Inside an office beneath the Hokage Tower in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the report in his hands, unusually absorbed.
Seated across from him was Shimura Danzō, while Owl stood silently behind him.
Both of them had already read the report once.
Quickly.
Unlike Hiruzen—who, after finishing it, circled back and read it again, carefully weighing every line.
Owl, having once been thoroughly taught a lesson by Hikaru, knew better than most just how terrifying that young man truly was—even if the earlier incident had involved an element of surprise.
But ninja combat was never fair.
Owl hated Hikaru from the bottom of his heart, yet even he couldn't deny that Hikaru had done nothing wrong.
This time, Hikaru had volunteered for the Sunagakure mission.
Owl hadn't shown it on his face, but inside he'd felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Because he knew—
That mission was anything but easy.
One mistake, and that damned brat would be buried in the Land of Wind forever.
And at first, things had unfolded exactly as Owl expected.
Kakashi had been sent away for reasons unknown, and Hikaru had indeed been noticed by Ebizo.
But what happened next shattered all expectations.
Alone.
Facing Ebizo and his subordinates—
Hikaru killed six ANBU, then escaped.
Not just escaped.
Along the way, he wiped out five full squads, throwing Sunagakure into panic and even forcing the defense forces to mobilize.
The result left Owl stunned.
And afraid.
If Hikaru had treated him the same way back then…
Would he still be alive?
The answer haunted him.
No.
If Hikaru hadn't held back, Owl would already be dead.
"How can that brat be this strong…?"
Owl clenched his teeth.
This report wasn't just bad news—it was a nightmare.
Danzō was no calmer.
From the moment Hikaru entered ANBU, Danzō had kept an eye on him.
A Senju.
That alone made him impossible to ignore.
Very little from the Senju clan ever fell into Danzō's hands, and he never believed they had truly given everything up.
Hikaru was an opportunity.
One he had to seize.
But Hiruzen had never intended to release him.
Not once.
And that left Danzō powerless.
Over the next five years, the boy became a squad leader, his strength growing steadily.
That much was still acceptable.
But everything changed after Shōsaki Castle.
After Hikaru obtained that massive lizard summon, his combat rating soared.
Then came the final blow—
Flying Thunder God.
As Tobirama's former student, Danzō knew exactly how terrifying that technique was.
He had never imagined the boy's talent would reach such a level.
Meanwhile, Danzō himself had fallen into ruin.
ROOT had been dismantled and forced into reorganization.
He lost the gamble over the Hokage succession.
He lost control over ANBU.
Then his last remaining ANBU Division Commander died on a mission.
A devastating blow.
If he hadn't known it was coincidence, he would have suspected someone was deliberately targeting him.
ROOT was only now recovering.
And Hikaru?
Hikaru was rising higher and higher.
When Hikaru competed for Division Commander, Danzō tested Hiruzen's stance.
The answer had been clear.
No.
Now?
Now Danzō didn't even need to ask.
Going to Hiruzen again would only invite humiliation.
"Why is it that all the benefits go to Hiruzen… and I get nothing?"
Knowing the depth of Hiruzen's trust in Hikaru only made it worse.
That trust was genuine.
But sometimes… it felt like bragging.
Hiruzen was Hokage.
Danzō was not.
People gathered around power.
Not him.
"…Interesting."
Hiruzen finally raised his head.
His expression held surprise, satisfaction—and something far more complex.
What Hikaru had done was worth celebrating.
He had slapped Sunagakure across the face.
Between villages, reputation mattered almost as much as war.
Once a village's prestige was damaged, trust fell.
Missions declined.
Funds dried up.
Ninja training suffered.
A slow collapse.
What Hikaru did hadn't crippled Sand—but it was a serious blow to their credibility.
Six killed in one encounter.
Twenty more erased without resistance.
A clean, one-sided slaughter.
That level of strength and execution was nothing but good news for Konoha.
Hiruzen was a politician.
He had his calculations, his compromises, his shadows.
But he truly wanted Konoha to grow stronger.
Hikaru had the potential to become one of its pillars.
Given time—and resources—
Hiruzen believed he would see that future.
"I never imagined that a pawn chosen merely to better observe Minato… would grow this far."
Hiruzen set the report aside, deep in thought.
"I trust this boy. He carries the Will of Fire."
"Perhaps… I can give him more."
More than Minato.
More than the Senju.
Enough to bind him firmly to Konoha.
But first—
He had to come back alive.
Hiruzen tapped his pipe lightly.
Then he spoke.
"Owl."
"Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Inform Takuya. Have him personally lead a team into the Land of Wind."
Owl froze.
"Personally…? Hokage-sama, will this be an official operation, or—"
Hiruzen smiled.
"Unofficial."
Several kilometers from Loulan, within a hidden oasis—
Hikaru nodded quietly as he looked at the towering tree before him.
He had carved a hollow into its trunk.
Inside, he placed the flesh—suspected to be Senju Hashirama's.
Then he sealed the opening.
Now, all he could do was wait.
Wait and see if the tree would change.
If it did, perhaps he could harvest something he'd dreamed of for a long time.
He hadn't stopped there.
Using Earth Release, he sealed chakra into another tree.
He already possessed the Earth Release Seed, but the System had never limited him to only one.
If his hypothesis was correct—
He could replicate the process.
Fill every elemental gap.
Complete his chakra attributes.
Bloodline synthesis through chakra fusion—
This had always been his plan.
"Yin Release and Yang Release are still troublesome…"
Hikaru exhaled, then refocused.
"If this succeeds, I might obtain Yang Release."
"And if that works…"
"…I can plant a Sharingan."
The thought was bold—but logical.
Most Yin Release manifestations were techniques.
But physical manifestations?
Only one stood out.
The Sharingan.
If sealing chakra worked—
He wouldn't even need such extreme methods.
As for the Hashirama tissue…
Wood Release was the most obvious possibility.
But Wood Release wasn't just power—it was inheritance.
Only Asura's reincarnation had ever truly mastered it.
Others—Yamato, Obito, White Zetsu—were pale imitations.
Which suggested something deeper.
"…Just like Mangekyō is common, but only Indra could reach Madara's level."
Hikaru shook his head.
He had time.
One to two months.
After that—he would leave, regardless of the outcome.
Supplies wouldn't last forever.
And if Sunagakure started searching Loulan…
That would be dangerous.
"I attacked along the Wind–Rain border."
"But if I disappear long enough, they'll suspect I doubled back."
Every step in enemy territory had to be calculated.
The oasis had already been transformed into a hidden fortress.
Lizards patrolled the perimeter.
Animal communication remained active at all times.
An underground shelter lay concealed beneath brush and sand.
Without barrier techniques, this was as secure as it could get.
Everything was ready.
Hikaru turned his gaze toward the towering structure beyond the oasis.
The Dragon Vein.
Then he moved.
The sandstorm roared, blotting out the sun.
Yet Loulan still stood—
And the closer Hikaru drew, the more overwhelming that chakra became.
Strange.
Powerful.
Tempting.
"If I could control it…"
"…or it might destroy me first."
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