Naruto: Assistant to the Hokage

Shimura Danzo glanced back at the Hokage Tower.

That building—the Hokage Tower—had always been his dream.

The mere words of its current occupant could make him break into a cold sweat—not because the Hokage was superior to him, but simply because he was the Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's parting reminder still echoed in Danzo's mind: "Don't let that child go astray."

But Danzo understood the underlying message. Sarutobi wasn't just referring to the child; he was warning him, implying he shouldn't stray from the right path himself. The veiled threat: don't let ambitions for the Hokage's seat cloud your judgment just because you have a Mokuton user in Root.

Yet…

How could anyone abandon their dreams?

Becoming the Hokage would mean possessing the authority to alter the fate of not only Konoha but the entire ninja world with just one command.

"Someday…"

Danzo muttered bitterly before turning to leave. There was no use standing here, thirsting for the unattainable. It would be more productive to return and train Akihara Kagura.

Hmph.

Not let the child go astray?

How could a child trained by him walk the wrong path?

Hiruzen, everyone has their own path. Yours isn't the only one worth following.

Root Headquarters

Akihara Kagura sat in the Root base, feeling slightly dejected. Shimura Danzo had forbidden him from leaving and ordered him to rest instead. Yet, this downtime didn't trigger any system tasks. It seemed the system wasn't so generous in assigning work—it required him to take initiative.

Or perhaps...

Resting doesn't count as working?

Isn't downtime a vital part of the job? Skirting responsibility is clearly part of the process! Especially when the break is a direct order from a superior!

But…

An opportunity soon arrived.

When Danzo returned to the base, he finally issued a direct command, which also triggered a system task for Kagura.

"Starting today, I will personally train you," Danzo announced. "You must be prepared to defeat that brat Uchiha Itachi in the upcoming Chūnin Exams."

"Hmph!"

"That brat… caused me some trouble before."

[System Task]: A new work assignment! Per Shimura Danzo's orders, participate in Konoha's upcoming Chūnin Exams and defeat Uchiha Itachi.

Two rewards for one job?

Akihara Kagura immediately became serious.

"I'll make it happen," Kagura assured Danzo before asking, "Lord Danzo, is killing allowed in the Chūnin Exams? Can I eliminate this Uchiha Itachi for you?"

"…"

Danzo was momentarily at a loss for words.

This child's temperament was far too extreme!

Uchiha Itachi wasn't just any child; he was the heir of Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan, Konoha's most prominent ninja clan. Fugaku's pride, Itachi had already awakened the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit, the Sharingan.

If Kagura were to kill Itachi, it would provoke a massive uproar, possibly even exacerbating tensions between Konoha and the Uchiha.

But…

Hiruzen is a soft-hearted fool.

If Itachi were killed, Hiruzen would likely hand Kagura over to Fugaku in a misguided attempt to calm the storm.

Such incidents weren't unheard of.

Several years ago, envoys from Kumogakure came to Konoha under the guise of renewing a peace treaty. Instead, they tried to kidnap Hinata, the Hyūga clan's heiress. When Hiashi Hyūga discovered the plot, he killed the intruder on the spot.

Kumogakure, however, denied the incident and demanded Hiashi be handed over as a criminal. Hiruzen, prioritizing peace above all, complied. To resolve the matter, Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, took his place, sacrificing himself. The affair ended in disgrace and humiliation for Konoha.

Given that precedent…

Danzo knew Hiruzen wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice Kagura to mollify Fugaku's rage.

If that happened…

The unruly Uchiha would lose a prodigy, and the rebellious Root would lose its Mokuton user. Hiruzen, untouched by the loss, would happily strike such a deal.

As for whether Kagura could even defeat Itachi…

Danzo hadn't considered that possibility deeply. Itachi had already defeated members of Root effortlessly in the past.

While Danzo had confidence in Kagura's Mokuton abilities, the boy's impulsive nature could leave him vulnerable to Itachi's cunning.

"Don't underestimate Uchiha Itachi!" Danzo warned sharply before continuing, "Killing is permitted in the Chūnin Exams, but senseless slaughter is not."

Danzo frowned at his own words. Since when did he become so soft?

"…Understood," Kagura replied, though he found the conversation odd.

"In any case…" Danzo instructed firmly, "Do not kill Uchiha Itachi. That brat may still be useful to us."

"Yes, Lord Danzo. I understand."

Kagura, however, wasn't bothered by the directive.

He had never been bloodthirsty. Whenever he offered to kill someone—be it Hatake Kakashi or Uchiha Itachi—it was mostly to curry favor with Danzo. It was clear Danzo would never actually approve such actions.

Had Danzo truly reflected on the matter, he'd realize Kagura had never lifted a finger to help Root.

But even if Danzo had contemplated this, Kagura's demeanor likely made him relieved the boy hadn't acted.

"Another thing," Danzo added.

"Remember your background: you're a child raised in Konoha."

"You were adopted by Nono Yakushi, the director of the orphanage. I later brought you to Root and conducted the Hashirama cell transplant on you. Forget Orochimaru ever existed."

"…"

Kagura nodded silently, maintaining his façade.

"Lord Danzo, should I eliminate the orphanage director? Just in case she reveals something and creates trouble for you?"

"Stop always thinking about killing people," Danzo growled. "Nono Yakushi is still useful."

But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was… off.