Chapter 36: Danzo's Fate—We Control It!
Whoosh!
Inside a Konoha training ground—
Kabuto stood frozen in place.
Behind him, Haruta's figure had suddenly appeared, a kunai infused with Wind Release pressed against his throat.
Kabuto's mind went blank.
He knew he wasn't Haruta's match—he had learned that the hard way back in Root's training grounds, where Haruta had beaten him so badly he questioned life itself.
But to lose in an instant? That was beyond his imagination.
"You lost."
Haruta withdrew his kunai, smiling at Kabuto.
"Honestly, this is disappointing. You're weaker than I expected. What if you get exposed while infiltrating a village? How do you expect to survive?"
"..."
Kabuto was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and shaking his head.
"…Against Flying Thunder God, even stronger shinobi wouldn't last long. But when did you even learn it?"
At this point, Kabuto was numb.
And he had every reason to be.
Just like he said—even elite shinobi would struggle against the Flying Thunder God Technique.
But what baffled him was how Haruta had suddenly mastered it.
"Oh, this was my reward from the Sunagakure mission. I spent months studying it before I finally got the hang of it."
Haruta shrugged, grinning as he spoke.
Of course, that was a complete lie.
In reality, he had mastered it in less than a second.
The cost? Burning a one-time use of his "Ninjutsu Professor" ability.
But Haruta didn't regret it at all.
Now that he had Flying Thunder God, he had a reliable escape plan in case of real danger.
You can always build up strength over time—but you only get one life.
Especially in a world where a single kunai to the back could kill you.
That said, Haruta had been careful.
Even after learning the technique, he didn't use it immediately.
Since he wasn't on missions recently, he had intentionally practiced it in front of Shisui and Yūgao, making it seem like he was still training.
Now, he figured it was safe to reveal—after all, the Chūnin Exams were approaching…
"But still, Flying Thunder God isn't as invincible as you think.
There are people who can react to it, and some who'd even risk taking you down with them."
"…You learned it in just a few months, and you're telling me it's not that great?"
Kabuto was speechless.
"And besides… who could possibly keep up with that speed?"
Haruta glanced at him.
Clearly, Kabuto still didn't understand this world well enough.
Forget Obito, who could use Kamui to dodge it completely—there were people in Kumogakure who could actually keep up with it.
Flying Thunder God's flaw was that it required pre-placed markers.
As long as an opponent avoided those, they had a chance.
Even Killer Bee, when facing Minato's sneak attack, had managed to position his blade against Minato's gut before the attack landed.
(Of course, Minato also had a kunai against Bee's throat…)
But still—that was proof it wasn't unbeatable.
"Alright, enough of this. How's everything going on your end?"
Haruta changed the topic.
"How's Root doing? And did you find any leads at the orphanage?"
"…Root? Things are… rough."
The moment Kabuto mentioned Root, he winced slightly.
He glared at Haruta for a moment but then sighed.
Recently, Root's training had become insane—to the point where Kabuto suspected Danzo was trying to kill them off.
The sheer brutality of the regimen was beyond reason.
And the one responsible for all this suffering… was sitting right in front of him, casually chatting.
This bastard…
Shaking his head, Kabuto decided to skip that topic and got straight to business.
"As for the orphanage… I did some investigating.
The director… has indeed been gone for years."
"…So my worst fear might be true."
Haruta nodded.
He had sent Kabuto to check on it secretly.
In the original timeline, Kabuto never questioned anything—because he trusted Danzo.
But now? That trust was gone.
"…Danzo hasn't given you any new assignments yet? Like… infiltrating another village?"
"There's been talk of it, but nothing specific yet."
Kabuto sighed.
Then, he looked at Haruta seriously and asked,
"You never finished your thought last time.
What exactly are you planning to do?"
"My plan?"
Haruta glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard.
Then, he smirked.
"It's simple.
We're going to make sure Danzo's name echoes throughout the entire shinobi world."
"..."
Kabuto's expression stiffened.
But he was smart—he thought for a moment and realized what Haruta meant.
"You're saying… like what you did in the Land of Wind?"
"See? You're getting it."
Haruta patted Kabuto's shoulder, grinning.
"Danzo dreams of becoming Hokage.
That gives us an opportunity."
"…In the Land of Wind, everything you did technically benefited Konoha…
But all of the backlash fell on Danzo."
Kabuto picked up where Haruta left off.
"No matter what happens next, Sunagakure will forever resent him.
That might even affect Konoha-Suna relations.
And the more Danzo's fame grows, the more arrogant he'll become.
Which means… inside Konoha…"
"…Even Hiruzen wouldn't tolerate something that goes too far."
Haruta finished the thought.
It was hard to predict exactly what would happen, but even Danzo wasn't untouchable.
For example—after the Uchiha Massacre, Root's power was temporarily restricted.
And even though Hiruzen ignored a lot, there was no way he was truly clueless.
At the very least—Haruta would make sure he wasn't.
"…So we need to give Danzo more weight to carry."
Haruta chuckled, patting Kabuto's shoulder again.
"We're Root members, after all.
It's only right that we work hard for Danzo-sama's future."
"...You're terrifying."
Kabuto muttered under his breath.
Which frankly pissed Haruta off.
You? Calling me terrifying?
You—the guy who spent his life digging up corpses and squeezing out every last drop of value from them?
You—the guy who should have been hung from a streetlamp for crimes against humanity?
And I'm the terrifying one?
"…What about the orphanage director?"
Kabuto asked after a moment.
"First, we confirm where she actually is."
Haruta answered immediately.
"But I still think that'll be your next mission location."
"...I see."
Kabuto nodded.
Haruta had already predicted that Danzo would send Kabuto there.
And honestly? Kabuto wasn't opposed to it.
Between Haruta's promises, their shared past, and the betrayal of their orphanage, his loyalty to Danzo was already crumbling.
Especially when it came to their director.
That had sealed the deal.
"…Don't worry."
Seeing Kabuto still tense, Haruta reassured him.
"Danzo's fate…
One day, it will be in our hands."
"..."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, took a deep breath—
Then let out a small chuckle.
"…That's nice and all, but for now, our fates are still in his hands.
And the Chūnin Exams are starting soon.
Aren't you the proctor for Itachi's test?"
"..."
Haruta paused, then smirked.
"Yeah.
Guess I'll be getting some practice.
For when you leave Root someday…
And I become your exam proctor."
"..."
Kabuto froze.
And then, after thinking about it—
Shit. That could actually happen.
"…So if you don't want to stay a Genin forever—"
"Alright, I get it."
"Now do you understand—"
"Yes, yes, power is important. I got it!"