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The walk from Yakiniku Q to the Hokage Administrative Building was bathed in the orange-red glow of a setting sun, casting long, skeletal shadows across the stone streets of Konoha.
Lucifer walked with a relaxed, steady pace, flanked by the two Anbu. He didn't bother using Stealth; he wanted them to feel his presence.
His Martial Art Master's Presence was coiled like a spring, a subtle pressure that made the seasoned operatives beside him keep their hands uncomfortably close to their katanas.
As they entered the tower, the air changed. The warmth of the village vanished, replaced by the scent of old paper, cold stone, and the thick, suffocating weight of decades of secrets.
Lucifer used Fundamental Insight as he stepped through the halls. The building was a hive of activity, but it was the hidden signatures that interested him.
He could see them behind false walls and in the rafters—Anbu and Root operatives, their chakra suppressed but their killing intent sharp.
"Right through here," one of the guards said, sliding open a heavy oak door.
The Council Chamber was a circular room, dimly lit by flickering candles. In the center sat Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, his iconic red-and-white hat resting on the table before him.
He looked every bit the 'God of Shinobi,' though the lines on his face spoke of a man exhausted by the weight of the war.
To his left and right were the elders, Koharu and Homura, looking on with practiced neutrality.
And then there was the man in the corner.
Danzō Shimura sat in the shadows, his right eye and arm swathed in bandages. Even without the System, Lucifer's Fundamental Insight screamed.
The man's chakra signature was a grotesque patchwork, a dissonant melody of stolen energies that felt like rot hidden under silk.
"Lucifer-san,"
Hiruzen began, his voice raspy but kind.
"Minato has given us his report. To say your contribution at Kannabi Bridge was significant would be an understatement. You saved a legendary team and turned the tide of the Grass border campaign single-handedly."
Lucifer didn't bow. He didn't even stop in the center of the room. He walked to a vacant chair near the elders and sat down, leaning back and crossing his legs.
"It was part of the contract, Hokage-san. I'm a man of my word. I assume this isn't just about a 'thank you' letter, though. The air in here is a bit too thick for a simple pat on the back."
"You are observant,"
Homura remarked, his eyes narrowing.
"A man of your caliber wandering the nations without a village is... a variable we cannot ignore. We wish to discuss your permanent integration into the Leaf's forces."
Danzō leaned forward, his voice like dry parchment rubbing together.
"A 'Ronin' with the power to erase battalions is a danger to the balance of the Five Nations. You possess techniques that defy our understanding of Ninjutsu. For the safety of the village, and yourself, those techniques must be documented and placed under the jurisdiction of the Foundation."
Lucifer let out a soft, sharp laugh that echoed through the silent chamber.
"The Foundation? Is that what we're calling it?"
He turned his gaze toward Danzō. The elder didn't flinch, but Lucifer saw the slight tremor in his chakra.
"You talk a lot about safety and balance, old man. But you smell like a graveyard. And I'm not talking about the war."
"Watch your tongue, Ronin,"
Koharu snapped.
"You are speaking to the leadership of this village."
"Leadership?"
Lucifer stood up. He walked toward Danzō, ignoring the two Anbu who immediately dropped from the ceiling to bar his path.
Lucifer didn't even look at them; he just kept walking. The Anbu froze as his Martial Art Master's Presence flared for a split second, making them feel as if the very oxygen in the room had turned to lead.
He stopped three feet from Danzō.
"Let's play a game of honesty,"
Lucifer said, his tone casual, almost friendly.
"I have this gift. I see things. I see how chakra flows, how it settles, and how it... rebels."
Lucifer's eyes glowed with the cold light of Fundamental Insight.
"For instance, I see that your right arm isn't yours. It's a graft, isn't it? Filled with the cells of a dead man—the First Hokage, if I'm not mistaken. It's a messy piece of work. The chakra is fighting you every second of the day."
The room went deathly silent. Hiruzen's pipe stopped midway to his mouth.
"And those bandages over your eye,"
Lucifer continued, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper.
"There's a pulse behind them. A very specific, Uchiha-flavored pulse. But Obito is right outside, and he's the only Uchiha on our team. So, where did you get a Sharingan in the middle of a war, Danzō? Did you find it on a battlefield, or did you 'create' a battlefield to find it?"
Danzō's hand tightened on his cane until the wood groaned.
"You know nothing of the sacrifices required to keep this Leaf green."
"I know a thief when I see one,"
Lucifer shot back. He turned to Hiruzen, who was now standing, his face a mask of shock and dawning horror.
"Hokage-san, you have a termite problem. This man is hoarding stolen bloodlines like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. If you're worried about me being a 'variable,' maybe you should look at the man sitting at your table who's literally building a monster under your nose."
"Lucifer, these are grave accusations,"
Hiruzen said, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief.
"Danzō, is this true?"
"He is a provocateur!"
Danzō hissed, standing up.
"He seeks to sow discord within our ranks to weaken us! Anbu! Apprehend him!"
The Anbu hesitated. They looked at Hiruzen, then at Lucifer, who was currently checking his nails.
"Go ahead,"
Lucifer invited, his hand resting on the hilt of the Void-Seeker.
"Try it. I'll turn this tower into a chimney before you can get a seal on me. But before you do, ask yourself: if I can see Danzō's secrets, what else can I see? I can see the Root operatives in the basement. I can see the seals on their tongues. I can see the ledger in the safe three floors down."
He turned back to the Council.
"I told Minato I'm here for growth. I like this village. I like the kids. I even like the barbecue. But I don't work for thieves, and I don't stay in houses where the foundation is rotting."
Lucifer walked back to the center of the room.
"Here's the deal. I stay as a 'Special Consultant.' I keep my Ronin status. I go where I want, when I want. In exchange, I keep the Leaf's borders safe and I don't start pulling the 'dead man's arm' out of your friend's sleeve in public. Oh, and I want full access to the Library of Ninjutsu. I've got some 'pipes' to fill, and your scrolls are a good start."
Hiruzen looked at Danzō, who was trembling with suppressed rage, and then at Lucifer.
He saw the power the boy held—not just the physical strength, but the terrifying ability to strip away the veils of the Shinobi world.
"Danzō,"
Hiruzen said quietly.
"We will have a private discussion regarding your... medical treatments... immediately following this meeting."
He turned to Lucifer.
"Your terms are... unorthodox. But given your service, and the 'insights' you've provided, the Leaf accepts. You will be granted the rank of Special Foreign Envoy. You report directly to me, or Minato."
"Good choice, old man,"
Lucifer said, heading for the door.
"By the way, Danzō? Those Uchiha eyes? They don't suit you. They look... borrowed. Next time, try earning your own power. It lasts longer."
He slid the door open and walked out into the cool night air. As he descended the stairs, he felt the heavy presence of Root operatives trailing him in the shadows.
He didn't care. Let them watch. He had just set a fire in the heart of the village's leadership, and he intended to watch it burn while he grew stronger.
[Quest Complete: Face the Konoha Council]
[Reward: Access to 'A-Rank' Ninjutsu Library granted]
[Reputation: Hiruzen (Wary/Respectful), Danzō (Hated/Feared)]
As Lucifer reached the bottom of the tower, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him under a streetlamp. It was Kakashi.
"You're still alive," the boy remarked, leaning against the stone wall.
"Takes more than a few elders to kill a Ronin,"
Lucifer replied.
"What are you doing out here? Obito finished the beef?"
"He's still eating,"
Kakashi said, his eyes lingering on the Hokage tower.
"Minato-sensei told us what you said to them. Or at least, he told us that you 'shook the table.' Why did you do it? You could have just taken the money and stayed quiet."
Lucifer looked at the boy—the boy who would one day lead the village.
"Because quiet is how the rot grows, Kakashi. And I don't like things that smell like rot."