"Jiraiya is the Hokage's disciple. Kakuzu will definitely demand an exorbitant price from us."
"As long as it doesn't exceed twenty million ryo, we can agree to it."
Danzo's voice was cold and firm.
Generally, the bounty for a Jōnin was around six million ryo. But if they were from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the price would almost double. Jōnin from the Five Great Villages were powerful—killing them was extremely difficult, and a single mistake could lead to a reversal where the hunter became the hunted.
Even if successful, the risk of being targeted for retribution was high. Because of this, bounty hunters who dared to take on assassinations of shinobi from the Five Great Villages were few and far between. Those who did were exceptionally strong—and their prices were equally exorbitant.
"When you go, take a squad with you. If the bounty hunters fail to eliminate Jiraiya, you will act personally. Under no circumstances can Jiraiya return to the village alive."
"Keep his identity as the Hokage's student hidden."
Danzo's tone remained emotionless. If news got out that the target was one of the Third Hokage's disciples, there would hardly be a bounty hunter in the world willing to take the job.
Right now, Konoha was still the most powerful of the villages, and very few bounty hunters were bold enough to provoke them.
"Understood, Danzo-sama."
The Root shinobi knelt before him, then disappeared from the room.
Danzo's lone eye narrowed. "Hiruzen, once you step down, the position of Hokage can only be mine. No one else."
His gaze shifted to his bandaged right arm.
Moments ago, a portion of Hashirama's cells had been transplanted into his arm. He could already feel the ability to use Wood Release—but the cost was high. Still, the enhancement in his strength was undeniable.
With this power, he was confident he could eliminate all obstacles standing between him and the title of Hokage.
In the original timeline, Danzo's infamous Sharingan-infused arm had been cultivated using Hashirama's cells and refined over multiple iterations. However, at this stage, his arm was still far from reaching that level of power. The number of embedded Sharingan was also significantly lower.
Danzo left the room and entered a hidden underground chamber.
Inside, rows of glass tanks lined the walls, each containing human specimens suspended in liquid.
A small, hunched figure stood in the center, hunched over a dissected corpse. His expression was one of manic obsession as he muttered to himself.
"Another failure… Where did it go wrong? Where did it go wrong?! Where did it go wrong?!"
With a sudden outburst, he raised his scalpel and began furiously slashing at the body before him.
Danzo's expression remained impassive as he watched. Only when the figure's outburst had subsided did he finally speak.
"If you failed, then conduct another experiment. There's no point in this useless display, Hiruko."
The hunched figure—Hiruko—froze for a moment before turning to Danzo.
Hiruko was a civilian-born shinobi who had graduated from the academy alongside Jiraiya, but unlike Jiraiya and Orochimaru, he had been left far behind.
Unwilling to accept his mediocrity, he had turned to scientific research, hoping to overcome his inherent limitations and elevate himself to the level of a genius.
In truth, Hiruko was one of the most brilliant scientific minds in the Naruto world.
He would later develop the Chimera Technique—an immensely powerful jutsu that allowed him to absorb the bloodlines of others and inherit their kekkei genkai.
In the end, he absorbed multiple bloodline limits and became powerful enough to declare war on the Five Great Nations alone. Though he ultimately failed, his genius was undeniable.
Danzo had stumbled upon Hiruko's human experimentation by chance.
After reviewing his research data, he recognized his talent and decided to recruit him.
Hiruko, knowing that exposure would mean execution, had no choice but to align himself with Danzo. In return, Danzo provided him with funding and resources for his research.
Hiruko had played a key role in the development of Danzo's Wood Release-enhanced arm.
"Danzo-sama, the power of Wood Release is immense, but controlling it is exceedingly difficult. A breakthrough in our research is unlikely in the short term."
"Furthermore, the Hokage has banned any further research into Wood Release. We're running low on materials. We should shift our focus to other kekkei genkai for now."
Now calm, Hiruko spoke in a respectful tone.
"The war between the village and Amegakure is about to escalate. If you want to research other bloodlines, I'll have new subjects for you soon. But no matter what, the research on Wood Release must continue."
Danzo's tone was resolute. His obsession with Hashirama's power knew no bounds.
When Hiruzen had officially outlawed Wood Release experimentation, Danzo had outwardly complied. But in secret, his research had never stopped.
"Danzo-sama, the experimental subjects you've provided simply can't withstand the power of the First Hokage's cells. The only way to stabilize the fusion is to use Uchiha Sharingan to balance it. But the side effects are severe. The two forces counteract each other, and over time, the power fades. I assume you've already noticed this issue with your arm?"
Hiruko's gaze flickered toward Danzo's bandaged limb.
Danzo frowned.
He could feel it—though his new arm granted him incredible strength, the power was slowly diminishing.
This meant he would need to replace it periodically.
Each time he did, he would have to endure excruciating pain—and sacrifice more Sharingan.
And no matter how many Sharingan he hoarded, they were not infinite.
This was why he couldn't afford to stop researching Wood Release.
"Danzo-sama, the First Hokage has a grandson—Senju Nawaki. His genetic makeup should be nearly identical to Hashirama's. If we could capture him and study his body, we might finally achieve a breakthrough."
"Nawaki… As a direct descendant of the First Hokage, his genes are undoubtedly close to Hashirama's."
Danzo didn't hesitate.
"I will find a way to bring him to you."
If it meant advancing his Wood Release research, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice an entire clan—let alone a single boy.
"How is your Chimera Technique progressing?"
Danzo asked.
"No major progress recently. I need more test subjects," Hiruko replied.
"Tomorrow, I will have my men deliver another batch of experimental subjects to you."
Danzo responded without hesitation.
...
The next morning,
Jiraiya donned his Anbu combat gear and left Konoha alone, heading toward the border to carry out the mission assigned to him by Hiruzen.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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