"Not from any prominent clan, which is precisely why I find it so surprising. Can you believe it? Aside from Tsunade, the other four children are all civilian-born shinobi."
Upon hearing the term "civilian shinobi," Danzo's eyes sparkled with excitement.
During the two years he was dispatched to the front lines by Mito, Danzo didn't return empty-handed. He learned two crucial things:
First, the intoxicating allure of power. Second, the remarkable utility of civilian shinobi.
As the saying goes, "When a general is on the field, he need not follow orders from the capital." Similarly, during his tenure as a frontline commander, Danzo experienced the exhilaration of commanding hundreds of shinobi for the first time.
With a single command, those shinobi would obediently follow his directives, even if it meant undertaking suicide missions.
It was during this period of issuing orders that he discovered the advantages of civilian shinobi. Clan-affiliated shinobi often relied on their family's backing, frequently responding to his orders with superficial compliance or delegating tasks to others.
The young Uchiha were even more audacious. Before Uchiha Kagami's death, they wouldn't even spare Danzo a glance, treating his orders as mere background noise.
In contrast, the civilian shinobi were diligent, uncomplaining, and easily swayed. The few around Danzo exemplified this.
After completing missions, Danzo would casually reward them with a basic jutsu or two, and they would be so moved that they'd be willing to face any peril for him.
After several such instances, they became his trusted subordinates, unwaveringly loyal. Under Danzo's guidance, they came to believe that he was the true leader Konoha needed, while Hiruzen was merely a despicable schemer.
Having savored this power, Danzo couldn't help but harbor ambitions of cultivating his own loyal faction within Konoha.
Ironically, Mito had sent Danzo away from Konoha to prevent him from succumbing to jealousy and falling under the influence of conspirators.
Yet, those two years on the front lines only intensified Danzo's envy and greed. It's hard to say whether this was fate's design or if Danzo was simply destined to play the role of an antagonist.
At this moment, Danzo was unaware that Hoshiyomi and the others were talents Mito had personally discovered and reserved for Tsunade's future team.
Clueless, he fantasized about recruiting these civilian prodigies to bolster his own path to becoming Hokage.
With these young geniuses as his support, once Mito passed away in a decade, he wouldn't have to worry about ascending to the Hokage position.
The mere thought thrilled Danzo, prompting a smile as he inquired,
"What are those children's names, and where have you assigned them?"
Seeing Danzo's curiosity, Hiruzen explained,
"Among the five, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru are under my tutelage. I've entrusted Hoshiyomi and Sakumo to Torifu's care.
Why are you so interested?"
Danzo waved his hand dismissively,
"I've never had the experience of being a teacher. I'd like to know what it's like.
You're the Hokage and undoubtedly busy. Perhaps it's better to transfer them to me. I promise to teach them everything I know."
Hiruzen quickly declined,
"That's not possible. Do you think I don't want to be their teacher? Besides, I've already established a mentor-student relationship with them. Transferring them to you wouldn't make sense.
However, it's rare to see you so enthusiastic. It seems you're genuinely interested in teaching. How about this: in a month, this year's graduating class will be ready. I'll let you choose three students to take under your wing. How does that sound?"
Danzo readily agreed. Such an opportunity was too good to pass up. Additionally, he considered approaching Torifu to get closer to those two prodigies.
Perhaps he could even recruit one of them to become his trusted subordinate.
Thinking of Hoshiyomi and Sakumo, whom Hiruzen had praised, Danzo felt a surge of excitement. Given that his previous attempts at sowing discord had failed, lingering here was pointless. He decided to take his leave.
Exiting the Hokage building, he headed straight home to prepare a suitable gift to foster a connection with Torifu's two disciples.
Early the next morning, Danzo visited Akimichi Torifu. Torifu was surprised by the unexpected visit from his usually reserved teammate. Upon hearing Danzo's request to meet his disciples, Torifu didn't hesitate and led him to Training Ground Six.
As Danzo entered the training ground, he immediately encountered Hoshiyomi. Torifu promptly introduced Danzo to him.
Upon seeing Danzo, Hoshiyomi internally sensed trouble. However, with Torifu present, he couldn't react overtly.
Subsequently, Torifu introduced Danzo to Sakumo and Shinku. Danzo was exceedingly cordial, speaking more amiably than Torifu himself.
For a moment, Hoshiyomi doubted whether this was truly Danzo. In his memory, Danzo always wore a stern expression and would have summoned Root members to deliver a curt message like, "Lord Danzo requests your presence."
But the Danzo before him did no such thing. After chatting with them for a while, he smiled and presented three scrolls:
"Torifu and I were both disciples of the Second Hokage. Since you're his students, you should address me as 'senior.' Consider these three jutsu scrolls as my gift to you.
If you ever have questions about training or life, feel free to approach me. I'll be more than willing to help."
Had the gift come from Mito or Koharu, Hoshiyomi wouldn't have hesitated. But accepting something from Danzo? That was a different matter.
He couldn't believe that someone notorious for his misdeeds in the original storyline would be so generous. Nor did he think his charm was enough to reform Danzo.
Moreover, accepting a favor from the "Pot King" was no trivial matter. Today, it might be a scroll; tomorrow, he might be coerced into receiving a cursed seal.
With this in mind, Hoshiyomi forced a grateful smile and said,
"Thank you, Lord Danzo, but this is too generous. Besides, with Torifu-sensei's guidance, we have all we need.
As a disciple of the Second Hokage, you're undoubtedly busy. We wouldn't want to trouble you."
Torifu, pleased by Hoshiyomi's words, patted Danzo's shoulder,
"See? My students are content with their excellent teacher. They don't need another 'senior.'"
Danzo's smile faltered slightly. Hoshiyomi's polite refusal irked him, but he maintained his composure:
"It's alright. There will come times when Torifu can't attend to you. When that happens, don't hesitate to seek me out. Please, accept these scrolls as a token of my goodwill."
Without giving Hoshiyomi a chance to respond, Danzo turned and left.