Hiruzen Sarutobi came close to breaking Naruto, and it was clear that Danzo had been the first to manipulate him. This fact continued to haunt him.
Yet he held no resentment toward anyone because of it, a fact that brought her some comfort.
"So, how did he react when he heard this news?"
Jiraiya shrugged as he answered:
"He didn't say a word. It reminded me of when he was defeated by Sasori and Deidara in the Kazekage's village of Sunagakure. Fortunately, that girl, Tamako, was with him again; this time, she also helped him bounce back effortlessly."
As he said this, Jiraiya couldn't help but smile slightly. "I plan to give him some time to rest before sending him out on missions once he regains his strength."
"I'll consider it," Tsunade nodded in agreement. After months of struggle, Naruto definitely needed a good rest. "I should probably find time to talk with him too."
Jiraiya grinned as he replied:
"You can go see him anytime, Princess Tsunade. That boy respects you like she's his mother—if you visit him, I'm sure he'll treat you like royalty."
Then, he shot a sly look toward Tsunade's chest and added:
"…And honestly, I totally see why he looks up to you like that."
Tsunade's face immediately clouded over.
"Oh really?" she responded coldly. Jiraiya knew he needed to choose his next words carefully or else she might throw him out the window—even with just one good arm. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Jiraiya began to sweat, already calculating what would happen if he fell from this height.
"…You have strong maternal qualities," he said, noticeably relaxed as Tsunade's expression eased slightly.
But he wasn't one to back down easily. He quickly added:
"Right, right… When he first met you, he must've been instantly drawn to your… assets, that's why he…"
Before Jiraiya could finish his sentence, Tsunade sent him flying out the window.
He shot out like a cannonball, eventually vanishing into the distant forest.
Watching him fly off, Tsunade muttered to herself: That'll teach him to keep his mouth shut.
******
## Root Base ##
After clearing out Danzo's office, only basic furniture remained—chairs, a desk, bookshelves, and a bulletin board originally used for posting mission details.
To uncover more clues, Sai and Maki conducted a thorough search of the former leader of Root's office, going as far as dismantling the furniture.
You might think their actions were excessive, but in situations like this, caution was always the safest bet. They believed any detail could conceal an important clue, so every item required careful inspection.
Their instincts were right. Inside one chair leg, they found a reel of microfilm hidden by Danzo.
If they hadn't completely smashed the chair apart, they never would have found it.
As expected, the film contained encrypted data, making it impossible for outsiders to decipher easily.
Fortunately, Sai and Maki were well-versed in Root's methods of communication, so they quickly found a way to enlarge and project the film's contents, beginning to read through the information.
Although the material on the film was outdated, the events it documented were still deeply significant to them.
It was a timeline forecast starring Naruto and the three of them, documenting a series of anticipated events.
This forecast was created years ago during Naruto's infiltration of Otogakure, so by now, its contents had already lost their relevance.
The first few slides reviewed past events—how the children became Danzo's subordinates and the training they underwent—acting as a recap before the plan officially began.
As the timeline progressed to the point when Naruto left the village to carry out missions, the projections then focused on what would unfold while he was away and what would follow upon his return.
To compensate for Naruto's weakness in genjutsu, Maki, his partner, began intensive training.
Meanwhile, another promising recruit, Sai, joined their ranks.
According to Danzo's plan, Sai would become the final member of their trio and, in the future, remain under Danzo's influence.
Following the plan, after Naruto exited his sealing state, the three would enter the Ninja Academy together and rapidly form a Genin team upon graduation, directly under Danzo's leadership.
If the plan failed to proceed smoothly, they would instead blend in as regular ninjas until Danzo could find a way to contact them.
However, things didn't develop entirely according to plan.
Naruto successfully entered the Ninja Academy, but Maki and Sai's roles changed into monitoring him to determine whether he still held any value.
Eventually, Maki concluded that Naruto was beyond saving, while Sai was placed in another class and graduated early at age nine to begin Danzo's "apprentice" training and start carrying out missions as soon as possible.
Maki remained inside the academy to continue observing Naruto.
Despite the children entering the Ninja Academy and graduating one after another, Danzo's plan continued progressing.
Since then, Sai started receiving special guidance regarding Root operations, while Naruto was deliberately shaped into a political figure.
Danzo's ultimate aim was to install Naruto as Hokage, with Sai overseeing Root—both working covertly in tandem to maximize organizational effectiveness and solidify Naruto's position as Hokage.
Months later, after Naruto exited his sealing state, Danzo revealed his "final mission," defining their ultimate objective.
Yet, neither of them knew what role Maki truly played within the entire plan.
Maki and Naruto fully understood the cruelty of Root's final test—they'd be thrust into a fight to the death, where only the victor could keep most of their normal emotions and social abilities.
So they deliberately skipped the test. But the real mystery was: why?
According to Danzo's plan, Naruto and Maki were meant to depend on each other more than their teammates.
Sai would receive direct training from Danzo and undertake crucial missions, while Naruto and Maki would remain inseparable like shadows—whether eating, sleeping, or completing missions, they must stay as close as possible.
This prolonged closeness would forge a bond between them far beyond that of ordinary teammates.
Over time, this dependence would slowly evolve into emotional attachment, ultimately blossoming into love.
In accordance with Danzo's plan, Naruto and Maki were destined to become husband and wife.
Such an arrangement would provide political leverage for Naruto's career, especially once he had become an influential figure within the village.
Maki would become Naruto's closest confidante, as well as a vital link in communication between him and Sai.
Since Sai was Danzo's "secret disciple," their relationship would inevitably raise suspicion among the elder ninjas in the village.
If Naruto were too closely linked to Sai, it would undoubtedly harm his future prospects.
Therefore, Sai would bear the brunt of the criticism, while Naruto could continue climbing the ranks unimpeded.
The entire plan spanned multiple decades, and its complexity and adaptability were truly impressive.
It also contained key details designed to help Naruto eventually claim the position of Hokage.
Though the plan included multiple branching paths, all routes ultimately converged on the same outcome: Naruto becoming Hokage and Sai leading Root.
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