C17 Danzou

The next day, while Hirome was practicing his tactics in an open area, a member of the Shadow Department appeared before him.

"Haruno Hirome, the Third Generation Lord summons you!"

With that message delivered, the Shadow Department member vanished in an instant.

"Finally, they've come for me? I was beginning to think they'd forgotten about me these past few days."

Despite his words, Hirome was well aware that his demonstrated abilities had surely made the Third Generation Lord and others quite wary.

Upon arriving at the Hikage Office, Hirome knocked and entered.

Inside, he found not only the Third Generation Hikage and Kakashi, but also Konoha's Pot King, Shimura Danzou, and two advisors.

Hirome wasn't at all surprised to see them there. "Third Generation Lord, you wanted to see me? And Mr. Kakashi is here too."

"Yes, Hirome, you're here. We have some questions for you."

The Third Generation set aside his pipe and welcomed Hirome with a warm expression.

After all, one does not strike a person who is smiling, especially an elder nearing his end.

"Well, go ahead and ask away. I've got a date to keep!"

Hirome wasn't trying to be difficult; he genuinely had plans with Hinata.

"Hmph! Young man, what sort of attitude is that? Explain your abilities and their origins to me, immediately!"

Danzou, ever the arrogant one, could not stand any disrespect from a Konoha Ninja.

"Oh? And who might you be? The Third Generation Lord hasn't spoken yet. Are you barking orders because you believe your position is higher than his, Third Generation Lord?"

Hirome cast a contemptuous glance at Danzou, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You..."

Seeing Danzou about to lash out at Hirome again, the Third Generation quickly interjected.

"Cough, cough... Alright, Hirome, the reason I've asked you here is that I have some doubts about the abilities you displayed during the mission in the Wave Country. I'd like some clarification."

"Oh, there's not much to tell. These are my personal trump cards. I don't believe I'm obliged to report them to the Hikage Lord."

Hirome's response once again incensed Danzou, who, unable to contain his anger, bellowed, "Bastard, you may claim your abilities as special, but you must explain the Ice Escape Kekkei Genkai you've shown. Everyone knows that in the entire Ninja Realm, only the Water Moon Clan of the Fog Hidden Village possesses the Ice Escape Kekkei Genkai. If you don't give us a satisfactory explanation, we'll have to assume you're a spy and resort to special interrogation techniques!"

"Lord Danzou, my subordinates were raised in Konoha Village from a young age and have never once left its borders. Your suspicions are utterly unfounded!"

Kakashi, seeing Danzou's relentless pressure and fearing that Hirome might not be able to handle it, stepped in to defend him.

"Oh... Ice Escape? This was not an ability I possessed from the start..."

Hirome paused, creating a moment of suspense as he noticed the serious looks on everyone's faces. He then smiled and continued, "It's something I came to understand later on. It's the result of combining Wind Attribute and Water Attribute Chakra. Such a simple concept should be familiar to you all!"

Danzou had expected Hirome to reveal some deep secret, but to his surprise, it was common knowledge.

"Hmph, you seem intent on resisting! Hiruzen, I believe this youngster has no intention of revealing the truth. I recommend that we hand him over to me. I'll pry his schemes from his lips!"

The Third Generation, witnessing the scene, took a resigned drag on his cigarette.

After all, Hirome was a Konoha Ninja. If the suspicion was merely about his abilities, resorting to torture for interrogation could provoke unnecessary complications.

"Hirome, let's set aside the Ice Escape matter for the moment. Given your talent, it's quite possible you could truly grasp its intricacies."

The Third Generation paused, then added, "I have another question for you. Mr. Kakashi's mission report mentioned you could emit a light that slows people's movements. What is that all about?"

Hearing this, Danzou cast a resentful glance at the Third Generation Hikage, feeling thwarted.

He had thought that intimidating a young Ninja like Hirome would easily coerce him into spilling all his secrets.

If Hirome had no secrets to tell, Danzou had planned to assign him to the Root Division under the guise of supervision, thereby gaining a powerful new subordinate.

But now, the Third Generation's single comment had dashed all his plans. Recruiting Hirome seemed out of reach.

He bitterly thought to himself, "This is the authority of the Hikage. If I were the Hikage, I would have already united the Ninja Realm. Hiruzen, you indecisive fool!"

Upon returning to Hirome's place, he was taken aback to learn that the Third Generation Hikage had dropped the issue of the Ice Escape. He couldn't fathom why the Third Generation would so readily let him off the hook after all this time.

"Oh, the Slow Light? I'm not entirely sure how I came by this ability, but I do recall not having it before. It only manifested after I ate a peculiar and rather distasteful fruit!" Hirome said, his face lighting up with the memory, and he spoke earnestly.

Hirome was telling the truth; the Slow Light was indeed acquired from the Slow Fruit.

But since this fruit didn't exist in their world, Hirome had no intention of divulging that detail.

"Fruit? What kind of fruit? Where did you get it?" Danzou pressed, his excitement palpable. He had been coveting Hirome's ability ever since he first heard of it, recognizing it as an extraordinary skill. With such a power, he believed unifying the Ninja Realm would be a breeze. His urgency to uncover Hirome's secret was driven by this ambition.

Yet, as soon as he voiced his curiosity, Danzou felt a twinge of regret, realizing he might have appeared too eager, and there was still the possibility that Hirome's story wasn't entirely truthful.

"Hmph, I expected you'd be skeptical. Take a look, this is the photo I snapped at the time!" Hirome retorted, passing the photo to the Third Generation Hikage. After a brief look, the Hikage set it on his desk, from where an impatient Danzou quickly snatched it up.

After Danzou and the two advisors had scrutinized the photo, they handed it to Kakashi.

Kakashi, recognizing the background, voiced his confusion, "Hirome, isn't this..."

"Yes, Mr. Kakashi, I encountered this fruit in the Wave Country. I was on duty at the bridge, fishing off the side when I reeled it in. Its odd appearance prompted me to take a selfie with it. Little did I know that my whimsical act would later serve as proof of my claim. It's quite ironic!" Hirome remarked, his face twisting with distaste as he added, "And to think, that bizarre fruit was incredibly unpleasant to eat!"

Danzou made a mental note of Hirome's information, resolving to deploy the full resources of the Root Division to scour the seas of the Wave Country for this fruit upon his return.

Convinced by Hirome's account, and with the trustworthy Kakashi corroborating the story, the Third Generation Hikage and the advisors also accepted his explanation as truth.

"So that's the situation. Hirome, you're free to go now. Don't keep the young lady waiting; off you go!"

The Third Generation Hikage wore a benevolent expression, his smile tinged with a hint of jest as he encouraged Hirome to hurry off to his date.

It was quite unusual that neither Danzou nor the two advisors voiced any objections. For Danzou, his objective had been met.

Little did he know, Hirome's abilities were indeed derived from a fruit, but what he was unaware of was that such a fruit didn't even exist in their world.

The ninjas of the Root Division are to be pitied!