senju name, no longer lived in the Senju Clan Compound, and no longer operated as members of a ninja clan, but their bloodline remained.
Danzo looked at the recent intelligence on Fang Xu: the child's lightning-attribute nintaijutsu, his talent for kendo, Hatake Sakumo taking him as a student, Tsunade visiting him, and the Third Hokage's attention.
His gaze darkened further.
If the Wood Release experiments back then had depleted the Senju bloodline more thoroughly, there would have been no such trouble.
Unfortunately, those experiments had failed to drain all the Senju branches that had integrated into the civilian population dry.
And now, a six-year-old brat had suddenly emerged, attracting the attention of Hiruzen, Sakumo, and Tsunade all at once.
Danzo slowly closed the file.
He could not act now, at least not directly.
Hatake Sakumo had only just taken a student, Hiruzen was watching, and Tsunade had shown herself too.
If Root reached out to snatch the boy now, it would cause too much of a stir.
But being unable to act did not mean he could not sow discord.
As long as Hiruzen became a little more wary of Sakumo and a little more guarded toward Fang Xu, there would be opportunities later.
As the night deepened, the door to the Hokage Office was pushed open again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up and frowned.
"Danzo."
"What are you doing here again at this hour?"
Danzo walked in with his cane, his voice steady.
"I'm here about Fang Xu."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression immediately darkened.
"I already told you, he will not be joining Root."
"Hiruzen, you are too quick to refuse."
Danzo placed a file on the desk.
"You have read his bloodline records."
"Fang Xu is no ordinary civilian orphan."
"He is a Senju descendant."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand paused around his pipe.
Danzo stared at him and continued, "The Senju bloodline, lightning-attribute nintaijutsu, and a talent for kendo."
"Are you truly comfortable leaving a child like that in Hatake Sakumo's hands?"