"Lacking what…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi studied the cigarette between his fingers and smiled. "In what sense?"
Danzo Shimura paused.
He had meant in combat.
But since he had already opened his mouth to ask Hiruzen, he might as well ask everything.
Opportunities to be guided by Hiruzen were rare. Even the Hokage's advisor had his pride.
"All of it," Danzo said quietly. He knew Hiruzen would understand.
"In terms of combat, your current configuration doesn't waste your natural talent," Hiruzen replied, patting his old friend on the shoulder.
"Your mastery of Wind Style gives you control from long range to close quarters. You grew up idolizing Tobirama Senju, so your close combat is respectable too."
"But if you run into opponents beyond the ordinary… you lack margin for error."
Danzo listened carefully.
"Take the Kage of the other villages as examples."
"The Third Tsuchikage and the Third Kazekage can both fly. The Kazekage's Iron Sand has exceptional defensive capability, and through probing he can gather tremendous amounts of intelligence."
"The Third Raikage's physical durability and speed. Our teacher's Flying Raijin…"
Hiruzen counted them off calmly.
"The Second Tsuchikage and the Mizukage, you remember them. Both had stealth techniques. One could split his body, the other create extremely powerful clones."
"The Jinchuriki of each village are the same. So-called tailed beast weapons rely on Tailed Beast Chakra to gain extraordinary margin for error. Ordinary ninja can barely contend with them."
"And the Uchiha Clan. The Susanoo recorded in their texts works the same way."
"If you lack margin for error, you lack the capital to play the game. And you know better than anyone how important intelligence is."
Danzo nodded slowly.
He had sensed it himself. But as the saying went, one cannot see the mountain while standing on it. Sometimes it took another's perspective to expose your blind spots.
That was why he had challenged Hiruzen despite knowing he would probably lose.
This was not the Hidden Mist, where defeating the Hokage in battle gave you a legitimate claim to the title.
Only through real combat could he identify his weaknesses. And in all of the Hidden Leaf Village, the only person who could truly hit him hard while still controlling the force…
Was the old friend standing before him.
In a sense, Hiruzen beating Danzo really was a willing fighter and a willing target.
"Let's use the Uchiha Clan as an example. The opponent you're most wary of."
"If one day you face a Mangekyo, how would you deal with Susanoo?"
Hiruzen shook his head.
"Your long-range Wind Style lacks killing power. At mid-range, they have greater margin for error than you. At close range, there's no comparison."
"Your taijutsu is solid. But would you really wrap Wind Style around a Kunai and stake your life against Susanoo?"
Danzo's face darkened. "Monkey, you won. Fine. Don't treat me like an idiot. You think I'd try stabbing Susanoo with a Kunai?"
"I'm just making a point. Why so defensive?"
"So if your goal isn't just to defeat Jonin, but to handle truly troublesome opponents, you need to increase your margin for error."
"Margin for error is the fundamental dividing line between the strong and the weak."
Hiruzen thought for a moment. "If you could develop a Wind Style Chakra Mode…"
"Wind Style controls airflow. If your shape transformation reached its limit, in theory you could achieve flight, gliding, or at least significantly boost your speed."
"But creation won't be easy."
Inventing a new jutsu was never simple.
It required a solid foundation, and more importantly, a spark of inspiration. Without that flash of insight, progress could stall indefinitely.
That was why Tobirama Senju had been so feared.
He seemed to have had far too many of those flashes.
"It won't be easy," Danzo admitted with a sigh. "If our teacher were still here, it would help. If I could discuss the idea with Tobirama-sama, he'd surely offer invaluable advice."
"I'll try on my own. The direction is there. I should be able to produce something."
Hiruzen kept his expression steady, forcing himself to think of serious matters so he would not smile.
It really was a dark joke.
When our teacher truly returns, you'll be lucky if you don't target him to death…
The revival of Tobirama Senju was not something Hiruzen intended to tell anyone. The more people who knew, the greater the risk of exposure.
Anyone.
From another angle, Danzo's future hostility toward Tobirama Uchiha would look entirely genuine. That authenticity would only help Tobirama win over the Uchiha Clan.
Danzo would have to suffer a little for it.
"Hiruzen, are you feeling unwell? Did that shock just now hit your organs?"
"No. I was thinking about village matters."
Hiruzen coughed lightly. "Why not reanimate our teacher and ask him?"
Danzo shot him a sharp look. "What are you saying?"
"The dead who have returned to the Pure Land deserve their peace. If the Hidden Leaf Village were on the verge of destruction, that would be one thing. But to disturb our teacher over something like this? I can't believe you'd suggest it."
"I refuse to have our teacher think I haven't grown. That I still need to rely on him for something so trivial."
Hiruzen grew thoughtful.
Danzo's obsession appeared to be the position of Hokage, but at its core, it was closer to a desire for recognition.
Becoming Hokage would, in a sense, mean that the deceased Tobirama Senju acknowledged him. And as Third Hokage, Hiruzen's own acknowledgment mattered too.
"You're right. Just a joke."
In his heart, Hiruzen murmured,
"Reanimation won't do. True resurrection is different… developing Wind Style Chakra Mode is minor. Transforming the Uchiha Clan into vessels of the Will of Fire is the greater task."
The current Uchiha Clan had not come close to realizing its full combat potential.
Bound within the Hidden Leaf Village, they rarely tasted blood.
But once they did, the emotional instability triggered by the Sharingan became a serious problem. Maintaining order would grow far more difficult.
When the Uchiha lost control, they cut down even their own.
That had been Tobirama Senju's reasoning.
So someone needed to reshape the Uchiha from their very foundation. Someone had to instill the Will of Fire so deeply that even the emotional surges brought by the Sharingan could not shake it.
"As for other aspects…"
Hiruzen placed a hand on Danzo's shoulder. "With you, I won't preach the Will of Fire."
"Danzo, Tobirama-sama gave his life so we could live."
"He was Hokage. We were his guards."
Danzo listened in silence.
"Now you are the Hokage's advisor."
"Most of the village's ninja are like we were back then."
Hiruzen's voice softened. "If you want to become a ninja like our teacher, you must understand and learn from his methods. Isn't that right?"
"To enemies, be as ruthless as winter. But to our own, always keep a trace of fire's warmth."
"A village without humanity will not endure."
"Take the day off. I'm granting you leave."
Danzo stared at Hiruzen's back.
Humanity.
Was that weakness, or a different kind of strength?
The confidence to believe that in this brutal ninja world, tools and expendables could be treated as people?
"Arrogant as ever, Hiruzen…" Danzo muttered, shaking his head.
He could not fully accept it.
A woman came to mind.
Nono Yakushi.
Once Root's ace spy, known as the Wandering Shrine Maiden.
After her mission involving the Hidden Stone's secret technique, Danzo had planned to eliminate her.
She was too capable. And in his eyes, her loyalty to the Hidden Leaf was insufficient.
She always talked about leaving Root to run an orphanage in the Land of Fire. Absurd.
If the intelligence she held were ever leaked, it could harm the village.
"…I'll try it once. I won't kill her for now. I'll report it to Hiruzen and see how he handles it."
Danzo exhaled slowly and began walking toward the Hokage Tower.
As for the day off Hiruzen mentioned?
He was the Hokage's advisor. What use did he have for holidays?
The mere thought of Hiruzen working while he rested made something claw at his chest. He simply could not sit idle.