Chapter 34: Danzo, you shall be the one to resolve the problem of Shirou Emiya!

Inside the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the first to emerge.

The young man's face glowed with an unusual sense of excitement. Senju Tobirama had just shared a secret with him—a secret regarding the mysterious medical ninja he had encountered at the Konoha Hospital—and had entrusted him with an extremely special mission.

"I thought my own hypothesis was shocking enough..." Hiruzen clenched his fist and struck his other palm, unable to suppress his exhilaration. He was truly stunned by the revelation: "That person is actually the legendary medical ninja, Emiya Shirou himself!"

For some time now, the young man had been intensely curious about the man’s identity. Even when he had asked his father, Sarutobi Sasuke, his father had adamantly refused to divulge anything, sternly warning his son not to be curious and forbidding him from investigating the secret privately. He had told him that maintaining the utmost respect for that man was all that mattered.

To a youth, the more mysterious something was, the more curious he became. He had secretly guessed that the man might be a descendant of Emiya Shirou, but he never imagined it was Emiya Shirou in the flesh, resurrected by Senju Tobirama through the Impure World Reincarnation!

As for the special mission... it was, naturally, to protect Emiya Shirou. Although Hiruzen felt his own strength was insufficient to protect such a monumental figure, Tobirama had steadfastly chosen them for the task.

"Lord Emiya’s power does not require your protection." When Tobirama mentioned the mission, his voice was steady. "Monkey, you and Danzo are the most outstanding young ninja in Konoha."

"The process of this mission is far more important than the result."

"I hope that during this mission, you two can earn Lord Emiya’s approval. Make him willing to trust in Konoha’s future, and make him understand that in the ninja world of tomorrow, only Konoha’s ninja are willing to shoulder the burden of peace."

"Huh?" Hiruzen was a bit confused.

However, Tobirama offered no further explanation. He dismissed the young boy, keeping young Danzo in the Hokage Building instead, seemingly intent on reprimanding Danzo for his overly ruthless and underhanded tactics during sparring sessions with his peers. Although Hiruzen wanted to plead on behalf of his friend, Tobirama’s stern attitude left him no choice but to head home, prepare for the mission, and seek counsel from his father, Sarutobi Sasuke.

Inside the Hokage office, Tobirama sat calmly in his chair. Young Danzo stood before the desk, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Danzo." Tobirama’s gaze was notably cold, lending him an air of authority. "Rest assured, I am not here to criticize your conduct in that match..."

"In practical terms..."

"I should actually praise your quick wit."

"In the era of the Warring States, you would be considered an excellent ninja. That Wind Style technique was quite impressive; it almost killed Monkey. Even I could find no fault in it..."

"To win a battle, one should always use any means necessary. Monkey’s soft-heartedness will sooner or later become a fatal flaw."

"..."

Young Danzo finally let out a sigh of relief. In truth, he hadn't expected this. He had braced himself for a lecture, never dreaming that the notoriously strict Tobirama would praise him while he was still trembling with apprehension.

"However..."

"You must still be gentle with your comrades." Tobirama offered a reminder, his voice deepening. "You and Monkey are comrades who can entrust each other with your lives; you are not mortal enemies to be destroyed..."

"Yes..."

"Good."

Tobirama nodded solemnly before bringing up the main point: "You have heard what I said about the mission to protect Lord Emiya..."

"Yes."

Young Danzo’s heart began to race with excitement. He knew that anything concerning Emiya Shirou must be a top-secret matter for Konoha’s leadership. To be chosen by Tobirama for such a classified mission at the age of fourteen or fifteen made him feel as though he had been entrusted with a great responsibility. He felt as if Tobirama had already identified him as one of the pillars of Konoha's future, and the thought made his heart surge with ambition!

If that were the case... the future position of Hokage... A sudden, burning ambition ignited within young Danzo! Every child who grew up in Konoha witnessed the villagers' profound respect for the First Hokage; who wouldn't want to become the Hokage themselves?

In the past, such an ambition would have been unthinkable. But if Tobirama had designated him and Hiruzen as the future of Konoha, then perhaps, once he was grown, he could indeed shoulder the mantle of Hokage!

"However..."

"You know how Monkey is." Tobirama’s expression grew increasingly grave as he issued his order: "This mission requires you to be by his side, carefully covering his blind spots."

"Yes!" young Danzo replied loudly without hesitation!

What did this mean? It clearly meant that Master Tobirama valued him even more! While that fellow Sarutobi Hiruzen was talented, Tobirama was clearly dissatisfied with his temperament and therefore favored him instead! Otherwise, why would he have kept him behind specifically?

"Danzo."

"The burden you carry will be heavy." Tobirama’s eyes narrowed slightly. He saw through the young man’s excitement but remained indifferent to his ambition. "You should know that the great nations of the ninja world have established their own hidden villages, and competition exists between them..."

"Lord Emiya."

"He is an important figure we must compete for." Tobirama thought of his older brother’s lifespan and his expression darkened. "For Konoha, Lord Emiya is an indispensable existence, especially since he knows many of our secrets, including our highest-level classified information..."

"Then..." Young Danzo, not fully understanding, tentatively asked, "Shouldn't we keep Lord Emiya in Konoha?"

"For now..."

"At least for the moment..."

"Konoha cannot sway his will." Tobirama could not reveal the connection between Emiya Shirou and Senju Hashirama’s lifespan, so he had to use simpler terms to explain Emiya's status: "As a great figure who has contributed immensely throughout the long history of the ninja world, Konoha cannot act disrespectfully toward him, nor can we use force..."

"However..."

"Lord Emiya possesses secrets from the ancient era and even some formidable powers, which means we cannot ignore the influence he might have on the ninja world if he leaves Konoha..." As he spoke, Tobirama extended his arm to showcase the cursed seal on his skin. "For instance, Lord Emiya’s cursed seal energy can drastically boost a ninja’s combat capabilities. An ordinary ninja who obtains it can quickly acquire the power of a Jonin..."

"!!!"

Young Danzo felt a chill run through him! In that instant, a wave of greed surged within the youth’s heart. He quickly realized the value of such power and said in a low voice, "This power must never fall into the hands of other ninja villages!"

"Correct." Tobirama nodded with satisfaction.

"For the sake of Konoha..."

"We must employ other methods..." Tobirama hoped the young man understood what he was asking of him: "Danzo, your mission to protect Lord Emiya alongside Monkey is merely a cover..."

"Your true mission is singular."

"No matter what means you use, you must prevent that gentleman from leaning toward other ninja villages. To this end, I will send an Anbu squad to follow you and provide support; this squad will help clean up those who shouldn't be there..."

"Yes!" Young Danzo knelt on one knee.

"Good."

Tobirama’s expression finally softened. Of course, in name, they were there to assist Danzo. In reality, the Anbu were the ones who would carry out the work. However, Tobirama also needed to plant someone suitable by Emiya Shirou’s side. He had wanted to use the assistant he had assigned to Emiya, but that assistant had been won over by Emiya’s noble character and might not be willing to carry out such tasks...

But then again... Tobirama had other thoughts in mind. These little schemes were certainly not to be told to Shimura Danzo.

In this mission to protect Emiya Shirou, young Sarutobi Hiruzen was the trump card Tobirama truly intended to use, as both he and his brother held Hiruzen in high regard.

Young Hiruzen possessed chakra of all five natures and had immense talent for learning ninjutsu. When faced with crises, he exhibited the leadership qualities necessary to inspire those around him. His soft-heartedness could, in a sense, be seen as mercy and kindness—hadn't the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, always been soft-hearted toward others?

Tobirama believed Hiruzen was the person most likely to win Emiya Shirou’s approval. Young Danzo was merely a hidden piece he had placed on the board, tasked with resolving troublesome issues in the shadows...

Of course, Tobirama had considered Danzo’s future as well. He had noticed Danzo’s willingness to use any means necessary, and he felt the boy was similar to him in certain ways—which, in his eyes, was not a bad thing.

Because when dealing with enemies, that exact style was needed.

Unfortunately... the boy’s talent was lacking. Danzo’s path was veering off course; he liked to focus on powerful ninjutsu and always hoped to find shortcuts to strength.

On this point... Tobirama had to admit the boy was even more like him. His own talent was not top-tier, and he could never keep up with the peak powerhouses like his brother or Uchiha Madara. Lacking any superior bloodline limit, he had been forced to develop bizarre and eccentric techniques to bridge the gap in talent.

"By the way."

"You seem to enjoy using sealing-type cursed seals in combat." Tobirama glanced down at the seal on his own arm and instructed young Danzo: "I have yet to research this type of seal energy, but it is undoubtedly the most powerful body-enhancing seal I have ever seen..."

"If you can obtain this energy from Lord Emiya during the mission, it will be a good thing for your future, and the path ahead will be much smoother..."