His old friend Danzo's words were not without reason.
Hiruzen was deeply torn.
If he continued to indulge Xia Yu, he really would be letting down those protesting "bachelors."
But he could not bear to interrupt this "Uchiha baby-making machine," either.
At this rate, a whole bunch of little Uchiha could be born in a year.
The Uchiha radicals' ideology had already disappeared. With just a little guidance, the young Uchiha would surely serve Konoha with wholehearted loyalty, just like the other clans.
When it came to providing that guidance, Hiruzen Sarutobi had absolute confidence.
After much deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly. "All right, I'll agree with you for now. I can probably suppress these bachelors' protests for six months, but what if Uchiha Xia Yu hasn't died from exhausting his seed by then?"
Danzo sneered. "Hmph, rest assured. I'll take action. You needn't worry."
Hiruzen said nothing at that, merely nodding in silence.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Danzo rose and hurried out of the Hokage's office.
Today, he had someone important to meet...
Late at night, at Konoha's Root base.
Two figures clad in black robes appeared in the main hall of the Root base.
Seated in the principal seat on the platform, Danzo opened his eyes slightly and said, "You're finally here, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru gave a mocking laugh. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... Danzo, long time no see. How have you been?"
Danzo said, "There's no need for pleasantries between us. Well? Did you bring what I wanted?"
Orochimaru took a scroll from beneath his black robes. "What you want is right in here."
Danzo's eyes lit up. He shot a look at the subordinate beside him, who nodded and instantly appeared at Orochimaru's side to retrieve the scroll.
"Release!"
With a bang, white mist dispersed, revealing a grotesque, snow-white arm bearing ten Sharingan atop the scroll.
Even more outrageous was the face on its deltoid, which bore a striking resemblance to Konoha's First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!
Danzo remained composed on the surface, but inwardly, he was ecstatic.
With this arm, his strength would receive an enormous boost. He might even surpass his dear friend Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom he had struggled to catch up to and surpass ever since childhood!
Orochimaru and the black-robed figure behind him slowly approached, and Orochimaru reminded him:
"Danzo, stop staring. Time waits for no one. Although the Hashirama cells can keep these Sharingan alive, I advise you to have the arm transplant as soon as possible."
Danzo removed his coat. "Isn't this sort of work your specialty? Perform the surgery for me. Right now."
Orochimaru flicked his tongue and smiled sinisterly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... I never imagined you would trust me so much. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you during the operation?"
Danzo snorted. "I believe you won't. This is my territory. If you lay a hand on me, these elite subordinates of mine will never let you leave. Besides... you have no reason to kill me."
As he finished speaking, dozens of masked Root ninja instantly appeared around him.
Orochimaru glanced around, an amused curve forming at the corner of his lips. "Don't get worked up. I was only joking. I won't lay a hand on your master. After all, our cooperation must continue. Isn't that right, Danzo...?"
He turned to the black-robed figure he had brought with him. "I'll leave the surgery to you."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." The black-robed figure pulled back his hood, revealing his face.
Danzo looked closely, his expression showing a hint of surprise. "You... are Kabuto Yakushi?"
"Heh, Lord Danzo still remembers me, then~"
Kabuto Yakushi stepped forward, feigning a respectful expression. A trace of murderous intent lurked in his eyes, but only for an instant.
He hated that old fox Danzo.
During the Third Shinobi World War several years earlier, the young Kabuto Yakushi had suffered a severe head injury amid the fighting and lost all his memories. He did not know which village he belonged to, who his parents were, or even his own name.
Kabuto, who would otherwise have starved to death in the wilderness, happened to encounter Yakushi Nonō, a Medical Ninja from Konoha's medical corps. Nonō was a kind woman, and she had another role as well: she ran an orphanage as its director.
Nonō personally treated Kabuto Yakushi with Medical Ninjutsu and brought him back to the Orphanage, giving him a warm place to stay. She even gave him a name herself: "Kabuto."
All the kindness Nonō showed Kabuto made her a pillar of support in his young heart. Though he had lost his memories of the past, he now had a new life, and he was very happy during his time at the Orphanage.
Kabuto gradually grew up, and under Director Nonō's guidance, he displayed an astonishing talent for Medical Ninjutsu. He had thought life would continue in such peaceful, comfortable harmony, but one night, the sudden arrival of three people in black shattered his ordinary yet fulfilling life.
Those three were Danzo, the leader of Konoha's Root, and his two close attendants, Orochimaru and Aburame Shikuroo.
Yakushi Nonō had once been the foremost elite of Root's Intelligence Department, known as the Wandering Shrine Maiden.
Danzo explained that Konoha might soon go to war with the Stone ninja, and he wanted Nonō to resume her role as an intelligence elite, secretly infiltrating Iwagakure to gather intelligence for Konoha.
Nonō did not want to obey Danzo. She maintained that she had left Root years ago and only wanted to take good care of the war-displaced orphans at this orphanage, making it clear that a life of espionage no longer suited her.
But when had Danzo ever cared about anyone else's feelings? He threatened the safety of every adult and child at the Orphanage to force Nonō to accept his orders, uttering the words he so often repeated: "To protect Konoha, the cost in human lives is not worth mentioning."
Nonō knew all too well how cold and ruthless Danzo was. Left with no choice, she was forced to comply.
Next, Danzo pushed even further, making another demand with Konoha's funding for the Orphanage as his condition. He wanted to choose one of the children living there to join Root and serve him.
Kabuto Yakushi, who had been eavesdropping outside the room the entire time, sensed the director's predicament. So that his friends at the Orphanage could receive better funding and no longer go hungry, he volunteered to serve under Danzo, becoming an excellent intelligence operative through his talent.
But later, something utterly heartless happened.
As the old saying went, the more one knew, the greater the danger.
From the very beginning, Danzo had never intended to let Kabuto Yakushi and Nonō live, despite all the intelligence they had brought back to Konoha. He secretly engineered a situation that made them fight each other, and in the confusion, Kabuto accidentally killed the only pillar of support in his heart... the director.
Before she died, the director had even "forgotten" what Kabuto looked like.
Kabuto broke down.
The person who had given him his name no longer remembered who he was.
Just as Kabuto lost his sense of self, Orochimaru appeared as a spiritual guide and told him the whole truth. Only then did he understand that it had all been Danzo's scheme.
Now, Kabuto had followed Orochimaru for many years, and his greatest enemy, Danzo, stood right before him. Though he wanted to strike and take revenge, he had come carrying out Lord Orochimaru's plan. Orochimaru was the only person who acknowledged him, and Kabuto would never disobey him. He could only bury his hatred in his heart for now.
Danzo said expressionlessly, "I never thought this child was still alive. Orochimaru, you certainly know how to pick people. This child is indeed quite capable. You deliberately brought him before me. Surely it wasn't simply to perform my surgery."
Orochimaru sneered. "Just as I'd expect of you. A true old fox. Then I won't hide it any longer. I want you to help place this child among Konoha's Genin so he can participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams year after year. Don't worry, he'll fail on purpose."
Danzo raised an eyebrow. "Placing him won't be difficult, but I want to know your purpose."
Orochimaru spread his hands. "To have him gather intelligence, of course. Every year, the other villages send the youngsters they're focusing on cultivating to the Chunin Ninja Exams. They're the future of their respective villages. The more intelligence he gathers, the more it benefits me..."
"Besides, if anything goes wrong with your new arm, he can treat you. Leaving him in Konoha will be very convenient for you."
Unexpectedly, Danzo agreed readily. "All right. I agree."
Orochimaru said, "Since I've achieved my goal, I won't linger here. The original owner of that arm of yours has been rather restless lately. I need to go back and keep an eye on him."
With that, Orochimaru turned into a wisp of smoke and vanished...
Kabuto Yakushi's medical skills far surpassed those of ordinary people. With the added vitality of the Hashirama cells, the arm replacement surgery was completed in just half an hour.
Danzo moved it a little and said with satisfaction, "Not bad. A very good fit."
Kabuto Yakushi replied respectfully, "I'm glad."
Danzo said, "Starting tomorrow, you'll be an official Genin of our Konoha. I'll have you participate in every Chunin Ninja Exams from now on. You may leave."
"Thank you, Lord Danzo." Kabuto Yakushi quietly withdrew.
After Kabuto left, an attendant beside Danzo reminded him in a low voice:
"Lord Danzo, Orochimaru is openly planting his own man in Konoha. He definitely has ill intentions. Should I secretly dispose of that fellow named Kabuto?"
Danzo shook his head:
"No. He must be kept alive. You should understand that the person Orochimaru hates in Konoha isn't me, but his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Even if he has ill intentions, he'll only target Hiruzen. No matter which of those two, master or student, wins or loses, it will benefit me without doing me any harm."
As Danzo spoke, he continued admiring his brand-new arm.
"Go and have a metal arm guard made for me to conceal it. I don't want anyone else knowing the secret that I possess Hashirama cells and an arm full of Sharingan."
"Yes!"
Before you continue