Konoha: Gu Master

"That's impossible."

Danzō Shimura composed himself, a scowl deepening on his face. "Are you toying with me?"

Konoha's strength compared to the Village Hidden in Sound was like day compared to night—they weren't even remotely on the same level.

"As long as Tsunade is killed, you'll become the Sixth Hokage," Orochimaru's voice held a chilling finality.

An assassination… Danzō's hand tightened on his cane. The plan held a measure of success; he and Orochimaru both knew Konoha's barrier system well enough to slip in undetected.

"But Tsunade isn't an ordinary medical ninja," Danzō said with a frown. "It wouldn't be easy to take her down quickly, and other Shinhobi would soon arrive to aid her."

"I'm aware," Orochimaru said, giving a slight smile. "Tsunade suffers from hemophobia."

Hemophobia? Danzō recalled seeing Tsunade wear dark glasses the night Uchiha Itachi launched his coup. So that was it—she feared blood. 

The notion struck him as absurd. A medical ninja afraid of blood?

No wonder she'd stayed away from Konoha all those years, avoiding the Hokage position. 

This weakness could turn Tsunade into easy prey. Realizing this, a thrill ran through Danzō; could his dream of becoming Hokage finally be within reach?

"Why are you helping me?" Danzō shot Orochimaru a suspicious look. If Orochimaru really intended to do this, why would he wait five years to bring it up?

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "I want the Uchiha clan."

The Uchiha? Danzō pondered this, no doubt suspecting Orochimaru wanted the Sharingan.

"You can have a third of them at most," Danzō shook his head, eyes narrowing.

Orochimaru's smile faltered as his gaze darkened. "You won't become Hokage without me."

"If I've just assumed the Hokage's seat, wiping out the Uchiha won't be wise," Danzō responded calmly, his logic steady.

"...."

Orochimaru burst into laughter. Danzō was already acting as if he'd achieved his dream, making deals as if he were Hokage.

"Fine," Orochimaru said at last, waving dismissively. "But I get to choose which ones."

"No problem," Danzō agreed readily, he wouldn't be the one taking the blame anyway.

"Then we're finished here." Orochimaru's interest in the conversation waned—Danzō was, after all, just a scapegoat.

"Wait!" Danzō asked, his brows furrowing. "What if it fails?"

Even with Tsunade's phobia as an advantage, Konoha's Shinhobi were formidable. A single slip-up could lead to disaster, leaving him a dead non-Hokage.

"It won't fail," Orochimaru replied with certainty.

"I'm not willing to bet on that," Danzō retorted firmly. "Without absolute certainty, I won't get involved."

"Are you really willing to abandon your dream of being Hokage?" Orochimaru's voice took on a dangerous edge. "There may come a day when I lose interest in the Uchiha altogether."

"I have no intention of abandoning it," Danzō said resolutely, "but this plan must be foolproof. And tell me, how can you guarantee that Tsunade's death will make me Hokage?"

Danzō knew his standing in Konoha. He was aware that the majority of Shinhobi would rather see anyone else as Hokage if Tsunade were gone. Orochimaru's lips curled into a bitter smile. 

Danzō, once the most daring figure in Konoha apart from Hiruzen, now approached everything with excessive caution.

Only Orochimaru could answer that question, though achieving Danzō's dream would be almost impossible.

Should I give up on him? 

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he considered his options. With the recent breakthroughs in the Edo Tensei, he could summon the First and Second Hokage. 

With Hashirama and Tobirama Senju at his disposal, securing Uchiha Sasuke would be easy.

"I have an idea," Danzō's voice cut in, his eyes suddenly alight with excitement.

Orochimaru glanced at him warily. "What?"

"We'll ally with the Village Hidden in the Sand to launch a full-scale attack on Konoha," Danzō proposed, growing increasingly animated. "When the time is right, I'll intervene to save the day."

Orochimaru struggled to keep his composure. This man really thinks too highly of himself. 

His initial plan was for Danzō to take the fall, but Danzō wanted Orochimaru to be the scapegoat instead. He wanted to emerge as the hero and change public opinion, ultimately securing the Hokage seat.

While the idea was feasible, it would require Orochimaru to bear most of the risk. To begin with, negotiating an alliance with the Sand would be no small feat.

"I refuse," Orochimaru shook his head dismissively.

Danzō's face froze, the brief flicker of excitement fading. He pressed on, "Why?"

"You're not worth that much effort." Orochimaru's voice dripped with disdain.

"You—!" Danzō clenched his fists, barely able to contain his anger. 

But there was little he could do. He was in the heart of Orochimaru's stronghold, surrounded by loyal Shinhobi.

"Leave." Orochimaru sneered, unimpressed by Danzō's display. 

Without the willingness to serve as a scapegoat, Danzō was of no use to him. Orochimaru would proceed with his plan, using the resurrected Hokage to execute it.

"Wait!" Danzō spoke up desperately, "I have information you'll want to hear."

"Information?" Orochimaru scoffed, skeptical. "You've lost Root, and you've been here in the Sound Village for the last five years. What useful intel could you possibly have?"

"It concerns the Wood Release experiments," Danzō said, taking a steadying breath. "You may believe that all the test subjects died, but that's not the case."

"What?" Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.

Danzō had his undivided attention now. Orochimaru's initial interest in the Sharingan had stemmed from the failure of the Wood Release experiments. 

His fascination with Wood Release was due to its immense power—having read accounts of battles between Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju, he understood that Wood Release had no equal.

"Someone had actually survived those experiments and mastered the Wood Release?"

Orochimaru's expression darkened as a surge of anger flared within him.

"You lied to me?!"

"A Wood Release ninja is of incredible significance to Konoha," Danzō Shimura said matter-of-factly. "I certainly wouldn't have handed him over to you."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as realization dawned. "Then he must be… in Konoha?"

"Yes," Danzō admitted reluctantly.

"So that's why you're being so generous." Orochimaru's tongue flicked over his lips in excitement. 

Both the Sharingan and Wood Release in his grasp? The thought alone was exhilarating. Konoha was becoming impossible to resist.

"Follow my plan," Danzō continued with confidence, "and I'll tell you who he is. Konoha has hidden him well—you won't find him on your own."

Danzō didn't actually know Yamato's current status but had confidence he could manipulate Orochimaru for his own ends. 

Orochimaru frowned slightly, reluctant to relinquish the control he had in the situation, but the lure of a living Wood Release user was too enticing to ignore.

Orochimaru's mind raced. If he transplanted Sasuke's Sharingan onto the Wood Release user and used him as his new host… With both the Uchiha's and Senju's powers at his command, Orochimaru would be unstoppable, he would no longer need to live in the shadows.

"Sunagakure won't cooperate with us directly," Orochimaru said with an icy tone. "I'll kill the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and take his place."

"As expected of you, Orochimaru." Danzō nodded in approval.

With a single sentence, they sealed the Kazekage's fate. After all, the Kazekage was easier to eliminate than the Hokage, who rarely left Konoha. 

Meanwhile, Rasa often ventured into the desert to mine gold using his Magnet Release—leaving him perfectly vulnerable to an ambush.

"If we're assuming control of Suna, then there's no need for a direct assault," Danzō suggested, his mind spinning with ideas. "We'll use the joint Chūnin Exams."

"Agreed." Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. At Sasuke's age and skill level, he would likely participate in the Chūnin Exams. This would be an excellent chance to observe his potential firsthand. Written reports could only convey so much.

…

Konoha, Training Field No. 1

Naruto Uzumaki was busy practising tree-climbing, a task that involved using controlled chakra to adhere to vertical surfaces.

Every so often, he slipped and tumbled down, but he kept at it, undeterred.

Kakashi Hatake nodded in approval. 

For all of Naruto's roughness, his perseverance was exceptional, well above any average ninja's.

He was just like his father, the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi's teacher in that regard. Still, Naruto's chakra control was shaky, often throwing Kakashi's senses off with unexpected fluctuations as if someone were meddling with his control.

Kakashi glanced over at Sasuke Uchiha, who was practicing the Mist Servant Technique. 

Shadows darted among the trees and rocks—an unsettling sight that would undoubtedly intimidate an opponent, though ultimately a low-level genjutsu. 

Kakashi had also taught Sasuke the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, which forced an opponent to confront their worst fears, striking at their mental resilience.

Satisfied with their progress, Kakashi pulled out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise to indulge in a few pages.

Within moments, his breathing quickened, only for him to snap the book shut.

Kakashi, how can you allow yourself to slip into such depravity? again? he thought. 

His mind wandered back to the exhausting battle against Zabuza in the Land of Waves, his hand reflexively moving toward his right eye—the Sharingan left to him by Obito Uchiha.

As a non-Uchiha, Kakashi couldn't deactivate the eye, meaning his chakra was always being drained.

And yet, he couldn't remove it. It was a keepsake from his closest friend, a bond he could never sever.

Is there any way to increase my chakra reserves? Kakashi pondered. Chakra capacity was typically determined by genetics and rigorous training, yet he was already pushing his limits.

Just then, an idea came to him. If increasing his own chakra was impossible, what about an external source?

His mind drifted to Jinchūriki. With a tailed beast, any Shinhobi could wield colossal chakra reserves. 

Unfortunately, he could never become a Jinchūriki himself. Konoha only had the Nine-Tails, sealed within Naruto, and acquiring a tailed beast from another village was out of the question.

….

Elsewhere in Konoha

["Achievement Unlocked: Danzō Shimura—An Alliance Formed.]

[Reward: Thirty Jin Strength Gu."]

The notification startled Shinho. 

An achievement… tied to Danzō? It had been five years since he'd even seen the man—he'd nearly assumed Danzō had faded into irrelevance. This unexpected bonus, however, was a pleasant surprise.

He checked the details of his reward, noting the thirty-jin strength Gu. Straightforward and useful, though the achievement's title caught his interest. 

Alliance? Shinho mused. Could it be related to the joint Chūnin Exams?

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. If the Chunin Exams route were indeed in motion, Konoha's notice should arrive any day now.

….

"Anything troubling you, Kakashi-sensei?" Shinho asked, noting Kakashi scratching his head absently.

"Oh, it's nothing important," Kakashi replied with a sheepish laugh. "Am I disturbing your training?"

"Not at all." Shinho shrugged, looking at Kakashi with a smile, "Feel free to share—it's possible I might be able to help with your problem."

Kakashi hesitated, then admitted, "I want to increase my chakra capacity."

What? Shinho's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Kakashi-sensei wants to increase his chakra? This was significant. What would he use to compare other people's chakra reserves from now on?!

"Kakashi-sensei, do you have a plan for it?"

"I don't," Kakashi replied with a resigned smile.

Shinho contemplated this, recalling an external chakra enhancer: the Hero's Water from Takigakure, which could amplify a user's chakra many times over but came at the cost of lifespan. In theory, he had a way to offset the Hero's Water's price, thanks to a decade Gu for extended life.

But he quickly dismissed the thought. The Gu was a precious gift reserved for Tsunade, and he wasn't about to offer it to Kakashi on a whim.

"External chakra sources are an idea," Shinho offered.

"Other than tailed beasts, nothing else would be much effective," Kakashi said with a sigh.

Shinho hesitated.

He thought of the Zero-Tailed beast.

The zero-tailed beast was an artificial-tailed beast produced by the Land of sky, sealed within their Sky fortress. 

It can collect the malevolent thoughts in people's hearts and turn them into dark chakra.

More importantly, it can possess other people and turn them into a sort of jinchuriki, in other words, it can indeed be regarded as a tailed beast. And if they could use proper sealing techniques on the beast, perhaps they could make a proper jinchuruki?

But even of he wanted to help Kakashi, Shinho couldn't possibly explain the source of his information.

Seeing Shinho deep in thought, Kakashi waved his hand and said.

"Forget it, don't think too much about it, just continue your practice."

A week later

Shinho returned home after completing a weed-clearing mission. It had been a busy few days, with mornings spent training and afternoons full of assignments.

"Shinho," Tsunade called when she saw him approach.

"What's up?" Shinho walked over, slightly disappointed to see Tsunade out of her usual cheongsam.

"Will you be participating in the Chūnin Exams?" Tsunade asked, crossing her arms.

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