Chapter 45: Danzō

The man standing before the Third Hokage appeared to be around the same age, but unlike the Third's gentle demeanor, his sharp gaze resembled that of a hawk, giving off an extremely unpleasant feeling.

The Third didn't seem surprised by his arrival. Raising his head, he said, "Deal with him? How do you want me to deal with him? He's just a student from the Ninja Academy."

However, the man wasn't easily swayed by the Third's reasoning. With a cold sneer, he said, "I think it's not that you can't deal with him, but rather, you're reluctant because he's your grandson."

Upon hearing this, a hint of anger appeared on the Third's face, as he hadn't intended for Jiraiya to teach Minato.

"Danzō, don't you think you're meddling in too many affairs?" The Third's tone grew increasingly cold.

Yet, the man named Danzō remained unfazed, saying, "As long as it concerns the village, I need to be informed. That child's actions have threatened the village's interests."

The Third slammed his palms forcefully on the desk in front of him, causing the documents on it to tremble.

"Minato is a part of Konoha as well. How dare you consider him a threat?" The Third naturally couldn't accept Danzō's viewpoint.

"Deceiving the Anbu and taking away the future Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails without permission. Such actions deserve punishment!" Danzō sneered.

"I am the Hokage of Konoha, and I have the final say in who gets punished, not you!" The Third shouted angrily. Although Danzō was criticizing Minato's actions, his words were ultimately directed at the Third himself as the Hokage.

"Heh, Sarutobi, you're too indecisive. The current Konoha doesn't need a Hokage like you!" Danzō expressed his great dissatisfaction with the Third, as he viewed the Third's handling of matters as too lenient.

"However, I am currently in this position, not you," the Third said slowly. "Even you have no right to judge the Hokage."

The Third's implication was that he was currently the supreme authority in the village, and his decisions were not to be questioned.

Upon hearing this, Danzō's expression suddenly turned gloomy.

"Enough, you can leave now. I'll handle the matters concerning Kushina and Minato. And next time, remember to knock before entering the Hokage's office!" The Third declared, but that didn't mean Danzō would leave easily.

"Fine, I won't discuss anything else today. Minato Namikaze is a seedling. If I could recruit him into 'Root,' I could undoubtedly cultivate him into the finest spy!" Danzō stated, setting aside Minato's recent actions. For a nine-year-old child to deceive the Anbu, such talent was rare and invaluable.

"You can forget about that!" The Third chastised. He would never allow that child to become Danzō's subordinate.

Aside from Minato's gentle nature being entirely unsuitable for the cold and merciless environment of Root, even for Jiraiya's sake, the Third could never hand over his disciple to someone else when he wasn't in the village.

Moreover, Danzō's actions in recent years had become increasingly excessive, tainted by his own selfish motives.

Naturally, the Third couldn't allow him to treat Minato as a mere tool, which would be frightening for both the village and himself. This child's potential was immeasurable!

Danzō glared angrily, but the Third had already rejected his proposal.

He then turned to leave, and from behind, the Third's voice echoed.

"Withdraw all the people you planted to watch Minato. It's a meaningless waste of personnel."

The Third knew Danzō well. Since he had set his sights on Minato, he would undoubtedly take certain measures.

Danzō snorted coldly and left the Hokage's office.

The Third sat back in his chair, took out his tobacco pouch, inhaled deeply, and exhaled, a smile gradually appearing on his face.

He truly looked forward to seeing what surprises that young fellow would bring him in the future.

Minato walked slowly toward his home, his seemingly relaxed exterior masking his heightened vigilance.

Based on his assessment, he concluded that the people following him were not under the Third's command.

From his teacher Jiraiya, he had a general understanding that within Konoha, the Third Hokage's word wasn't absolute.

There were other high-ranking individuals in the village who also wielded considerable power.

His actions today of taking Kushina away without permission had undoubtedly violated some taboo within the village. It was entirely possible that one of these high-ranking individuals had set their sights on him.

However, they didn't seem hostile, and Minato's tense body gradually relaxed.

As he neared his home, those who had been secretly watching him gradually withdrew.

He wasn't entirely clear about the reason for this situation, but he could think of a few possibilities.

Originally, after school, he still had basic training and hand seal practice, but all of that had been put aside due to the sudden events.

He lacked the motivation and returned to his room, recalling his conversation with the Third.

Minato could see that, as Jiraiya had said, the Third highly regarded him. Perhaps it was also because of his teacher Jiraiya that some of his reckless words and actions were forgiven.

Indeed, some of his words and actions today had been too presumptuous.

But when Kushina asked him to train her, his heart couldn't help but ache.

He could no longer ignore Kushina's loneliness.

So, no matter what, he had to gain the Third's approval.

Somewhere in Konoha, several masked shinobi knelt before Danzō.

"Well?" Danzō asked.

One of them responded, "Sir, that kid is indeed very perceptive. Shortly after leaving the Hokage's office, he became aware of our presence."

His tone was emotionless, merely reciting the facts like a machine.

"Is that so?" A slight change appeared in Danzō's sharp gaze.

The Third Hokage understood him, but how could he not understand the Third's thoughts and actions as well?

This time, it was merely to test Minato Namikaze's abilities.

"Should we continue to watch him?" the shinobi asked again.

Danzō gazed into the night sky and smiled faintly, "No need. I'd like to see how he can protect this child."

"In the midst of war... no matter how talented, there's always a chance of perishing before reaching full potential."

His smile grew increasingly chilling, like the biting cold wind on this deep night.

(End of Chapter)