This Danzo Is Too Cautious!
When these uninvited guests walked into Ichiraku Ramen, Uncle Ichiraku's expression changed slightly.
Xu Fan frowned, sensing something amiss. He turned his head and glanced toward the entrance.
The visitors wore identical uniforms, their faces concealed behind masks adorned with different patterns.
They were from Danzo's Root.
Although the Anbu and Root had similar attire, Xu Fan could still distinguish them.
Anbu, under the direct command of the Hokage, wore masks designed after animals, though the designs varied.
Root, however, did not follow this convention. Once one understood this, telling them apart became simple.
"Anbu?"
Naruto also turned his head instinctively. While he had always struggled at the Ninja Academy, he had interacted with the Third Hokage multiple times.
He had seen people dressed like this before.
The Third Hokage had explained that they were under his direct command.
And yet, Naruto's gut told him that these people weren't here for ramen.
"Lord Danzo wants to see you," the leading Root member said in a low, commanding tone, directing his words at Xu Fan.
"Who's Danzo?" Naruto asked.
"He's a special advisor to Konoha's upper ranks," Xu Fan replied without hesitation.
Danzo's name was no secret.
He was like an unseen shadow lurking behind the Hokage.
Just as people knew about forbidden jutsu but not necessarily who created them, it wasn't wrong to blindly guess Tobirama Senju.
And if there was ever a mess with no clear culprit, blaming Danzo was usually a safe bet.
But…
If Danzo had sent Root agents here to find him, there were only three possibilities.
The first was that the Third Hokage knew about it and tacitly approved of Danzo's actions.
Unlikely.
The second was that Danzo wasn't afraid of the Third Hokage finding out. He was openly inviting Xu Fan, attempting to recruit him.
Possible, but not highly likely.
And the third possibility…
Danzo had managed to divert the Third Hokage's attention, preventing him from monitoring the area with his telescope jutsu. If that were the case, these Root agents might be here to eliminate him.
Not impossible.
Xu Fan narrowed his eyes. He didn't consider himself particularly intelligent—just an ordinary person in terms of brains.
But he wasn't stupid either. He always thought ahead, considering different possibilities and making contingency plans.
If it was the first two possibilities, there was nothing to worry about. He could go with them, have a chat with Danzo, and then return home to sleep.
No harm done.
But if it was the third possibility—even if it was the least likely—it required serious attention.
And the reason he considered this option at all was simple.
After Minato Namikaze sacrificed himself to seal the Nine-Tails, Hiruzen Sarutobi resumed his position as the Third Hokage.
At Danzo's command, Root formed a ten-man squad and attempted an assassination on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The mission failed due to Kakashi's intervention.
Afterward, for various reasons, Hiruzen had no choice but to pretend the incident had never happened.
If Danzo dared to assassinate the Hokage himself, why would he hesitate to target someone like Xu Fan?
Just because he was a Senju?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was the leader of the Sarutobi clan and the Third Hokage, yet Danzo had still made a move against him.
But Xu Fan understood Danzo's reasoning.
Based on his own actions, it was clear he aligned with the Third Hokage's interests, positioning himself as a potential successor.
That made him Danzo's biggest obstacle in the race for the next Hokage.
If their roles were reversed, he would strike now—before his opponent could grow any stronger.
Following that line of thinking…
Danzo was too cautious!
And the catalyst for all this?
Xu Fan glanced at Naruto, who happened to be looking at him at that very moment.
"Uh…"
Naruto blinked, startled. His face suddenly turned red, and he quickly looked away.
"Wh-What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Lord Danzo wants to see you," the Root member repeated, seeing that Xu Fan had not responded.
His tone remained the same—calm, emotionless.
No… To be precise, there was no tone at all.
Root operatives had no names. No emotions.
"Let him wait. Can't you see I'm eating ramen?" Xu Fan said bluntly, shooting an unimpressed glance at the operative.
"Xu Fan!"
Naruto's eyes sparkled with admiration. He hadn't expected Xu Fan to be so bold.
Even though he didn't know much about Danzo, the title "Konoha Advisor" sounded impressive.
"Is that okay?" Uncle Ichiraku crossed his arms, looking worried. Unlike Naruto, he was an adult—he understood the weight of Danzo's authority.
"This is the first time I've taken Naruto out for ramen. Why should I care about Danzo? What does he have to do with me?"
Xu Fan didn't bother holding back. He casually pulled out five hundred ryo and slapped it onto the counter.
"Two more bowls of ramen."
"Naruto, your only mission today is to eat. Understood?"
"Xu Fan…"
Naruto's eyes widened, growing misty.
In his entire life, no one had ever ignored a high-ranking official for his sake.
No one had ever insisted on simply sitting and eating ramen with him.
For a moment, he was overwhelmed with emotion.
But Xu Fan had his own reasons.
He was testing Root's reaction.
And the result was exactly what he expected.
Despite his obvious stalling, the Root agent stepped forward and reached for his arm.
Root operatives felt no emotions.
And because of that, Danzo's orders were absolute.
If Danzo truly wanted to recruit him, he wouldn't have ordered them to use force.
He was in a hurry.
Click!
Xu Fan shifted his body, smoothly dodging the Root operative's grasp.
Their eyes met. The tension in the air thickened, the atmosphere turning dangerously heated.
Naruto tensed up, his worry evident.
"Naruto, looks like that's it for today," Xu Fan exhaled, realizing this meal wasn't happening.
But at least he had confirmed one thing.
Danzo wanted him dead.
"Xu Fan!"
Naruto jumped off his stool, panicked.
Before he could say anything, Xu Fan stepped forward, smiling as he reached out and pressed two fingers against Naruto's forehead.
"Next time, we'll have ramen together."
Thunk!
"Alright, let's go," Xu Fan said, striding out of Ichiraku Ramen without looking back.
Sure enough…
As soon as he stepped onto the street, he noticed something.
Not a single pedestrian in sight.
As if someone had deliberately cleared the area.