~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
Hiruzen Sarutobi left Danzō's office and returned to the standoff between his ANBU and the Root operatives.
"Danzō," Hiruzen stated flatly. "Hand over Jia."
Danzō's expression soured, but he gave a subtle nod to one of his men. The Root ninja vanished briefly, then reappeared, a blank-faced figure in tow.
With visible reluctance, Danzō addressed the operative. "As of today, you are no longer a member of Root."
Jia showed no reaction. "Understood."
"From this moment," Hiruzen said, his voice carrying finality, "you report directly to the Hokage's ANBU. You come with me."
Hiruzen led the ANBU and their new charge away from the Root stronghold. As Kakashi turned to depart with his team, the Hokage's voice stopped him.
"Kakashi. A word in my office."
Kakashi's brow furrowed slightly beneath his mask. "…Yes, sir."
The Hokage's office felt heavy with unspoken implications. Kakashi and the newly acquired operative stood before the desk.
"Root is behind you," Hiruzen began, addressing the stoic ninja. "You serve the Hokage's ANBU now. Do you have a name?"
"No."
Hiruzen offered a grandfatherly smile. "Then I shall give you one. 'Yamato.' Do you like it?"
The operative—Yamato—stared. Like it? The question made no sense. His entire life in Root had been a series of clear, unemotional commands. No one asked for his opinion. He fell silent, unsure how to process the question.
Hiruzen understood. Danzō's methods eradicated the self. This one, raised from childhood in that darkness, didn't need the training. He was already the perfect tool. A weapon that only followed orders.
"You need only know," Hiruzen said kindly, "that your name is now Yamato."
A command. Yamato could respond to that. "Yes."
"Good. You are an ANBU operative. You will be assigned a team. Your codename within the black ops will be 'Tenzō.'"
Yamato felt nothing. The master had changed from Danzō to Sarutobi. The function remained the same.
"You may go. An ANBU captain awaits you outside to guide you to headquarters."
As Yamato's silent form retreated through the door, Hiruzen watched, deeply satisfied. The boy was an emotionless tool now, yes. But once he developed attachments, those loyalties would bind him irrevocably to the Hokage, to Konoha. A shinobi with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai… a formidable asset for the future.
Kakashi observed it all, saying nothing.
Hiruzen turned his gaze on him. "Kakashi. I wish for you to join the ANBU as well."
Kakashi's eye sharpened. "My apologies, Lord Hokage. I have no intention of joining the black ops."
"Don't be so quick to refuse." Hiruzen leaned forward, his tone shifting to one of grave concern. "Qianyu took you in. Taught you. Treated you as his own. You know this. And you also know his current… opposition to the village's leadership is becoming a chasm. But remember, Kakashi—your loyalty is to Konoha. To the Will of Fire. Not to one man alone.
"Your father understood this. He was the Will of Fire incarnate. He gave everything for this village. His death remains one of my deepest regrets. As the son of Konoha's White Fang, you should honor his legacy. Protect the village he died for.
"You are a prodigy. I see great potential in you. I want you on the right path. Not one that leads you away from Konoha."
Kakashi's eye lowered. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white beneath his gloves.
Rage. Cold, seething rage flooded him. How dare this man speak of his father.
"My Lord Hokage," Kakashi asked, his voice dangerously low. "How did my father die?"
Hiruzen took a long draw from his pipe, exhaling smoke with a sigh of regret. "Kakashi… I know the pain of Sakumo's death has never left you. It haunts me as well. The shinobi world was in chaos then. I was forced to focus on the larger picture, and in doing so, I… failed to properly address the situation surrounding Sakumo. By the time I realized the depth of the oversight…" He shook his head. "It was too late."
Kakashi's right eye was a still, dead pool fixed on the Hokage.
So. He really did think Kakashi was a fool.
Who had stripped Hatake Sakumo of all rank and duty? The Konoha Council. Hiruzen's own administration.
Failed to address it? They hadn't forgotten to demote him.
The pieces clicked into place. This wasn't about mentorship. This was a recruitment pitch. An attempt to turn him against Qianyu.
"Precisely because of my guilt," Hiruzen continued, his voice dripping with paternal warmth, "I have watched over you. Seeing the shinobi you've become… it brings me pride, Kakashi. You have your father's bearing.
"Though… I once believed Qianyu would be a fine teacher for you. It seems I was mistaken. I do not want you led astray. You are one of our brightest prospects. Skilled. Courageous. Perceptive. Capable. I see in you a potential successor."
Kakashi tilted his head. "I'm honored by your faith, Lord Hokage. But why do you say my teacher has failed?"
Hiruzen slid a file across the desk. "See for yourself."
This had been the plan all along. Bringing Kakashi on the raid, letting him witness the 'compassionate' handling of Yamato—it was all stage-setting for this moment. To show Kakashi that Hiruzen Sarutobi valued talent.
The play was supposed to end with Yamato's induction. But Danzō's file on Qianyu… this was an unexpected gift. A perfect test.
If Kakashi was unaware of these crimes, the seed of doubt could be planted. The defection was possible.
Hiruzen's keen eyes remained locked on Kakashi's face. The mask hid much, but a man of his experience could read volumes in a single eye.
Kakashi picked up the file. He flipped through the pages, his movements deliberate.
The pupil of his visible eye contracted sharply, a flicker of stunned disbelief.
Hiruzen smoked in silence, watching. So. He didn't know.
The possibility was there.
But it was too early to celebrate. He needed to watch. To wait.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (100+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!