Chapter 8
Although Naruto never got the girl's name, he felt like the two of them were friends now.
Remembering why he'd gone out in the first place, he built several more snowmen in Fox Sage's likeness near the swing.
Staring at the sharp fox ears and the "profoundly mysterious" (extremely abstract) expression on the snowman's face, he recalled Xuanming's earlier words—that he wouldn't last three seconds against that girl.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.
He threw a few shadow punches at the snowman, determination flaring up.
"Hah!"
Naruto took a deep breath, assumed his stance, and began practicing the Taiji Bagua Palm forms.
"Qian Three Continuous, Kun Six Broken…"
"Cloud Hands, Pushing Hands—gather and release in an instant…"
"Move like a swimming dragon, sit like a crouching tiger, walk the Bagua steps…"
His small body gradually shifted from childish clumsiness to something more mature. That focused intensity was the innate talent belonging to Uzumaki Naruto himself.
At the Hokage's office, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had a crystal ball on his desk. He was using the Telescope Technique to observe Naruto, having witnessed everything that had just happened.
Yet even as a master of all five nature transformations, a professor of ninjutsu who knew most of the shinobi world's taijutsu schools, the Hokage of Konoha genuinely couldn't identify the origin of Naruto's style.
It wasn't the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist… though similar in some ways, the power generation differed slightly.
"The basic forms are almost identical, yet soft yet firm, motion and stillness in harmony, natural balance…"
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Attack like sudden thunder and lightning, defense like endless gentle water.
That perfectly described the taijutsu Naruto was practicing.
More importantly, its potential: a Gentle Fist-like style that didn't require the Byakugan.
It meant the user could counter even opponents with superior physical stats.
The moves carried an indescribable "intent" he couldn't quite name.
"Who taught him this? Something Minato left in the seal? The Hyūga? Might Gai? Chen…?"
He ran through intel on every known taijutsu specialist—none matched.
Could it be the Nine-Tails scheming from inside the seal?
No. That beast was pure hatred, excellent at destruction—never at teaching refined techniques.
Naruto openly spoke of a wonderful "Fox Sage" always by his side.
This anomaly had been noticed and prioritized by Anbu from the beginning.
Every detail from Naruto's life was collected, encrypted, summarized, and delivered to the Hokage's desk.
Anbu's final assessment: "No anomaly."
Meaning the "Fox Sage" did not exist.
Medical Division diagnosis: Due to prolonged verbal bullying and extreme isolation, Uzumaki Naruto suffered severe dissociative identity disorder (split personality) from overwhelming psychological pressure and a desperate need for acceptance and companionship.
His subconscious had merged the villagers' "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" label with his longed-for "mentor/elder" figure, creating an idealized "Fox Sage" alter.
This alter had no physical or chakra presence.
Sensory teams confirmed all anomalies were unconscious chakra releases by Naruto himself—his alter simulating interaction via chakra, which his main personality mistook for an external "sage."
"Could it really be that simple…?"
The explanation felt far-fetched and failed to account for the taijutsu's source.
But it wasn't incompetence on Anbu's part. Hiruzen had personally visited Naruto's home and inspected the seal discreetly.
The Eight Trigrams Seal remained intact. No hidden person was communicating with the boy.
While Hiruzen pondered—
Bang!
The office door was shoved open without courtesy.
A wave of chilling air flooded the warm room.
Only one person in all of Konoha would disrespect the Hokage like this.
Danzō Shimura entered, dressed in black kimono, leaning on his cane.
His single eye locked straight onto Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen."
Danzō's voice was flat. "The Nine-Tails jinchūriki is causing quite a stir in the village."
Hiruzen slowly raised his head, palm brushing over the crystal ball. The image vanished.
Danzō approached the desk, cold light glinting in his eye. His cane struck the floor heavily.
"Hiruzen, you've been far too lenient with that brat."
Hiruzen took two slow puffs, smoke swirling around an unreadable expression.
Danzō stated his purpose plainly: "Today the Nine-Tails jinchūriki nearly stabbed a child in the head with a kunai. Such an unstable danger must be controlled."
"You receive information quickly, Danzō."
Hiruzen set the pipe down, tone calm but edged. "The boy barely finishes acting, and you barge into my office. It seems your surveillance of the jinchūriki is even more… dedicated than mine."
"As Root, guardians in the shadows of Konoha, it is my duty to eliminate all threats to the village." Danzō's face remained impassive. He snorted coldly. "And for the village's safety. No one wants a repeat of three years ago from an unstable jinchūriki."
He stepped closer, revealing his intent: "Hand him over to me."
"Place the jinchūriki in Root. I will strip away those unnecessary emotions and forge him into Konoha's strongest weapon."
"Not a chance!"
Hiruzen slammed his palm on the desk and rose, Hokage robes billowing without wind.
The aura of a veteran Hokage instantly filled the room.
"A jinchūriki is not merely a weapon!"
Hiruzen stared Danzō down, unyielding. "He is the child entrusted to me by Minato and Kushina—the orphan of heroes!"
"He deserves to grow up normally in the sunlight—go to school, make friends, understand the true meaning of the Will of Fire—not become the cold tool you speak of!"
Sensing Hiruzen's resolve, Danzō's gaze flickered briefly before hardening again.
"Naive! Your weakness will doom Konoha one day, Hiruzen!"
"Weakness?" Hiruzen sat back, eyes sharpening.
"Don't think I don't know who quietly fanned the flames three years ago, spreading the rumor that 'Naruto is the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.'"
Danzō's expression stiffened for a moment.
"Isolating him, making him suffer—what good does that do the village?"
Exposed, Danzō showed no shame, only righteous conviction: "In this cruel shinobi world, only by seeing humanity's ugliness can he pursue power single-mindedly."
Danzō held one card he couldn't play openly—though both knew it existed.
In Root hid a boy codenamed "A"—the sole survivor of Orochimaru's Hashirama cell transplant experiments, bearer of the First Hokage's Wood Release kekkei genkai.
With Wood Release, suppressing a tailed beast rampage was guaranteed.
Only in Root could the jinchūriki be truly secure.
Hiruzen looked at his old friend's self-righteous face. He knew the truth but would never yield.
"This matter ends here." Hiruzen waved dismissively, tone final.
Naruto had already suffered enough from the rumors, developing troubling dissociative issues. Handing him to Root would betray Kushina's dying wish.
Danzō narrowed his eye, staring deeply at Hiruzen.
He knew jinchūriki negotiations were impossible.
After a lifetime of rivalry, Hiruzen might be soft and unfit for Hokage in Danzō's eyes, but he became stubbornly immovable on his bottom line.
So the jinchūriki was only one purpose today—a probing opener.
Danzō reined in his aggression, shifting topics: "Since you won't release the jinchūriki, let's discuss another village matter."
He walked to the window, gazing at the calming snow outside.
"The Cloud delegation for the peace treaty arrives in a few days, yes?"
Hiruzen relit his pipe and nodded. "Yes. December 27th. The head of Kumogakure's war front will lead personally to sign the alliance and peace treaty between Konoha and Kumo."
A full village festival would celebrate the two nations' peace.
"Don't you find it strange?"
Danzō turned, suspicion in his single eye. "Since news of the Nine-Tails Rampage spread, for three years Kumo has pressed aggressively on the border, nibbling at Fire Country territory. The situation hasn't reversed—wins and losses on both sides—yet they suddenly agree to peace and an alliance ceremony."
"Wolves don't turn into sheep overnight."
His cane struck the floor again. "There is deceit here. I recommend heightened alert—or even striking first. Extract their battlefield intelligence before they enter Konoha and shatter Kumo's strategy in one blow."
Hiruzen exhaled a long plume of smoke, brows furrowed.
As a battle-hardened shinobi legend, he too smelled the conspiracy.
Kumogakure valued strength and acted domineeringly. This sudden olive branch reeked of ulterior motives.
But…
"Konoha cannot afford another war, Danzō."
Hiruzen's voice carried weariness. "The scars of the Nine-Tails night have not healed. We lost too many fine ninja."
"The younger generation is still growing. If an alliance can end three years of conflict and give the village time to recover… even with risks, I must try."
"Peace is hard-won."
Hiruzen pulled the pre-drafted treaty from his desk, gaze hardening with resolve. "I will bolster Anbu vigilance, but I expect you to restrain Root's recent activities."
"I don't want your paranoia ruining everything at the critical moment of signing."
"Hmph. That womanly sentimentality will destroy you one day, Hiruzen."
Danzō snorted coldly and turned toward the door.
Since Hiruzen insisted on risking everything for illusory peace, Root—the shadow beneath the village—would prepare for the worst.
At the threshold, Danzō paused, back to the Hokage, leaving one final warning:
"You are the light, Hiruzen. I am the darkness. Always have been."
"If Kumo truly harbors ill intent… don't blame me for protecting Konoha my way."
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
Hiruzen gazed at the empty office, then thought of Naruto tirelessly practicing taijutsu in the snow.
He let out a long sigh.
"What a troublesome winter…"
Outside the window, the wind and snow quieted—as if heralding the calm before the storm.
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