Year 33 August 20th,
With the celebrations finally drawing to a close and Konoha slowly returning to its daily routine, Sarutobi Hiruzen officially announced the establishment of the Konoha Orphanage, publicly reminding the villagers to once more honor their fallen heroes. It wasn't that the village had forgotten its dead; rather, the week-long festive euphoria had overshadowed the somber memorial services held immediately after the war. Once again, Hiruzen's passionate rhetoric and his swift humanitarian directive earned the deep respect of the civilian populace and seasoned shinobi veterans alike.
However, behind every brilliant light, a shadow invariably looms. The foundational purpose of the Konoha Orphanage was already tightly bound to the grand strategy of Senju Genshiro.
Under the deep veil of night, three hooded figures quietly slipped into a seemingly unremarkable teahouse located in one of Konoha's least populated sectors.
"Kenji... this place," a voice whispered in hesitant doubt as they stepped inside the vacant establishment. A lone manager stood quietly behind the wooden counter. "I thought we were visiting the ANBU headquarters tonight?"
"You'll see, Danzō," Kenji replied curtly.
At the front, Genshiro pulled back his hood, whispering a coded phrase to the manager. Without a word, the man guided the three behind the counter and into a cramped staff room, its shelves packed tight with jars of dried tea leaves and wooden crates of medicinal herbs. Genshiro gave a sharp nod. Kenji stepped forward, lifting a specific jar and sliding open three separate herb boxes along the leftmost shelf. With a metallic click and the deep rumble of grinding gears behind the woodwork, a massive shelf slid back and rotated into the wall, revealing a pitch-black underground passage.
"!" Danzō's eyes widened in profound shock.
When Tobirama had first established the ANBU, Danzō and his five colleagues had worked hand-in-hand to recruit and train its foundational members. Yet, they had never seen or heard of a facility like this. Their only known operations had been the subterranean bases carved directly into the roots of the Hokage Mountain.
Genshiro and Kenji stepped into the threshold first, their silent movement sending a clear, wordless ultimatum to Danzo: This is your final chance to turn back.
'What are you hesitating for?' Danzō reprimanded himself fiercely, his teeth grinding together as he stared into the abyss. 'You have already chosen your path! I will gladly work in the darkest shadows to serve the light!'
Squaring his shoulders, Danzō stepped into the damp, dark passage, following closely behind the two Senju.
***
Navigating a maze-like network of massive pipeline structures buried deep beneath the foundations of Konoha, the three eventually emerged into a cavernous, dimly lit subterranean training ground.
"Welcome to the ANBU Training Division, Danzō," Genshiro announced, turning around to lean on his wooden cane with both hands. "This is where you will be serving Konoha from this day forward."
"The ANBU Training Division?" Danzō muttered. His brow furrowed as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, catching sight of dozens of young children undergoing brutal conditioning drills across the stone floor. "Why all the secrecy? And why are we using children?"
"Danzō... tell me, what is the fundamental purpose of the ANBU? Why did Tobirama create them?" Genshiro asked, his voice striking a terrifying balance between a gentle grandfather and a chilling pragmatist.
"They exist to serve Konoha and Konoha alone, defending the borders against external threats," Danzō answered calmly, though his posture tensed as a squad of unfamiliar, masked ANBU silently lined up behind him with Kenji. "...And they are meant to serve as the Hokage's vanguard and sharpest sword."
"Precisely," Genshiro nodded, a warm smile gracing his wrinkled face. "The ANBU should be the Hokage's ultimate strength. But as you well know, the vast majority of our current operatives are actively recruited from the shinobi clans. When forced to choose between the preservation of their clan and the survival of the village, their priorities inherently fracture. The value of the ANBU are fundamentally compromised by these internal uncertainties."
Danzō found himself slowly, deliberately nodding in agreement.
"Your explicit duty here is to cultivate an elite breed of ANBU who are loyal solely to the system—operatives who are ready to lay down their lives for the completion of a mission without a single shred of hesitation," Genshiro continued. His soothing tone sent a cold shiver down Danzō's spine, though the young man couldn't tell if the sensation stemmed from instinctive terror or a sudden, roaring wave of fanatical excitement that perfectly matched his own dark nature. "They will possess no name, no individual feelings, no personal past, and no promised future. They will have nothing but the execution of the mission burned into their minds."
"But... these children," Danzō murmured. He tried to project hesitation, yet his eyes burned with a sudden, fervent zeal.
Genshiro's lips arched ever so slightly at the look. 'Perfect. I knew he would fit right in.'
"I understand that it may appear cruel to subject children to standard ANBU conditioning," Genshiro reasoned smoothly. "But the youth are highly impressionable; it is the easiest stage of development to mold them into perfectly loyal shinobi. Furthermore, through this specialized regimen, they will scale combat heights they could never hope to achieve as ordinary orphans. We are doing them an immense service by providing food, shelter, advanced training, and advanced jutsus. As sons and daughters of Konoha, what greater purpose could they possibly have? What higher fulfillment exists than to serve the village?"
Danzō nodded fervently, fully enraptured by the philosophy. "So, they will serve Hiruzen, supporting his back with absolute, unbreakable loyalty. If that is the goal, then I agree—"
"They will serve the Hokage and Konoha!" Genshiro corrected sharply with a lowered tone. "Yes, they will be loyal to Hiruzen, but solely because he currently wears the mantle of Hokage. They will not serve the Sarutobi clan, nor will they serve any predecessor or succeeding lineages. Their allegiance belongs strictly to the office of the Hokage and the village itself. You must make that distinction absolutely clear, Danzō."
"Serving the administrative system... not a specific individual or a clan," Danzō repeated, a wave of profound, fanatical satisfaction washing over him. He perked his head up, his eyes locked onto the elder. "Understood. What are my orders?"
Genshiro smiled warmly as Kenji stepped forward, handing a dense, heavy scroll to Danzō. "These are the blueprint training modules and operational protocols. If you wish to make any tactical adjustments to the curriculum, simply notify me beforehand."
Fully convinced that this dark program was a necessity to safeguard Konoha's future, Danzō officially assumed command of the ANBU Training Division. And acting under Genshiro's hidden directives, he immediately began systematically pulling promising orphans between the ages of five and nine into this secretive facility, occasionally introducing exceptional children from smaller, politically isolated clans.
What Danzo failed to realize, however, was that his newly founded division was merely a screening pool for the Senju Shadow Guards. Working directly alongside Danzō, Kenji secretly observed the drills from the observation decks. He would systematically intercept the best, most naturally gifted candidates, quietly inducting them into the hidden ranks of the Shadow Guard while inscribing a powerful, specialized tongue curse seal directly into their oral cavities to guarantee their loyalty and silence.