Naruto: The Strongest

"Hiruzen, what brings you here?" Danzo admitted he had been startled. 

If someone had truly managed to enter the depths of Root undetected, the consequences would be unthinkable. 

However, upon seeing his old friend, his emotions quickly settled. To say he liked this old friend would be an overstatement. 

Even though they had been like brothers for years, and Hiruzen had even spared him from an assassination charge, the fact remained—he was still not Hokage. 

Wasn't that ultimately his so-called friend's fault? Of course, these thoughts remained in his mind. 

He was more curious about why Hiruzen had come to see him now. 

"Besides, while my words may have been a bit harsh, doesn't your handling of many issues prove your weakness?" 

"Is that really the issue at hand?" 

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, noticing that Danzo was unwilling to acknowledge him as Hokage. 

But he did not dwell on it; he had grown used to it. 

"What exactly is your reason for letting that child into the ANBU? For the sake of unity, I chose not to question it too deeply, as Root is technically an ANBU training ground."

'Are you pretending not to know, or do you truly wish to avoid looking deeper?' Danzo nearly said this aloud but ultimately decided against it. It was not worth the effort. 

"However." Hiruzen paused slightly before continuing. 

"We had an agreement that you would not interfere with Naruto. So why have you gone back on your word and allowed that child to come into contact with him?" 

"Don't you think that is going too far?" 

What? Contact with Uzumaki Naruto? Danzo's mind buzzed for a moment, struggling to process the accusation. 

But soon, he realized something—was it Shigenari Shuuzawa? Had that kid interacted with Naruto? Yet he had given no such orders. 

Shuuzawa should not even be aware of Naruto's true identity.

"I—" Danzo started to explain but quickly realized there was no need. He had always wanted to bring the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki into Root. 

As far as he was concerned, a dangerous entity like that belonged in his ranks. 

The night of the Nine-Tails attack had cost Konoha its Fourth Hokage and many of its elite ninjas, leaving the village vulnerable. 

Had the Fourth not managed to seal the beast, the situation would have been even more dire. 

But Hiruzen had always been against his plans. After extensive discussion, they reluctantly settled on following the example of other villages.

That decision had led to Naruto's tragic childhood. Could a Jinchuriki only remain emotionally stable and resist the Tailed Beast's influence by growing accustomed to suffering? 

However, darkness could not consume him entirely—if he lost himself, it would be disastrous. 

So, at critical moments, Hiruzen would step in, like a guiding torch, keeping Naruto from breaking, offering him warmth and reassurance, and compensating for the consequences of their choices. 

Yet Danzo had never given up. He had simply been waiting for an opportunity. This was an unexpected gift if Shuuzawa had unwittingly initiated contact with Naruto.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki must be controlled. Your ANBU surveillance may be thorough, but I do not believe they are more capable than Root." 

With that in mind, Danzo took the blame, turning the situation to his advantage. "So, you still haven't given up on this idea." 

Hiruzen frowned, silently cursing Danzo. Professional? Root was undoubtedly skilled in intelligence operations, but their speciality was assassination and subterfuge. 

After a moment of thought, he attempted to reason with him. "You understand Naruto's true identity. He has already endured more suffering than any child should."

"Hmph. You are too weak, Hiruzen!" Danzo interrupted. "Of course, I know who he is. But don't forget—this was the Fourth Hokage's decision!" 

"Minato sacrificed too much. And I have always felt that placing such a burden on a child is unfair." 

Hiruzen remained patient, but Danzo was unmoved, responding firmly, "That is why I say you are too weak."

"Have you forgotten how cruel war is? Have you forgotten that without a properly trained Jinchuriki, our village would be in even greater danger?"

"Compared to the children orphaned, displaced, or slain in battle, Uzumaki Naruto should consider himself fortunate to live safely in Konoha."

"Enough!" Hiruzen could no longer tolerate it. As much as he hated to admit it, Danzo was right about one thing—the ninja world was cruel. 

Even fresh graduates had been sent to the battlefield during the Third Great Ninja War. Compared to that era, Naruto's life was certainly more stable. 

But even so—"This discussion is over. I will not change my stance. Naruto has suffered enough. He will not, and cannot, be placed in Root!" 

There would be no compromise on this. Hiruzen's eyes were cold as he stared Danzo down. "This is your final warning, Danzo."

"Hmph." Danzo let out a quiet grunt. In truth, he was nervous about taking responsibility for something he had not planned. 

After all, he had previously attempted to assassinate his "old friend" and had been caught red-handed. 

Provoking him too much would not be wise. However, for the sake of his ambitions, he had to endure. 

His goals were simple: become Hokage and unify the ninja world under Konoha's rule, his rule. 

If there was one thing he knew about Hiruzen, he would compromise for the sake of unity.

"However." Just as Danzo predicted, Hiruzen spoke again. 

"You may be right. In certain aspects, Root does have its advantages. But I need time to consider this carefully." 

"Hmph. Fine." Danzo outwardly appeared displeased, but inwardly, he was more than satisfied. 

As expected, his old friend was too soft and concerned with the bigger picture, allowing him to move forward with his plans. 

He needed to investigate Shuuzawa's interaction with Naruto. If everything checked out, this could be his opening!

"That boy still bears my curse mark. He will never escape Root." As Danzo plotted his next moves, Hiruzen gave him a firm nod. 

"As long as you understand." 

He was well aware of what Danzo was thinking, but now that Shuuzawa was officially in ANBU, Danzo no longer had absolute authority over him. 

Root had always been considered a division of ANBU, and Hiruzen believed in his ability to correct misguided ideologies.

At this moment, both men shared the same thought. "That boy belongs to me."

....

'Have the peaceful days come to an end again?'

Early in the morning, at the ANBU base, Shuuzawa yawned as he walked inside. 

Their rest had lasted longer than expected, allowing him to fully indulge in slacking off. 

He couldn't help but think how great it would have been to enjoy such treatment in Root. 

'At least I wouldn't have spent every day thinking about how to take down Danzo,' he muttered. 

After casually greeting a few people around him, his thoughts drifted to the man responsible for his harsh childhood, which annoyed him.

Especially since that old bastard had ordered him to write a report just when he was enjoying his well-earned break. 

The report's content was even more absurd—he had to document everything before and after his last mission, particularly his interaction with Uchiha Shisui. 

'So, he just wants to gather intel on Shisui and Naruto, huh?'

It wasn't just about the report. Shuuzawa knew the old man had likely sent people to investigate that day's events. 

He had probably even discussed it with the Third Hokage, considering Hiruzen Sarutobi would never allow Naruto to be involved with Danzo in any capacity.

'The outcome must have been favourable. Who knows, maybe the old man even took the blame himself.' Shuuzawa smirked mischievously. 

His background was clean, so he had nothing to fear from any investigation. Besides, he understood his boss's ambitions well enough to predict how to handle him. 

Danzo wanted to become Hokage, but that required a good reputation. Shuuzawa decided to ensure Danzo's name echoed throughout the ninja world. 

As for whether he would be revered or hated by all, that was another matter entirely. 

After all, his system's guiding principle was simple: as long as the mission was completed, the method didn't matter.

'So I don't need to care either!' As he made his way deeper into the ANBU base, Shuuzawa soon spotted Yuugao and Shisui waiting for him. 

The two had arrived much earlier. When they saw him, they greeted him right away. 

"You're a bit late." 

"Shuuzawa-kun, good morning." Yuugao remained as reserved as ever, while Shisui seemed slightly awkward. 

Their first meeting hadn't been exactly pleasant. Shuuzawa's words—"Are you questioning the Hokage's decision?"—had left Shisui completely flustered.

By all means, he would never doubt the Hokage. He had been striving to prove his loyalty so his clan could reintegrate into the village. 

But after hearing Yuugao and Shuuzawa's explanation, he had a single thought—he had questioned the Hokage's decision. 

No matter how bad the rumours were, that boy had always remained in Konoha. That alone meant the Hokage had already made his choice. 'Damn it, what was I thinking?'

"I think my timing is perfect. The Hokage probably hasn't even started work yet." Shuuzawa checked the time and then smiled before turning to Shisui. 

"Good morning, Shisui-senpai." He could see the awkwardness on Shisui's face, but meeting him only lifted Shuuzawa's spirits. 

After all, this guy had unexpectedly given him a major reward! Writing the report triggered a system-generated mission, and, of course, missions came with rewards. 

He had put serious effort into writing that report since he wanted the reward, even though he had been enjoying his well-earned break.

When he completed the task, he received a surprising reward.

[Mission Completed: Write a Report]

[Mission Rating: A]

[Reward Obtained: Yin Release]

[Acquired Free Point: 1]

Receiving a free point just for writing a report was a pleasant surprise, but gaining Yin Release caught him off guard. 

Yin and Yang Release were inherent in all individuals, representing spiritual and physical energy. 

However, manifesting and controlling them was incredibly difficult. 

The Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka clans were not bloodline-limit families, yet they were considered powerful because of their mastery of Yin and Yang Release techniques.

Given his overall physical abilities, it was clear that Shuuzawa possessed both powers, but he had never been able to manifest them. 

He never expected that writing a report involving Shisui would grant him a Yin Release! 

'So, if future missions involve people like the Akimichi Clan, my old colleague Kinoe or someone like Tsunade, does that mean I can also obtain Yang Release?"

The ninja world was full of opportunities, and as long as the mission was connected, he had a chance to reap benefits. 

This realization filled him with newfound motivation. "But… why does my Yin Release function so similarly to Madara's? It's just increasing my stats." 

Shuuzawa wasn't sure whether Madara's 'Yin Release: Lightning Dispatch' had any illusionary effects. 

But its power was undeniable. In a way, it was just another method of strengthening one's abilities.

Fortunately, as someone highly proficient in 'stat boosting,' whenever he allocated points, he didn't just increase raw stats—he also gained knowledge, theories, and techniques. 

When he levelled up Taijutsu, the system provided him with all its principles and techniques. 

This deepened his understanding of his chakra nature. And if this level of understanding continued to evolve, maybe someday, he could attempt something entirely new.

"Fusion!"

The world of Naruto revolved around bloodlines and connections to the Ōtsutsuki Clan. 

Unfortunately, Shuuzawa had no such 'blessings,' so he had to find his way forward. 

"Alright, stop dwelling on it." Yuugao, unaware of his thoughts, saw that he was still grinning at Shisui and gave him a small tug. 

"The whole village thinks like this. Shisui-senpai just didn't realize it right away."

"Yuugao-senpai, do you think I'm that petty?" Shuuzawa gave her a dissatisfied look. He had always considered himself a magnanimous person! 

Sure, he never forgot about all the 'kindness' Danzo had shown him and constantly thought about backstabbing his boss. 

But at the very least, he always kept Danzo in his thoughts, didn't he?

"It's fine. It was my mistake. I lacked awareness, so being criticized is only natural." 

Shisui tried to smooth things over, but when he saw Shuuzawa raising an eyebrow, he realized he had made Yuugao's words seem even more valid. 

Hurriedly, he changed the subject. "Let's focus on preparing. We need to meet with the Hokage. I heard this mission won't be easy."

"Not easy?" Shuuzawa's eyes lit up. A difficult mission meant better rewards! While he valued his life and only had one, this time, he had Uchiha Shisui with him. 

That meant his safety was practically guaranteed! This realization instantly made him eager to learn more.