Naruto: Power through Bonds

After hearing Danzō's explanation, Denji finally pieced everything together.

Apparently, Danzō had been missing because he was secretly plotting to assassinate the Hokage.

Following the Nine-Tails' attack, the youngest and most gifted Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had died. In the aftermath, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepped back into the role of leadership, with no plans to appoint a new successor.

Traditionally, the Hokage would meet with the daimyo of the Land of Fire to secure formal approval. However, the village was left in ruins after the attack, and Hiruzen had postponed the trip to the capital until things stabilized.

Danzō, learning of the planned meeting, seized the opportunity. He mobilized all the power of Root, preparing to eliminate Hiruzen that very day.

The good news? The assassination appeared successful.

The bad news? The "Hokage" they killed turned out to be a disguise. The real Hiruzen had seen through the plot from the start. Just as Danzō sat triumphantly on the Hokage's throne, Hiruzen suddenly appeared, shattering his illusion of victory.

Although Hiruzen didn't punish Danzō outright, his patronizing tone deeply wounded Danzō's pride. To make matters worse, Hiruzen had also managed to lure away the Wood Release ninja that Danzō had painstakingly recruited.

Danzō's bitterness was palpable as he recounted the events. He even cursed Sarutobi Biwako, who had already passed away.

Denji couldn't help but feel exasperated. "Old man, you should be grateful. Most people who try to assassinate the Hokage end up dead. The Third Hokage has been generous not to strip you of your position as leader of Root."

Danzō responded with a cold smile, his pride unshaken.

"Generous? He doesn't have the power to remove me. Nominally, Root is part of the Anbu, but Hiruzen holds no real authority over us. Even if I lost my title, those under me would remain loyal. That's what I call a true tool."

"Just don't push your luck," Denji retorted. "I'm still at the ninja academy, which is his territory."

"He won't target you," Danzō said with a calm but commanding tone. "It's not the first time I've done this. I tried to assassinate him once before when he first became Hokage. I even attempted it with the Fourth Hokage."

Denji stared at his grandfather, his expression a mix of disbelief and awkward amusement. The audacity of it all was hard to process. For Danzō, assassinating the Hokage seemed less like treason and more like a bizarre bonding activity with Hiruzen.

Denji shook his head. "Whatever. As long as it doesn't involve me, I'll let you two old men have your squabbles."

After dinner, Denji returned to his room to refine his chakra, while Danzō headed back to the Root base.

There, with a light tap of his cane, two masked Root operatives appeared, kneeling before him.

Danzō didn't speak immediately, considering his next move carefully. Then he gave his first command: "Gather all available information on sword techniques from Konoha and other villages. Compile everything. Contact our agents in the Land of Water—see if you can acquire a blade from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"Understood," one operative replied before vanishing.

Danzō turned to the other. "What has Orochimaru been up to lately?"

"We last saw him enter his lab two weeks ago, sir. Since then, he hasn't emerged. My team hasn't been able to locate him."

Danzō snorted, clearly unsurprised. Monitoring Orochimaru was no easy task. Among the Sannin, Orochimaru was the most unpredictable. After Jiraiya and Tsunade left the village, Orochimaru's behavior became even more erratic.

Their current relationship was a tenuous alliance. Danzō had been considering exposing Orochimaru's human experimentation as a way to push him out of the village. Not even Hiruzen's influence could shield Orochimaru from the fallout if such experiments came to light.

But for now, Danzō wasn't ready to cut ties. He wanted to extract every ounce of value from Orochimaru's research. His grandson had shown an affinity for swordsmanship, and Danzō was determined to provide him with the best resources.

Merely learning the craft wasn't enough—Denji needed a legendary blade to complement his skills. Danzō's first choice was the Thunder God Sword, once wielded by his own teacher, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. But that weapon was currently in Hiruzen's possession and would be difficult to obtain.

The Kusanagi blades in Orochimaru's possession were another option. Though the term "Kusanagi" referred to a class of legendary swords rather than a single weapon, it was rumored that Orochimaru had several. Danzō intended to secure one of these for his grandson.

"Let's go."

Danzō's movements were slow, his body betraying his age, but his resolve was unshaken.

"I need to meet with Orochimaru. I haven't given Denji his sixth birthday present yet…"

...

The next morning, Denji slung his bag over his shoulder and headed to the ninja academy.

The Shimura clan's compound was on the outskirts of the village. On his way into town, several clan members greeted him respectfully. Each exchange triggered small rewards from the system.

[+0.1 Standard Chūnin Chakra]

[+0.2 Standard Chūnin Chakra]

The power of the system was becoming clear. A single unit of Standard Chūnin Chakra was equivalent to ten ordinary Genin. By the time Denji reached the academy, his total reserves had climbed to 1.3 Standard Chūnin units. Along the way, he also picked up a few wind-based talents. Though they weren't enough to push him to the Ultimate level, they did strengthen his existing abilities.

Entering the school grounds, Denji noticed a few students with pale faces who seemed on the verge of tears as soon as they spotted him. He recognized them instantly: the same kids who had once mocked him for being an orphan. 

Back then, Denji had beaten them so soundly they'd missed class for over a week. And now, their terror was palpable. They knew better than to cross him again.

Is the revenge over?

Of course not.

As long as their parents are ninjas, they will definitely not survive this year and will die gloriously on the battlefield.

By then, they will be able to experience what it feels like to be an orphan.

If they are not ninjas, it will be even more easy to deal with them.

Denji paid them no mind, taking his usual seat by the window in the back row. The sparrows outside caught his attention, and he let his thoughts wander until a familiar voice called out.

"Denji!"

He turned to see a cheerful girl with long black hair bounding into the classroom. Her face lit up when she spotted him. Without hesitation, she rushed to the empty seat beside him.

Denji's lips curved into a small smile as he reached over to pat her head. "Hey, Izumi."