Chapter 258: Danzo's Generosity

After leaving the Hokage's office, Tatsuma's first stop was to find Danzo. After all, while others might be merely worried due to not knowing about his safety, Danzo, the old man, was someone who would cause trouble.

On the way, Tatsuma had already heard some rumors, or rather, it was no longer just rumors. Tatsuma was stopped by a ninja of the same age whom he had no particular impression of. The ninja, surprised, "questioned" Tatsuma about why he was unharmed.

To be honest, this was a rare situation where Tatsuma didn't know how to respond. The first reason was the lack of information, and the second was his effort to recognize who this person was. In the end, he could determine that he did not know the person.

Until the young man explained his identity, which was that he was a ninja of the same generation as Tatsuma but from a different team, and also asked if it was true that he was ambushed by Sakumo.

At this point, Tatsuma realized what was going on. It turned out that someone had spread the ridiculous rumor that he was injured by an ambush from Sakumo, and surprisingly, some people actually believed it.

This made Tatsuma speed up after refuting the rumor. He had memorized all the information about the village elders, so he was quite proficient in finding people.

Arriving at Danzo's home, Tatsuma pressed the doorbell and then waited.

His sensing abilities were already quite good, and after experiencing that accidental Sage Mode, although he could not retain the all-encompassing sensing feeling of Sage Mode, it did give him some new insights into sensing.

Therefore, he could clearly sense that in Danzo's not very large home, there were at least five ninjas, with some having distinct chakra signatures belonging to Danzo.

After a while of silence in the house, footsteps finally sounded. Tatsuma waited quietly, his face showing an infectious smile, facing the peephole.

Unlike the Hokage residence where Hiruzen lives, or the extensive clan territories of the Senju and Uchiha, Danzo did not favor himself in terms of living arrangements. His home was just a modest-sized house, slightly larger than a single apartment but with two floors.

Therefore, even if it took a moment to walk from the deepest part of the second floor to the front door on the first floor, it didn't take too much time.

"Click~"

The footsteps stopped for a moment before the door was opened. Danzo's face, perpetually tense and seemingly displeased, appeared. Tatsuma greeted him, saying, "Danzo-sama."

"Sakamoto Tatsuma."

Danzo repeated Tatsuma's name, then looked at him. Tatsuma did not let the atmosphere become cold and said, "I heard from Hokage-sama that Danzo-sama has been concerned about my safety. I am fine now, and I have come to visit."

As Tatsuma spoke, he could feel Danzo continuously scanning him up and down. Once Tatsuma finished speaking, Danzo stopped his scrutiny, nodded, and said, "Come to think of it, this is your first time visiting me, isn't it?"

For some reason, Tatsuma felt that Danzo's tone and breathing were somewhat abnormal. If he were in Sage Mode, he might be able to sense more clearly, but now he was somewhat puzzled.

"Danzo-sama, with your esteemed position, if I were to visit rashly, it might tarnish your reputation."

Flattery was the safest approach. Danzo's eye twitched slightly, and his lips pressed together. He then opened the door wider and turned, saying, "Come in. Since this is a visit, please come in and have a seat."

"Certainly."

Tatsuma did not decline. He followed Danzo inside, gently closing the door behind him. He observed the entryway and noticed there were no extra shoes prepared, so Tatsuma removed his footwear and stepped in barefoot.

As he entered the living room, Tatsuma took a quick glance around. The room had very few decorations or practical items; the entire living room had only one picture frame.

Inside the frame were the First and Second Hokage, along with several children. Tatsuma made a quick connection and realized these were the current members of the elders.

Besides that, there was nothing else. Although Tatsuma's own living room was rarely used, it had a television and a few potted flowers. However, since Mito passed away, the flower vases had been without fresh flowers.

"Please sit."

Danzo was already seated on the tatami mat, with a tea tray in the center, and only two seats facing each other. Tatsuma awkwardly sat down, looking at the empty tea tray.

Tatsuma could even observe cracks on the tea tray due to excessive dryness. There were no tea leaves around or under the tray, and the earthen stove had no charcoal, nor was there any charcoal dust or stains.

Seeing Tatsuma constantly observing the tea tray, Danzo looked down, realized something, and asked, "Are you thirsty?"

"No, I'm not thirsty."

"Wait a moment."

Danzo got up and went to the nearby kitchen. After searching for a while, he returned with two bottles of sake.

He placed the sake down and resumed his seat, pressed his lips together, and said, "This is all there is at home. Alcohol is one of the three prohibitions for ninjas, so it should be consumed sparingly."

Tatsuma wasn't sure how to respond, as he really didn't want to drink. Even though it was Danzo who brought it out, it felt as though Danzo was suggesting he was being unreasonable and demanding alcohol.

Seeing Tatsuma's lack of response, Danzo simply opened the caps of the two bottles, took a sip from one himself, and then said, "Before you reach adulthood, try to avoid drinking. If you do want to drink, make sure you have someone you trust with you. Like me, for example."

"Thank you very much."

Tatsuma had no choice but to follow Danzo's lead. He took a half-capful and sipped it. This was his first time drinking in this life, and although he had endured a lot in his previous life, he still couldn't appreciate sake.

Noting the slight distortion in Tatsuma's expression, Danzo's mouth curled into a faint smile. He then asked, "Now that you've recovered, will there be any lingering effects?"

"No, the Slug Sage has completely healed me. There are no side effects, and in fact, I've even made some progress. I'm still adapting."

"That's good to hear."

Danzo nodded, clearly having more to say but unsure how to begin. He could only take another sip from the sake bottle.

After a moment of silence, Danzo stood up. Tatsuma thought he was about to see him off and felt relieved, also standing up. However, Danzo said, "Come with me."

Tatsuma was taken aback but followed along. As they walked up the stairs, Danzo continued, "Regarding the Land of Lightning, I'm familiar with all the details. You lack effective countermeasures against Lightning Release ninjas."

"Yes, my training is still insufficient."

Tatsuma responded modestly. Danzo nodded and continued, "You are most proficient in Water and Earth Release techniques. Earth Release, in terms of Chakra nature, is restrained by Lightning Release Chakra. Although Water Release does not have a direct Chakra property conflict with Lightning Release, in terms of physical properties, Water Release is inherently disadvantaged against Lightning Release.

The best way to counter Lightning Release is actually with Lightning Release itself. The lightning simulated by Lightning Release Chakra is too erratic and active; only Lightning Release of the same attribute can keep up with its speed.

Since you lack a natural affinity for Lightning Release, you must settle for the next best option: Wind Release, which can counter Lightning Release Chakra. However, the commonly used Wind Release techniques have limited coverage and are difficult to fully resist and counter Lightning Release techniques."

As he spoke, they had already reached the second floor. Danzo stopped in front of a room and turned to say, "In Konoha, the clan most proficient in Wind Release is the Shimura clan. Within the Shimura clan, there are several powerful and exclusive Wind Release techniques that are of equal value to Sarutobi's Fire Release."

Danzo then opened the door to reveal a study filled with open scrolls. Tatsuma immediately averted his gaze, focusing only on Danzo's back.

Danzo, satisfied, walked over to a row of bookshelves, took out several scrolls, and handed them to Tatsuma, saying, "I have always had high expectations for you. I had intended to pass these techniques to you. However, since you and I have had little interaction, I was hesitant to give them to you directly, fearing it might cause you psychological pressure. But after your experience in the Land of Lightning, you should understand the importance of Wind Release to you. Therefore, accept these and study them well.

The Second Hokage-sama, as you know, died at the hands of Land of Lightning ninjas. You must not repeat his mistakes. Dealing with Lightning Release is a necessary subject for you and should be your top priority. Do you understand?"

Tatsuma, whose study of the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu had just been postponed, looked up in surprise and with a hint of delight. Danzo handed the scrolls to him again, and Tatsuma quickly reached out to take them, saying, "Thank you very much, Danzo-sama. I will copy them and return them to you as soon as possible."

"No need to rush, and there's no need to copy them. Just keep them here as a collection."

Danzo waved his hand dismissively, and the room fell silent again. After a moment, Tatsuma took the initiative to break the silence, saying, "Danzo-sama, if there are no further instructions, I will not disturb you any longer."

"Hmm."

Danzo responded with a reluctant "hmm." He had several topics he wanted to discuss with Tatsuma, such as his views on the Second Hokage's policies, his own position as the Root leader, the current situation in the ninja world, Sarutobi's shortcomings, and how he would correct the course if he were Hokage, among others.

However, he was at a loss for how to start the conversation. He knew that his relationship with Tatsuma was not very deep, and he did not like to delve into deep conversations with those he barely knew. Yet, he was reluctant to see Tatsuma leave after just under ten minutes.

But he couldn't lower his stance, or rather, he had long forgotten what it meant to lower his stance. Thus, despite his reluctance, he could only let Tatsuma leave.

After seeing Tatsuma put on his footwear at the entrance, Danzo couldn't help but say, "You are different from other ninjas. Your value in surviving is far greater than anyone else's, so…"

"Danzo-sama, I have my own considerations."

Tatsuma interrupted Danzo, smiled, nodded at him, and then opened the door to leave.

Danzo stared blankly at the closed door for a long time, sighed, and returned to the empty living room. He looked at the old photo, as if seeing the past and old friends.

Perhaps this was the barrier he had always struggled to overcome compared to his sensei. Tatsuma's value in surviving was far greater than the value of anyone else's survival, and the value of the Hokage's survival was certainly greater than that of the Hokage Guards.

That kid Tatsuma, he certainly didn't seem to regret anything at all. Perhaps back then…

"Sensei, you had no regrets, did you? Even though we are unworthy of your expectations now, I regret not stepping up sooner. Even if not for the position of Hokage, I should have acted sooner, so as not to disappoint your expectations."

In the poorly lit living room, Danzo stood for a long time before making a hand gesture and softly said, "Clarify it, since Tatsuma does not wish it."

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