Chapter 26: You'll Regret This. I'm the Hokage.
Looking at the massive scroll Enma had just summoned and unrolled in front of her, Sakura pricked her finger and signed her name on it.
"With this, you are now an official summoner of the Monkey clan, Sakura."
Enma looked down at the new name written directly beneath Hiruzen Sarutobi's, and his voice carried something solemn.
To actually be a dual summoner of both the Monkey clan and the Slugs.
This child was extraordinarily lucky.
Hiruzen, watching all of this unfold, stroked the short beard on his chin thoughtfully.
"Now that the contract is sealed, why don't you try the Summoning Technique, Sakura?" the slug on her shoulder said gently.
"When you cast it, just silently picture the specific summon you want in your head," Hiruzen added from the side.
Sakura nodded. Her finger was still bleeding, so she moved fast — running through the seals while the blood was fresh.
Boar — Dog — Bird — Monkey — Ram—
"Summoning Technique!"
A puff of white smoke bloomed in front of her, and when it cleared, Hiruzen and Enma both let their faces fall in perfect unison at the sight of what Sakura had actually summoned.
"Ara ara~ What an adorable little monkey~~"
Katsuyu, perched on Sakura's shoulder, actually giggled out loud.
"Uh — heh, heh — I think I just ran out of chakra, so..."
A bead of cold sweat slid down the side of Sakura's face as she scratched the back of her head, embarrassed.
The reason being — what Sakura had summoned was a tiny white monkey. Still in swaddling clothes. As in, an actual baby.
How in the world this little thing had answered her summons was anyone's guess.
"Aba aba..."
The infant monkey blinked up at her with bright, lively eyes, stretching out its arms in the universal sign for pick me up.
Looking down at it, Sakura felt the urge to cry. I just summoned a dad for myself.
But for all that, she very carefully scooped the little monkey up anyway.
"Of all the surprises... I never imagined she'd summon my one-month-old son, of all creatures."
Sitting nearby, Enma stared down at the baby in Sakura's arms with a long-suffering expression.
He had genuinely not expected his own child to answer Sakura's call.
"Son?"
Sakura looked at him, puzzled.
The infant in question had already wriggled free of his swaddling and scampered up onto the top of Sakura's head.
"Yes. This is my son. He was born not long ago. His name is Enra."
That made Sakura pause.
So the thing currently sitting on her head was... the same little monkey who, in the future, would be running around the chūnin exam arena throwing banana peels and bombs at people.
But hey, that was fine. Sakura could parry.
"It seems she didn't have enough chakra to summon any of the other monkeys, so she pulled out my son instead. Once her chakra recovers, she should be able to summon any of the others normally."
Enma plucked the baby monkey off Sakura's head and balanced him in one massive palm.
"Then doesn't that mean Sakura and Enra get to grow up together~~?" Katsuyu mused, looking at the little monkey in Enma's hand.
"Unfortunately not. Because of our clan's Adamantine bodies, we Monkeys age extremely slowly. By the time this little one is grown, Sakura's own children will probably be old enough to be running errands."
Enma poked at his son playfully. The infant monkey bared its tiny teeth at him in protest.
"That said — Sakura, if there's ever anything you need help with, just say the word. I'll come at the call. Frankly, I don't have all that much to do at home anyway."
Enma deftly rewrapped the baby in his swaddling — a clearly well-practiced maneuver — and tucked him back in.
"Thank you, Lord Enma!"
While Hiruzen Sarutobi was occupied with Sakura's training, a man in a long black-and-white robe — a man with bandages wrapped around one eye — was sitting in the Hokage's office. Specifically, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal chair.
This feeling...
The man known as Danzō Shimura leaned back into the chair, eyes half-lidded, his expression shading into something inexplicably... satisfied.
Hiruzen really has gone soft in his old age. At his age he should be thinking about retirement, not playing at the role of a young man and taking on disciples. Utterly absurd.
Danzō glanced out the office window from the Hokage's exclusive vantage point. Then his expression flickered.
He had spotted, half-buried under several other documents, a single test paper. The visible portion of the writing read—
Sakura Haruno's Will of Fire
The disciple Hiruzen took on is named Sakura Haruno, isn't she?
Hmph. Let's see exactly what kind of caliber of student Hiruzen is so taken with.
With idle fingers, he slid the paper out from under the others.
Minutes ticked past. Danzō's expression shifted, again and again, in waves.
Disdain. A raised eyebrow. Genuine attention.Gravity.Trembling.
This... this is a true genius!
Divide the world. Rule from opposite banks!
"Divide the world" — but if one were to follow this strategic blueprint to the letter, the Land of Earth would fall into Konoha's hands like a ripe fruit! And once the shinobi world is unified on the continent, the Land of Water — isolated across the sea — becomes a turtle in a jar. A frog at the bottom of a well!
If we wanted to take it, it would cost us nothing!
Hiruzen Sarutobi has acquired a magnificent disciple.
Danzō's eyes flickered, his mind racing.
Such a strategic mind — and Hiruzen plans to keep her to himself? What a waste.
Only I can lead Konoha down the true path of strength!
Only I am suited to the seat of Hokage!
He slid the test paper into the sleeve of his robe and was just turning to leave when the office door swung open.
"Danzō?"
"What are you doing here?"
Hiruzen had just finished overseeing Sakura's training, and his brow was already furrowed at the sight of Danzō visibly rising from his chair.
"Heh. Am I not allowed to be here?" Danzō showed not the slightest trace of alarm. If anything, he met Hiruzen's gaze with a cold, mocking smile. "I hear you've taken on another disciple."
"And what of it?"
"Hiruzen. You can't make full use of the geniuses that emerge in this village. The best thing you could do for them is to hand them over to me."
Hearing that, Hiruzen nearly laughed in his anger.
"And what exactly is it you want?"
"Hand the child Sakura Haruno over to me. I can bring out her full value!"
Hiruzen's brows knit tighter as he studied the man in front of him.
Has Danzō taken something today? What is he even talking about?
"Out of the question. Sakura is my disciple. You stay away from her. If anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible!"
His refusal came without a moment's hesitation.
Danzō stared at him for a long, heavy beat. Then, almost on instinct, he said the line he had said a thousand times before in his life.
"Hiruzen. You'll regret this."
"Danzō. I am the Hokage."
The reply came back almost as automatically.
The door slammed. The office was suddenly very, very quiet, with only Hiruzen left standing in it.
He looked down at his desk. Something felt... off. A beat missing.
No—!
Sakura's exam paper is gone!