"Shimura Danzou," Muramasa muttered, summarizing pretty much what our exchange had all been about. "To think that we were asking for help from the Konoha no Yami."
We were finally out of the danger zone, and yet I couldn't help but feel like I was tip-toeing on a scalding stove with the kind of questioning I have been subjected to. Truth be told, it had been one driven by necessity. I had to answer a few questions if I wanted to not pass as a potential dangerous threat.
And since I had already used Susanoo against Ashihei, I suppose any half-lie half-truth excuse would only worsen my current predicament. Hence why I had to talk a lot through this walk and I felt like I was being judged a lot by this. The only one that was not judging? Nashiro. But that was because she was confused.
"Niichan is so important back home?" Nashiro quipped, clearly not catching up with the entire situation. "But if he is already that strong, why is he trying to learn Kenjutsu? And why did he lie to us about his identity?"
I sighed, knowing that the truth had to come out fully at this point. Not just because I wanted to keep on training under Muramasa, but because I owed this much to Nashiro for being this attachment to me. I was compelled to do so and, truth be told, nothing of value would be lost by coming out clean about this situation.
"To answer your questions, I wanted to improve my Kenjutsu and thus I pursued the styles used by the Samurai to refine that skill," I replied calmly. "While the second one is quite simple, I don't want my name to warrant me favors or any enemies here."
"Enemies?" The girl inquired and Muramasa sighed.
"Danzou is considered a 'controversial' figure in this world. Some sees him as a savior, others as a dangerous threat due to his connection with Madara Uchiha, his mentor-"
"And step-father," I added, causing Muramasa to choke for a moment.
"Y-your step-father?!" The old man parroted loudly and I nodded somberly.
"It's a long story, but let's just say that Madara may have grown a bit close with my widowed mother."
The elder chuckled loudly at this, while Nashiro nodded with still some confusion over the entire situation.
"So, you didn't lie to us to trick us, right?"
"That's not the case, no," I assured the poor girl, with Nashiro hugging me tightly as if I could 'disappear' any moment now.
"Yet one could make that case," Muramasa rebuked, yet smiling as he conceded to my point. "Still, to think that all this time I was teaching to someone that already went to war at a young age."
This time, Nashiro's curiosity got a bit more bombastic than usual as she suddenly squeezed at my arms. "War? You went to war, Niichan?!"
"Well, it wasn't like I had much of a choice back then," I argued. "Iwa and Kumo wanted to gain greater control over the continent, but they failed to realize that they were disadvantaged for a few reasons. In the end, we won and a peace was born."
"And one that seems to be long-lasting as far as I heard," Muramasa added, and I smiled a bit at that thought. "Oh, right, I guess you should pat your own back for that, should you?"
"Me? No," I admitted nervously. "I... I helped, but I wasn't the one that made good work of my actions after the war. The Hokage was the one that brokered deals with the defeated villages."
Despite this calm approach into that conflict, the dragon girl looked hardly sold to the whole 'war' thing, and for good reasons as she was soon to mention.
"That doesn't sound nice. War is... Mama always told me warring is bad."
"It definitely is," I agreed, flashing a happy smile at that thought. "But we don't have a choice at times. Some people are driven by the need to prove a point through war. And at times there are people that have no choice but to defend themselves."
Her eyes widened in recognition. "Like self-defense?"
I nodded, and Muramasa whistled before speaking. "That's one hell of a comparison to make. But yes, war always has an aggressor and a victim. In this curious circumstance Konoha was among the 'victims' during the war, but won against their enemies and ultimately enforced peace on the land."
"So you didn't do... bad things?"
"I am afraid that bad things come with war, Nashiro-chan," Muramasa argued. "Even here in the Land of Iron, War has been the reason for blood to be spilled and for lives to be lost."
"Which is why, regardless of which side you are on, war will still be horrible. It's a duty to defend yourself and others, but in War the luxury of being merciful is not always there to entertain," I added, gaining a nod from Muramasa.
"I think I understand," Nashiro mumbled, head tilting to the side before she gave me an intense look. "Do you want to be called Danzou or Kojiro?"
A good question, and one that the answer was quite simple to give.
"I think I will keep Kojiro in public for the time being. I told you two but-"
"But the same reasoning behind your cover is still there," Muramasa interrupted, guessing where I was going with this. "The less people know, the less trouble we will all have."
I nodded, holding back from answering more as I had someone else wanting my full attention. Nashiro was curious, intrigued by this situation and was quick to barrage me with questions about my family, what I can do and how fluffy Matatabi is despite being a titan-sized demon cat. But as I found myself busy with that sort of information, I was blissfully unaware that someone had been listening to our conversation, taking mental notes as she archived some blackmail material for future confrontations.
After all, Musashi was not going to take no when it comes to any future fights, no matter the circumstances!
Isshiki was not a man that liked distractions, but this one was worthy enough to give a cautious gaze over the excited servant that sought to interrupt his planning.
There was still so much to do, and yet this new element made for an interesting new game to play with Shimura Danzou. The boy that he had been 'missing' for years now was older and stronger. His body groomed by his own training to fit within the ideal God-Slayer for a deity like him. It was a surprise but... he welcomed it.
Ashihei was one of many tools at his disposal, but his discovery stunned the Ootsutsuki as he would have expected others to find Danzou around... definitely not in the Land of Iron to stop his plans to acquire the Genryu's power. It was indeed an interesting and yet worrying development, especially since the youth was pursuing the protection of the most important element of that plan and was cleverly absorbing the powers of those other keys that he needed to unlock something close enough to the God Tree. Absorbing that power would give him the advantage he needed for his real plan.
Power was not truly needed, but he preferred to have an advantage rather than not when it comes to this ambitious plan of his. To say that he had been so foolish in the past would be an understatement- his sight has been too short for too long, all because the clan he hailed from made a point in trying to limit them as invaders. But never as proper deities.
The Ootsutsuki Clan deserved more, its hunger for conquest should not be limited to mere limited godhood and that notion came right as he fought Danzou. The way the child worked- it was clear something was unknown about him, and the way he seemed to realize the real danger when Isshiki tried to materialize the first of many steps to his new plans back when he tricked Ina'nis to manifest the interdimensional entity was enough to confirm a theory of his: Danzou's soul was not from within this realm of existence.
His awareness of what was going on, the way he seemed to be able to counter him and... the connection with Kaguya. Despite how this last one sounded perplexing, the truth was somewhat easier to stomach: Kaguya could interact with those that weren't 'born' from her sons' early civilizations. It was a detail that, in normal circumstances, would have not been much of a telling sign, but when combined with the rest it made a whole lot of sense over this situation.
Shimura Danzou was special. He suspected it, but now he was fully convinced of it. Not only as a potential body to inhabit once Jigen's carcass was done providing him a 'home' to host, but as proof that there was no genuine limit to the multiverse. The monster Ina'nis summoned for a brief amount of time had been the stepping ground of that, and since Isshiki knew that retrieving the 'Tailed Beasts' would waste him decades to succeed if not centuries due to how impervious some defenses have gotten around these creatures, it was fair for him to look elsewhere. To sources of power that were beyond this dimension's scope and that would allow him to take over the Ootsutsuki Clan- to bring it to greater heights!
It was an ambitious idea and it was now feasible ever since he allowed Ina'nis to give him what he really wanted: a weakened dimensional containment barrier for him to cross through if needed. It would be easy to create a stable right, but for now any chance of invading anywhere was impossible due to his current state of being. He needed for the Genryu's power to be given to him. To use that might to survive just long enough to achieve what he needed. He could technically make the jump already, but the risks that this offered made Isshiki more reluctant to go through with it.
He needed a guarantee and he needed Ashihei to fail no more. So, he turned to the servant, a fool that was quickly subdued in the mind and soul to be a loyal servant of his and that had gladly turned into the most relevant man worthy of his attention within the Land of Iron. He started as a mere preacher, a man that had lost his way and that emptily followed the words of Kami. But when Isshiki came and showed him the way, Ashihei had bowed and accepted him as the new God.
He was strong, the power he provided him being more than enough to deal with the old man protecting the child, but Danzou was strong enough to neutralize him even at his fullest. Years had passed and training had shaped Danzou into someone that could potentially rival the Ootsusuki Clan if provided the time to rely on everything he had.
He could easily turn into the true end to their clan and... that couldn't be accepted. He needed this fool to be strong enough to get their goals accomplished in the Land of Iron and he had an idea on how to achieve this. A fruit was provided to the priestly figure, confusion appearing on his face as Isshiki smiled.
"This shall give you a stronger hold over your powers. Not enough to match Danzou, but enough to reach your goals. Remember these, and don't let the heat of the moment force your forgetfulness. Danzou is not a priority, Tatsushiro Nashiro and that sword- both will be helpful for what you will be dealing with. Understood?"
"Yes, my Lord. Oh God, may you lead me to victory and prosperity."
"Alas, I hope you will with this blessing, or I will be most displeased, Ashihei," Isshiki mumbled, the voice carrying weight within its softness that caused Ashihei to tense up. "Come back a loser, and I shall provide you with a most unsightly death for your betrayal. Is this clear?"
"Y-Yes."
The fool disappeared shortly after, but Isshiki wondered how he would fare against Danzou. It was a matter of thinking rather than brute-forcing. Danzou expected to be attacked now that his current location was within reach, but Isshiki had no plans for him yet. He will linger, he will grow and he will turn into an even better replacement for Jigen. Yes, that was going to be his plan for now.
Time may be tedious to administer, but he was a patient god. And Danzou... was worth all the time he was going to need to be captured and taken over.