Naruto: Different Path

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Naruto and his team were in no hurry, travelling slowly by boat. 

When they returned to Konoha and met with Tsunade, news had already spread about the conflict that had broken out between Kumogakure (Cloud Village) and Kirigakure (Mist Village). 

As Naruto predicted, the conflict subsided after a brief skirmish. Naruto reported the entire incident to Tsunade.

Tsunade remarked, "Naruto, I didn't expect this mission to go so smoothly." 

"I'm sure the Raikage would never suspect it was us from Konoha who orchestrated this."

Naruto responded, "Lady Hokage, I believe the Raikage might already be suspecting us." 

"He may be hot-headed, but he's no fool. 

"Among all the shinobi villages, the only places that could produce a powerful user of Water Release are Kirigakure or Konoha." 

"And from Konoha's perspective, we'd be most interested in seeing them clash." 

"The Raikage has likely realized this, which is why the conflict was so brief."

Tsunade propped her head on her hand, thinking momentarily before saying, "You make a good point, Naruto." 

"However, the Raikage will still harbour suspicions about Kirigakure, so the threat to Konoha has been averted for now." 

"You did an excellent job with this mission. I'm considering promoting you to the captain of the Anbu." 

"You'll have more authority over the Anbu forces moving forward."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Lady Hokage. But given Konoha's current situation, it's highly likely that other villages will try to take advantage of us soon." 

"It looks like we'll be busy for a while. I'll head back for now."

After reporting to Tsunade, Naruto returned home to rest, giving himself time to recover from the mission. 

Though his status within the Anbu had been elevated, it also came with greater responsibilities—and trouble. 

One of the biggest problems, aside from missions, was Danzo. 

Now that Naruto was a squad captain, he had more direct contact with Danzo, who wielded considerable influence in the Anbu, sometimes surpassing the Hokage.

Naruto only agreed with a few of Danzo's methods. Using overly dark tactics could often lead to worse outcomes. 

However, Naruto knew better than to oppose him openly. 

Though Danzo wouldn't kill Naruto, he was wary of Danzo's Mangekyo Sharingan and the Kotoamatsukami ability. 

Naruto avoided unnecessary confrontations with him whenever possible. 

But sometimes, it was unavoidable—like now, when Danzo personally called Naruto to discuss something. As a subordinate, Naruto couldn't refuse.

Danzo led Naruto to his private office, a highly concealed area. Naruto suspected that no one outside would ever know if he were killed there. 

However, Naruto knew that despite his ruthlessness, Danzo wouldn't likely kill a talented shinobi dedicated to serving Konoha like him.

After entering, Danzo didn't turn around. The door closed automatically behind them, and Danzo's calm, slow voice broke the silence. 

"Uzumaki Naruto, the genius of Konoha. Ever since the Chunin Exams, you've garnered considerable attention." 

"Every mission you've been assigned to has been completed exceptionally well, and your recent mission to the Land of Lightning demonstrated your talents once more." 

"Naruto, you and I both have grand ambitions, but there are things that cannot be done well in the light of day." 

"You're still lacking one thing—your darkness. You need more of it in Anbu. Without enough darkness, it will limit your future achievements."

Naruto stood still, listening to Danzo. 

After speaking, Naruto replied, "I'm willing to do anything for the village, but everyone has their way of doing things." 

"Some methods don't need to be used all the time. I hope you understand, Danzo-sama."

Danzo responded, "Naruto, join me. It would greatly benefit your development."

"I stand by my choices," Naruto replied firmly.

Danzo turned around, seemingly unbothered by the exchange, and cleared his throat before saying, "Very well, Naruto. How about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" Naruto asked.

Danzo replied, "Help me with something, and in return, I'll give you a Sharingan."

The Sharingan! Naruto hadn't expected Danzo to offer such a thing. It was undeniably tempting. 

Even a three-tomoe Sharingan held immense power, as seen in how Kakashi earned the title of Copy Ninja with just one Sharingan. 

But Naruto had his plans, and he knew that if he accepted, he'd likely have to cover one eye like Danzo.

Naruto declined without hesitation. "It's certainly an enticing offer, but I'd rather not cover up one of my eyes."

Danzo's usually calm face showed a brief flicker of surprise before quickly regaining his composure. 

"I didn't think anyone could refuse such a powerful dojutsu. How about the First Hokage's cells?" 

"You were with Yamato on this mission, so you've seen firsthand the power of Wood Release." 

"But let me warn you, not everyone can successfully integrate the First's cells." 

"Even if you do, the effectiveness of the Wood Release varies greatly from person to person."

Naruto, who had always sought to gain more power, was naturally intrigued by the prospect of gaining the First Hokage's cells. 

However, as Danzo mentioned, the procedure was not guaranteed to work. Still, Naruto wanted to give it a try.

"What exactly do you need me to do?" Naruto asked.

Seeing that he had piqued Naruto's interest, Danzo continued, "As I expected, this offer intrigues you. The task isn't easy and could cost you your life." 

"If it were simple, I wouldn't need you. I need you to infiltrate the Land of Earth and assassinate their Daimyo without revealing your identity."

Naruto immediately understood the situation. 

The Land of Earth must have shown signs of hostility toward Konoha, and Tsunade was likely pushing for a diplomatic solution, as there hadn't been any overt moves from the Land of Earth yet. 

Danzo couldn't take official measures without concrete proof of enemy action. 

And this mission was something other than what an ordinary shinobi could accomplish. 

Sending a strong, well-known ninja would only raise suspicions. 

Naruto, being relatively unknown on the international stage and skilled at operating covertly, was the perfect choice.

Danzo elaborated, "As a shinobi of Konoha, you should care about the village's safety." 

"If the Daimyo of the Land of Earth is eliminated, that country will plunge into chaos, leaving them too distracted to threaten Konoha." 

"I know you, like Tsunade, favour other ways of resolving conflicts, but those are far too idealistic."

Naruto interrupted, "When do I get the First Hokage's cells?"

Danzo replied, "You'll undergo the cell transplant first. If it fails, you won't need to carry out the mission because you won't stand a chance without the First Hokage's cells or a Sharingan."

Naruto thought, 'No wonder he's offering me such a huge reward.'

'He's afraid I'll fail without it. Danzo, that sly old fox, will go to any lengths for Konoha's security.' 

Outwardly, however, he said, "All right, Danzo-sama, I'll do as you say."

Under Danzo's orders, Naruto first went home to prepare a few essentials before heading to the secret base in the Anbu, where Danzo was waiting. 

Initially, Naruto thought Danzo would take him to some hidden corner within the Anbu headquarters. 

However, to his surprise, Danzo simply asked Naruto to meet him there without much explanation. 

When Naruto arrived, Danzo said nothing, turning to lead the way. Naruto, equally silent, followed closely behind.

Naruto spotted several familiar faces as they walked through Konoha, though none could recognize him behind his mask. 

Eventually, they reached the village gate. 

As a high-ranking official, Danzo did not need permission to leave the village, so they ventured into a nearby forest. 

Though not far from Konoha, it was a place rarely visited by others. Danzo stopped before a large rock after running through the trees for a while. 

Without a word, he formed a series of hand seals, and the rock shifted, revealing a dark underground entrance.

Danzo swiftly jumped in, and Naruto followed close behind. While the entrance appeared pitch-black from the outside, the inside was brightly lit. 

As Naruto descended into the secret base, he was struck by its sheer size. It was almost like an alternate Anbu headquarters. 

The massive hall they entered was three stories tall, and from it branched several corridors, each lined with dozens of rooms serving various purposes. 

At a glance, at least two hundred staff members were engaged in different research forms.

Seeing such a vast and complex base for the first time, Naruto couldn't help but be impressed. 

"I never imagined you had such a large base, Danzo-sama. It's quite astounding," Naruto remarked.

Danzo replied, "When Orochimaru was here, this place was even busier, and the research was far more advanced." 

"But the Third Hokage, in his naivety, drove Orochimaru away." 

"Now, we rarely use live subjects for experiments, and the depth of our research has significantly diminished," Naruto observed the place. 

This base could host even more personnel, but Danzo must have been more cautious after Orochimaru's defection. 

Many of the experiments involving live subjects had been discontinued. "So, when will I receive the transplant of the First Hokage's cells?" Naruto asked.

"Be patient," Danzo responded. "We must conduct extensive preparations to maximize the procedure's success rate."

Naruto knew that transplanting the First Hokage's cells wasn't something to be taken lightly, so he accepted that it would take time. 

While waiting, he wandered the base, inspecting its various facilities. As he explored, an idea suddenly came to him. 

He wanted to build his base like this one someday. 

Though he wasn't sure what purpose it would serve, he was confident it would prove useful. 

Of course, creating such a base wouldn't happen overnight—it would take time and careful planning.

While Naruto was deep in thought, a female ninja approached Danzo. "Lord Danzo, the surgery is ready. We can proceed at any time."

Naruto turned to look at the woman, realizing she was a skilled medical nin. 

Though she might not be on the same level as Tsunade, her medical abilities were likely formidable. 

Danzo certainly had access to considerable talent. 

The medical-nin led Naruto to a room with advanced medical equipment, where several others were waiting to assist with the surgery.

The female ninja addressed Danzo, "For safety's sake, we will first transplant a small portion of the First's cells." 

"If it doesn't work, we can control it quickly to prevent the First's cells from overwhelming him."

Danzo nodded. "Very well, proceed as you've suggested."

The surgery began after extensive preparations and using several devices unfamiliar to Naruto. 

First, they removed a small part of Naruto's finger and began merging it with the cells of the First Hokage. 

The medical-nin formed hand seals and used chakra to facilitate the fusion of the cells. 

Normally, there would be some rejection during a procedure like this. 

Even Danzo, who had a hand infused with the First's cells, had to constantly suppress the power with his chakra. 

However, this time, Naruto felt almost no rejection. The First's cells seemed to fuse seamlessly with his own.

The medical-nin conducting the procedure was visibly surprised. 

It was rare for someone to undergo such a fusion without facing severe complications. 

Seeing the smooth procedure, the team decided completing the full transplant would be much easier than expected.

With the initial surgery successful, the next step was to proceed with a more extensive fusion of the cells. 

The female medical-nin asked Naruto which method he preferred. 

There were two options: a partial fusion, like infusing one arm or leg, or a full-body fusion, similar to what had been done with Yamato. 

The second option, however, came with significantly higher risks. 

Under normal circumstances, Naruto would have chosen the safer option, but given how well the initial procedure had gone, he was tempted to push further and attempt the full-body fusion.

Naruto was placed into a tank filled with an unknown liquid, tubes attached to his body.

Danzo explained that their methods had been refined since Yamato's time, and the current procedure was much safer. 

Though Naruto didn't fully understand the science behind the surgery, he could feel the power of the First's cells integrating into his body. 

Instead of rejection, there was a profound sense of harmony. 

As the fusion continued, Naruto felt the First's life force becoming stronger and stronger within him, yet it caused him little pain.

Danzo watched in awe. He had never seen anyone fuse with the First's cells so effortlessly. 

Unlike others, Naruto required no chakra suppression to control the cells. The procedure was going far better than even Danzo had expected.

Naruto, too, found it odd. Many people had attempted to fuse with the First Hokage's cells, but only a few survived, and even then, they only managed partial fusions. 

Yamato, for example, could use some wood-style techniques, but his abilities were limited compared to the true potential of the First Hokage's power. 

So why was Naruto's fusion so successful? Then it struck him. He and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, were reincarnations of Asura Ōtsutsuki. 

Hashirama's power was, in many ways, the power of Asura, and Naruto, as an Uzumaki, was a distant relative of the Senju clan. 

The similarities between Naruto and Hashirama were uncanny, which likely explained why Naruto could fuse with the First's cells so easily.

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