409. This Place Seems Pretty Good

"Disciple... disciple?" Uchiha Itachi widened his eyes, unable to hide the shock on his face.

Danzo smiled kindly and nodded.

"That's right. I have a soft spot for nurturing young talents like you, Itachi, who possess the pure Will of Fire. Of course, if you don't wish to become my disciple, there's no need to force yourself..."

"No!" Before Danzo could finish, Itachi interrupted him and firmly declared, "I am willing to become your disciple, Lord Danzo!"

Itachi's decision wasn't surprising.

After all, he had always admired Danzo's achievements over the years, and his bond with Shisui was both that of a mentor and a friend.

Now, with the opportunity to become Danzo's disciple, how could he refuse?

Looking at the composed and obedient Itachi, Danzo nodded in satisfaction.

He had always held high hopes for Itachi.

With proper guidance and without straying down the wrong path as in the original timeline, Itachi's future was undoubtedly bright.

By then, the entire shinobi world would tremble at Konoha's formidable lineup!

Meanwhile, Kabuto adjusted his broken glasses and sighed, "I never thought the day would come when you, Itachi, would become my junior brother..."

Although he and Itachi had a good relationship, he had never imagined them becoming fellow disciples. But this wasn't a bad thing. With Itachi as the powerhouse of the group, Kabuto could focus on his research in peace.

However, he soon realized something— "Itachi, when's your birthday?"

Confused, Itachi replied, "June 9th. Why?"

Hearing this, Kabuto nodded slightly, satisfied. "Nothing, my birthday is February 29th..." The implication was clear: whether by seniority or age, he was the undisputed second senior brother!

Understanding Kabuto's intent, Itachi rolled his eyes. Clearly, he wasn't interested in such trivial disputes.

"Alright, let's set aside the matter of who's the second senior brother for now," Danzo said, clapping his hands. "Next, I'd like to introduce two new members to you."

As he spoke, two new figures stepped forward.

One had grayish-white hair and eyebrows, with crimson eye shadow and red dots on either side of his forehead.

He appeared to be around the same age as Itachi and Kabuto.


The other had sleek black hair, delicate features, and fair skin, as if he had stepped out of a manga.

These two were Kimimaro and Haku, whom Danzo had brought back from the Land of Water and successfully taken as disciples.

"Teacher, are you saying you're planning to take on three disciples at once?" Kabuto asked, his hands in his pockets as he silently observed the newcomers.

Danzo nodded. "That's right. After all, I'm getting old, and I need more disciples to carry on my legacy. Besides, Kimimaro and Haku's talents are no less impressive than yours. If you don't work hard, they might just surpass you."

When Danzo said this with a smile, it finally caught Kabuto and Itachi's attention.

After all, Danzo was currently the top figure in the shinobi world.

His judgment might not be 100% accurate, but it was at least 95% reliable.

In other words, these two newcomers truly had the potential to threaten their positions?

It was worth noting that Uchiha Itachi was hailed as the most promising prodigy the Uchiha clan had seen in decades, second only to Shisui.

For these two to be compared to him spoke volumes about their potential.

Thus, Kabuto stared at them through his cracked glasses for a long time before asking a serious question— "How old are you?"

This sudden question left Kimimaro and Haku momentarily stunned.

Normally, shouldn't they be fighting over seniority or something? Why ask about age?

Only Itachi facepalmed in exasperation. "This guy..."

Although unsure why Kabuto was asking, Kimimaro and Haku answered honestly. "I'm nine years old," said Kimimaro. "I'm seven," Haku added.

Hearing this, Kabuto visibly relaxed. "So you're both younger than me..."

He patted his chest lightly and muttered, "I scared myself for nothing!"

Having confirmed that his position as the second senior brother was secure, Kabuto's serious demeanor vanished, replaced by a cheerful smile as he approached the two.

"Hello, I'm your second senior brother, Shimura Kabuto." He then pointed to Itachi.

"This is Uchiha Itachi, your third senior brother."

Itachi nodded politely at the two.

"Also, we have a first senior brother named Uchiha Shisui, but he's currently on a mission outside the village."

After the brief introduction, Kabuto turned to the white-haired boy. "Kimimaro, right? You're fourth in line, so you'll be the fourth junior brother."

He then addressed Haku.

"As for you, Haku, we'll need to check your birthday to see if you'll compete with Chino for the title of youngest junior sister."

As soon as he finished speaking, Danzo, Kimimaro, and even Haku himself gave him a strange look, making Kabuto feel uneasy.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

At this, the black-haired Haku softly reminded him, "Um... I'm a boy."

"Huh?!" Not only did a question mark appear above Kabuto's head, but even Itachi was momentarily stunned.

Who would have thought that such a delicate-looking "girl" was actually a boy!

Seeing Kabuto's rare moment of embarrassment, Danzo seized the opportunity to chide him.

"Don't jump to conclusions without knowing the full story, Kabuto."

"Yes, Teacher..." The mistake about Haku's gender seemed to have shaken Kabuto.

He glanced at Haku's delicate face but said nothing more.

When Chino woke up in the Konoha Hospital the next day, her first question was— "What? I have two more senior brothers now?"

Sitting on the hospital bed, Chino looked at Kimimaro and Haku, who had come to visit, and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say two senior brothers? Where's the other one?"

Hearing her question, Kabuto's expression shifted slightly before he reminded her, "Junior Brother Haku is a boy."

Upon hearing this, the mischievous Chino immediately climbed out of bed and leaned in close to Haku for a closer look.

"He really is a boy."

This sudden move startled the shy and introverted Haku, causing him to take two steps back.

"But is he really older than me?" Chino narrowed her eyes, looking dissatisfied as she turned to Kabuto.

The latter adjusted his newly replaced glasses and said, "Although Haku is the same age as you, his birthday is in January. That means he's technically two months older than you."

Upon learning that she was still the youngest junior sister, Chino immediately threw a tantrum on the bed.

"I don't care! I don't want to be the youngest junior sister anymore! By the time I joined, I should be the third senior sister!"

Seeing this, Kimimaro and Haku could only smile wryly.

But no matter what, they had finally escaped the hell that was the Land of Water.

As they looked out at the dazzling sunlight streaming from the sky, the lively chatter of people on the streets, and the towering statue of their teacher, Danzo, carved into the distant rock cliff, they couldn't help but feel— this place seems pretty good.