It Makes Sense
Yamanaka Fū could be said to be Danzō Shimura's right-hand man.
During the Five Kage Summit, he attended the meeting alongside Torune of the Aburame Clan, both representing the disbanded Root division under Danzō's command.
As a member of the Yamanaka Clan, Fū was not only proficient in the Mind Body Switch Technique (Shintenshin no Jutsu) and the advanced Mind Puppet Curse Technique (Shinranshin no Jutsu: Kōjin no In), but he also had exceptional sensory abilities.
It's said that Yamanaka clan members can perceive chakra signatures and emotions in their surroundings, making them formidable support-type shinobi.
Bringing Fū along on this journey could serve two purposes: enhance the team's perception capabilities—and weaken Danzō.
After all, at most, Danzō could only leave behind a Wood Style (Mokuton) clone to assist Uchiha Itachi.
This decision wasn't made lightly.
Xu Fan didn't fully trust Uchiha Itachi yet.
If Itachi truly went all-out—with Susanoo, Amaterasu, and other Mangekyō-level techniques—things would be fine.
But if he hesitated, or held back due to inner conflict, dealing with Danzō would become tricky—especially since Danzō possessed Izanagi.
It would become even worse if Yamanaka Fū were assisting Danzō in battle.
So after weighing the options, Xu Fan decided it was better to bring Fū along.
---
"Yamanaka Fū..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Xu Fan with a composed expression, recalling the name.
He was born into the Yamanaka clan and had long-standing ties with the Aburame clan. He'd joined Root under Danzō at a very young age.
"His sensory skills are indeed excellent," Hiruzen said cautiously. "But how do you know that?"
Xu Fan had only attended the Ninja Academy for one day. He wasn't part of the ANBU, and Danzō had already targeted him twice—yet never once deployed Fū.
Logically, Xu Fan shouldn't even know of his existence.
Not only was Xu Fan's chakra nature and use of Mokuton puzzling, but his intelligence-gathering abilities were also a mystery.
Take the incident with Hinata Hyūga, for instance.
Even though it was peacetime, Konoha's perimeter was always protected by sensory barriers. Only highly ranked personnel could bypass them without detection.
Yet on that night, Xu Fan had crossed the border forest and entered the village undetected—without triggering any alarms.
---
"Tenzō told me."
Xu Fan had anticipated this line of questioning and was ready.
"Tenzō?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Xu Fan nodded, feigning a sigh. "That was my fault. When Gezu attacked me, I lost control of my emotions. I acted impulsively."
"I didn't measure my strength correctly. Fortunately, before Tenzō fell unconscious, he managed to tell me about a sensor-nin he once worked with back in Root."
"He recommended Yamanaka Fū."
Xu Fan kept his expression steady. Before crossing into this world, he'd read that when people lie, they often touch their noses or avoid eye contact. So he avoided such gestures.
As he and Hiruzen locked eyes, the room grew silent.
Ibiki Morino, standing nearby, also studied Xu Fan's face, trying to detect any flaw or inconsistency.
He didn't believe Tenzō could've spoken in that state.
But Xu Fan's heartbeat was calm, his face unreadable.
Either he was telling the truth… or he was a genius at deception.
This kid belongs in the Torture and Interrogation Division, Ibiki thought to himself, impressed.
---
"I understand," Hiruzen finally exhaled, breaking the silence.
"I'll think about it," he said.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Xu Fan replied with a smile. As he turned to leave, he paused at the doorway.
"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I have no personal grudge against Kumogakure nin, but based on history, I doubt their sincerity."
"I heard that more than ten years ago, they tried to kidnap a girl from the Uzumaki clan in our village."
"Even though this is supposed to be a summit between two Kage, it's possible they're laying a trap."
"Kumogakure has no strategic need for an alliance. They're surrounded on three sides by ocean and have multiple jinchūriki. If I were the Raikage, I'd set an ambush, take out my counterpart, and initiate war."
Xu Fan's gaze darkened slightly.
"For this level of negotiation, it's vital to include a skilled sensor-nin in the guard detail."
"And when it comes to sensory ability, no one surpasses Yamanaka Fū. Even Tenzō acknowledged his strength."
He left Hiruzen with those words, knowing the Hokage would reflect on them carefully.
---
Click.
The door to the Hokage's office shut behind him.
"A rare genius," Ibiki said, breaking the silence. "If we could recruit him into the Torture Division, he'd be our most formidable captain yet."
"No one surpasses him in deception or genjutsu."
"...Genjutsu."
That word struck something in Hiruzen.
A new suspicion began forming in his mind.
Though Meeko hadn't been in the ANBU long, she was a capable kunoichi. Even if Xu Fan had been placed above her as captain, she wouldn't have acted out without reason.
And Gezu was known for being kind to newcomers.
Could Xu Fan have used genjutsu on her from the beginning? Manipulated her into creating a conflict, just so he could replace Tenzō?
The idea sounded far-fetched, and Hiruzen shook his head.
What would Xu Fan gain from replacing Tenzō?
Still… some of Xu Fan's points held merit.
---
"What?" Ibiki asked. He hadn't caught the muttering.
"Nothing," Hiruzen said, furrowing his brow. "I was just thinking of Lord Tobirama."
"...Understood. Shall I leave?"
"Yes. Also—" Hiruzen looked toward him. "Send for Yamanaka Fū."