Chapter 426 – Dragon, Tobirama and Hiruzen.

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Dust and leaves slowly settled back to the ground as the air in the backyard finally calmed down. The trees that nearly toppled a few moments ago now went still.

Kakashi rolled his shoulders, testing his muscles that had gone tight under three different chakra storms. Daichi took one quiet breath and then another as he looked at Dragon with a calm gaze.

On the other side, Tobirama's eyes went back to Dragon as he was sharply analyzing the man. 'Is he really a shadow clone? How could a clone have so much chakra? If there is a chance that he lied earlier, then I can't let him get away. I need to find a way to get close and mark him.'

If it was anyone else, he would have already acted but since the enemy knew teleportation jutsu, he knew he would have to strike at the best possible opportunity.

As Tobirama made his plans, Hiruzen's eyes flicked from Dragon to Tobirama and then to Daichi. After a few seconds of thought, his gaze finally settled back on the intruder.

"Since you claim to be a Leaf shinobi," he said, voice firm, "then return what you stole. The jutsu scrolls and intelligence reports from Root's vault… and the Sharingan you took from Danzo."

There was a small pause in the man when hearing that demand. Dragon stood there with his hands loose at his sides as he looked at the Third Hokage. He tilted his head slightly and weighed how much to say. Finally he spoke. "Don't worry. They're safe with me." he said. "All of them."

"Safe is not the same as 'returned,'" Tobirama retorted coldly.

Dragon looked towards Tobirama and shrugged. "The hidden jutsu exclusive to the village won't be spread. I have no intention of selling them, trading them, or handing them to enemy hands. On that you have my word."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "That's not what I asked. Even if they're 'safe', they're still in your possession. Those techniques belong to the people of this village. You need to return them." The old Hokage's tone suggested that he wasn't going to back down.

Dragon had an amused smile on his face as he looked at the Third. "I didn't steal from the people of the village. I stole from Danzo."

Hiruzen clenched his fists and looked angry hearing that. Tobirama was also looking displeased with that answer.

Seeing that he got under their skin, Dragon finally nodded his head. "Fine. I'll return all the jutsu scrolls and the intelligence reports to the village once a new Hokage is in place."

Hiruzen looked unhappy but his heart slightly relaxed hearing Dragon's words. 'Since he said he won't spread the information to others, that's one thing I don't have to worry about for the time being. I know I shouldn't take his words at face value but this man doesn't seem like a liar. Still, I need to be careful.'

Tobirama crossed his arms and looked at Dragon keeping a keen sense on his chakra. 'It doesn't seem like he's lying. But even so, by the time a new Hokage is elected he'll have ample time to study, understand and find ways to counter the hidden techniques in the scrolls. What a headache.'

The two Kages frowned but they knew that for now, that's the best deal they were going to get out of the situation, unless they captured their targets.

"And the Sharingan?" Hiruzen pressed, glare sharpening.

Dragon's answer was immediate. "No."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and Tobirama's fingers flexed slightly, hearing the stone cold reply.

Hiruzen frowned and the lines on his face deepened. He took a step forward and glared at the man. "You expect us to forget about the Sharingan? Those eyes belonged to the Uchiha clan and–"

"And they're all dead now! The Sharingan stays with me. This is non-negotiable." Dragon replied strongly and for the first time that night Hiruzen and Tobirama saw pure anger in those eyes.

"And why is that?" Hiruzen asked, wanting to find out more about Dragon. 'He's angry. What connection does he have with the Uchiha? Or… is he…?'

The anger on Dragon's face only grew hearing that question. "You really have the gall to ask me that? Your incompetence and Danzo's scheme are what led to the massacre. After that, Danzo had the audacity to desecrate their corpses and even steal their bloodline. And now you want me to return them? You can forget it! It's not going to happen."

Hiruzen frowned as he looked at the man. 'So he really knows everything.'

Tobirama focused his chakra sensing skills and frowned. 'If he's from the Uchiha clan, then his chakra signature should have some similarities with theirs. But it doesn't.'

Kakashi and Daichi looked stunned at the revelation.

The Jonin saw the grim look on the two Kage's faces and thought about Itachi's actions that night. Since Kakashi knew about the situation with the Uchiha clan before the massacre, he was able to quickly piece together some things from the conversation and it chilled him to his core.

'No. It can't be. Is he really saying that Itachi…' The silver haired Jonin didn't want to complete his thoughts and just stayed near Daichi and guarded him.

Meanwhile Daichi kept a shocked expression but inwardly he was calm. 'A few of the Sharingan on Danzo's arm were made with Itachi's blood mixed with Shin's DNA, but still. They don't need to know all the details.'

"Are you an Uchiha?" Tobirama finally asked.

Dragon looked at the Second Hokage and shook his head. "No."

"But you have some connection to them, yes?" Hiruzen pressed.

Dragon nodded this time. "I met an Uchiha sometime before the massacre. We became friends and he made me responsible for his little girl after she was born. Because of Danzo…" The intruder in Daichi's home sighed and didn't complete his sentence.

Hiruzen's face slightly softened hearing that. 'I let Danzo go unchecked for so long… Now so many mistakes are coming back to haunt me.'

"I'm sorry for your loss." Hiruzen said those words as sincerely as possible.

"Are you?" Dragon's eyes narrowed.

"I am!" Hiruzen replied somewhat harshly. "It was a tragedy that shouldn't have happened. I deeply regret what happened. But still, the fact remains. The Sharingan is a dangerous tool. I won't feel easy knowing that it's in the hands of a hostile entity like you."

Dragon looked at the old man and finally smiled. "Yes. The Sharingan is dangerous. But I know what you're really worried about. It's Shisui's eye, isn't it?"

Hiruzen's expression betrayed him for a second and Dragon nodded to himself. "I'll put his Mangekyo abilities to a far nobler use than Danzo ever could."

Hiruzen knew the power of Kotoamatsukami and hearing that Dragon intends to use it, his jaw clenched. "You're playing a very dangerous game."

"Yes, I know. But in our world, no one made their way to the top by playing it safe."

"Is that what your goal is, to stand at the top?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the man.

"You'll all know when the time comes…"

The vague reply didn't satisfy anyone.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Tobirama spoke and looked at Dragon. He was about to take action when Daichi asked a question.

"What is your connection to Lady Tsunade? Why did you really help us in the Land of Earth?" Daichi asked the man trying to shift the topic again and buy time. 'That was close. That guy was about to attack and I would have missed my chance.'

Dragon was quiet for a heartbeat. "That," he said, "I'll keep to myself for now."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "You expect us to trust you while you hide something that important?"

"I don't expect you to trust me at all," Dragon replied. "Only to listen to what I want to say."

Tobirama stepped forward, impatience growing. "I doubt 'Monkey D Dragon' is your real name," the Second said, "Who are you really?"

Dragon turned his masked face toward him. "Hmm… My real identity," he said lightly, "Well, I'll keep that a mystery as well… But if there is a chance and we meet again in the future, you'll know."

Tobirama watched him carefully, trying to read even the slightest fluctuation in chakra or emotion. 'Either he's telling the truth about delaying the reveal… or he's mastered deception to an absurd degree. I can't see through him.' Tobirama's mouth flattened. "Tch."

"You're not giving us much." Hiruzen was starting to get annoyed at the cryptic answers.

Dragon crossed his arms and looked at the kage. "I didn't come here to answer your question in the first place. This is me indulging you."

"Then why are you here?" Tobirama questioned him.

"I've been watching you all for a long time," he said. "Longer than you'd be comfortable with."

Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I witnessed the battle at the Final Valley," Dragon said, turning his head toward the distant direction of the valley as if he could still see it. "When the First Hokage faced Madara Uchiha. A battle that shattered mountains and recharted rivers..."

Tobirama's gaze hardened. 'Impossible. There's no way he could be that old…'

"I saw you," Dragon continued calmly, eyes falling on the Second, "Testing Hiruzen and Danzo and selecting the new Hokage after hearing their answer. Holding the enemy back alone so your students could escape and prove themselves."

The Third Hokage was shocked. 'He was there?'

Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "That was decades ago."

Dragon ignored the comment and shifted his gaze. "And later," Dragon added, looking at Kakashi, "I watched you in the Land of Water. Trying desperately to fend off the Hidden Mist's hunter-nin. Bleeding. Exhausted. One lone boy trying to hold off the world with a blade while the girl he wanted to save made a choice he didn't understand."

Kakashi's breath hitched and his shoulders stiffened once more. His hand unconsciously curled and his eyes hardened, going cold and sharp. "You… were there?"

"I saw more than I was supposed to." Dragon replied simply.

Tobirama's frown deepened. He extended his senses, probing once more at Dragon's chakra signature, trying to align it with anyone he might have known or sensed before. Nothing matched. 'He's not an Uchiha. Not a Senju or Uzumaki. Not anyone I recognize and his chakra doesn't show any similarities to any clans I've come across... Who is he? How does he know these things? Is he really someone who's been alive since the warring era? No, that's highly unlikely.'

Hiruzen glanced at Tobirama and wanted to see if he wanted to take action but Tobirama discreetly signaled Hiruzen to hold so they could gather more intelligence. Hiruzen turned his eyes back to Dragon. 'If he's really a shadow clone then it's best to gather as much information about him as possible. Even if all this is just a ploy to mislead us, it will still be something.'

Hiruzen drew in a slow breath. "Dragon," he said, "was it really you that caused the commotion in the Land of Earth? The incident their Intelligence Minister mentioned. That was your doing?"

A small chuckle escaped Dragon. "Yes," he said lightly. "I had some pests on my trail during that trip. I removed them."

'Reports stated that two extremely powerful jutsu that altered the landscape were used. So who was following him that forced him to use such drastic measures?' Hiruzen and Tobirama frowned.

At that moment Kakashi asked the question in his mind. "What do you want with Daichi?" he asked. "We're not going to stand by and let you abduct him."

Hiruzen gave a short nod. "If you intend to drag him into whatever war you're waging, we will stop you."

Dragon blinked… then laughed. "Hahahaha…" It was short, genuine amusement. "Abduct him?" he repeated. "No, no. It would be far more trouble than it's worth."

He looked at the Genin with an amused expression. "I can already tell that you have a problem with authority. And you're not afraid of anyone. It would be nothing but a headache if I took you into my operations."

Daichi's eyebrow twitched. "That's kinda rude." The boy mumbled and Kakashi sighed in relief.

"I'm here for something else entirely," Dragon spoke..

Daichi took a step forward, the Strength of a Hundred seal still glowing faintly on his forehead. "What do you want?" he asked. "Why did you want to meet me?"

Dragon reached into his cloak and everyone tensed. He reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll. With a lazy flick he tossed it toward Daichi.

Daichi did not reach out to catch it. He let it hit the ground in front of him with a muted thud, eyes never leaving Dragon.

Tobirama inwardly nodded. 'Good. He didn't catch it. It seems he's extremely cautious.'

Hiruzen's eyes followed the small scroll. 'What is in there that he would risk coming here?'

All eyes of the Leaf ninjas left the scroll and focused on Dragon. "What some people call curses," Dragon said quietly, "are just the fingerprints of someone else's hand. Manipulation, wearing bad luck as a mask..."

Daichi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"In that scroll," Dragon said, "there's a vial of Nawaki Senju's blood. Along with my notes. And certain mission reports."

Hiruzen's eyes went wide. "What?" A second later, anger flashed across his face. "Where did you get Nawaki's blood?" he demanded.

"Orochimaru's hideout in the Land of Rice Paddies was… full of interesting things," he said. "I had someone take everything worth taking before others could."

Hiruzen internally groaned. 'So it really was his people that raided that compound before my Anbu got there.'

Tobirama's jaw clenched, eyes darkening at the mention of another Senju corpse being desecrated.

Dragon turned back to Daichi. "Compare Nawaki's blood with Tsunade's," he said. "Run a forward generation simulation. You'll see what I mean."

Tobirama folded his arms. "What exactly are you trying to imply?" he asked. "Stop dancing around and speak clearly." Tobirama snapped.

Dragon turned his head slightly in the Second's direction. "I'm implying," he said, "that this world has been influenced from the shadows for a long time. Those tragedies you dismiss as 'accidents'… might not be accidents at all. They have been… arranged."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Arranged by who?" he asked. "What do you mean, exactly?"

Dragon looked at him for a long moment, as if deciding how deep to cut. Finally, he spoke. "Tell me, Kakashi, do you still see her face in your nightmares?" he asked quietly. "Does Rin Nohara still haunt you?"

Kakashi stiffened as if struck. His hand curled into a fist at his side. "Watch your mouth," he said, voice low.

Hiruzen glanced at him with concern. Tobirama's eyes flicked between them. Daichi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. 'Sorry sensei but you need to hear this.'

Dragon continued, tone soft but unrelenting. "You still see it, don't you? Your hand. Your chidori. Her last word… and then the blood."

"Be very careful with your next words." Kakashi's eyes had a dangerous glint as they focused on the enemy.

"It wasn't your fault!" Dragon replied, unbothered by the glare. "You need to let go and forgive yourself for that. Her death isn't your fault."

Kakashi's jaw tightened. "She died by my hands. There's nothing more to it than that." he asked, voice low.

The silver haired Jonin wasn't the only one who was surprised. Hiruzen and Tobirama were confused as to why Dragon was saying those words to Kakashi.

Dragon shook his head. "No. The truth is nowhere near that simple. You and Rin were pawns. She sacrificed her life to save this village."

Kakashi's fist trembled once, then stilled. "Do you know about that mission?" he asked. "About what happened that day?"

Dragon's tone stayed calm. "I know enough," he said. "The Hidden Mist sealed the Three-Tails inside her. The plan was for her to return here, lose control, and destroy this village from within."

Kakashi's breath hitched. Hiruzen's eyes widened and Tobirama's face darkened.

Dragon went on. "But she had another seal inside her. One that prevented her from speaking about it. She couldn't tell you, couldn't warn you. Couldn't explain why she moved the way she did."

Kakashi remembered the way she had run toward him. The look in her eyes. The lack of hesitation.

"So she made the only choice she could think of at that time… She chose to sacrifice herself," Dragon said. "She made sure your chidori struck her and she died to protect the village. She committed suicide to protect this village."

Kakashi's fingers dug into his palm. He closed his eyes as he recalled that scene. 'Is that really the truth…? All this time, I…'

As Kakashi and having an internal turmoil, Dragon turned to Hiruzen. "I'm sure that after they brought that girl's body here you must have had it examined and found traces of tailed beasts chakra. Even though you weren't certain, you must have suspected something like this right."

Hiruzen glanced at Kakashi and sighed. He looked at Dragon and nodded his head. "Yes."

"But here's the part you don't know," Dragon continued. "The Mist may have executed the plan but they weren't its true authors."

Hiruzen's brows knit together. "What?"

"It wasn't the Mist Village," Dragon said. "It was someone else behind the scenes. Someone controlling the Mizukage himself."

The backyard went silent. Tobirama, Hiruzen, Kakashi—each of them processed that statement with a different kind of cold.

Tobirama's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're saying the Third Mizukage was being controlled by an unknown party… and that this control extended to the Three-Tails incident?"

"Not just that incident," Dragon said. "But yes."

Hiruzen stared at him. "Who?" he asked. "Who is capable of something like that?"

Kakashi's voice was quieter. "Who… was controlling the Mizukage? Who took Rin?"

Dragon was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "That particular person is dead now."

Tobirama's gaze sharpened. "You're being deliberately vague."

"I am," Dragon agreed. "But like I said, it doesn't matter anymore. Knowing who won't change anything at this point." he said. "That particular hand is dead now. What matters is that you understand this: a lot of blood has been spilled on the orders of someone who disappeared from the shinobi world a long time ago."

He turned back toward Daichi. "I've said what I wanted to say," Dragon told the boy. "That scroll is for your eyes first. Read everything inside. Then come to a logical conclusion yourself."

His tone shifted slightly, just enough that Daichi caught it. "Remember the name 'Zetsu'," Dragon added. "He's dangerous. And he was the one behind that incident." he said pointing at the scroll.

Daichi's expression hardened. "…Why give it to me?" Daichi asked. "Why not hand it directly to the Hokage?"

Dragon chuckled softly. "Because you're Tsunade's student," he said. "You'll look at it from her perspective first. A Hokage has to consider the village, the council, alliances, politics… and sometimes that means burying things that shouldn't be buried. Their instinct is to hide certain truths, or to delay them, 'for the good of the village'. Now that may be the right thing to do in some cases but not all."

He glanced briefly at Hiruzen and Tobirama.

"Information passed only to a Kage has a way of vanishing. I'd rather start with someone who hasn't learned to hide everything yet."

Hiruzen's eyes hardened slightly, but he didn't refute the point Dragon made.

"Ultimately," Dragon added, "what you do with the truth is up to you. I'm curious to see what choice you'll make."

The mysterious man glanced at everyone and smiled. "Till next time."

Tobirama's eyes widened and he instantly teleported to Dragon's location. Just as he placed a mark on the enemy's body he saw Dragon smile. "Futile."

He snapped his fingers and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen audibly groaned looking at the scene. "Shadow clone. Damn it."

"He was extremely careful." Tobirama vanished from their eyes and reappeared several seconds later. "He's gone. I don't sense him anywhere near the village."

Kakashi let out a slow breath, then turned to look at Daichi. The boy was already kneeling, eyes on the scroll.

"It could be a trap," Hiruzen cautioned. "Be careful."

"I know," Daichi replied quietly. "But trap or not… I have to see what's inside." He formed a basic detection seal in his palm and let his chakra wash over the scroll. No explosive tags. No malicious curse signature.

He unrolled the outer layer carefully, revealing an inner storage seal. A small preservation container sat at the center, with several thin folders sealed beside it.

The label on the container was simple. Nawaki Senju – Sample.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "What do you see?"

"Exactly what he said," Daichi replied. "Blood samples. Reports." He closed the scroll and looked up. "I want one day," Daichi said. "Let me go through all of this first. After that, I'll hand it over."

Tobirama's frown deepened almost immediately. "It should be taken to the analysis division," he said. "We don't know what safeguards or traps have been placed inside. And we can't risk key evidence being altered or misplaced."

Daichi met his gaze evenly. "I won't tamper with it," he said. "I just want to know why he gave this to me. That's all."

Hiruzen watched the exchange quietly, then spoke. "You can hand it over tomorrow," he said.

Daichi nodded once. "Thank you."

Tobirama turned to Hiruzen, incredulous. "Are you seriously going to leave something so important in his hands?" he asked. "We don't fully understand Dragon's motives, or the scope of what he's involved in. Those reports could have been altered."

Hiruzen's gaze was on Daichi's face for a long time. Then he looked at Tobirama. "I want to understand Dragon's motives as much as you do," he said quietly. "He intended that scroll for Daichi. If we snatch the scroll away the moment he leaves it… he'll just try something else. Something more drastic."

Tobirama's eyes narrowed, but he listened.

"This way," Hiruzen continued, "we see who he trusts with sensitive information and what he wants that person to do. That would tell us more about him than a dozen interrogations would."

The Third Hokage exhaled slowly. "If we respond to this gesture by immediately taking the scroll away from Daichi and locking it down, we send the message that we can't be reasoned with. That might push him to act more discreetly and maybe even more violently. I'd rather he still believes there is room for… conversation with us."

The Second Hokage frowned. He was not completely convinced, but he didn't immediately refute it. After a few seconds of consideration, he exhaled and nodded.

Hiruzen turned to Daichi. "You will keep this scroll and its contents until tomorrow," he said. "You will not show it to anyone else. Not Kensei or Shizune. You will read everything carefully… And tomorrow, you will bring all of it to me and Lord Second. No copies kept. No pages withheld… You can make a decision regarding whatever is in that scroll after you see us. It's not that I don't trust you Daichi, I just don't trust the information on that scroll."

Daichi nodded. "I understand."

Tobirama clicked his tongue softly. "…If Dragon tries to make contact again, we will have to change tactics."

"Yes," Hiruzen said. "But for now, I want to see where this leads."

His eyes drifted briefly to the place where Dragon had disappeared. "If we mishandle this," the Third added quietly, "we might create an enemy we cannot easily contain."

Kakashi looked at Daichi, then at the scroll in his hands. 'Rin. A puppet Mizukage… What happened that day? Who was behind her abduction?'

"You alright sensei?" Daichi asked with concern. 'I'm truly sorry for reopening old wounds sensei. But you need to accept her choice and move on from that death. It's the only way you'll find peace… I'll make this up to you in the future… Somehow.'

Kakashi looked at his student and gave a weak smile. "I'll be alright… Looks like you got a new headache to deal with."

Daichi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Time to see what this is all about."

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