The golden butterfly, Kizaru, lightly flapped its wings over Amegakure, altering the course of the Second Great Ninja War.
The war, which was supposed to last for several years, came to a conclusion in less than a month.
In the original plot, Amegakure, which had been fighting against Konoha for over a year, was defeated within a week; and the Land of Wind, which had been fighting against Konoha for over two years, was on the verge of defeat within less than a day.
The Third Kazekage fell in battle, and Elder Chiyo was severely injured and captured, leaving only one in ten of the elite Sunagakure ninjas!
Such massive losses essentially indicated that the Land of Wind was no longer capable of continuing the fight.
Even if it wasn't for the Third Hokage and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, who chose to temporarily halt the attack in order to avoid breaking some tacit rules, the survival of the Land of Wind would still be in question.
"That guy Hiruzen will definitely regret this later!"
Returning to Amegakure after receiving the order from the Third Hokage Hiruzen to temporarily cease the attack and recuperate, Danzo showed an indignant expression.
In Danzo's opinion, it was the perfect opportunity, with the Kazekage dead and the Sunagakure greatly weakened, to counterattack the Land of Wind and directly annihilate the Sunagakure.
If the plan succeeded, there might even be a chance for Konoha and the Land of Fire to annex both Amegakure and the Land of Wind, truly becoming the unparalleled rulers of the ninja world.
Unfortunately, his proposal was rejected by both the Third Hokage and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
This was the first significant disagreement between Hiruzen and Danzo since Sarutobi became the Hokage and Danzo became his assistant.
Upon this, doubts about Hiruzen as the Hokage arose in Danzo's mind once again.
Was this indecisive and conservative guy really qualified to be a Hokage?
Instead of letting such a person continue as the Hokage, it would be better to push his own nephew, Kizaru, into the position of Hokage sooner.
With this in mind, Danzo couldn't help but turn his head to look at Kizaru, who was sitting on the sofa to his left.
Looking at Kizaru, who was casually lounging on the sofa, crossing his legs and leisurely trimming his nails with a nail clipper, Danzo became somewhat uncertain again.
If his nephew became the Hokage, he... he should do better than Hiruzen, right?
At least with his nephew in power, there wouldn't be as much interference from him as with Hiruzen, and Danzo would have more autonomy.
With this in mind, Danzo became even more determined to expedite the decision to push Kizaru into the position of Hokage after this war ended.
"Uncle! Stop staring at me like that, it's embarrassing!" Being continuously stared at by Danzo with such heated eyes, Kizaru raised his head and said.
Concealing his gaze for a moment, Danzo sensed his surroundings and, after confirming that there was no one outside the room, prepared to speak and probe a little.
"Kizaru, if you were to become the Hokage in the future, what would be your ideal?"
"The Hokage! An ideal? That's really a headache-inducing question!" After a sarcastic remark, Kizaru briefly pondered and replied, "I guess my ideal would probably be not to be the Hokage!"
Feeling a bit frustrated with this answer from Kizaru, who had always dreamed of becoming the Hokage, Danzo felt quite annoyed!
Something you disdain is a treasure that many people dream of but can't attain!
Although annoyed, Danzo wasn't planning to end the conversation so easily.
"If you were the Hokage now, what would be your view on this war?" Changing his approach, Danzo asked more specifically.
"War is a troublesome thing, so it's best to resolve it all at once," knowing Danzo's character very well, Kizaru replied in line with it.
"How would you resolve it?"
"Leave it to the right people!"
Alright! His nephew would indeed be the best Hokage!
Very satisfied with Kizaru's answer, Danzo's lips curved up slightly, praising, "You will surely become an excellent Hokage!"
"What a scary evaluation!" With a grin, Kizaru replied, continuing to lower his head and tidy up his nails.
Hearing his nephew's banter, Danzo, in a better mood, didn't mind, smiling as he stood up.
"I'll go outside for a bit, you just rest here!" Saying this with concern, Danzo walked towards the door, slowly pushed it open, and stepped out of the room.
Outside the perimeter of Amegakure, in front of a solitary house, a delicate child with long red hair named Nagato was squatting on the ground, feeding a stray dog with cookies.
The child's name was Nagato, and his parents were the physicians of Amegakure, named Ise and Fuso.
Completely focused on feeding the dog, Nagato didn't notice someone approaching him from the side.
"How adorable!" A lascivious voice came from the left. Nagato, who was kind-hearted but a bit timid, was startled, causing the cookies in his hand to fall to the ground.
The small dog in front of Nagato, whether to protect Nagato or because its meal was interrupted, ran to Nagato's left and growled at the approaching person.
"So scary!" Looking at the small dog in front of him, Kizaru exclaimed his catchphrase.
After saying this, Kizaru smiled at Nagato, who looked timid and shy while staring at him.
Originally out for a walk to aid digestion after lunch, Kizaru didn't expect to have an unexpected encounter.
"Little friend, what's your name?" Grinning like an odd uncle, Kizaru squatted down, gently patting the small dog blocking the way, and asked.
"N-Nagato!" Feeling a bit scared as he was stared at by the tall figure of Kizaru, Nagato stuttered a bit as he answered, while also looking concernedly at the small dog Kizaru had patted away.
Indeed, he was the future leader of the Akatsuki organization, Nagato!
Hearing Nagato's reply, Kizaru became even happier.
Without showing any emotion, Kizaru activated his Observation Haki to see if there was any surveillance from White Zetsu around.
The progress bar had reached 72, and Kizaru, who had mastered the peak of Observation Haki, successfully detected several unfamiliar chakras in the underground not far away.
Without reacting, Kizaru still tried to maintain a friendly smile and continued talking with Nagato.
"Nagato! That's a nice name!" After praising with a smile, Kizaru introduced himself, "I'm Shimura Kizaru, a ninja from Konoha."
A ninja from Konoha!
Nagato had heard this name several times in his parents' conversations over the past few days.
Feeling a bit scared and curious, Nagato cautiously sized up the unfamiliar uncle in front of him.
"Are you alone at home, Nagato?" Looking at the pre-orphaned, young version of Nagato, Kizaru made up his mind.
"I..." Nagato, who had already started nodding, remembered his parents' instructions and, while nodding, denied, "No, Mom and Dad are at home."
So cute!
Nagato's evasive answer amused Kizaru greatly.
"Do you want to..."
"Nagato!" An excited female voice from afar interrupted Kizaru's question.
Fuso, who had just assisted her husband in completing the morning's medical tasks and was preparing to return home to prepare lunch for her husband and child, became worried when she saw Nagato with the golden flash from Konoha.
"Mom!" Hearing his mother's voice, Nagato turned his body and looked past Kizaru, seeing his mother running towards him from behind.
With a happy and innocent smile on his face, Nagato immediately stood up and ran from Kizaru's side to his mother's embrace.
Seeing this, Kizaru also stood up and turned to look at Nagato's mother with a slightly cautious gaze, watching his mother who protected Nagato with some vigilance.
As a survivor of the Uzumaki clan, Nagato's mother, Fuso, also had long red hair.
Meeting Kizaru's gaze, Fuso, as a survivor of the Uzumaki clan, felt a bit nervous.
She was worried that Kizaru would recognize her identity, which would be detrimental to her and her child.
"Don't worry, Nagato's mother, I just happened to be taking a walk here." Without approaching the mother and son, Kizaru stood in place and smiled as he replied.
Hearing Kizaru's words, Fuso's heart slightly eased, but she still remained vigilant. She slightly lowered her head and respectfully said, "Lord Golden Flash, I hope my child hasn't offended you!"
"Oh-ho-ho!" Trying to lighten the atmosphere with laughter, but instead making Fuso more nervous, Kizaru explained, "This child is very well-behaved, I quite like him."
Hearing Kizaru's praise, Fuso felt more worried than pleased. She kept her hands tightly wrapped around Nagato and, with a polite smile, replied, "You're too kind, Nagato is just an ordinary child."
Hearing the distant meaning of Fuso's words, Kizaru didn't mind. He continued, "I would like to have a private conversation with you, Madam. Is it convenient?"
Her heart tightening, Fuso's eyes flashed with a hint of panic, but the child in her arms gave her courage, allowing her to quickly calm down, and her gaze became determined.
"Let's talk inside, Lord Golden Flash."
Being held tightly by his mother, Nagato also sensed something unusual at this time. He turned his head and secretly glanced at Kizaru, his eyes filled with fear and nervousness.
Holding Nagato's hand, the now calm Fuso, led Kizaru into the house.
Unlike her usual gentleness, Fuso rarely showed authority, forcibly bringing Nagato, who was unwilling to leave, back to his bedroom.
Locking Nagato in the bedroom, Fuso apologized while making Kizaru sit and rest in the living room, then went to the kitchen to brew some tea.
After brewing the tea, Fuso returned to the living room with a tray, placing the tea cup filled with hot tea and some pastries in front of Kizaru.
After completing all this, Fuso sat on a single sofa to the left of Kizaru, nervously looking at him.
"Lord Golden..."
"Just call me Kizaru," Kizaru interrupted, smiling.
"Lord Kizaru, may I ask why you've summoned me?" After asking, Fuso nervously clasped her hands together on her lap.
"Madam, if I'm not mistaken, you are a member of the Uzumaki clan from the Land of Whirlpools, right?" Kizaru cut to the chase, looking at Fuso.
Directly confronted with her identity by Kizaru, Fuso's breathing became rapid involuntarily.
"Don't worry, Madam! I mean no harm," seeing Fuso's tense demeanor, Kizaru smiled reassuringly.
With no other choice, Fuso could only temporarily trust Kizaru. She nodded gently and then immediately said, "I'm just an ordinary civilian from the Land of Whirlpools, I haven't learned any sealing jutsu."
"You've misunderstood me, Madam!" Pausing for a moment, Kizaru smiled and continued, "I revealed your identity for your safety."
"Safety?" Fuso looked at Kizaru with some confusion, not understanding his intentions.
"As far as I know, Kumogakure is currently searching extensively for rare bloodlines and ninjutsu in the ninja world, and Amegakure is also a target they are about to search." Unable to directly reveal the truth, Kizaru shifted the blame to Kumogakure.
Anyway, in the future, Kumogakure will indeed do so, and Kizaru believes that the Third Raikage and Kumogakure will not object to this.
Hearing the information revealed by Kizaru, Fuso became somewhat uneasy. She bit her lip lightly and, after hesitating for a moment, looked back at Kizaru.
"Lord Kizaru, what do you mean?"
"Madam, you wouldn't want you and your child to be in danger in the future, would you?" Maintaining a smile on his face, Kizaru spoke up.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Fuso leaned forward and asked, "Lord Kizaru, are you willing to help us?"
Nodding with a smile, Kizaru stated his purpose.
"Currently, there is a direct descendant of the Uzumaki clan in Konoha. I believe she would be eager to meet her own people." To reassure Fuso, Kizaru revealed a small piece of information.
"May I ask who that is?" Having left the Land of Whirlpools earlier, Fuso asked with some curiosity.
"UzumakiKushina."
Upon hearing this somewhat familiar name, Fuso remembered after a moment.
"Kushina is in Konoha?"
"Yes!" Kizaru answered with a smile.
Hearing that Kushina was also in Konoha, combined with the threat mentioned by Kizaru earlier, Fuso became interested.
However, such a major decision couldn't be made by Fuso alone in a short amount of time.
"I'm truly sorry, Lord Kizaru! Could you give me some time to consider? I would like to discuss with my husband." Feeling a bit apologetic and nervous, Fuso looked at Kizaru carefully and said cautiously.
"Of course!" Kizaru answered directly.
Seeing Kizaru being so understanding, Fuso's pressure eased a lot, and she didn't feel as nervous anymore.
"Thank you for your help, Lord Kizaru!" Standing up, Fuso sincerely bowed to Kizaru and then continued to invite him, "If you don't mind, I would like to invite you to stay for lunch."
Although he had just eaten lunch, another meal was an easy task for Kizaru, who was known for his large appetite.
"I'd be delighted." With the business concluded, Kizaru leaned back on the sofa, agreeing with a grin.
After bidding Kizaru to wait, Fuso left the living room.
Leaving the living room, Fuso first went to her son's bedroom and opened the door.
"Mom, are you okay?" Concerned about his mother, Nagato, who had been eavesdropping behind the door, quickly asked.
Shaking her head with a smile, Fuso said gently, "Lord Kizaru is a good person, you don't need to worry!"
Hearing his mother say that the uncle from earlier was a good person, Nagato also relaxed, and he looked curiously towards the living room, through his mother.
"Go and chat with Lord Kizaru! Remember to be polite! Nagato!" Wanting to improve the relationship between Nagato and Kizaru for the sake of her son's future care, Fuso gently reminded.
"Yeah!" Nervously nodding, Nagato agreed.
"Go on!" Encouragingly patting Nagato's shoulder, Fuso brought him to the living room.
Leaving Nagato to chat with Kizaru, Fuso went to the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous lunch, intending to improve the relationship between the two sides.