New Sign-In Task
Konoha Building, inside the Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat in his chair, took out his pipe, lit it, inhaled slightly, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.
In front of him, Kakashi, kneeling on one knee, was reporting the day's events.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart was far less calm than he appeared on the surface.
On one hand, according to Kakashi's report, Xu Fan had wiped out the Root operatives that Danzo had cultivated for years with overwhelming strength.
Such power was not something an ordinary Jonin possessed.
In other words, this confirmed that Xu Fan was indeed strong enough to have killed the Cloud ninja and destroyed the border forest.
If Xu Fan possessed the Wood Release bloodline limit...
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but take a deep breath, realizing that Xu Fan might be even more powerful than he had initially thought.
On the other hand, he never expected that Danzo would form a team of ten to assassinate Xu Fan.
Was he insane?
Xu Fan was not only a member of the Senju clan but also a rare genius.
With proper training, he could surpass even Uchiha Itachi and become Konoha's greatest protector.
"No wonder Danzo came to me before and asked to arm the Uchiha clan..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself but still couldn't understand Danzo's motives against Xu Fan.
Xu Fan wasn't even an Uchiha.
Could it be that...
Danzo couldn't tolerate even the Senju clan?
For a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled the past.
Over the years, he had never fully moved on from Nawaki's death. If Nawaki hadn't died, Tsunade wouldn't have developed hemophobia and left the village.
Sometimes, when he looked at Xu Fan, he thought of Tsunade and Nawaki.
But the village was no longer what it once was.
No one had anticipated that Orochimaru would conduct inhumane experiments and eventually defect.
No one had expected Minato Namikaze to perish on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack.
Though Konoha remained one of the Five Great Nations, its economy lagged behind, and external threats like the ever-watchful Cloud Village loomed large.
Internally, the Uchiha clan remained a volatile issue.
It was fair to say that Konoha was struggling with both internal and external crises.
"Kakashi." Sarutobi Hiruzen put down his pipe and spoke slowly. "Secretly protect Xu Fan for now."
This time, he would not allow Danzo to act recklessly.
Especially during such turbulent times.
With that, Sarutobi Hiruzen made a gesture, signaling Kakashi to leave.
"Understood."
Kakashi responded clearly, turned around, opened the office door, and left, heading toward the Senju clan's residence.
As the office door closed once more, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes darkened with contemplation.
"Danzo, Danzo..."
Meanwhile, Xu Fan had already sent Naruto home, leaving him some money so he could buy breakfast the next morning.
Xu Fan remembered a scene from Naruto's childhood where the boy stood in front of Ichiraku Ramen, checking his pockets only to find a few scattered coins. Left with no choice, he had gone to the forest to gather mushrooms.
But something about that scene never sat right with Xu Fan.
Minato Namikaze wasn't just the Fourth Hokage; he was a hero of the Third Ninja War.
How could someone of his stature have no savings?
Was he supposed to believe Minato was like an adult Sakura, busy repaying a mortgage?
Would the leader of a village not even be allocated a house?
Impossible.
Even if that were true, it would be absurd.
Look at how Konohamaru was raised—he had tutors following him around all day, offering guidance and protection.
Even if Minato and Kushina had sacrificed themselves for the village, wouldn't it make sense for the village to take care of Naruto in return?
Would it have been so difficult to assign him a caretaker?
Would it have been too much to provide someone to look after him 24/7?
Even if Minato truly left no savings, couldn't the Third Hokage cover his expenses personally?
Did Naruto really have to drink expired milk?
"And Nawaki's death..."
Xu Fan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as his mind raced.
Although he was familiar with Danzo's methods, he was still surprised that Danzo had attempted to assassinate him.
But thinking about it from another perspective, this meant Danzo no longer feared the Senju name.
Could Nawaki's death also be linked to Danzo?
"If I remember correctly, Sarutobi's favorite disciple was Orochimaru. Even when Orochimaru conducted human experiments, Sarutobi's initial response was... complicated."
"And it wasn't just Sarutobi. Even Danzo respected Orochimaru."
"Even after Orochimaru defected, Danzo maintained secret contact with him."
"At the time, Tsunade was undoubtedly Orochimaru's biggest rival."
The more Xu Fan thought about it, the more he felt that something was deeply wrong with Konoha's leadership.
It made him suspect that Sarutobi Hiruzen had used Danzo's hand to eliminate threats to his own position.
Especially during the attack on Konoha by Orochimaru—Danzo, Koharu, and Homura had all conveniently disappeared.
And when Sarutobi Hiruzen was trapped inside the Four Purple Flame Formation, no one attempted to break through to save him.
Even if Sarutobi had been hailed as the "God of Shinobi" in his youth, by then, he was an old man.
Did anyone really believe that Orochimaru, who had taken down the Fourth Kazekage, had no lethal tricks up his sleeve?
Jiraiya went off chasing Orochimaru's summons...
Guy wanted to open the Eight Gates to help but was stopped by Kakashi...
Were they truly concerned for Hiruzen's safety, or was there another motive?
"Danzo isn't so much Konoha's 'Root' as he is part of a much larger problem—the entire leadership of Konoha."
Xu Fan shook his head. He wasn't fond of conspiracy theories.
But there were simply no better explanations.
Could it really be...
That Naruto's world was just full of plot holes?
Maybe in the manga, inconsistencies could exist, but in this world—his world—things would self-correct.
Just as Xu Fan pondered these thoughts, a voice rang in his ears.
New Sign-In Task Released!
Limited to three days. Please proceed to the Hokage's Office to sign in. Successful sign-in will grant a reward!
Xu Fan frowned slightly. "A time-limited mission?"
"And at the Hokage's Office?"
This was the first time he had encountered a timed sign-in mission.
But a time limit likely meant increased difficulty—and greater rewards.
"Well, I do have a reason to go there..."