Deep within Konoha, beneath the looming faces carved into the Hokage Rock, lay a hidden underground bunker.
Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in silence, a report held firmly in his hands.
The expression on his face was… strange.
And he wasn't the only one.
The three others in the room wore similarly uneasy looks.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado fared better. Though the intelligence before them was undeniably shocking, they understood that it didn't directly concern them. For that reason, they were still able to maintain a degree of composure.
But Danzo Shimura—
His face was dark, almost stormy.
He had never imagined that Natsuhiko—the boy from the Senju clan—would accomplish something so terrifying in Sunagakure.
Over a hundred Suna shinobi.
Among them, at least two full ANBU divisions, along with their commanders.
All of them—
Dead at his hands.
What kind of power was that?
Danzo didn't know.
But he did know one thing—
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting across from him, was likely just as unsettled.
If this report had come from any ordinary ANBU operative, they might have dismissed it outright.
But it hadn't.
It came from Takumi Murashima.
A man personally selected and trusted by Hiruzen himself—the long-standing head of ANBU.
Anyone in Konoha might lie to the Hokage.
But not Murashima.
Because that man was nothing more—and nothing less—than a perfect tool.
A flawless shinobi.
"…That boy is quite something,"
After a long silence, Hiruzen finally let out a quiet sigh, his voice low and contemplative.
"I never expected him to perform so perfectly. It seems… I underestimated him."
"He's an unpredictable variable, Hiruzen."
Danzo lifted his head slightly, his gaze sharp as he spoke.
"His strength has likely already surpassed your control, hasn't it?"
Hiruzen didn't answer.
Because, for once—
Danzo wasn't wrong.
Natsuhiko's power was already beginning to slip beyond his grasp.
The report Murashima sent had been delayed, but it contained far more detailed information as a result.
And what it revealed…
Was deeply unsettling.
Aside from those killed by ninjutsu, nearly every other victim had only a single fatal wound.
That alone spoke volumes.
It meant that Natsuhiko's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique had reached an extraordinary level.
But that wasn't all.
He had also clashed with Chiyo.
Murashima's team had discovered a battlefield near the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind—
A place reduced entirely to ruins.
The ground was littered with deep craters, the air still faintly trembling with residual chakra.
Though the area had clearly been cleaned up, fragments of puppets were still scattered across the site.
A battlefield like that—
And a combatant who used puppets—
Anyone would immediately think of Chiyo.
Or perhaps…
That mysterious figure the Third Division had encountered before—someone suspected to be Sasori.
Whoever the opponent had been, the scale of destruction was immense.
And yet—
There was no sign that Sunagakure had captured Natsuhiko.
Which led to a single conclusion.
He had won.
And now, he was already on his way back to Konoha.
Such strength…
Even Hiruzen found it difficult to comprehend.
And for the first time, he began to realize—
This boy from the Senju clan was no longer someone who could be easily controlled.
"So, you agree with me."
Danzo's voice was calm, but laced with cold certainty as he looked at the silent Hiruzen.
"I've said it before—you should have handed him over to me. I would have made him into a proper shinobi, one that truly belongs to Konoha. But you—"
"That's enough, Danzo. You've overstepped."
Hiruzen cut him off, shaking his head calmly.
"You and I both understand that boy's potential."
He set the report down lightly, his gaze steady.
"Yes, his growth has been faster than we expected. But it's not entirely beyond reason."
"And don't forget—everyone has their desires. Everyone has a price."
A faint, knowing look crossed his face.
"And as it happens… I understand that boy's ambitions. I also have a good idea of what his price is."
"So this matter ends here."
—
What did Natsuhiko desire?
The answer was simple.
The position of Hokage.
He intended to rise step by step within Konoha, until he stood at the very top—and from there, change the fate of the Senju clan.
And that "price"—
To Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was hardly something difficult to pay.
The simplest way to control someone…
Was to give them what they wanted—
But never all of it.
Through careful exchanges of benefits and subtle guidance, control could be maintained without chains. It was a method Hiruzen had long mastered.
"You—"
Danzo choked on his words for a moment, before anger quickly took over.
"What, then? If he wants to be ANBU Commander—if he wants to become Hokage—will you just hand it to him?!"
"I can give it to him, as long as it aligns with my interests."
Hiruzen nodded indifferently. He didn't know that just a few days ago, Natsuhiko had said something very similar to him.
"What's wrong with giving him the position of ANBU Commander? And if I promise him the seat of Hokage—so what?"
"An exchange of benefits is nothing to be ashamed of."
"What matters is that Konoha remains stable. That it continues to grow stronger."
He paused briefly, then added calmly—
"Besides… I am not the Hokage anymore."
Danzo fell silent.
Because he understood.
If Hiruzen was saying this—
Then he had already made up his mind.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Hiruzen had willingly relinquished a portion of the spoils that Konoha rightfully deserved as a victor. He had even shown leniency toward Iwagakure.
All for one reason—
To secure long-term stability.
Take too much, and Iwagakure might retaliate.
Even if they accepted it, weakening them too severely could leave them unable to stand against Kumogakure.
And Kumogakure—
Those madmen had only agreed to a temporary ceasefire with Konoha. No formal treaty had ever been signed.
No one could predict when they might turn around and strike again.
Stability was everything.
Sacrificing one set of interests to secure another—that was Hiruzen's way.
He never missed such opportunities.
"…Stability bought like this."
Danzo rose to his feet, his expression dark.
"Only you would think of something like that."
He turned, his voice carrying a trace of cold warning.
"And that boy—do you really think you can control him?"
"You'll regret this."
"I've learned this much over the years—more often than not, the decisions I make turn out to be the right ones." Hiruzen Sarutobi rose slowly to his feet as he spoke, his voice calm but carrying quiet authority.
"Controlling someone doesn't mean turning them into a mirror of yourself. Total brainwashing? That's not a sustainable policy in the long run."
"Then what about Murashima Takumi?"
"Takumi?" Hiruzen replied with a faint, unreadable smile. "He's simply an exceptional—perfect—shinobi. Nothing more."
—
While Hiruzen and the others sifted through their intelligence reports, Minato Namikaze was doing the same.
But unlike the complete dossiers in Hiruzen's hands, the information reaching Minato was fragmented—scattered pieces, often delayed.
At the end of the day, not everything was passed to him immediately. The reports were first reviewed by Hiruzen and those closer to the ANBU, filtered before ever reaching the Hokage's desk.
Only after careful consideration would they decide which intelligence to deliver to him right away… and which could wait.
Of course, Minato was still the Hokage. Completely severing his connection to the ANBU—or worse, withholding intelligence altogether—would border on outright treason.
Hiruzen understood where the line was. He would never cross it.
But delaying reports by less than a day? That was a different matter entirely—and one that worked in his favor.
A single day was more than enough time.
Enough to secure leverage.
Enough to make preparations.
And this time was no exception.
Except… this time, Natsuhiko wasn't the only one in the field.
Kakashi had gone with him.
—
Curiously, none of the official reports mentioned Kakashi at all. From beginning to end, they spoke only of Natsuhiko acting alone.
The assumption was simple: Natsuhiko had split off to draw enemy attention, allowing Kakashi to escape safely by another route.
What they didn't know… was that Kakashi had already separated from him long ago—and was now lying low within the Land of Grass.
From there, Kakashi continued gathering intelligence, relaying what he could back to Minato through his ninken.
The reports weren't always precise.
But they were invaluable.
—
"Incredible…" Minato murmured, eyes scanning the pages before him. "It looks like Natsuhiko's talent with the Flying Thunder God Technique has reached an almost unfathomable level."
The information was limited, but what Kakashi had uncovered painted a striking picture.
Every enemy Natsuhiko encountered had been eliminated almost instantly.
Each one—killed with a single, fatal wound.
There was no mistaking it.
This was the Flying Thunder God Technique.
And Natsuhiko's mastery of it had surpassed all expectations.
"…And on top of that," Minato continued, a hint of surprise crossing his face, "he and Kakashi actually managed to capture Pakura."
That, more than anything, caught him off guard.
Pakura of the Scorch Release—no ordinary kunoichi.
To think she had been taken so easily… and so early into the mission, right after they entered the Land of Wind, during her sudden ambush.
According to Kakashi's report, Natsuhiko had ordered them to bring her back.
As for what came next…
That much didn't need to be said.
A bloodline limit like hers—any village would covet it.
And they wouldn't hesitate to go to any lengths to study it.
Minato had lived through the brutal realities of war. Even if some part of him still resisted such methods…
These past years had taught him a great deal.
In the end, Minato understood something all too well—
For the sake of the village, there would be times when he had to make decisions that went against his own will.
At times, they would have no choice but to strike deals with people everyone else deemed villains.
And at other times… they would have to abandon those same people everyone believed to be good.
There was no avoiding it.
And there was no changing it.
—
"That said… the merits Natsuhiko has earned this time are simply too great. Even the damage he's inflicted on Sunagakure is far beyond expectations… So how exactly am I supposed to reward him?"
Minato pressed his fingers lightly against his temple, a rare trace of frustration surfacing.
This was a genuine headache.
He truly didn't know how to properly reward Natsuhiko's outstanding performance in this mission.
To begin with, Natsuhiko had only just been appointed as a Division Commander within the ANBU.
It hadn't even been a full month.
And yet, under such circumstances, he had achieved something of this magnitude…
Anyone in Minato's position would find it difficult to handle.
What was he supposed to do?
Promote him straight to head of the ANBU?
That was clearly impossible.
Even if Minato wanted to, he simply didn't have the authority to make that call. The ANBU… had never truly been his to command.
—
With a quiet sigh, Minato set the intelligence report aside.
If there was nothing he could do, then perhaps it was better to wait—and see how the Third Hokage and his faction intended to handle it.
After all, when it came to the ANBU, Minato's voice carried little weight.
Even when he issued orders, there was no guarantee they would be followed.
Instead, what came back to him were arguments. Objections. Carefully constructed reasons that forced him to abandon many of his original ideas.
Sometimes, he could almost feel it—
An invisible hand guiding him forward.
Leading him down a path shaped by the ideology of the Third Hokage and his circle.
—
At times, Minato couldn't help but seriously wonder…
Why had he even become Hokage?
Looking at things now, it felt less like he had taken the position for himself—
And more like he had been placed there.
A figure molded to align with their vision.
Someone who would carry forward what they believed to be the best path for Konoha… without deviation.
"…Isn't that no different from being a puppet?"
Minato let out a quiet, self-deprecating chuckle, shaking his head.
He would never deny the stability Hiruzen Sarutobi had brought to Konoha.
Nor could he deny that under Hiruzen's leadership, the village had steadily grown stronger.
But—
Every person was an individual.
Everyone had their own thoughts.
Even if Hiruzen's ideals were correct, they couldn't possibly apply to everyone.
Nor could they suit every critical moment the village would face.
Was the pursuit of stability really worth forcing one's own people to suffer?
Take the aftermath of the war with the Land of Earth, for example.
On the surface, the decisions made had benefited Konoha.
But in reality, they had dealt a heavy blow to morale.
Or the Uchiha clan—
Why not try to bring them back into the fold?
Why resort instead to constant surveillance and isolation, watching as they drifted further and further away?
—
Minato let out a long, weary sigh.
He could see the advantages in Hiruzen's methods.
But he could also see the flaws just as clearly.
Unfortunately, the former Hokage was utterly convinced that his way was the only correct one.
There was little chance he would ever truly listen.
And as for Minato—
The current Hokage…
He might very well be the one with the least authority of them all.