While Saiki was recovering in the Land of Iron, Konoha's intelligence network was operating at maximum capacity. The combat reports from the Cloud front had reached the village two days ago.
Rewind to the moment those reports arrived. Staring at the scroll in his hands, Danzo Shimura felt a profound urge to recall the operative who delivered it and subject them to a brutal interrogation—if he didn't already have absolute faith in the absolute loyalty of his Root agents.
Saiki had no real concept of the magnitude of his actions on the battlefield, but to Danzo, the shock was apocalyptic.
In a single battle, Saiki had slaughtered nearly a hundred Cloud ninja. Leaving the Genin aside, almost a third of the casualties were Chunin and Jonin, including one elite Jonin commander.
How the hell was Danzo supposed to believe a report like that?
His entire Root organization—years of ruthless, systemic cultivation of elite killers—currently boasted less than a hundred operatives of Chunin rank or higher. The report was essentially telling him that a boy not yet ten years old had single-handedly butchered a force equivalent to half of Danzo's entire black-ops division.
Even Danzo himself couldn't achieve such an absurd kill count in a chaotic melee without paying a massive, crippling price.
And Saiki? The report stated the boy had walked away looking like he'd just finished a light jog.
Was Saiki strong? Absolutely. But if he were to fight a true Kage-level opponent in a straight duel, Danzo knew the boy would struggle, even if he managed to win.
The terrifying truth behind his kill count was that his specific skill set was mathematically designed to bully anyone weaker than him.
The moment he deployed that "Auspicious Cloud," anyone lacking top-tier destructive power simply couldn't break his defense. He was functionally invincible against the rank-and-file.
Combine that with the Flower-Flower Fruit's cloning ability, flawless hand signs, and the perfect synergy of the Body Flicker and Substitution jutsu, and Saiki was basically a ghost walking through an empty house.
With the minor physical restrictions of the Devil Fruit overcome by his speed, anyone weaker than Saiki required only a single, effortless slash to execute.
Saiki's absurd performance and the terrifying potential it revealed completely eradicated Danzo's desire to recruit the boy into Root. Now, he only wanted him dead.
Danzo could control a genius like Kakashi Hatake, but he had never been able to control the "White Fang," Sakumo. Saiki Shiroya was clearly cut from the same uncontrollable cloth.
The initial shock and fear were somewhat alleviated by the final lines of the report.
During the battle the following night, Saiki had engaged the Eight-Tails Perfect Jinchuriki, Killer Bee. To protect Tsume Inuzuka, Saiki had taken a direct hit from a Tailed Beast Ball and was currently missing in action, presumed dead.
Reading this, Danzo felt a surge of gratitude toward the equally missing Tsume Inuzuka. He almost wanted to mail her a posthumous medal.
First came Minato Namikaze, a rising star who was already a headache. Now, this brat Saiki had emerged with combat power that defied logic. To Danzo, any exceptional talent was a direct threat to his ambition of becoming the next Hokage. Naturally, he wanted them all eliminated.
Furthermore, unlike Minato, Saiki was Tsunade's adopted brother. If Saiki's fame spread and he threw his support behind Tsunade, all the scheming Danzo had done to force her out of the village would have been for nothing!
Nearby, a Root operative knelt on the floor, watching the shifting expressions on Danzo's face. If it weren't for the absolute, mind-breaking brainwashing Root employed, the masked operative's head would be filled with highly treasonous thoughts.
After composing himself, Danzo shot a venomous glare from his single eye toward the operative. The chilling look sent a shiver down the agent's spine, forcing him to lower his head even further.
Danzo snorted coldly before issuing his orders. "Take this intel to Nono'u. Then, send word to the front lines: if they find any trace of Saiki Shiroya, or the boy himself, they are to capture and control him immediately. If containment is impossible... erase him. At any cost."
"Yes, Sir!" The operative acknowledged the order and vanished with a Body Flicker.
Once the operative was gone, Danzo's eye narrowed dangerously. A mere tool daring to stare at my face and guess my thoughts? He made a mental note to dispose of the insubordinate agent soon.
Danzo was truly a man who "dedicated himself" to the Leaf. Nono'u's recent lack of cooperation and her desire to leave Root had been grating on his nerves. Delivering the news of Saiki's "death" to her was a calculated, cruel warning.
His final order stemmed from his reading of the report. Saiki was "missing," not confirmed dead. Given the boy's performance against the beast, Danzo believed that if Saiki wanted to escape, he had the means to do so.
The Legendary Sannin were famous for their summoning contracts. Danzo refused to believe Tsunade hadn't taught the boy the Reverse Summoning Jutsu as a panic button.
However, Danzo also knew that facing a monster like a Tailed Beast, even if Saiki survived, he would be critically injured. A wounded Saiki would eventually have to return to the front lines or a major settlement for medical aid. That would be the perfect—and perhaps only—opportunity to capture or kill him.
While Danzo was plotting in the shadows, Hiruzen Sarutobi had received the frontline reports even earlier. Danzo only commanded Root, but as the Hokage, Hiruzen had the entire intelligence apparatus of Konoha at his disposal.
Standing by the window of his office, puffing on his pipe, Hiruzen wore an expression of profound, grandfatherly sorrow. He sighed heavily. "I am truly sorry... Tsunade!"
He took a long drag, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and removed the pipe from his mouth. He turned to the man standing behind his desk. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, Minato, but I need you to deliver this news to Tsunade personally."
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Minato Namikaze replied, his expression grave after reading the contents of the scroll.
"Is there anything else, Lord Hokage?"
"No, that will be all. You may go."
Once Minato left the office, Hiruzen stared out the window for a few more seconds. The mask of sorrow vanished instantly, replaced by his usual, placid demeanor. He sat back down in the Hokage's chair, ignoring the paperwork on his desk. He fell into deep thought, and slowly, a small, satisfied smile crept onto his lips.
Tsunade had officially "left" the village, yet Hiruzen was sending Minato directly to her. This proved that her every movement was still being closely monitored and tracked by the Hokage.
The fact that he had maintained constant surveillance on her even after she left made his motives glaringly obvious.
Control over the Medical Corps was a massive political asset for the Hokage. But Hiruzen wasn't a medic. Tsunade—the greatest medical ninja alive, the founder of the Corps, and a woman with unparalleled prestige—was the only one who could truly lead it.
Saiki's "disappearance" was an absolute windfall for Hiruzen. With the boy's life hanging in the balance, Hiruzen was confident Tsunade would obediently return to the village and work for him once again.
Whether his earlier expression of sorrow was genuine was debatable, but that final, calculating smile was absolutely real.
Meanwhile, Minato, clutching the intelligence scroll, was deeply confused as he prepared to seek out Tsunade. He had been in the office when the report arrived.
Hiruzen had put on a great show of grief over Saiki's tragic fate, but crucially, he hadn't issued a single order to actually search for the boy.
Minato could only rationalize that Hiruzen either had a covert plan in motion, or he believed Tsunade was the only one capable of tracking Saiki down.
Minato had only met Saiki a few times, but he had a good impression of the boy. More importantly, Saiki was Kushina's student.
Minato had finally gotten a brief reprieve from the front lines and had intended to visit Kushina before his next deployment. But the grim news about Saiki made him hesitate.
His relationship with Kushina was incredibly close, but they hadn't officially crossed the line into romance yet; they were still in the "mutual crushing" phase.
In the original timeline, their relationship was cemented when Minato was developing the Rasengan. Kushina, seeing him surrounded by female admirers at the village gates, let her jealousy trigger a Nine-Tails rampage. Only by working together to suppress the fox did they finally confess their feelings.
Now, Saiki had already invented the Rasengan, and the timeline was shifting. Minato's hesitation to visit her with such bad news meant he was unaware that his indecision might cost him his chance with her forever.