Chapter 52: Killer Bee
Three years ago, Danzo Shimura, the highest-ranking of all the Konoha prisoners, had spent a full six months in a Hidden Cloud prison cell before Orochimaru finally came to take him home.
During those six months, at Dana's direction, Dodai had used his position to get close to Danzo and exert a considerable amount of influence.
Dodai had been very subtle. At first, he had just been the warden, doing his job. But over time, he had gradually formed a "friendship" with Danzo, a bond between prisoner and guard.
In Danzo's mind, this man, a close confidant of the Raikage, was in a similar position to himself. And he was the only high-ranking official among his captors. The fact that he had been able to befriend him while imprisoned was a testament to his own skill, his masterful way with words. With just a few sentences, he had gained Dodai's trust, making him feel as if they were long-lost brothers. He had, without anyone noticing, found a way to extend his influence into the Hidden Cloud, a way to use Dodai to probe for their weaknesses.
But what he didn't know was that the hand he thought he had so cleverly extended was being watched, with amusement, from the other side of the door.
A man like Danzo only trusts himself. So, you had to let him believe he had "earned" the information himself. Only then would he truly believe it.
Next, Dodai had intentionally revealed that he and the Third Raikage did not see eye to eye on certain matters, playing right into Danzo's hands. Danzo had then subtly began to nurture Dodai's rebellious sentiments.
"I, too, was once a step away from the position of Hokage," Danzo had said. "I only withdrew because the village needed me elsewhere. But everything I do is for the village. The one who can lead the village to glory is the one who should be in that position. I have observed the Third Raikage. He is fierce and warlike, strong in body but not in mind. It may not be apparent now, but if the world is thrown into chaos, he will likely lead your village to ruin. As his confidant, though you are his subordinate, for the sake of your village, you must prepare for the future."
And Dodai had been successfully "persuaded." And so, the confidant of the Raikage and the confidant of the Hokage had, under very special circumstances, formed a secret "alliance." This was a deeply hidden chess piece, one Danzo would never reveal to Hiruzen. It would be his own secret weapon.
As Danzo was reveling in his own genius, serving Konoha even while imprisoned, he had no idea that in Dodai's reports, he was described as a man of great ambition but little talent.
After returning to Konoha, Danzo had been busy expanding his Foundation. He had achieved some success in the past two years and had been secretly corresponding with Dodai, exchanging so-called "intelligence." Dana would sometimes use this channel to provide Danzo with support, helping him grow his Foundation so that he could suck the lifeblood from Konoha's roots.
...No, wait. So that he could secretly protect Konoha's future.
After finalizing their plan, Dana left the Raikage's tower and went to the orphanage.
In the past few years, the orphanage had been running well. Not only was the care excellent, but the funding from the village had also increased. Keiko knew this better than anyone. As the orphanage and the village had become more integrated, most of the first batch of children had been adopted, some by families who had lost their own children, others by the former teammates of their fallen parents. The orphanage now had nearly seventy children, twice its original size, and the population was constantly changing. As the headmistress, Keiko, though only a Genin, had become a beloved figure in the village.
Dana's responsibilities had grown over the years, but he still made time to visit every week. Most of the first batch of children were gone now, though he would sometimes see them at the Ninja Academy. This, by the way, was another reason for his popularity at school. The little girls who had fought over him back then were still fighting over him now, just in a different location.
He was, as always, greeted with a warm welcome. He always brought a large amount of candy with him. The children at the orphanage were well-fed and clothed, but who could say no to a little extra candy?
Dana handed out the sweets, the smile on his face the same as when he was feeding the little snakes. He liked the feeling of feeding others.
"Young Master Dana, you've brought too much," Keiko said gently. "Some of the children are losing their baby teeth and can't have sugar."
A few of the children in question immediately covered their mouths, as if that would hide their secret, but it only gave them away. So, Dana wisely gave their share of the candy to Keiko to hold onto until their teeth were better.
He had grown a lot in recent years. Standing among the children now, he looked like a young adult.
As he was chatting with Keiko, he noticed a boy in the distance who hadn't come for candy. He was rolling around on the ground under a large tree. At first, Dana thought he was in pain, but he seemed to be full of energy.
Keiko followed his gaze and chuckled. "That boy," she said, "he's always doing things like that."
Dana walked over. "What are you doing?" he asked.
The boy had the typical dark skin of the Hidden Cloud and looked to be about five or six years old. "I'm developing a new ninjutsu!" he said, flashing a toothy grin.
Dana was impressed. "Really? I don't believe you."
"It's true, big brother!" the boy said eagerly. "I've developed a super-powerful taijutsu! It's at least B-rank! It's called the Five-Sword Style!"
He held up a handful of twigs. He tucked one under his right armpit, one between his legs, and held one in his mouth. He then held one in each hand and struck a strange pose. Then, he began to roll around on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A few moments later, he stood up, leaving a series of chaotic lines in the dirt. "See?" he said proudly. "I'm amazing!"
Dana covered his face. "...Yes," he said. "Not many people could do that."
He then picked up three more twigs. He tucked one under the boy's left armpit. "Squat," he said. The boy obeyed. Dana then tucked a twig behind each of his knees.
"Hold them tight," he said, patting his hands. "There. Now you're even more amazing. You're now the master of the Eight-Sword Style."
The boy's face lit up with joy, but then he froze. "Uh... but I can't move."
Dana laughed. "Well, that's your problem. This is at least an A-rank jutsu. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? You just need to practice!"
To his surprise, the boy actually calmed down and, with a constipated expression on his face, began to try and figure out how to move while maintaining his Eight-Sword Style.
Keiko was trying not to laugh. "He's an interesting one," Dana said. "What's his name?"
"His name is Sabii."
Dana froze. "What did you say?"
The little boy was not pleased. He immediately threw down the twigs. "My name is Killer Bee!" he shouted. "Not Sabii! I'm the ninja slayer! Killer Bee, the ninja!"