At night, Hajime Hoshita paused his training to rest. One by one, his shadow clones had exhausted their chakra and dissipated.
But then he realized something—
One clone was missing.
"No way..."
Hajime's eye twitched violently.
Don't tell me that the missing clone went insane, skipped training, and ran off to do something shady?
What could it possibly be doing?
Surely it's not trying to assassinate the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Or worse—going after Danzo directly?
Cold sweat immediately broke out all over Hajime's body.
He quickly formed a hand seal to forcibly dispel all clones.
...
In Konoha's bustling night market, the wide streets were filled with people. The atmosphere was lively and festive.
One of Hajime's clones strolled leisurely down the street, hands clasped behind his head in an extremely laid-back manner.
"Training, training... it's always about training. Finally got a second chance at life, and I can't even enjoy it?"
"Still just a hot-blooded teenage boy, aren't I?"
"Has Danzo brainwashed the real me this badly?"
Grumbling in his mind, the clone's gaze lingered shamelessly on a pair of peach-like curves passing by.
Now this is what life should be!
Reluctantly dragging his eyes away, the clone wandered into a local hot spring house.
Half an hour later, he emerged feeling refreshed and invigorated—but a little disappointed.
No mixed bathing? Terrible service!
With the confident swagger of someone who didn't care about anything in the world, the clone's eyes scanned the shops lining the street.
He was planning to find an izakaya, have a drink or two—preferably with some female company.
He remembered Jiraiya had female drinking companions when he visited Amegakure. Maybe Konoha had something similar?
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the clone's eyes lit up.
He spotted a jackpot.
Wait—no, not a jackpot. It was Tsunade-hime.
And she wasn't alone. Sitting with her were Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
The Legendary Sannin, all in one place, drinking together in a bar.
What fate!
The clone grinned, thinking to himself, Bridging the light and the darkness—Tsunade is the perfect stepping stone!
Win over Tsunade, and I'm one step closer to being Hokage!
Without hesitation, the clone stepped toward the izakaya.
As for whether he'd blow his cover?
That thought didn't even cross his mind.
Besides, none of the Sannin knew what the original Hajime Hoshita looked like.
And right now, he was appearing under the alias "Alpha"—no risk of being exposed anytime soon.
Entering the izakaya, the clone walked straight over to Tsunade and sat down beside her. Across from him were Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Tsunade turned with a frown, Jiraiya looked puzzled, and Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
With a cheerful smile, the clone greeted them, "It's been a while, everyone."
As soon as he spoke, Jiraiya's expression shifted. "It's you!"
The clone nodded. "Yes—Alpha!"
Tsunade looked Hajime up and down. "Didn't expect you to be so young. So 'Alpha' is just your codename, huh?"
"If you're not acting under Root's authority right now, wouldn't it be more polite to use your real name?"
Meeting her gaze, the clone replied seriously, "A Root ninja's identity doesn't change just because of how he dresses."
"Just like a Konoha ninja doesn't stop being one just because he takes off his vest or forehead protector. We still protect the village."
Hajime's eyes burned with such intensity that Tsunade instinctively looked away.
Jiraiya quickly interjected, "Hey, if it's not a mission, using your real name shouldn't be a big deal, right?"
The clone shook his head. "Once you join Root, you must forget your name and become a nameless guardian in the shadows."
"In other words, our codename becomes our new name."
Orochimaru chuckled. "That's true. A name is just a label—and a codename can be one too."
The clone smiled, then glanced at the drinks in front of them. "Would you mind buying me a drink?"
Tsunade looked him up and down. "You sure you're old enough to drink?"
Without waiting for a reply, the clone took her sake cup and downed it in one gulp. "I'm sixteen years old."
"But more importantly, I'm just a clone."
Tsunade and Jiraiya were completely dumbfounded.
Tsunade was stunned because Hajime Hoshita had casually taken her sake cup—this guy was way too familiar for someone they barely knew.
Jiraiya was equally surprised by Hajime's bold action. But what puzzled him even more was—why hadn't Tsunade punched him yet?
Orochimaru, on the other hand, looked at Hajime with growing interest.
This Root ninja... was quite the intriguing character.
Frowning slightly as she watched Hajime help himself to more sake, Tsunade waved to the server for a new cup and asked, "You're just a clone. How are you even here?"
The clone smiled. "Because the real me is training very diligently. So I came out in his place to unwind."
Jiraiya looked a little dazed.
Wait, it works like that?
Aren't clones usually the ones who do the work while the original slacks off?
And besides, the personality of this guy in front of them... it seemed completely different from when he wore the mask before.
Jiraiya looked back and forth between Hajime and Tsunade, a sense of unease creeping in.
This guy… he wasn't here by coincidence. He had a purpose.
The clone poured drinks for everyone, then looked at Tsunade and asked, "Tsunade, you're a medical ninja. You must have a deep understanding of the human body, right?"
Tsunade lazily replied, "More or less."
Though she said it casually, there was still a trace of pride in her voice.
The clone's eyes lingered on Tsunade's face as he continued, "Have you ever heard of the secret technique called Earth Grudge Fear from the Hidden Waterfall Village?"
"Earth Grudge Fear?"
Tsunade thought for a moment, then frowned and shook her head. "Never heard of it."
Jiraiya and Orochimaru, now curious, turned their attention to the conversation.
The clone followed up, "Then have you heard of a man named Kakuzu?"
"He once tried to assassinate the First Hokage."
Tried to assassinate the First Hokage?
All three of them froze for a moment.
Orochimaru thought for a bit and said, "I believe I've seen his name in a bingo book. He's classified as S-rank."
Jiraiya added, "If he went up against the First Hokage... he must be really old by now. Probably long retired."
The clone explained, "He is from that era, and yes, he's incredibly old. But after failing to assassinate the First Hokage and being betrayed by his village, he stole the Hidden Waterfall's most prized treasure—the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear."
"This jutsu allows him to steal other people's hearts to extend his own life, keeping himself in a constant peak condition."
Tsunade's expression turned grim. "What a vile jutsu... No wonder no one's been able to take him down."
Orochimaru looked at Hajime and suddenly asked, "Alpha, has Kakuzu already been dealt with by Root?"
The clone didn't answer, but continued, "Extending one's life with stolen hearts is only one function of Earth Grudge Fear. More importantly, the user gains access to the chakra nature transformations of the hearts he takes."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed sharply. "Five hearts… meaning Kakuzu could wield five chakra natures."
The clone gave no response, but continued speaking. "Five hearts, five chakra natures."
"Besides the main body, the other four hearts can even leave the body and fight independently or in coordination. They can adapt to all terrains."
Tsunade and Jiraiya both grew visibly serious as they listened.
Five chakra natures, and a shinobi from the era of the First Hokage—such a man would have a wealth of battle experience.
A person like that… was terrifying.
At that moment, all three of them couldn't help but think of one person.
Their teacher—the current Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
(End of Chapter)