Danzo's Thoughts Gradually Changed
Danzo knelt down on the tatami, his eyes slightly narrowed. On both sides were his Root subordinates, and in front of him was a small table with a tea set, still warm from recent use.
Before him, a group of Root members knelt in silence, awaiting his command.
"Lord Danzo." They lowered their heads in unison, showing utmost respect.
"Speak."
At Danzo's order, one of the Root operatives stepped forward and began reporting the latest intelligence.
Danzo reached for his teacup, but his hand suddenly halted in midair.
His gaze remained fixed ahead, though he wasn't looking at the Root members at all.
It was as if his mind had traveled elsewhere—deep into the layers of unseen schemes and possibilities.
Unconsciously, his hand trembled slightly before he let it drop, abandoning the thought of drinking tea.
The report was simple: Xu Fan had invited Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen.
"What exactly is this boy trying to do?"
Danzo murmured inwardly. After spending so many years maneuvering through Konoha's political landscape, he thought he had seen through everything.
Yet, this Xu Fan, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, gave him a strange feeling.
First, he had saved Hinata and eliminated the Cloud ninja before the Hyuga clan even knew what had happened—securing their gratitude.
Then, he had managed to enter the Ninja Academy through Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"With his chakra and raw talent, he is clearly a genius. So why was he rejected by the Academy five years ago?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes, trying to piece together the fragments of information.
By all logic, the Academy should not have been a hurdle for Xu Fan.
With his abilities, even if he had been in the same class as prodigies like Itachi, he would not have paled in comparison.
Moreover, with the Senju name, he should have risen to prominence immediately.
"No... things are never that simple."
Danzo clenched his fists tightly.
Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.
And the only answer—
Was Naruto.
"No… not Naruto himself, but his body." Danzo's expression darkened.
Though Naruto was the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage, Hiruzen had carefully hidden that fact from the public.
That alone wasn't enough to make him a threat.
But what resided inside Naruto was a different matter entirely.
The Nine-Tails.
The village of Konoha was, at its core, controlled by a handful of powerful clans—
Senju, Uchiha, Sarutobi, Shimura, Hyuga...
These great families shaped the village's future.
For the nearly extinct Senju, Xu Fan was their best hope.
The Uchiha were already being pushed out, making them irrelevant for now.
Sarutobi's faction still followed Hiruzen.
The Hyuga clan, however, now owed Xu Fan a favor.
And if Xu Fan were to gain influence over Naruto—the village's Jinchūriki—
Danzo suddenly inhaled sharply, shaken by his own analysis.
"No... Xu Fan is remarkable, but he shouldn't be capable of orchestrating all this. He's just a boy—neither a trained ninja nor someone with extensive experience."
"He couldn't have planned so far ahead."
"It's Sarutobi."
Bang!
Danzo slammed his fist onto the table.
Deception never hurts. The truth, however, is a blade.
It had to be Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Five years ago, he must have manipulated the situation to prevent Xu Fan from enrolling in the Academy.
He made Xu Fan wait patiently until now—until he could become Naruto's classmate and grow close to him.
Hiruzen might have even arranged for them to be assigned to the same team in the future.
And one more thing—
Why had Xu Fan suddenly gone to the Border Forest?
A person's actions always have logical reasoning behind them.
Yet Xu Fan's presence there had no clear motivation.
It wasn't as if he heard a voice whispering in his ear, luring him to the forest, was it?
Then there was Hiruzen's reaction in the hospital that day.
Yes.
It was all Sarutobi Hiruzen's doing.
He must have uncovered Cloud's conspiracy in advance and used it as an opportunity—allowing Xu Fan to perform a heroic rescue.
This way, Xu Fan would gain the Hyuga clan's trust and favor.
Too terrifying.
Danzo wiped the sweat from his forehead. His back was already drenched.
He had spent half his life opposing Sarutobi, always believing him to be merely fortunate—lucky to have become Hokage.
But now… it seemed that Hiruzen was far more calculating than he had ever imagined.
How far ahead had he foreseen?
How long ago had he set this in motion?
No.
Danzo abruptly stood up from the tatami mat.
At the very least, Xu Fan and Hiruzen could not be allowed to secure control over the Jinchūriki.
"Summon the Root!"
---
Meanwhile…
Xu Fan remained blissfully unaware of Danzo's growing paranoia.
He was simply walking through Konoha, heading toward Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto.
"Let me tell you, Uncle Teuchi's ramen is amazing!"
Naruto's excitement was practically contagious as he animatedly described his favorite meal.
"Yeah, I've heard good things." Xu Fan smiled and nodded.
Having been in this world for five years, he had already tried all of Konoha's most famous foods.
Even during Uchiha clan festivals, he had gone to sample their specialties.
Though personally, he preferred grilled skewers over ramen.
Properly roasted beef, cooked to a perfect medium rare, then seasoned with pepper, cumin, sesame, and a splash of beer—
Delicious.
However—
As they turned the corner and Ichiraku Ramen came into view, Naruto suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"...What's wrong?" Xu Fan turned to him. "Not hungry anymore?"
Naruto hesitated. His gaze dropped to the ground, deliberately avoiding Xu Fan's eyes.
"Huh?" Xu Fan tilted his head.
Why was Naruto suddenly acting so nervous?
It wasn't like this was a date or anything.
"I…"
Naruto's breathing became uneven, and tension spread through his small frame.
Seeing this, Xu Fan reached out and patted his shoulder.
"It's okay. If you don't want to say it, don't force yourself. I'm here."
Naruto looked up, meeting Xu Fan's gaze for a brief moment before quickly glancing away again.
His voice was soft, hesitant.
"I… we… No, I mean… would you… be my friend?"
Xu Fan stared at him for a second, then broke into a smile.
"I don't know—"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"—What about you?" Xu Fan asked.
Naruto blinked, caught off guard. Then, suddenly, he nodded—so quickly, it was almost comical.
"Yes! I do!"
Xu Fan chuckled.
"Then so do I."