Fujin recalled, 'Danzo already tried to drag me into a political battle once. Fortunately, I could make him pay dearly. It also allowed me to make the clan leaders owe me one.
That said, I can't take all the credit as there is one big factor that has given me an unfair advantage. That factor is Hiruzen. Even though he didn't do anything on the surface, Hiruzen completely supports me right now. He was the one to add me to the council and also the one to generally support my ideas even if they aren't implemented yet.
Even if he doesn't say anything, there is little doubt that every council member can see that he backs me. It is the main reason why Danzo didn't go overboard and no one else is bothering me. It is also the main reason why no one else has tried to make a move against my seat or tried giving me a headache.
However, if Hiruzen dies and Tsunade replaces him, then I won't have that protection. Once that happens, I'll be dragged into politics slowly, one step at a time. With time, it'll only become intense.
Granted that I could just take a step back as I don't have much to gain politically, but that will create a situation where others think that I am easy to push around. Not something that I want to see as it'll just keep increasing my troubles until I decide to push back. The only way to deal with it would be to make the one who makes the first move pay dearly just like Danzo.
However, I can't rely on brute strength every time. After all, why would anyone engage against me in an actual fight when they know how strong I am? They will use schemes that don't involve fighting. If I use the Akuro identity again to flip the chessboard, then everyone will inevitably begin suspecting me even if they don't have any proof. After all, they aren't stupid and Danzo will connect the dots as well. So, I will have to do a political counterattack.
But to do that, I'll need more influence in the village. And, I need to start increasing it while Hiruzen is still alive so that I don't face heavy opposition while I try to do so.'
Fujin's eyes wandered on the 5 kids. He thought, 'Since Hiruzen has given me such a gift, then I might as well take complete advantage of it. I guess the reason why he put these kids under me is the same as well. He probably realized that I wouldn't have enough influence in the future once he gave up his hat or kicked the bucket and hence, he decided to take advantage of the Danzo's situation to strengthen my influence.'
The 5 kids finally began walking towards Fujin. All of them were covered in dust and soil. Fujin finally made up his mind, 'Alright, I will accept these 5 as my students. I'll also increase my influence over the other orphans. They can all believe in the Will of Fire as much as they want. However, as long as the village isn't at risk, they have to take my side and support me.
Of course, this won't be enough. After all, it'll take years for these kids to mature. I'll need to increase my influence among Konoha's ninjas as well. Fortunately, I have just the thing to do so…'
The 5 kids finally reached Fujin and stood in front of him. To Fujin's surprise, there weren't any complaints in their eyes despite Fujin defeating them in such a manner. Instead, there was some admiration and respect as they understood how strong Fujin was to defeat them so comprehensively.
He quickly realized, 'Looks like having a terrible background followed by training in Root and brainwashing with Will of Fire diminishes one's sense of unfairness. Hmm, it's sort of the same as Naruto.'
Fujin said, "Not bad. I can see why Lord Hokage spoke highly about you five. That said, there is still a lot of room for improvement. I am sure our fight made you realize that."
The five kids nodded. Due to having Kekkei Genkai, they were always given priority in training. They also had a few attack formations which could keep a Jounin on his toes. However, getting wrecked by Fujin made them understand that they still had a very long way ahead.
Fujin said, "I already saw some of your skills during the fight. Tell me which other techniques and jutsus you know. If you have some special skills, tell me those as well."
Since Fujin was the one who would be responsible for them from here onwards, the five of them informed him about their abilities. They were pretty much in line with what Fujin had predicted. Fujin asked them several questions to get a better understanding of their abilities. His questions made them think a lot as well.
The youngest, Shoma, was a sensor. Though he could create Ice, he couldn't perform any Ice Release jutsus. However, he could use some Wind and Water Release jutsus.
Similarly, Sayaka and Hikari could use some Wind and Water Release jutsus as well. Both could create Ice Swords and one Ice Mirror. Sayaka could also use the Ice Petals jutsu which allowed her to fire Ice Darts from the Ice Sword or even without it. Hikari was still training that jutsu.
Takeshi could create just the flaming orbs with Scorch Release. If someone got hit by it, the flaming orb would burn their skin and evaporate all the water inside their body, burning them inside out. In addition, he knew some Fire and Wind Release jutsus.
Quite similar to Takeshi, Yuji could only control one Lightning Bolt with Storm Release. He was working on increasing the number of Lightning Bolts he could control. In addition, he knew some Lightning and Water jutsus.
In addition, all 5 kids knew the Body Flicker jutsu, though none of them could do so without using hand seals. They knew the three basic jutsus from the academy. They were decent with Shurikens and Kunai and could also use the Tanto effectively.
Despite their individual strengths, both Danzo and Hiruzen seemed to have given more importance to operating together. Due to that reason, they had a few more good formations and very good teamwork.
Fujin thought for a bit before muttering, "Your basics are good, but you guys are lacking in some aspects…"
He pretended to think very deeply. Seeing his serious expression, the 5 kids didn't disturb him. Instead, they just wondered where they were lacking.
Suddenly, Fujin looked into their eyes and asked, "Do the 5 of you want to be my students? I have a feeling that you can become much stronger than what you can think about."
The sudden question surprised the 5 kids. Neither of them had expected Fujin to suddenly say something like that. One moment he was discussing their abilities and pointing out their shortcomings, and the next moment he asked whether they wanted to be his students.'
The five of them exchanged glances. Even though they were initially in the Root under Danzo and later looked after by Hiruzen, neither Danzo nor Hiruzen had trained the kids themselves. The ones who taught them were considerably weaker than Fujin. Not to mention, Fujin was already pointing out the inefficiencies in their training which made them think further.
That said, their minds weren't thinking entirely logically. There was an emotional aspect as well. Not too long ago, they were living an extremely difficult life in the war-torn Land of Water. Three of them were orphans and had to fend off the scary world by themselves.
The remaining two were living in extreme poverty despite having parents. And, they still remember the deaths of their parents. Of course, they were unaware that Root was behind the death of their parents instead of Kirigakure whom they blamed. However, that memory was still fresh in their minds.
Even though they found a new home in Root which treated them well and later found a Grandfather-like figure in Hiruzen, it was the first time someone had tried to create a personal relationship with them.
Unlike Danzo, who categorically stated that they would become Root ninjas in the future, and Hiruzen, who said that they would join the Anbu in the future, Fujin didn't put any conditions or mention any expectations with his offer. Instead, he only specified that he could make them much stronger.
While their young minds weren't able to process this difference, they somehow instinctively felt it. As a result, the emotional impact of his words on them was far greater than Fujin had thought of.
So, be it emotionally or intellectually, accepting Fujin's offer made the most sense to them. Looking at each other, they nodded. In one voice, they answered while bowing slightly, "We will be honored to be your students."
A smile formed on Fujin's face. He replied, "Good."
