Shimura Danzou.
That name was one of many I had used in my long life as a Shinobi. I started as a young soldier, and turned into the man that shaped the entirety of the world through my trips, my battles and my friendships.
Many many times I had to face great foes, or entire armies... or the ire of my wives as I learned to live with the notion of being loved by so many and that choosing one would have broken so many hearts. An unwarranted gesture and one that sought to avoid. But where I lived a happy and full life, one could say that I wasn't done just yet even as I saw the funerals of those I had close, and my own children as the new generations came to be to adulthood and then old age. They all perished before time, going back to the land that made them, while I resisted and survived through... years and years of self-improvement, chakra bullshit and tons of exposure to divine beings and demonic beasts.
To say that I was disappointed to learn that I was immortal would be an understatement. The rant I went on about this sort of bullshit just left me quite devoid of genuine aim on what to do. Here I was, expecting the release that is death to come and bring an end to my existence when nature demanded, but it never did. What happens when you suddenly find out that your expiration date is not within the limits of time itself?
You grow bored, and you grow distant.
Society came to change many times with the passing of years. Modernity came, and the age of shinobi was slowly supplanted by a more peaceful age where people hardly had reasons to involve ninja in their daily troubles. Gadgets, easy to use seals, and specialists whose purpose was to aid where normal machinery couldn't.
Buildings grew taller, villages turned into cities, and death was less frequent as people were as lively as they could get. My little house, far from where once my home was in Konoha. Was a little hermit's resting point where I could live in perfect isolation. Which is something I prided before Ina, the only one that survived through the numerous decades that went through. She was weary and old, but her figure held that sense of young adulthood that tended to stun many as they learned of her real age. If she didn't decide to kill them for asking, of course.
Yet, it would be a lie to say that I was really happy.
At the ripe age of 150, I could say that things had gotten quite... dull for me. Sure, gardening still got me intrigued at the various combinations of plants I could create or the new changes I could apply to yield more fruits and veggies. Same for the many developments that come from Fuinjutsu as there was never a limit to that. But after a while, all of that tended to grow stale on my weary mind.
And while a younger me would have been disappointed in what I decided to do, I was not exactly in the mood to complain over my past thoughts. I was old, I was bored, and I had wisdom to instill in young people. Hence why, in a move that would easily irritate Ina a lot, I decided to...
Depart this dimension and hop into a new one.
Admittedly, that move already sounded wrong, but the universe I was in had grown too boring to linger in. No enemies, no struggles- I was craving for 'pain'. And this new world I came to, this peculiar place which was very similar to the Elemental Nations... was quite the place I was looking for.
Elemental beasts such as slimes and those mask-wearing gremlins... yes, this was a troubled world, but not irredeemably so. In fact, as I ventured through the calm beach I appeared in, I stumbled on two civil individuals taking a break to eat some soup. I approached the fire, and was quickly spotted by the tallest of the two.
A young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and golden eyes, she was wearing a pretty mostly-white outfit. The other one, easily confused as a child, floated from her seat and tilted her head curiously while still eating from her bowl.
"Fear not, strangers. I came not as an enemy, but as a curious wanderer."
"Oh, a wanderer? Are you like Lumine, Grandpa?" The little one inquired, and the use of 'Grandpa' just made me feel... nostalgic. Enough to leave a pleased smile on my face.
"You could say that," I replied, then pulling back as I realized a little mistake I made. "Oh, my apologies. My name is Danzou."
"Nice to meet you, Grandpa Danzou. I am Paimon!" The little cutie greeted excitedly.
"And as Paimon said, I am Lumine. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Danzou."
"Just Danzou is fine-"
"Grandpa Danzou then!" Paimon quipped cheekily, causing the blonde to huff.
"Paimon," Lumine remarked, but she stopped from going into a deeper rant as she heard me chuckle again at that boisterous interjection. "I am sorry- she is quite childish at times.
"Hey!"
"Oh, it's fine. I had the pleasure of experiencing grandchildren, and I can sense she is just as earnest to get cozy with nice people as they would," I answered kindly, causing the little floating girl to just sit on my lap and smile smugly at the blonde. "Now, now, Paimon. That's no reason to gloat, isn't it?"
Her smile faltered and she pouted a bit. "Paimon is not wrong."
Another chuckle. This world is indeed a most amusing place.
"So, Danzou... are you a native of Monstadt?"
"Not truly. As I mentioned already, I am a bit of a wanderer," I replied truthfully. "And I believe you are not from around here either."
Her head bowed, a hint of pain flashing in her gaze. "It's... complicated."
"Lumine is trying to find her brother. They were attacked by a mean woman that hurt them and then kidnapped her twin."
I blinked. Is this the main protagonist perhaps? Hmm...
"I am sorry if my question had brought you some hard memories. But I can assure you that you will eventually find him and he will be fine."
"It's been so long already," Lumine mumbled and I smiled. "Why... do you think he will be alright?"
"Do you love him?"
"He is my brother," The blonde rebuked strongly. "Of course I do."
"And does he love you as much?"
She nodded without hesitation.
"And is that love driving you to find him?"
"Yes-"
"Then why wouldn't he use that very love to drive his own survival and to look for you?" I ultimately asked, and she delayed her response.
"I... I didn't think of that," Lumine mumbled.
"See, Paimon told you that it would be alright. Grandpa confirmed it!"
The blonde smiled, and, as they finished their meal and we all stood up, a fair question was raised.
"Are you going to join us, Danzou?" The girl asked, the query seeing Paimon give me puppy eyes to beg me to stay around.
"Well, I believe traveling alone wouldn't benefit me. I guess I can tag along."
Both smiled, and soon what was once thought to be a solo trip around this new world became something 'rowdier'.