The file Hikaru noticed was no ordinary document. It was a routine ANBU report—task assignments, internal scheduling, and forward planning.
ANBU's workload was enormous. That was no exaggeration.
One reason Hikaru had been so eager to expand ANBU was, of course, to build up power for himself.
But another reason mattered just as much:
He had no intention of being buried alive under endless ANBU administration.
The combat forces needed to grow so he could extend his reach farther.
And the administrative staff needed to grow so he would not be forced to sit in ANBU headquarters all day, trapped by paperwork.
A single trivial matter looked simple enough.
But when thousands of such trivial matters piled together, the burden became unimaginable.
To Hikaru, who had never planned to personally micromanage everything, that kind of "paperwork warfare" was even more unbearable than fighting the Nine-Tails.
That was why he needed more clerical staff—to deal with all those damned little tasks that were not important enough to deserve his attention, but still had to be handled.
And once the combat divisions expanded, those tasks would only multiply.
That was exactly why he had proposed fixing the administrative side first.
"Still, this one isn't just some trivial matter after all," Hikaru murmured, his expression shifting slightly.
A smile had already curled across his lips.
He truly had not expected to stumble across something this interesting.
The file itself was not long, but it was more than enough to tempt him.
Because inside it was a note:
Hiruzen had decided to depart for the Fire Capital in the coming days to meet the Daimyō.
This was ANBU's authority.
No matter what, ANBU remained the department that could fully track the Hokage's movements.
Even if, in essence, ANBU and the Third Hokage were now in a state of separation—
the intelligence that ought to reach ANBU would still reach ANBU.
Just like this.
From the report, Hikaru understood Hiruzen's purpose clearly.
The trip to the Daimyō was, on the surface, very simple:
to formally notify him that Konoha's acting Hokage had changed for the time being.
As for how long that "for the time being" would last, Hiruzen had no reason to tell the Daimyō.
Nor was there any need.
Beyond that, Hikaru guessed Hiruzen was also planning to extract money from the Daimyō.
After all, rebuilding Konoha was a massive undertaking.
Yes, using ninja would make reconstruction much easier.
But Konoha was not populated by shinobi alone.
There were tens of thousands of civilians living there—perhaps even close to a hundred thousand.
Those people needed work if they wanted to eat.
Rebuilding the village would create a huge number of jobs.
It was an economic calculation anyone with half a brain would make.
Shinobi could accept missions and received stipends from the village.
Ordinary civilians had none of that.
They could only survive by their own labor.
"So, he'll go to the Daimyō for a massive relief fund," Hikaru thought.
"With that money, he can create enough reconstruction jobs for the civilians."
"They'll be too busy working to drown in grief over the Nine-Tails."
"And the survivors will at least have income."
"At the same time, a portion of that money can be allocated to the hospital system—publicly framed as relief funds for injured civilians and shinobi."
Hikaru's mind only spun once before he had already traced out most of the picture.
He had even more or less grasped several of Hiruzen's likely thoughts.
And once he understood that, a different idea immediately formed in his own mind.
Since Hiruzen wanted money—
and Hikaru also had his eyes on the Nine-Tails' chakra—
then perhaps the two of them could cooperate. Briefly.
Of course, that cooperation would only be surface-level.
Because Hikaru also had his eye on that money.
The development of ANBU required funding too.
Especially since he intended to expand personnel on a large scale—
that would require an astronomical budget.
Hiruzen would definitely allocate funds. That much was certain.
To preserve Konoha's internal stability, Hiruzen could be astonishingly patient when necessary.
If it had been Danzō in charge, he might have simply declared ANBU dissolved on the spot.
But while Hiruzen would allocate money, how much he allocated was another matter entirely.
Hikaru had no intention of letting someone else squeeze his throat.
Originally, he had planned to use Minato's name to deal directly with the finance department.
But now an opportunity like this had appeared.
And he could also use the chance to obtain the Nine-Tails' chakra.
There was no way he would let it pass.
That meant he really would have to cooperate with Hiruzen—at least a little.
With that thought, Hikaru rose from his chair and looked toward the Hokage Tower.
If he was going to the Fire Capital together with Hiruzen, then as the Minister of ANBU, he naturally ought to pay the acting Hokage a visit first.
"Better to meet Hiruzen in advance and discuss it properly," Hikaru thought.
"And while I'm at it, I can gauge his attitude directly instead of guessing."
That would be far more useful than speculating in his office.
He tapped the desk lightly.
A masked ANBU appeared instantly before him.
"Minister," the shinobi said respectfully.
"Inform Trout, White Fang, and Antelope—the three division commanders or acting commanders—that I'm going out for a while," Hikaru said calmly.
"If anything comes up, they're to handle it themselves. Understood?"
"Yes, Minister!"
The ANBU bowed and vanished.
Watching him go, Hikaru could not help but think again how intoxicating power really was.
With a single sentence, he could solve a whole pile of problems.
That kind of feeling was hard for anyone to resist.
Especially for old shinobi whose bodies were declining, but who had once stood at the peak.
With a faint laugh, Hikaru stopped bothering to analyze the psychology of Konoha's so-called "Four Elders."
All he needed to know was simple:
Those people were obstacles on the road ahead.
His chakra pulsed.
In an instant, he disappeared from his office.
When he reappeared, he was already inside the Hokage Tower.
He walked forward without pause.
Quite a few shinobi froze when they saw him.
The ANBU stationed there did not even attempt to check him.
He spent almost no time at all before arriving outside the Hokage's office.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
He rapped gently on the door and waited.
"Come in," Hiruzen's voice soon called from inside.
Hikaru pushed the door open and stepped in.
Hiruzen was reading a report seriously. He had not even bothered to check who had entered.
That alone spoke to how diligent he was.
But the moment he looked up and realized it was Hikaru, he clearly froze.
His eyes sharpened with instant caution.
Still, he quickly relaxed and asked in a faintly strange tone,
"What brings you here, Minister Hikaru?"
Hiruzen truly was startled.
He genuinely had not expected Hikaru to come.
As for Hikaru—
Hiruzen remained deeply wary of him.
Strictly speaking, Hiruzen himself could be counted as one of Hikaru's victims.
Back when Hikaru had first drawn close to him, Hiruzen had accepted his presence even if he had never fully trusted him.
To better control this Senju heir, he had even handed him the post of Third Division Commander.
And then?
To Hiruzen's utter disbelief, Hikaru had taken that position, seemed to continue serving him—
and then kicked him aside and moved over to Minato's camp.
That betrayal in itself was not unbearable. Hiruzen had never fully trusted him anyway.
But Hikaru's betrayal had solidified Minato's resolve completely and led to ANBU being ripped out of Hiruzen's hands by force.
That was what truly sickened him.
That was not merely betrayal.
That was a knife in the back.
Even if part of Hiruzen was secretly pleased that Minato had finally learned to use the authority of the Hokage—
losing ANBU, and having Danzō's weaknesses seized by someone else, still pained him deeply.
And now Hikaru had come straight to his office.
It felt exactly like being mocked by a man who had already disgusted you, seized what was yours, and left you unable to do anything in response.
Naturally, Hiruzen had to stay on guard.
Who knew what schemes the boy was plotting now?
"Hokage-sama."
Hikaru, of course, had no idea what Hiruzen was thinking.
He simply smiled with his usual mild warmth and nodded politely.
Then he lifted a hand and made a casual "withdraw" gesture.
Almost immediately, the ANBU hidden inside the office appeared one after another.
They left in silence.
Hiruzen watched the entire scene coldly.
Only after the room was empty did he shake his head in silence.
"You didn't come here just to flaunt how well you control ANBU, did you?"
His tone carried distance and anger.
"If that's the case, I can only say you're still too childish."
"Why would Hokage-sama assume I came to show off?" Hikaru asked, shaking his head lightly, looking almost innocent.
"If I really wanted to boast, I'd wait until after the expansion is complete."
"Though to be fair, that won't be easy."
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised his head slightly, gaze drifting. "You submitted the plan with great confidence, and I approved it. Why do you think it'll be difficult?"
"Because to complete such a rapid expansion properly," Hikaru said calmly, "you would have to lower ANBU's standards."
He remained warm and polite, like he was speaking to an old acquaintance.
"But I have no intention of lowering those standards. So either I fail to fill the full structure quickly, or I exhaust the reserve corps completely. Neither option is easy."
Hiruzen stared at him in silence.
On this point, however, he actually agreed.
He had originally assumed Hikaru was rushing recklessly to "expand territory," and that Minato intended to use ANBU to build more leverage.
That was one reason he had not opposed the proposal.
Another was that he had already resolved to stay out of ANBU affairs for the time being, in exchange for keeping Danzō safe.
And a third reason was simpler:
He wanted to watch them stumble.
Once ANBU expanded too quickly and quality dropped, it would produce problems for Konoha.
Then he could see how Minato and Hikaru planned to clean up the mess.
And yet now, Hiruzen realized something else:
Hikaru had seen all of that from the start.
That made him even more puzzled.
If the boy understood so clearly, then why do it at all?
As if reading his mind, Hikaru smiled.
"I imagine Hokage-sama must be wondering about that."
Without waiting for Hiruzen to ask, he answered directly.
"The reason is simple. Train them harder."
"Current personnel are sufficient for immediate use."
"So I'll keep the existing structure operational while the newcomers undergo continued training."
"At the same time, I'll keep selecting suitable recruits from the clans, from the orphanage, and from elsewhere…"
"And quietly remove people I do not trust."
"By the time all the new ANBU are up to standard…"
"ANBU itself will have become a single solid block—composed entirely of people I trust."
"Several years, at minimum," Hiruzen said at once.
He was baffled by two things:
Why Hikaru was telling him all this so openly—
and what the boy actually wanted.
But he did not mind listening.
The more he knew about ANBU's future direction, the better.
"Yes," Hikaru said with a small nod. "A village orphanage has its uses, but aptitude varies wildly. It can't provide enough people on its own."
"And the clans? They send their own into ANBU because they want access—to the Hokage, to intelligence."
"If all they get in return is endless training, they won't be satisfied."
"And then there's the money."
He smiled faintly.
"Do you think Konoha has enough?"
Hiruzen stayed silent.
He knew a question was coming.
"Clan shinobi are manageable," Hikaru went on.
"I can rotate them."
"Some missions can be assigned to them in turn. They're combat assets. Letting them sit idle would be a waste."
"But yes—funding is the real problem."
"Expanding ANBU costs a lot."
"Konoha is struggling right now…"
"But Konoha still has someone behind it."
"The Daimyō."
There it was.
Hiruzen finally understood why Hikaru had come—and why he had so openly laid out ANBU's entire framework.
The boy had learned about his trip.
He had guessed Hiruzen intended to ask for money.
And now he had come to carve out his share.
In other words, Hikaru had offered information and openness as the "price" of cooperation—
and in return, he wanted a slice of the Daimyō's purse.
Hiruzen picked up his pipe, lit it, inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly.
After a moment, he asked,
"So. You guessed I was going to ask the Daimyō for money."
"Then tell me—what do you think I intend to do with it?"
"Hokage-sama," Hikaru said with a small sigh, "this is hardly the time to test my overall administrative ability."
But since Hiruzen had asked, he answered anyway.
At the same time, he intended to make one thing clear:
He was here to negotiate.
Not to beg.
In fact, in this conversation, he was the stronger side.
"Still, since you asked…"
He smiled.
"I believe the money has two main uses."
"First: employ the civilians."
"Let them rebuild the village themselves. That creates jobs, gives them purpose, and keeps them too busy to drown in grief."
"More importantly, the symbolism matters. If the people rebuild Konoha with their own hands, it means something."
"Second: the hospital system."
"The medical division has taken massive losses and consumed enormous supplies. If part of the relief money is funneled there, then treatment costs for injured civilians and shinobi can be waived."
"Officially, it can also be framed as financial support for the wounded."
"That's your plan, isn't it?"
When Hikaru finished, he fell silent and simply smiled.
Hiruzen looked calm.
But the smoke from his pipe had started to drift unevenly.
His hand had definitely trembled.
Yes—he had been shaken.
He knew Hikaru had guessed he was going for funding.
He even knew Hikaru had likely deduced some of the details.
But he had not expected the boy to see that much.
If those plans had already been drafted out as formal documents, he might have suspected Hikaru had abused ANBU's authority to monitor him directly.
That boy…
really was frighteningly clever.
"And another thing, Hokage-sama," Hikaru said again.
"I also know why you let ANBU fall into my hands."
"Besides the Fourth Hokage's direct appointment…"
"it was also because of Danzō, wasn't it?"
At the mention of Danzō's name, Hiruzen's gaze changed sharply.
He looked up at Hikaru and stared.
"No need to be nervous," Hikaru said lightly.
"The previous lesson should remain in the previous chapter. I already got what I wanted from it."
"But a weakness is called a weakness for a reason."
"Because once someone holds it, they can keep using it."
"I'm not trying to be shameless."
"But Hokage-sama does need to think about Danzō's situation, doesn't he?"
"And besides…"
"My expansion of ANBU also helps you solve another problem, doesn't it?"
"A ROOT problem."
Then Hikaru leaned back into the sofa and smiled without another word.
In that instant, he had pinned Hiruzen down completely.
Once your weakness or your leverage had been grasped by someone else—
you could only accept being maneuvered.
That was not empty theory.
In Hikaru's old memories, he could still remember people destroyed by a single exposed weakness.
And for Hiruzen, Danzō was exactly that.
A lethal handle.
If Hiruzen wanted to keep Danzō alive, then in front of Hikaru, he would always be at a disadvantage.
There would be many matters on which he could only compromise.
Of course, Hikaru was not offering nothing in return.
His wording had been vague, but Hiruzen understood immediately.
He took a few deep draws from his pipe, then exhaled.
At last, he reached a conclusion.
"I have to admit," Hiruzen said slowly, "you've exceeded my expectations."
"There are moments when I can see my teacher's shadow in you."
"It seems the Senju really did raise you well."
"Thank you for the compliment," Hikaru replied with a smile.
"But in truth, the place that taught me the most was ANBU."
Hiruzen ignored that answer entirely.
Instead, he asked bluntly,
"I can agree."
"How much do you want?"
"I can't say for sure yet," Hikaru replied at once.
"But I do believe that if I accompany you personally, it would show greater sincerity."
"As the Minister of ANBU acting as your bodyguard?" Hiruzen glanced at him.
"That would indeed make me feel much safer."
"Then please keep it confidential for now," Hikaru said with a bow.
"When the day comes to depart, I'll be there."
"To serve as Hokage-sama's escort would be my honor."
"ANBU has plenty to keep you busy," Hiruzen said, tapping his pipe lightly against the desk.
"So I won't keep you."
"I'll wait for your arrival, Minister."
Hikaru nodded with a smile and left the office directly.
This meeting had given him exactly what he wanted.
And more importantly—
he had quietly shoved Hiruzen forward another step.
How could he not be pleased?
Stepping out of the Hokage Tower, Hikaru lifted his gaze to the sky.
The sun hung high overhead, brilliant and warm.
Though it was already autumn, the weather was still mild.
And weather like that suited a good mood perfectly.
This time, Hikaru had dug a pit for Hiruzen.
A very large one.
He could not say when it would begin showing results.
But he knew Hiruzen had already accepted the logic behind it.
Hikaru had personally shattered ANBU's old restrictions.
And since ROOT was, in essence, ANBU's brother organization—
it could now claim the right to break its own restrictions too.
Naturally, ROOT could now expand.
Naturally, it could begin gathering more talent.
True, this might create competition for recruits.
But Hiruzen had too many matters to handle right now.
He would not move on that front immediately.
That gave Hikaru time.
And during that time, he could keep pressuring Hiruzen—
until the Third Hokage eventually handed the expansion issue over to none other than Shimura Danzō himself.
"And the moment that happens," Hikaru thought with a smile, "won't Hiruzen be one step closer to being hated by everyone?"
Hikaru already knew how to push him there.
Orochimaru really was a good man too.
Since he was going to defect anyway—
why shouldn't Hikaru help him along?
"So? What have you learned?"
Inside the ROOT base, Danzō stared coldly at the shinobi before him.
It had been nearly a week since he issued his orders.
And during that week, he had done little but wait.
He was anxious.
But he also knew anxiety alone solved nothing.
Without intelligence, he wouldn't even know when Hiruzen would leave.
Nor what route he would take.
Nor the exact level of escort assigned to him.
He had to endure.
The waiting was excruciating.
But fortunately, ROOT had not failed him.
After all, Danzō had run ROOT for many years.
Even if he was now heavily restricted and could not mobilize it freely without orders—
there were still people inside who remained absolutely loyal to him.
Those people had already done much for him.
One of them had used old intelligence to blackmail a clerical shinobi working near the Hokage's office.
That man had been forced to hand over internal information.
Faced with ROOT's threat—especially after realizing the people targeting him were from ROOT—
the man understood he had no choice.
Either cooperate…
or his whole family vanished.
He had considered reporting it to Hiruzen.
But he also harbored resentment.
On the night of the Nine-Tails, the Fourth Hokage had given everything for Konoha.
He had nearly died and would now need years of recovery.
And what about Hiruzen?
Untouched.
Unharmed.
He had not fulfilled the supposed principle that "the Hokage protects the village."
The man's wife had died in the disaster while trying to save their son.
How could he remain calm?
Hatred. Fear. Protection of his child.
All of it drove him to cooperate with ROOT.
"We've confirmed the details, Danzō-sama," the ROOT shinobi reported in a low, respectful voice.
"If there are no changes, he'll depart within the next few days."
"I'll keep people watching the Third Hokage closely."
"As for the route, no changes have been reported yet."
"And in terms of escort strength… it appears only a few ANBU will accompany him."
"Only a few ANBU?" Danzō murmured.
The information was still sparse, but it was enough.
He knew Hiruzen's habits and thought process well.
This was not the inauguration of a new Hokage.
Hiruzen would never make a grand public show of it.
Most likely, he intended to travel quietly and meet the Daimyō without fanfare.
If so, then the escort would naturally be limited.
And Konoha was currently rebuilding—
spies were everywhere.
That Senju brat who now commanded ANBU surely had no intention of giving Hiruzen too much manpower at such a time.
Even if he did send some—
they were probably little more than decoration.
People who looked useful, but weren't.
After all, Senju Hikaru and Hiruzen were not truly on the same side.
"Good," Danzō said, slowly exhaling.
"You've done well."
"Proceed according to plan."
"At the ambush point, wait."
"Yes, Danzō-sama."
The shinobi bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Just before the man exited, Danzō spoke again.
"Prepare a few more."
"Reliable. Obedient. Skilled in concealment."
"Have them shadow Hiruzen."
"And bring me Kō. I want to see him."
"Yes, Danzō-sama."
The shinobi bowed again and departed.
Once he was gone, Danzō stood alone in the room, gaze drifting.
His thoughts were complicated.
He had made a terrible decision—
but one he would never regret.
Danzō never regretted his actions.
He was a man of iron conviction.
Otherwise, he never would have clung to his "dream of becoming Hokage" for this long.
Being Hokage was his dream.
His lifelong dream.
Soon enough, another knock came.
After receiving permission, a child entered the office.
He wore a cat-faced mask and had brown hair.
"Danzō-sama," the child said.
Though his voice was young, there was an unnerving coldness in it.
"Kō," Danzō said, glancing at him.
"You already know the mission this time, yes?"
"Do you have the courage and confidence to carry it out?"
"Danzō-sama's command is my objective," Kō replied coldly.
"I do not care who the target is."
"I only care about completing the mission."
"Good."
Danzō nodded, satisfied.
"I'm looking forward to your performance."
"And to seeing your Wood Release."
"Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, Danzō-sama."
Kō dropped to one knee immediately, voice full of conviction.
He knew exactly what Danzō wanted to compare him against.
After all, on the night of the Nine-Tails, someone had used Wood Release in front of all Konoha.
That Wood Release had even stopped the Nine-Tails.
Kō did not know how his own Wood Release measured up.
But he knew one thing clearly:
He absolutely could not let Danzō-sama down.
This mission was the perfect opportunity to prove himself.
The target was Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage.
But Kō did not care.
To him, only one person mattered:
The man who had saved him.
Shimura Danzō.
All he had to do was obey.
"Go," Danzō ordered.
Watching the child leave, Danzō slowly closed his eyes.
Out of all Orochimaru's experiments, only this child had succeeded.
And Danzō had brought him into ROOT and trained him personally.
To cultivate him, Danzō had even handed over a number of Senju Wood Release research materials.
Now—
it was time to see the results.
Time to find out what kind of power the Wood Release he had nurtured could display.
"Hiruzen…"
"I wonder whether you'll like the gift I've prepared for you."
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