A/N - Yo! This chapter was rewritten on March 26, 2021, and was merged with chapter four as well. That means that chapter four that appears next is actually going to be a whole new chapter that hasn't been seen before. In all honesty, when I originally wrote these first four chapters all those years ago, chapter four was my favorite, surprisingly. I love a deeply concerned Hiruzen and a scheming Danzō, well, maybe not scheming as he's actually good this time around but definitely a cocky son of a bitch. Alright, well, I won't keep you here. Enjoy the chapter!

"I know what I'm doing." His mind cooed happily.

Naruto stood in the same spot, staring like a moron at the last place he'd seen Danzō at before the man had disappeared. However, the longer he stayed there, the worse he was starting to feel. Overwhelmed and exhausted, the academy student turned away, making the long journey back towards his apartment.

His heart thumped wildly in his chest, the hammering continuing its way towards his ears. It was only this constant pounding that rang passingly through his ears, from one side to the other; Naruto couldn't hear much beyond this and the sound of his shoes kicking at the pavement. His head hurt and his world felt like it was swirling around him, the edges of his vision blurring from his apparent tiredness.

Tears started to rise in his eyes as he finally made it back to his apartment. They didn't start falling until the blond-haired academy student had flopped onto his bed, still stuck in ash-ridden and sweat-soaked clothes. Naruto stared at the ceiling as he cried helplessly, the evening catching up to him - he killed someone. Hands clamped over both of his eyes to try and stop the waterworks, biting his lip to stifle any sounds trying to wretch from his throat.

"W-What am I thinking?" He huffed out loud, rolling onto his side to bury his face into his only pillow in this small, dirty apartment, "I just met this guy and I want him to train me? Am I an idiot?" If anyone from his class had been present for his current cryfest, they probably would have agreed that, yes, he was an idiot. Though, for a situation such as the one he's found himself in, Naruto wouldn't have argued with that consensus.

Naruto rubbed his eyes tiredly, yawning loudly as his tears started to slow down. "I don't even know who he is… or Root…" His mind wandered to the most elite of the elite groups in all of Konoha, whose secretiveness has kept them out of the light and out of the knowledge of everyone in the village, "I probably shouldn't have said that out loud." The blond mumbled to himself, wanting to keep Danzō's secret, well, a secret.

He sat up from the bed, shucking off his dirty orange and blue jacket he'd been gifted by the Third Hokage, throwing it in the corner where all his dirty clothes were. "Do I really know what I'm doing?" The academy student sighed heavily, standing up and walking towards the kitchen for a glass of water, "Maybe I should have thought this through a little more." Naruto pulled out a glass, placing it under the faucet and watching it fill the cup up with tap water. He shook his head, "No, I know what I'm doing… I think?"

Naruto placed the cup to his lips, taking a large gulp of it that helped to ease some of his nausea that was still lingering in his stomach. "Wait," He paused, setting the cup down in his shock, "I can never be Hokage." The words felt like a knife in his gut, sinking deep every time he took another breath. "That was the only way that anyone would ever acknowledge me…" The eight-year-old boy whined loudly, running a hand through his hair, "Am I really sure that I want to do this?"

Was it worth giving up his only dream to train under Danzō, a man he barely knew anything about?

Naruto reached for his glass again, taking it back to the bed with him. He sipped from it a couple of times before setting it down on his nightstand. The academy student stripped out of his shirt and pants, leaving him in only his boxers - there was no sense in taking a shower this late at night as the water for his apartment always shut off at nine; it was nearing three in the morning by now. The blond sat down on his bed once more, staring at the splintered floors underneath his bare feet. "I already said I would do it." Naruto whispered out unprompted, as if reasoning with himself on what he should do, "It'll make Danzō feel bad if I just bailed out of nowhere… I wonder if he'd understand if I told him that I…"

He sighed deeply, both his hands going to his hair to grab at it. "No, I never go back on my word. I technically gave him my word, so that means that I c-can't go back." Naruto gripped the blond strands tighter, "What do I do?"

If he decided by their designated meeting time that he didn't want to train under Danzō, that would mean that Naruto would be able to stay who he is and become the Hokage. He would have to wait even longer to be trained by anyone, meaning many more years of droning academy lessons and failing at doing simple jutsus without anyone bothering to help him. The blond would have to wait till he graduated from the academy to even get close to getting some kind of advanced level of training under a Jounin teacher. That's almost four years of waiting he'd have to do.

If he decided to go with Danzō and start his training as a Root member. If he went with his second option, he wouldn't be able to be the Hokage. Naruto wouldn't be able to achieve his goal of being acknowledged by the village as Root is a secretive group that barely anyone knows about. "No one would miss him if he disappeared." The darker side of his mind called out, the academy student shaking the thought away as he continued to muse on his decision.

Danzō would be able to train him faster and better than anyone could in the academy. There was no doubt in the blond's mind that the man's elite group of shinobi who operated from the dark were the best of the best, rivaling maybe even most of the Jounin teachers Naruto would encounter later in his life if he went with his first option. He took another guzzle of water, emptying the glass of its contents as he finally rested underneath the blankets of his bed.

Moonlight shone through the thin curtains that had been there since he'd moved into the tiny apartment. "I want to be acknowledged so badly, but I think I can deal without it for a little while." Naruto tapped his chin in thought, "Maybe Danzō can help me with that? He seemed pretty nice…" The blond-haired academy student let out a nice, long yawn, blinking his tired eyes. Naruto pulled the covers over his chin, a blissful dream of acknowledgments filling his mind as he succumbed to sleep.

Danzō smiled softly from across the street, hidden in an alleyway that had a good view of Naruto's apartment. He'd originally followed the eight-year-old boy to make sure that he made it back home without the kid falling unconscious in his exhaustion or going into shock. However, he stayed, watching in mild amusement at the academy student ranting to himself for almost twenty minutes, battling some mental hurdles along the way.

The older man hadn't meant to be so curious, letting the notion of simply caring if one of his future operatives got home alright go on a little longer than he'd anticipated.

After triple-checking that there was nothing harmful concerning Naruto's apartment and that the boy was still sleeping soundlessly, Danzō shunshinned from the apartment, appearing inside one of the Root's many meeting rooms hidden around the village. Oh, he can't wait to see Hiruzen's face when he tells him that Naruto wanted to work with him - to be trained by him. Not by the academy, him.

It would be a sight to see. But, until then, he would rest his tired limbs and wait for Naruto's decision tomorrow.

Naruto wrung his hands together in an anxious stupor as he walked down the streets of Konohagakure. Shop owners had already started opening up. The blond-haired academy student supposed that the saying 'the early bird gets the worm' would be the most appropriate given the time of day - or should it say morning as it wasn't even five yet. While there weren't many customers yet, products were already being sold to the, well, early birds.

Blue eyes scanned the vendors and shops, continuing to walk down the streets. The Hokage tower was in view by now, eyes shifting nervously across the building's features. "Calm down, Naruto." His mind cooed out, trying to ease his anxiety, "You have twenty minutes until you have to be there, slow down." He hadn't even realized he'd been power walking until his thoughts had finally caught up with his actions.

Despite his mental serenity giving him a bit of clarity, his heart was still hammering erratically in his chest. Naruto didn't own a watch, having never had enough money to purchase one, but he used clocks scattered across the marketplace as a guide, aiding him in triple-checking the time -seventeen minutes until he was supposed to meet Danzō outside of the Hokage's office.

The boy was almost there, now being able to see more than the top of the building; the very thought made his breathing accelerate even more. "Get a hold of yourself." Naruto gripped at his orange jumpsuit, giving his shaking hands something to do.

The academy student felt jumpy, a bubbling, churning sensation in his stomach. Last night's thoughts were still plaguing him even hours after the fact, the lasting effects of his panic still lingering at the back of his mind. Sure, Naruto knew he wanted to get stronger and that his ambitiousness was as true as his word, but was this really what he wanted? Did he want to spend the rest of his life in the shadows of the world due to the village justice, even if it meant participating in dirty or morally ambiguous work?

He paused, "Did I really just use the words 'morally ambiguous?" That got a small chuckle out of him, finding a clock that read eight minutes left until five in the morning.

The blond-haired boy sighed quietly, taking a turn around a corner as his thoughts consumed him yet again. He wondered if Danzō was already at their meeting spot - one of the early birds, his mind commented without much prompting - or would the older man be late? "What if he didn't show up at all?" Naruto's thoughts halted upon seeing the doors of the Hokage's office, staring at it with almost a sense of dread.

It was five in the morning on the day his fate was sealed and all he could do was stare. People on their way to work this early flitted past him and sneered at him. Naruto didn't give any pause to the words they mumbled under their breath, walking forward. Because, right there in front of him, was Danzō, leaning against the building with mirth in his eyes. His body was shielded by a dark shadow cast from the house standing beside the Hokage's office.

"Danzō-san," Naruto called out without much prompting, bowing his head respectfully.

The man gave him a once-over, his voice deep and serious, "You need to stop worrying so much; it's not a good look on a kid."

His shoulders hitched slightly, a squeak of surprise leaving him, "S-Sorry, I'm just a little… conflicted?"

Danzō raised an eyebrow, as if challenging the thought, "I thought you were sure?"

"I was-" The blond-haired academy student paused, shaking his head, "I am. When I was left alone with my thoughts, I kept doubting myself. I was worried about my future." He looked away, hands slipping into his pockets to keep them busy. "I'm leaving the very dream I've been striving for since I could walk." He admitted with surprising honesty.

"Then, what do you choose? This is the only chance you have to prove to me that you are sure you want to join Root." Danzō stated with the utmost seriousness etched in his face. Even underneath the bandages and scars, Naruto could see it as plain as day.

The younger of the two fell silent for a few seconds before finding himself looking up at the man. "I never go back on my word, Danzō-san." He let an easy grin fall on his face, "I feel more positive about my decision than I did yesterday. Yes, my dream has always been to be acknowledged by the village and I thought that I could only do that if I were to become Hokage…"

"But?"

"Root isn't known by anyone, just a few select groups of people, right?" He got a nod, "I'll never be acknowledged and… I accept that. I doubt I would have even gained any respect from the villagers who… hate me so it was just a stupid dream I was chasing, like a kid."

"Naruto, you may not be acknowledged by the village but you certainly would be by other Root members." Danzō spoke softly, words ushered as more villagers started to walk amongst them, "There are not many agents and you will most likely work with all of them at some point but we see greatness and award such behavior with acknowledgments of our own standard."

Naruto paused, "I could still be acknowledged?"

"Yes, maybe not as the person named Naruto but as a Root member that surpassed all expectations." He spoke sincerely, holding his hand out, "So, Naruto Uzumaki, what is your final verdict?"

The blond-haired academy student smiled slightly, taking the man's hand, "Please train me, Danzō-san. I want to be a Root member."

"Fantastic, come on now." The older man said, motioning his head to an alleyway on the side of the Hokage's building, "I will show you where you will be staying for the time being, and then we will officially begin your training."

"Thank you, Danzō-san." Naruto smiled appreciatively.

"No need to thank me yet." Danzō grinned.

The old Sarutobi man smoked his pipe, checking the time of his watch for the second time that morning. There were about ten more minutes until the monthly meeting of council staff began. He was taking this time in their conference room to smoke a little bit before the meeting commenced. Strange things have started to happen around Konohagakure, well, strange for him and most of the civilians around the village as an academy teacher by the name of Iruka Umino.

It had been a little over a month since the vanishing of one Naruto Uzumaki, a concerning revelation to the Third Hokage and his council. Apparently, the boy's practically daily pranks have completely stopped. Not a single one of Naruto's traditional orange pranks have appeared during this time. It had even worried his classmates at the academy, Iruka being the first to report to the Hokage that he didn't know where the blond was. "It's like he's vanished!" Hiruzen remembered Iruka's words vividly, a thought that completely tore Hiruzen's heart.

Anyone who had ever met the blond-haired academy student knows how much of a prankster Naruto was; the eight-year-old boy was known for his ambitious pranks around the entire village - no one was safe from him. However, he doesn't just stop pranking - his favorite pastime and lone hobby - all of a sudden; he doesn't work like that. This is what made Hiruzen worry about what had become of the blond, sending ANBU agents out four days after his disappearance.

The agents had started their search in Naruto's apartment but found nothing. There wasn't even a single trace of him left anywhere in the village, a scary thought. Both shinobi and civilian council members were alerted of this, asking for any information that could help them locate the missing blond-haired academy student. A ninja who had just gotten back from a month-long mission reported that they had seen Naruto with Danzō before their mission but, after that, there was absolutely nothing.

And so, that's where the old Sarutobi man found himself, smoking a pipe while waiting for the council meeting to consult Danzō about the whereabouts of Naruto Uzumaki.

Just as the clock struck noon, Hiruzen put out the smoke before pocketing the pipe in a secure location on his person. A secretary started letting in the council members - both shinobi and civilian members would be seen in this meeting. They greeted each other politely, taking their seats. He gave them all a small, easy smile, "Good morning everyone. The monthly meeting is now in session."

The civilian council representative - who had been given the spot about two and a half years ago - stood up hastily, wishing to talk about the economy and certain trivial things that did not relate to the shinobi council whatsoever. However, as this was a conjoined meeting, Hiruzen listened with mild interest, noting that trading with Sunagakure had increased significantly and Konohagakure should be receiving exotic goods within the next few months.

The older shinobi did tune in to the mention of the quick rise of Otogakure - the Village Hidden in the Sound - which had seemingly come out of nowhere. Hiruzen had heard of the village from Konoha patrols but hadn't gotten much out of the report. It seemed like other villages were trying to get Otogakure to sign an alliance with them but none had been successful yet. The civilian council representative began a speech on how an alliance with the Sound Village would be good for Konoha.

They reasoned that after everything that the village had gone down with Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure over the last few years, having an alliance with a large, new village that no other village had gotten their hands on would benefit Konoha significantly. With the placement of Otogakure in the world, there are many metal types as well as exotic foods that Konoha could get their hands on if they started trading with the new village. Hiruzen and several of the other shinobi in the room explained that it has already been taken care of and to move on with it. However, there was nothing else that the civilian council wished to discuss anymore before going silent.

He nodded to the representative who took their seat, turning to look at the right side of the room, ninjas looking up at him from their seats. "What do you have to present to the room?" The Third Hokage questioned, motioning for their representative to speak.

Shikaku stood up from his seat, bowing respectfully before beginning, "The shinobi council would like to deliberate about the mysterious disappearance of one Naruto Uzumaki."

The old Sarutobi man narrowed his eyes, having thought of the same thing and, if the council hadn't brought it up, he would have, "Please, go on."

"I'm sure that all of us inside this room have noticed the significant lack of pranks that have affected those inside the village walls from our one and only prankster. While most of us would feel elated to know that we no longer have to deal with orange plant splatters and constant graffiti, most notoriously found on the Hokage Mountain, but that does not give us peace." The Nara man stated factually, "What this does give us is a worrying sense of mystery surrounding his abrupt and sudden disappearance. The last known person to have seen Naruto Uzumaki is Danzō Shimura. Care to explain, Danzō-san." Shikaku sat down after finishing his words, all eyes on the man in question.

The scarred man did not stand up to speak unlike the two before him, having once mentioned that his reasoning behind not doing so were old bones or the likes of. Instead, Danzō shifted in his seat - there was an almost bored look on his face, "Do not worry yourselves too much as to where the kid is - he is fine, healthy, and is a hell of a lot happier."

"What exactly is he?" The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes, an almost dangerous tone flitting through his voice.

"In a Root operative base hidden somewhere within Konohagakure." The room fell silent immediately after the words had left the older man's mouth. He looked completely serious but the tone in his voice was bored as if he were speaking of trivial things.

"Danzō," Hiruzen began, a growl being forced back, "I'm sure you remember what we discussed when Naruto was put into the village's possession in regards to your involvement in his developmental training."

He smirked, sitting up a bit in his seat, eyes staring directly into his longtime friend's own, "Of course, I remember things quite well. You specifically said that he couldn't be trained under me without either your permission - which I would have never received - or his consent."

The old Sarutobi man's eyes widened significantly, abruptly standing up, "Naruto would never permit you for him to train under you - he doesn't even know you! You only just met about a month and a half ago." He was seething by now.

"What can I say, after a life or death situation, the kid began to trust me." Danzō shrugged, folding his arms over one another sophistically, "He wanted to become stronger and be acknowledged by the village but, to do so, Naruto gave up on his dream of becoming Hokage and begged me to train him."

"That's not-"

He raised a hand, stopping Hiruzen's rant as he pulled out a paper from his cloak. "If you don't believe me, I have a consent form that Naruto signed the day after he agreed to train under me for obvious legal reasons." He slid the single folded piece of paper towards the Third Hokage, "It expires in five years. By then, he should be a recognized Root operative and be legally considered an adult by use of ninja status; he'll be able to decide whether he'd like to stay with Root or do as he pleases elsewhere." Danzō mulled over his own explanation before smiling, "However, I'm almost positive that kid's not going to leave."

Hiruzen gave the other man a scrutinizing glare before reading over the consent form. His eyes scanned the words, recognizing Naruto's large and bouncy signature, having had the boy sign a few things as he was growing up. His eyes darkened, folding the paper to how it was presented to him, "Danzō."

"Hm?"

"Did you trick Naruto into signing this in any way, shape, or form? Threats? Promises that you can't keep?" He started seriously.

"Not at all, old friend." He raised an eyebrow, "Why? Do you not trust the kid's judgment? He's smarter than he looks."

"I know. I've spent a lot of time with him as he was growing up." Hiruzen took a deep breath.

"Then allow him to do as he pleases. If he wants to join Root and train under me, then so be a bit." Danzō shrugged half-heartedly, "Don't fret over something out of your power, old friend, it's not a good look on you."

The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes, "If I find out that he did not join of his own free will, so help me, you will not live to see the next light of day. Do you understand?"

"Absolutely."

Hiruzen sighed, sitting down and pulling his pipe back out. "The mysterious disappearance of Naruto Uzumaki has been solved, continue with the meeting." The older man concluded with a heavy heart.