"-" Danzo cut off abruptly.
He looked at Xue Ge's utterly placid face, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly.
"-Did you understand what I just told you?"
"I know," Xue Ge answered seriously.
"Leave Root and go to the Naruto to become a reservist in the Hokage Guard Platoon," Danzo repeated. "Root cannot possibly compare to the Hokage Guard Platoon. If you join the Hokage Guard Platoon, you could very well become the Naruto."
"Then do you want me to go, Elder Danzo?" Xue Ge repeated his own question as well.
Danzo fell silent for a moment before saying, "Of course not."
"Then that settles it. I'm not going." Xue Ge wiped his mouth and began gathering his dishes.
Danzo frowned. "You-do you really think I genuinely treat you well?"
Danzo found Xue Ge's reasoning somewhat incomprehensible.
As Xue Ge tidied up, he said, "I've never thought that."
"Then why-give up the chance to very likely become the Naruto in the future, along with Hiruzen's favor?"
Xue Ge glanced at Danzo. "First, I'm not interested in the position of Naruto."
"Second, I like the children in Root."
"Lastly-" Xue Ge gathered his words. "It's true that I've been through quite a lot over the years."
His hands slowed a little.
"My life went off course very early on. I've been embracing pain all along."
"I also know you haven't treated me as a person, Elder."
Xue Ge raised his head to look at Danzo.
"But it's also a fact that you gave me a chance to live and trained me."
"I don't want to think about your motives. If not for you, I would have died six years ago. Even if your intentions were bad, I'm still grateful to you."
"Are you serious?" Danzo lowered his voice, which was somewhat hoarse.