After everything that had happened, Sarutobi Hiruzen had fully recognized the true extent of Senju Haruto's power.
He realized that the traditional route—entering the Academy, graduating as a genin, being mentored by a jōnin, then taking the chūnin exams—was no longer suitable for Haruto.
Instead, it would be better to seize this opportunity and bring him directly into the ANBU.
Kakashi could be the one to guide him.
This, Hiruzen believed, was the most suitable path for Haruto at the moment.
And the benefits didn't stop there.
Ever since Obito, Rin, and Namikaze Minato had all passed away one after another, Kakashi had thrown himself into the shadows.
He had even considered ending his own life as a means of escape.
But then, the arrival of Yamato had marked a turning point.
It was Kakashi who had taught Yamato the meaning of comradeship, the Will of Fire.
And in turn, that same bond had slowly pulled Kakashi back from the darkness.
If Yamato could do it… then so could Senju Haruto.
Under Kakashi's guidance, Haruto could learn to value his comrades and inherit the Will of Fire.
There was another advantage as well—Kakashi could keep a close watch on Haruto and make sure his power didn't spiral out of control.
"Join the ANBU?" Haruto looked at Hiruzen in mild surprise.
"Yes," Hiruzen nodded. "ANBU stands for the 'Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.' Its members are handpicked from the village's best shinobi. Their duties include protecting me and preventing enemy infiltration."
"Sometimes, we also take on reconnaissance and assassination missions," he continued.
"But in daily life, you'll still be able to move about under your civilian identity."
"I see." Haruto deliberately put on a look of sudden realization, though in truth, his understanding of ANBU was no less than Hiruzen's.
ANBU wasn't a lifelong commitment—both Kakashi and Yamato had eventually left ANBU to become active-duty jōnin.
In other words, this route was a shortcut to becoming a jōnin.
And once he became a jōnin… he would qualify to become Hokage.
"There's one more thing."
Seeing that Haruto had absorbed the information, Hiruzen continued, extending an invitation.
"I've decided to meet with the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud in the Land of Iron for negotiations. I'd like you to accompany me."
"Negotiations?" Haruto's brow furrowed slightly.
The Land of Iron lay to the west of the Land of Fire and bordered the Land of Lightning to the north—sandwiched between two great nations.
If Konoha and the Hidden Cloud went to war, the Land of Iron would inevitably become a buffer zone.
Given that position, it was no surprise the Land of Iron was willing to host talks between the two sides.
"Rest assured, the Konoha Council has already rejected the proposal to hand over Hiashi," Hiruzen said, a warm smile tugging at his lips.
"That's thanks to you."
But the smile soon faded, replaced by unprecedented seriousness.
In the world of shinobi, there was no such thing as a blitzkrieg.
Even Uchiha Obito had only declared war openly during the Five Kage Summit.
"If the Raikage is willing to let matters rest, then all the better," Hiruzen said gravely.
"But if he intends to declare war… then we will face it head-on."
'If you seek peace through strength, peace will last. If you seek peace through compromise, peace will be lost.'
Hiruzen repeated Haruto's own words back to him.
Then his tone shifted.
"But conflict doesn't always mean open war. Sometimes, it's simply about showing resolve."
He didn't say it outright, but the meaning was clear—Hiruzen intended to bring Haruto to the Land of Iron as a form of deterrence during the talks with the Raikage.
Forcing the Hidden Cloud to back down.
Haruto looked at the old man and couldn't help but think bitterly.
So in the end, Hiruzen had still chosen the middle road?
Clearly, declaring war now could have weakened the Uchiha clan's power even further.
"Just the two of us?" Haruto asked directly.
From his perspective, a meeting of this scale should have at least two elite jōnin accompanying the village leader—one combat specialist, and one sensory specialist.
"Yamato will be coming too," Hiruzen said plainly.
Though Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi were both exceptional, in Hiruzen's mind, the deterrent effect of the Sharingan was nothing compared to Wood Release.
Everyone knew how the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, had once dominated the entire shinobi world.
Now that Konoha had two Wood Release users, even the Hidden Cloud would think twice before starting a war.
Yamato was also an excellent sensory ninja.
Still, just as Haruto suspected, this was merely Hiruzen's compromise.
Despite being the Third Hokage, his nature was overly gentle and indecisive.
"Alright," Haruto nodded. "But that means we'll have to find another way to deal with the Uchiha problem."
"I'll think of something," Hiruzen replied slowly, giving the same tired line he always used when the Uchiha were mentioned.
"When do we leave?" Haruto asked.
"Three days from now," Hiruzen answered after a brief pause.
"Until then, you can report to Kakashi's ANBU unit. I think you'll like the atmosphere there."
Kakashi's squad was the backbone of ANBU—besides Kakashi himself, there was Yamato and Uchiha Itachi.
With Haruto joining, not only would the team grow stronger, but the bonds between these elite shinobi could deepen.
"I understand," Haruto said with a nod—then suddenly changed the subject.
"And what about Danzō?"
At the mention of that name, Hiruzen's expression remained calm, but inside, his heart skipped a beat.
So… Haruto had brought it up after all.
Hiruzen had assumed Haruto, like himself, would tacitly avoid the subject.
But he could understand the sentiment—Danzō had tried to eliminate Haruto twice.
"He—" Hiruzen began, but Haruto cut him off.
"He's not dead."
Haruto's tone was utterly calm, and Hiruzen's reaction confirmed his suspicion.
Danzō wasn't dead.
To be precise, he had used Izanagi to rewrite his own death.
"You want me to join ANBU? Fine. You want me to come to the Land of Iron? Fine," Haruto said evenly.
"But this… this I cannot accept."
"Maybe in your eyes, where there is light, there must also be shadow—and without either, the world cannot function."
"But to me, Danzō is neither the only Root, nor the only shadow."
"So…" Haruto's voice hardened.
"Where is he?"