Chapter 58: An Offer I Can't Refuse

The rain fell in fine, slanting lines, carried by the wind into the umbrellas, dampening Logan's clothes despite his effort to stay dry.

He, Sasuke, and Konan each held a black umbrella as they walked through the silent streets of the Uchiha ruins.

Dark, abandoned houses lined both sides. The corpses and bloodstains had long been cleared, and the scent of blood had faded. What remained was a lingering stench, like an old slaughterhouse—forgotten and rotting.

Time had moved on. The place felt hollow, stripped of meaning.

Logan felt no strong emotions toward the Uchiha. He had merely been born into this body—nothing more.

But Sasuke had grown up here. Every street was familiar. Every building once held laughter, scolding, conversations. The silence now pressed down like a weight. In the rain, shadows seemed to blur into the forms of lost relatives, elders, and childhood friends.

"Still want to kill Danzo?" Logan asked casually.

Konan's eyes widened, and she immediately glanced back at Kakashi, who trailed them about ten meters behind.

Was that something you could just say out loud?

Lowering her voice, she hissed, "He's within earshot. I know you're strong, but we're in the heart of Konoha!"

Logan simply shook his head.

Let him hear.

He never saw himself as a ninja.

When he killed, it was always out in the open—never hidden.

Besides...

"If Danzo truly had influence, would Hiruzen have been the one to wear the Hokage's hat?"

Konan looked back again.

Kakashi was pretending to whistle as he casually veered away, increasing the distance between them, pretending he hadn't heard anything.

"I want to kill Danzo," Sasuke said quietly.

He paused, reaching out his hand to catch the rain, letting it collect in his palm.

"But not today."

"I'm not strong enough yet. If I wanted to kill Danzo now, I'd have to rely on you to do it. And Brother Logan, I know you're not emotionally invested in the Uchiha name."

"You went after Itachi because what he did was wrong in your eyes—not because he was Uchiha."

"So if you kill Danzo, it would be for your own reasons. Not mine."

"It would be a waste of that chance."

Sasuke turned to Logan with conviction. "I want to kill Danzo and Itachi with my own hands. To give justice to the Uchiha clan—to the hundreds of souls left behind."

"To give them an answer."

Konan gave a small nod of approval.

She understood Sasuke's determination. It reminded her of the day she and Nagato had gone to kill Hanzō of the Salamander. The need to face the enemy yourself.

"And," Sasuke added, touching the crown of thorns resting on his head.

Since waking up, it had become a part of him—permanent, unremovable.

"While I was unconscious, I met a strange uncle. He said a lot of things I didn't really understand… But somehow, I still felt like I got it."

"I don't know why, but now I think—killing Danzo might not really change anything."

Logan's eyes drifted to the crown on Sasuke's head.

That strange uncle... Could it have been the saint?

He remained silent for a moment, then let out a sigh and said softly:

"Yeah. You're right. Killing Danzo won't change anything. Killing Orochimaru didn't either. Neither did killing Biwa Juzo, Kurosuki Raiga, or the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost."

Konan looked confused.

What do you mean it's useless? Why not just kill them?

But Logan's next words hit her like thunder.

"They can't be killed."

She stared at him.

Rain poured down around them, blurring the world, but Logan's expression remained sharp—his eyes glowing like fire beneath the storm.

He turned to the darkness.

The system had taught him that there were three ways to collect soul fragments:

Defeating powerful enemies.

Changing the world line.

Or mortgaging his own soul.

At first, Logan assumed "changing the world line" simply meant altering the plot of the original story.

So, he tried killing some big-name characters.

When he killed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, nothing happened. No notification of a world shift. No change in his mission.

He figured they were too minor to matter.

But when he killed Orochimaru—a central figure—the same thing happened. No system response. No sign the world line had been affected.

That's when he understood.

Killing someone—even someone important—doesn't change the world.

Not really.

Because this world, as long as it remains driven by bloodlines and power, will just spawn another Orochimaru. Another monster obsessed with forbidden jutsu.

"So," Konan asked carefully, "what do we do then?"

Her voice was curious, almost reverent—like a student asking a master.

In that moment, she forgot their prior enmity. She only wanted to understand.

"You want to learn?" Logan smiled. "I'll teach you. But first—"

He flicked his fingers.

Raindrops exploded like bullets, slamming into a pair of wooden doors with a sharp crack.

The doors swung open with a creak, revealing a figure seated inside the courtyard pavilion.

Danzo.

He sat beneath the shelter, a pot of tea and a plate of snacks laid before him.

He gave a slight nod and raised a hand in invitation. His voice carried clearly through the rain.

"Logan. Would you join me for a cup of tea?"

The smile vanished from Logan's face.

He stepped into the courtyard, his pace steady, his posture relaxed.

He pulled out a chair opposite Danzo and sat. Sasuke and Konan flanked him on either side, silent and watchful.

Logan had seen Danzo's photograph before, but in person, the man was far more ominous.

He looked like a withered vine soaked in blood. Not a sharp blade, but a black rope—quiet, unassuming, and yet unbearably oppressive.

A blade threatened you immediately. Danzo? His danger crept in slowly, steadily. Until it was too late.

"I expected you to hide underground like a rat," Logan said, placing the Sword of Destruction casually beside him. "Didn't think you'd have the guts to face me."

Danzo poured a cup of tea.

"I am not a rat," he said evenly. "I am the root of Konoha. And for Konoha, I must meet with you."

"Then what?"

"Then—I'll make you stay."

Danzo pushed the first cup of tea toward him. It was steaming, fragrant, clearly of high quality.

"I want you to return to Konoha," he said. "To serve the village."

Logan laughed.

"Really? You invite me—at the ruins of the Uchiha clan, where blood and hatred still linger—and expect me to work for you, the architect of their extermination?"

"Are you insane?"

"I'm not insane."

Danzo's tone didn't waver.

"Logan, I understand your confusion. But soon you will agree. Because I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse."

With that, he slowly removed the bandage covering his right eye.

A scarlet Sharingan stared back at Logan—glowing, spinning softly in the darkness.

Danzo's gaze was calm and sure.

"I'll help you rise," he said.

"I'll make you Hokage."

pàtreøn (Gk31)