Nanpu Shrine
After Xu Fan finished sharing his thoughts with Sanchuan, he turned and walked toward Yamazaki Kaze, who sat silently amidst the ruins.
Mifune stood frozen, unable to speak for a long while.
Whether it was strength, boldness, or ideology—among all the shinobi he had encountered—Xu Fan was undoubtedly among the best. Considering his age, Mifune couldn't help but think of him as a rare genius. If Xu Fan continued to grow, his name would be etched into the history of the shinobi world.
Mifune even suspected that Hiruzen Sarutobi had orchestrated this meeting as a way to train and promote him.
"Are you grooming him to be the next Hokage?" Mifune asked, unable to hold back, his eyes still fixed on Xu Fan's back.
Though Hiruzen was known as the "Professor" of the shinobi world, he was aging and would soon have to step down from his position as Hokage. From Mifune's perspective, Xu Fan appeared to be his chosen successor.
"Perhaps," Hiruzen replied, narrowing his eyes slightly as he watched Xu Fan walk away. Perhaps… letting Xu Fan become the Fifth Hokage wouldn't be such a bad thing.
---
Xu Fan ignored Hiruzen and Sanchuan as he approached Yamazaki Kaze.
Even though the attempt on the Fourth Raikage's life had surprised even himself, the results had not been terrible. Moreover, Kaze had suffered no serious injuries—aside from getting kicked by Hiruzen.
"Xu Fan…" Kaze's breathing quickened as he looked up into Xu Fan's face.
He knew he was responsible for disrupting the peace talks. He had acted on his own initiative to assassinate the Raikage, and he was also a member of Danzo's Root. Kaze assumed that Xu Fan planned to use him as leverage against Danzo.
"I won't let you succeed," Kaze declared. "The assassination was my decision alone. It had nothing to do with Lord Danzo."
Taking a deep breath, Kaze abruptly pulled a kunai from his pouch and attempted to stab himself in the heart.
CLANG!
The kunai flew from his grip as a surge of chakra shattered it. The force split the skin of his palm, leaving it bleeding.
"Danzo is dead," Xu Fan said softly, his eyes calm. "Two days ago."
"What?!" Kaze's eyes widened. He suddenly leapt to his feet as if a surge of strength had returned to him. "What did you say?!"
Xu Fan met his gaze. "Danzo was killed—by a clone of mine and Uchiha Itachi. Now, I've taken over Root. If you can't accept that, you're free to leave."
He paused for a moment. "But remember—before you were a Root operative, you were a shinobi of Konohagakure."
Xu Fan turned his gaze toward the unconscious Yūgorō (Yugito Nii), the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. With a single hand seal, thick vines burst from the earth and coiled around her body. The Wood Release restrained not only her movements, but also sealed her chakra to prevent her from entering a tailed-beast state.
"If you want to return to the village, carry her."
With that, Xu Fan turned without waiting for Kaze's reply and walked back toward Hiruzen.
Yamazaki Kaze stood motionless, staring down at the unconscious Yūgorō.
Unlike most of Danzo's Root, he wasn't brainwashed as a child. Born into the Yamanaka clan, he still had a name, emotions, memories, and a future. He belonged both to Root and to Konoha.
If he left now… where could he go?
He could hardly believe Danzo—always so meticulous and cautious—had been killed. Not even his body remained.
Wait…
Xu Fan took over Root?
That realization hit Kaze like a lightning bolt. If I remain in Root, doesn't that make Xu Fan… my superior?
Just a short while ago, Xu Fan had been an unknown boy from the Senju clan—he hadn't even graduated from the Academy.
"Kaze," Hiruzen said quietly, calling his name.
Things had gone too far. Now that Danzo, the instigator, was dead, there was no point in punishing Kaze.
"Yes… Lord Hokage…" Kaze muttered.
Though this information was difficult to accept, he was still a shinobi. He forced himself to move, picked up Yūgorō, and slung her unconscious body over his back.
---
"You're planning to bring her back to Konoha?" Mifune asked, frowning deeply.
Yugito Nii wasn't just any shinobi—she was the perfect Jinchūriki of the Hidden Cloud.
Mifune had expected Hiruzen to return her to Kumogakure as a gesture of peace.
"If you take her back," he said with concern, "you'll eliminate any chance of peace between Konoha and the Cloud."
Even if Xu Fan was prepared for war, Mifune still hoped Hiruzen hadn't been entirely swayed by him.
"The ones who need peace," Xu Fan interjected, "have never been us."
His tone was sharp, unwavering.
"Besides," he added, "Kumogakure doesn't value Yūgorō. Even if we send her back, she'll be executed—sacrificed for political gain."
"What are you talking about?" Mifune was stunned.
He expected Xu Fan to argue, but this?
"In the past," Xu Fan explained calmly, "when Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, was taken by the Akatsuki, A was furious. He nearly brought the entire Cloud to war over it."
"But for Yugito? Did they ever do anything? No one even searched for her."
Xu Fan glanced at Yūgorō, bound in vines. "She'd be better off being used properly… rather than ending up in the hands of Kakuzu and Hidan."
"Lord Hokage," he turned back to Hiruzen, "we should leave. There's much to handle back in the village."
"Yes," Hiruzen nodded gravely. He was already thinking about the Uchiha clan—their growing unrest and the threat of rebellion.
"It's time we returned. Farewell, Mifune."
Hiruzen turned and walked away.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed in Xu Fan's mind:
Please go to Nanga Shrine to sign in. The host will receive a reward upon successful check-in! —Road to the Heavens.
Subscribe to patreon.com/favyoris to get 30+ chapters