"What is it that you're lacking…?"
Hiruzen stared at the cigarette in his hand and said with a smile, "In which aspect?"
Danzō froze for a moment.
What he had actually meant was the combat aspect…
But since he had finally opened his mouth to ask Hiruzen, he might as well ask everything.
Opportunities for Hiruzen's guidance were not common, after all—even the Hokage's assistant had to maintain face…
"Everything, I suppose," Danzō said. He knew Hiruzen would understand what he meant.
"In terms of combat, your current setup doesn't squander your natural talent," Hiruzen said, patting his old friend on the shoulder.
"Your proficiency in Wind Release allows your combat radius to cover long, mid, and close range. Having idolized Tobirama-sensei since childhood, your close-quarters fighting is also passable…"
"But if you encounter an opponent whose combat power exceeds the ordinary, you lack 'fault tolerance.'"
Danzō listened attentively.
"Take the Kage of the major villages as examples."
"The Third Tsuchikage and the Third Kazekage—both possess the ability to fly. The Kazekage's Iron Sand defense is particularly outstanding, and through probing engagements they can obtain a tremendous amount of information."
"The Third Raikage's physical strength and speed, and our sensei's Flying Thunder God Technique…"
Hiruzen went through the notable figures of the great villages one by one: "The Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage—you should remember them… Both possess secret techniques for invisibility and stealth. One can split himself, while the other can create extremely powerful clones."
"The jinchūriki of each village are the same. So-called tailed-beast weapons are, in essence, all about borrowing the chakra of the tailed beasts to obtain extremely high fault tolerance, making it impossible for ordinary shinobi to contend with them."
"The Uchiha clan's 'Susanoo,' as recorded in the archives, is also the same."
"Without fault tolerance, you lose the capital to engage in such contests. And just how important information is—you know that well."
Danzō nodded thoughtfully.
He had, in fact, gained some insights himself. But being too close to the matter made it difficult for him to see his own shortcomings clearly. Only through another person's analysis and guidance could he properly confront them.
This was also why, despite knowing full well that the probability of defeating Hiruzen was extremely low, he still chose to initiate a spar.
This was not Kirigakure, where successfully challenging the Mizukage granted the legal basis to become Mizukage.
Rather, only through real combat and sparring could one truly uncover one's own deficiencies. And across the entirety of Konoha, those who could genuinely strike him without holding back, and do so with certainty…
Were limited to the old friend standing before him.
In a certain sense, when Hiruzen fought Danzō, it truly was one willing to fight and one willing to be struck…
"Take the Uchiha clan, for example—the opponent you are most wary of."
"If one day you were to face a Mangekyō head-on, how would you deal with Susanoo?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "Your long-range Wind Release isn't lethal enough. At mid-range, others have more fault tolerance than you do. At close range, it goes without saying…"
"Your taijutsu does have some skill to it, but are you still going to wrap a kunai in Wind Release and risk your life against them?"
Danzō's face darkened. "Monkey, fine—you won. But don't take me for an idiot… How could I possibly do something like stabbing Susanoo with a kunai?"
"I'm just making an example. Why are you getting worked up…"
"So, if your combat target isn't just jōnin, but those troublesome opponents, you have to find a way to raise your fault tolerance."
"Fault tolerance is the fundamental dividing line between the strong and the weak."
Hiruzen thought for a moment. "If you were to create a Wind Release chakra mode…"
"Wind Release—techniques that control airflow… If you push shape transformation to the extreme, in theory it should be able to provide the effect of flight or gliding, or increase your movement speed."
"Of course, the process won't be easy. After all, you'd be creating it from scratch."
Ninjutsu was not something so easily created.
Not only did it require a solid foundation, that crucial flash of inspiration was also indispensable. Lacking that spark, your progress in creating it could get stuck dead in place for who knew how long.
That was also why Senju Tobirama was feared.
His flashes of inspiration in this area seemed a bit too plentiful…
"It won't be easy…"
Danzō sighed. "If our sensei were still here, that would be great. If I could talk through the approach with Tobirama-sensei, he would definitely give me a lot of valuable advice."
"I'll try it myself. The approach is there—at the very least, there should be some output."
Hiruzen held his expression in check, thinking about many serious matters to keep himself from showing a smile.
Speaking of it, it really was a kind of hell joke…
When our sensei truly comes back to life, it'll already be good enough if you don't go after him to the death…
A super-genius Uchiha—wouldn't that give you a stress reaction?
As for Tobirama being revived, Hiruzen did not intend to tell anyone. The more people who knew, the greater the chance of a leak.
No matter who it was.
And from another angle, Danzō's actions later on in targeting Uchiha Tobirama—so-called genuine emotions were the best acting—would also be extremely beneficial for our sensei in winning over the Uchiha's hearts.
It would just mean making Danzō suffer a bit.
"Hiruzen, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Did that jolt just now rattle your internal organs?"
"No. I just thought of some village affairs."
Hiruzen gave a light cough. "How about bringing our sensei back with Impure World Reincarnation, so you can ask him?"
"What are you saying, Hiruzen?" Danzō shot Hiruzen a glare. "Those whose souls have returned to the Pure Land have already gained peace and tranquility. If you said Konoha had been beaten by the enemy to the point of village annihilation, that would be one thing, but to disturb our sensei over something this small—how could you even suggest it!"
"I don't want our sensei to think I haven't grown, that I still have to rely on my elders for something this small!"
Hiruzen pondered inwardly.
Shimura Danzō, as a person—his obsession seemed to be the Hokage position, but it was closer to "recognition."
Ascending to the position of Hokage, in a certain sense, meant that the deceased Senju Tobirama would "acknowledge" him—and as the Third Hokage, he would naturally acknowledge Danzō as well.
"You're right. It was just a joke."
Hiruzen silently added in his mind: 'Impure World Reincarnation is out of the question, but revival is a different matter… Researching a Wind Release chakra mode is a minor issue; reshaping the Uchiha into the mold of the Will of Fire is the real priority.'
At present, the Uchiha had not actually brought out the combat power that the clan ought to possess.
After all, being tethered within Konoha, they had not seen blood very often.
But once blood was shed, the instability introduced by the Sharingan would become far too great. Maintaining stability would no longer be something as simple as it was now…
When the Uchiha went mad, they would cut down even their own.
That had also been Tobirama's line of thinking back then.
Therefore, someone was needed to alter the Uchiha from their very foundation into the shape of Konoha—to instill the Will of Fire to a degree that even the emotional fluctuations brought on by the Sharingan could not shake it.
"As for the other aspects…"
Hiruzen patted Danzō on the shoulder. "With you, I don't want to talk about the Will of Fire anymore."
"Danzō, our lives were bought with Tobirama-sensei's."
"He was the Hokage. We were his guards."
Danzō listened in silence.
"Now you are the Hokage's assistant."
"Most of the shinobi in the village are just like we were back then."
Hiruzen spoke softly. "If you want to become a ninja like Tobirama-sensei, then you need to understand and learn his methods, don't you?"
"To enemies, be as merciless as the depths of winter—but to one's own people, always preserve a measure of the warmth of fire…"
"A village without human warmth will not endure."
"Go rest. Today, I'm giving you a special approval for a day off…"
Danzō gazed at Hiruzen's retreating figure.
Human warmth?
Was that weakness—or a different kind of strength?
Confidence that, in this cruel shinobi world, one could allow ninjas—who were originally tools and expendable resources—to live as people?
"Truly arrogant, Hiruzen…" Danzō shook his head.
He still could not fully accept that idea.
In his mind, a woman came to mind.
She was once Root's ace spy, known as the Wandering Miko—Yakushi Nono.
Originally, after the operation concerning Iwagakure's secret techniques, Danzō had planned to eliminate her.
This woman's abilities were too strong, and in Danzō's view, her loyalty to Konoha was not high.
She was always thinking about leaving Root to become the head of some orphanage in the Land of Fire—utterly incomprehensible!
If the intelligence she possessed were to leak, it would be enough to endanger the village…
"I'll try it for now. I won't kill that woman yet. I'll report it to Hiruzen and see how he handles it…"
Danzō let out a long breath and also headed toward the Hokage Building.
As for the day off Hiruzen mentioned?
He was the Hokage's assistant—what use did he have for a vacation!
The moment he thought of Hiruzen working, Danzō felt as if a cat were scratching at his heart. He could not sit idle at all…
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