Don't Think Well of Bad People

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not move against the Uchiha. He had not even punished the two inherently evil Uchiha brats who had caused trouble.

While the two Uchiha were being questioned earlier, their adults had come to take them away.

No matter how Bieshu Feifan tried to persuade him, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply would not send troops to attack the Uchiha.

Bieshu Feifan knew that, of course. He was only making a fuss to get more out of it.

The Uchiha would not apologize, nor would they pay any attention to an insect like Bieshu Feifan.

They had, however, left several million ryo in the Hokage's office.

In the end, Bieshu Feifan grew tired of talking, so he took the money and left.

"Big brother Hokage, you'll regret not being decisive when it comes to the Uchiha."

Bieshu Feifan said this as he closed the door on his way out.

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze, thinking Danzo had arrived, and nearly blurted out:

"I am the Hokage."

Watching Bieshu Feifan's retreating figure, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if he were facing a young Danzo.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe, a door beside him opened, and a sturdy man stepped out.

"Hiruzen, that brat was right. The Uchiha want to succeed you as the Fourth Hokage. We'd better have the Anbu keep a closer eye on them."

The newcomer was none other than Shimura Danzō.

At this point, Danzo still had both hands, and his right eye was intact.

He did not look like an old man, either.

Like Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was in his prime, full of vigor.

Looking at his friend, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately suspected that he had put Bieshu Feifan up to saying those things.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi soon dismissed the idea.

Whenever Danzo had something to say, he generally argued with him face-to-face, especially on matters involving the Uchiha.

"Danzo, it was just two Uchiha brats causing trouble. There's no need to blow it out of proportion. The Uchiha are part of the village, too."

"Hmph. That brat named Bieshu Feifan was right. The Uchiha want the position of Fourth Hokage. Hiruzen, that absolutely cannot happen. An Uchiha must never become Hokage. We'd better snuff out that idea as soon as possible, or there will be endless trouble."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe.

"Danzo, these are extraordinary times. The war isn't over yet, so don't provoke the Uchiha. If they go berserk, everyone will get dragged into the mess."

Smack!

Danzo slammed his hand hard on the Hokage's desk.

"My newly established Root has some personnel. They could be used for surveillance-"

"Enough, Danzo. I won't allow it."

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's firm stance, Danzo let out a long breath.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."

With that, Danzo headed for the door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately replied:

"Danzo, I am the Hokage."

After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt something was off. Bieshu Feifan's figure immediately surfaced in his mind. He felt as though he had dealt with two Danzos today, leaving him doubly exhausted.

Only after Danzo left did Hiruzen Sarutobi take out Bieshu Feifan's file as planned,

and cross out "suspected" from the assessment "suspected mild intellectual disability."

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled how similar Danzo's behavior just now had been to Bieshu Feifan's. His eyes suddenly widened, and many things instantly became clear.

No wonder. No wonder this friend of his sometimes acted without regard for the consequences.

Especially when it came to the Uchiha.

At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly dug out Danzo's file and added a line at the end:

Suspected mild intellectual disability.

Then he even circled it in red.

Having received his compensation, Bieshu Feifan now had a fair amount of money to his name.

There was the million-plus from before, and now the four million-plus in compensation from the Uchiha.

He now had the enormous sum of nearly six million on him.

Bieshu Feifan left the Hokage building with a smile.

When he returned home, his cheerful mood immediately sank.

His house had been destroyed, leaving only a pile of ruined wood that was still smoking.

"Sigh..."

With a long sigh, Bieshu Feifan decided to hire a few strong Genin to help clean up. At the very least, he needed to put together somewhere to live before nightfall.

The first thing that popped into Bieshu Feifan's mind was a bowl cut.

Konoha's Taijutsu expert,

Might Duy.

He was cheap, strong, and not a bad person. He could also ward off any Uchiha who might come looking for trouble.

But Bieshu Feifan did not know where he was.

While Bieshu Feifan was asking around about where Might Duy lived, he came face-to-face with two ninja wearing animal masks.

"Bieshu Feifan, please come with us. Our lord wishes to see you."

Bieshu Feifan frowned.

They were dressed as Anbu, yet they did not directly say Lord Hokage.

According to Bieshu Feifan's memories, that meant they were from Root.

And their lord was naturally Shimura Danzō.

Bieshu Feifan did not want to go, but this was Danzo, a man who had devoted his entire life exclusively to doing bad things.

With his scrawny little arms and legs, Bieshu Feifan had absolutely no means of resisting.

Bieshu Feifan was simply puzzled. Why was Shimura Danzō in Konoha? Wasn't he supposed to be on the front lines?

And why did he want to see him?

He was cannon fodder who did not even qualify as a Genin.

Bieshu Feifan felt uneasy. Could Shimura Danzō have discovered his special talent?

While Bieshu Feifan's heart fluttered with anxiety, the two Root ninja brought him into a secluded building.

It wasn't underground?

It looked like Danzo wasn't as wealthy now as he would be later.

Entering the somewhat dim room, Bieshu Feifan soon saw Shimura Danzō.

That face was completely different from the image in Bieshu Feifan's memory of an old man struggling to stroll across a bridge.

If not for the cross-shaped scar on his chin, he looked nothing like the future Darkness of the Shinobi.

"You're Bieshu Feifan?"

Danzo spoke first, still holding a file.

"That's me. Who are you, my lord? My big brother is the Hokage."

Bieshu Feifan's voice trembled a little. His fear was genuine, but he had to pretend not to recognize him.

Danzo did not answer.

"Demonstrate the ninjutsu you know."

Bieshu Feifan did not understand what he was up to, but he did as instructed, immediately forming five hand seals:

Ram, boar, ox, dog, tiger.

It was the Substitution Technique.

But after he strained for ages, nothing happened.

Danzo's brows gradually knitted together.

Only after quite a while did Bieshu Feifan swap places with a stool a short distance away.

Then Bieshu Feifan raised his head to look at Shimura Danzō.

Danzo looked at Bieshu Feifan as well. After a while, Danzo finally roared:

"I've seen the Substitution Technique. Keep going."

Bieshu Feifan took a deep breath and replied:

"That's it. This is the only ninjutsu I know. But I've already gotten started on the Transformation Technique. With my Hokage potential, mastering it in another two or three years won't be a problem."

After Bieshu Feifan finished speaking, Danzo remained silent for quite some time.

"Give him a scroll and leave."

Only after one ninja led Bieshu Feifan away did another finally fail to hold back and speak.

"My lord, this Bieshu Feifan has no talent whatsoever.

"Why give him a ninjutsu?

"He'll never meet Root's standards in his entire life."

Danzo took a deep breath.

"Of course I know. My expectations really were wasted.

"But his hostility toward the Uchiha alone is worth one ninjutsu."

With that, Danzo said no more.

He looked at the file in his hand. Other people's assessment of Bieshu Feifan was:

Suspected mild intellectual disability.

This file was a copy he had obtained earlier at the Hokage building.

Danzo took out a pen and crossed out "suspected."

After leaving the current Root building, Bieshu Feifan felt both excited and a little as though he had survived a brush with death.

He had actually returned alive and completely unscathed from Danzo's hands.

That feat alone put him ahead of ninety-nine percent of Konoha's ninja.

Most importantly, Danzo had even given him a ninjutsu.

After renting a room at an inn, Bieshu Feifan eagerly opened the scroll.

A ninjutsu was transcribed on it:

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

It was the Uchiha's signature ninjutsu. Bieshu Feifan frowned.

The ninjutsu was good, but he had only just made enemies of the Uchiha, and Danzo had given him one of their signature techniques.

As expected of the Darkness of the Shinobi. Couldn't stand not stirring up trouble, huh?

Bieshu Feifan had actually thought just now that Danzo was not all that bad. It seemed his trust had been misplaced.

Still, he had to learn it. This was Bieshu Feifan's only offensive ninjutsu.

A ninjutsu was not as simple as writing down a few hand seals. The scroll was densely covered with methods for mobilizing chakra, the routes through which it circulated, and all sorts of precautions.

It was more tiring than reading an academic paper.

Just as Bieshu Feifan was diligently practicing,

Bang, bang, bang.

Someone was pounding roughly on the inn's front door.

Bieshu Feifan stood up, opened the door, and looked.

Whoa!

What a green-clad bowl-cut head.