Shigure's disappearance didn't mean he had left Konoha entirely—
rather, he had arrived somewhere else.
Because he had sensed Gekkō Hayate.
"Big Brother Hayate?"
Shigure's sudden voice startled Hayate, who hadn't even noticed his presence.
"Shigure!" Hayate turned quickly, eyes wide.
That speed—he hadn't sensed a thing.
Looking at the young man before him, Hayate was momentarily speechless. Shigure now stood taller, his chakra denser and calmer than ever.
How long had it been since they'd last met? He'd grown so much.
"I thought it couldn't be you at first," Hayate said, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "But that chakra... it's unmistakable. Still, seeing you now... I can hardly believe it."
Shigure chuckled softly. "It might be because of my fusion with a Tailed Beast. My body developed much faster after that."
"Faster?" Hayate gave a short, breathy laugh. "That's an understatement."
Though Shigure looked like a boy of fifteen or sixteen, he was only a little over twelve.
"It seems you've been through quite a lot in Kirigakure," Hayate said with quiet admiration. "Your strength must've grown immensely. I doubt a Jōnin like me could even keep up anymore."
"Big Brother Hayate... you became a full-fledged Jōnin?" Shigure blinked in surprise. "Congratulations!"
Hayate gave a bitter smile. "Danzo made me a Jōnin."
"Danzo?" Shigure's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hayate's pallor and tone said enough. Shigure immediately understood.
A shinobi promoted under Danzo Shimura's rule—once the Third Hokage returned, such a person would be labeled as Danzo's subordinate.
They wouldn't be punished outright, but they'd be marginalized, excluded from real authority or respect.
For Hayate, the title of Jōnin was just that—a title, nothing more.
But refusing wasn't an option.
At that time, Konoha was under Danzo's control.
"Still," Shigure offered gently, "a promotion is something, isn't it? How's Uncle Masano and everyone else?"
After leaving Konoha, the only people Shigure still worried about were Masano's family—the ones who had taken care of him for years.
Taking them away had been impossible, and they likely wouldn't have agreed to go.
But because of their connection to him, they'd surely felt uneasy—and perhaps even been watched.
If anyone investigated Shigure's past, they'd find that Masano, a mere Chūnin, had helped raise him.
Those who wanted to target Shigure would undoubtedly use that against him.
That was why he had never dared to contact them again—only secretly sending money whenever possible, hoping Masano could live comfortably, even without mission pay.
Hayate's expression softened. "I knew you wouldn't forget Uncle Masano. He's asked about you countless times. He even went to the higher-ups... but it didn't help."
Shigure sighed. "He shouldn't. It's better if he doesn't mention me ever again. For their sake, it's safest if we're strangers. Even more distant than strangers."
"I understand." Hayate nodded slowly. "You've been sending them money, haven't you?"
Shigure didn't reply, but his silence was answer enough.
"You just don't want them to be dragged into danger... I get that." Hayate hesitated.
"But, Shigure, there's one more thing I need to ask of you."
Shigure raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"I hope you can persuade Kirigakure to support Danzo... as Hokage."
The words hung heavy in the air. Hayate lowered his gaze, unable to meet Shigure's eyes.
For a long moment, Shigure said nothing—just looking quietly at him, expression unreadable. Then he sighed softly.
He had cut ties with Konoha to protect Masano's family. Yet he had forgotten—his weakness here also included Gekkō Hayate.
"This isn't your own request, is it?" Shigure asked quietly.
Hayate's silence was answer enough.
Shigure exhaled through his nose. So, Danzo was pulling the strings again.
"Are you sure Danzo truly wants to go that far?" Shigure asked. His voice was calm but sharp.
"The title of Hokage belongs only to Konoha. No other village should ever have a say in it."
And yet... that was exactly what Danzo was doing—reaching out to other nations for support.
It was a desperate move, the act of a man losing control.
If Kirigakure truly declared support for Danzo, it would only fuel Konoha's hatred toward the Mist.
It would fracture what little peace remained.
Shigure's eyes grew cold.
Danzo's ambition had already cost too many lives.
And now, even Hayate was caught in his web.
If the Hidden Mist Village truly supported Danzo's claim to the Hokage title, it would enrage not only Konoha, but every other Great Village as well.
After all—every village had its own internal struggles for power.
If outsiders interfered in another village's leadership, it was an unspoken rule: the rest of the world would turn against them.
Of course, that "resistance" would be no more than diplomatic posturing—boycotts, political pressure, whispered criticism.
But for shinobi, reputation was power.
Even mere words—spoken in contempt by ninja from other villages—could tarnish the name of the Hidden Mist.
Still, Shigure had no way to refuse Danzo's request.
Or rather—no choice.
Because of Gekkō Hayate.
He knew perfectly well what awaited Hayate if he refused.
Shigure clenched his fists. "Why don't you leave Konoha with me? Come to the Hidden Mist Village!"
The meaning behind his words was clear.
If Hayate stayed, Danzo would continue to control him.
The only way to escape that fate—was to leave.
Hayate smiled softly. "Thanks to the money you sent me before, I'm getting married next month."
A gentle refusal.
He had lived in Konoha his entire life.
The thought of abandoning it—of leaving everything behind—wasn't something he could accept.
Shigure fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright… then let me be the first to congratulate you, Big Brother Hayate."
His tone was calm, but his eyes flickered with complex emotion.
A white mist gathered beneath his feet, spiraling upward. In an instant, it solidified into a Flying Nimbus—his personal ninjutsu creation modeled after a cloud.
Riding it, Shigure rose rapidly into the sky.
Within seconds, he vanished above the Konoha skyline.
When Hayate finally returned, he descended into the cold depths of the Root Headquarters.
Danzo sat silently, his single eye half-hidden beneath his bandaged face.
"How was it?" he asked quietly.
"That boy still trusts you, doesn't he?"
Hayate nodded stiffly.
"Did he agree to what you said?"
"He… didn't refuse."
Danzo's thin lips curled slightly. "Not refusing is the same as agreeing."
Hayate's gut twisted.
Danzo nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. From tomorrow onward, you'll serve as Anbu Captain, in charge of a special unit stationed at Konoha Hospital. You'll be responsible for its 'security.'"
Hayate's eyes widened slightly.
Security? No—surveillance.
He was being assigned to monitor the Hokage's supporters—the medical corps loyal to the Third Hokage's ideals.
A blatant sign that Danzo was pushing him further from Sarutobi's faction.
But defiance meant death.
All he could do was bow his head.
"…Understood."
Far away, cutting through the clouds on his Nimbus, Shigure's face darkened.
He had pieced everything together the moment he'd left Konoha's airspace.
Danzo had used Hayate as a pawn—a hostage to control him.
The veins in Shigure's temples bulged, his eyes burning crimson with fury.
A suffocating aura spread across the sky, making the very air tremble.
Even Kisame Hoshigaki, standing some distance away after being released, froze in place—his instincts screaming danger.
He dared not move.
He dared not even breathe.
"Danzo…" Shigure's voice came out low and venomous. "You dare threaten me?"
His chakra flared violently, distorting the air around him.
"I've been patient. I didn't come to cause trouble for you."
"But you couldn't resist, could you?"
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
"Very well," he growled, his voice echoing like thunder through the mist.
"You brought this upon yourself."
Originally, Shigure had no intention of getting involved with Konoha's politics.
He had no time to waste on a schemer like Danzo—not when he was preparing to assume the title of Mizukage.
But now…
Now Danzo had crossed the line.
If the old warhawk wanted chaos—then chaos he would get.
Shigure's eyes gleamed with killing intent as the clouds around him began to burn red.
The storm was coming—and this time, it would be Shigure who set Konoha ablaze.
...
TN:
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