Snake

Night descended on the Village of Leaf, and the civilians went to sleep after an exhausting day. However, the absence of light brought not just silence in the streets but revealed murkiness and deceit. In the training ground where Zeus and Kakashi had previously fought, one lone figure stood.

It was a man of simple and mundane features, wearing an oversized attire and the leaf village headband. However, the man excluded a distinct aura that spread throughout the training ground. The man's eyes, which looked identical to that of a snake, trembled with excitement.

The man fell to his knees, right in front of the crater previously created by Zeus, abandoning all his former elegance. Then, he started sniffing the air, his expression twisted and filled with craziness. His long tongue escaped from his mouth, hanging in the air. If anyone saw this scene from the side, they would think that a snake had suddenly transformed into a human, and was unable to understand how to properly use its body.

"This chakra...this density and smell...I want him!" The man shouted, unable to contain his excitement. He had been looking for a proper body for a long time. Initially, he had thought that Shisui or Itachi would be perfect candidates, but this young boy Zeus that he had accidentally stumbled upon was a real treasure.

A prodigy...that kid was a monster in a league of his own. The desire of those two others was completely overshadowed by Zeus's recent battle. He stared at everything from afar, so as to not be found, but he had seen enough.

Orochimaru had made his decision.

He had found a flawless body.

-

Danzo walked inside the Hokage office, his face stoic and indifferent, yet the aura around him screamed with determination. Hiruzen sat behind the desk, overlooking the entire village from his window. For a moment, there was just but silence.

"Danzo, I already know what you want and my answer is an absolute no," Hiruzen said, not even turning around, causing a frown to form on Danzo's face.

"Hiruzen, you are making a mistake," Danzo answered. "Zeus is too talented. Revealing him right now would not be beneficial in any way. Instead, he should grow and mature in the darkness, ultimately becoming an outstanding hidden weapon."

"So what? Do you suggest that he enters the Root and becomes a part of your personal shady force? I have ignored your disgraceful actions in the past, but you should know the boundaries. Zeus will never become part of Root, for I will never let him get on the wrong path." Hiruzen said, turning around to face Danzo.

Danzo bit his lower lip, taking a step forward. "Everything I do is for the sake of the village, and I can't say the same about you. Not only did you betray the village by signing a peace treaty with Iwagakure, but you have also feigned complete ignorance against Uchiha-related matters! This is not the way a Hokage should act!"

"Enough!" Hiruzen snapped, standing up. "Who are you to be lecturing me how to be a Hokage when you have never been worthy of this position yourself? Don't even think about approaching Zeus, or I will make sure that Root is going to be disbanded, do you understand?"

Danzo scowled both externally and internally, but said nothing else, instead storming out of the room and clapping the door behind him. When he left, Hiruzen sat back down and deeply sighed, staring at the ceiling. Then, he mumbled. "Kakashi, come out."

A figure jumped in through the window, kneeling in front of Hiruzen with one hand on the ground. Kakashi raised his head, staring at the current Hokage, his gifted Shringan reflecting the moonlight.

"So, Kakashi, what did you think about Zeus? Has he truly replicated Chidori at first glance?" Hiruzen asked.

"Sir Hokage...if I have to be honest, Zeus completely exceeded my expectations. He fought with ease and perfect flow as if he had participated in thousands of battles before. Besides, he has an interesting set of self-created jutsus that have caught me off guard." Kakashi answered. "As for the Chidori, Zeus hasn't replicated it perfectly, but it was a close call. However, what disturbed me was the force hidden within that lightning. If you hadn't interfered, I fear that I would have lost the collision."

"Who would have thought that I was raising such a monster." Hiruzen sighed, leaning back against his chair. "I understand that you respect his strength, but what did you think of him as a person?"

"As a person?" Kakashi suddenly turned silent for a few seconds, eventually continuing. "Despite sometimes acting rude and like...a battle junkie, each of his moves is calculated and necessary to attain the best result. I can also see that he greatly respects you, and would probably have no dissent against your orders. Honestly, If I had to describe him, I would simply say that he is an intriguing person."

"I agree...he is one fascinating youth." Hiruzen once again turned his head towards the window, placing his hands one on top of each other. "I believe you have heard our talk with Dazno earlier."

As an answer, Kakashi simply nodded, so Hiruzen continued. "Honestly, I partly agree with Danzo. Zeus has incredible potential, and being a simple chunin might deteriorate his rapid progress, so I have thought that you might want an addition to your team."

Kakashi raised his head a bit higher, clearly not expecting such words. "I don't want to sound rude, but despite being powerful, Zeus remains 7 years old. Anbu, especially my team, are professionals that don't even blink an eye when they are ordered to kill someone...I don't think that such an environment is proper for Zeus."

"I would also like to think this way, Kakashi." Hiruzen closed his eyes momentarily. "Do you remember those three Iwakugare jonin ninjas that were found killed near our village borders two years ago? It was Zeus, who had unhesitantly slaughtered all of them."

Kakashi stayed silent.

"I have thought that Zeus would be deeply affected after murdering someone. However, that wasn't the case at all. He forgot that day as if it wasn't anything special, and we have never talked about it again." Hiruzen continued to talk, remembering everything. "After some thinking, I decided to take a look at the bodies of those three men. All of them were killed in a clean and straightforward manner, something that I would have never thought a five-year-old child would be able to do."

"So, Zeus both acts and thinks on a completely different plane than us." Hiruzen finished, looking back down toward Kakashi. "However, I will not force you. You can make your own choice whether you want Zeus on your team or not. Talk with your unit and give me an answer in three days."

Kakashi nodded, disappearing from the spot, leaving Hiruzen sitting alone in utter darkness and loneliness. He turned his head towards the four stone faces on the cliff. "Minato, I hope you are having a great life on the other side."

***

Insert Gif: Bickering

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