Konohagakure, Root Headquarters.
“Lord Danzō …”
A middle-aged shinobi knelt on one knee in the dark, gloomy underground headquarters of Root.
A sliver of moonlight fell from somewhere above, making the already sinister surroundings seem even colder.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap…
The sound of a cane striking the floor echoed through the darkness.
An old man slowly emerged from the shadows.
He was wrapped in a heavy robe, his head covered in layers of bandages.
One eye was completely hidden beneath them.
At first glance, he looked like an old man who had once suffered terrible injuries and was now barely clinging to life.
But no one in the entire shinobi world would dare underestimate this man.
Shimura Danzō .
Konoha’s Hokage Advisor.
The leader of Konoha’s Root organization.
A schemer consumed by ambition, willing to do whatever it took to become Hokage.
“Sarutobi has appointed you to manage Medical Division?”
Shimura Danzō narrowed his one exposed eye and spoke slowly.
“Are you the only one, Ao?”
“Elder Mitokado and Elder Utatane will be there as well.
The Hokage appointed me to assist the two elders.”
“Another meaningless attempt at balance.
Sarutobi is still as weak as ever.”
Danzō ‘s voice was quiet, yet carried an unmistakable authority.
“Do you understand your mission, Hachiya Ao?”
“Yes!
I understand!”
“I will take control of Medical Division as quickly as possible.
For you, Lord Danzō !”
“Good.
You may leave.”
“Yes!”
Hachiya Ao quietly departed.
“Hmph.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
ShihōinNaraku.”
Danzō tightened his grip around his cane, the ambition in his exposed eye burning as fiercely as ever.
“Root will return soon.”
Back in Konoha, Danzō had once commanded a force that belonged solely to him.
Root.
Root operated with ruthless efficiency.
Every action they took on the surface was supposedly for the sake of Konoha’s development, while behind the scenes, Danzō constantly instilled his own ideals and objectives in his subordinates.
As a result, Danzō held considerable influence within Konoha.
Later, following the Uchiha clan massacre, Sarutobi Hiruzen stripped Danzō of his position and forcibly ordered him to disband Root.
But aside from a small number of operatives, most of Root’s members simply returned to the ANBU.
They continued to serve Danzō in secret, waiting for the day Root could be restored.
Danzō ‘s move this time—joining forces with Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu to push his subordinate Hachiya Ao into the position of head of Medical Division—was not merely a test.
It was also a way of rebuilding his power.
Danzō swept his gaze across the silent, dark Root headquarters before slowly turning away.
“No one can stop my return.”
…
[Name: ShihōinNaraku]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 26]
[Physical Strength: A]
[Spiritual Energy: S+]
[Chakra Reserves: A+ (Greater than 96% of shinobi in the world!)]
[Chakra Natures: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Earth, Yin, Yang]
The attribute panel provided by the system gave ShihōinNaraku a general understanding of his current strength.
At present, his strength could be considered among the upper ranks of the shinobi world, not merely in Konoha.
But compared with the absolute strongest, he was still far from their level.
“So, from now on, if I want to keep getting lottery draws, I need to work hard and get promoted.”
Naraku paused.
“No.
For the sake of Konoha… for the sake of the shinobi world’s development, I need to work hard and get promoted!”
Deputy Director of Konoha’s Medical Department.
Deputy Commander of the Konoha ANBU.
“Why are they both deputy positions?”
Recalling the appointments made by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Naraku fell into thought.
The system.
Promotions.
The ANBU.
The Medical Department.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Mitokado Homura.
Utatane Koharu.
Danzō .
Hachiya Ao.
The pieces gradually fell into place in Naraku’s mind.
He had figured out what was really going on.
“I thought they were going to keep holding back for a while longer.”
“So our Hokage doesn’t actually want me to remain in control of Medical Division either.”
Naraku glanced back at the Hokage Tower glowing in the distance.
He had just returned from the testing grounds, and a smile appeared on his face.
“Dango!
Fresh, delicious dango!”
“Sir, would you like to have a drink?”
“New shipment of ninja tools!
The finest kunai you’ll find anywhere!”
Walking through the bustling commercial district, ShihōinNaraku was just about to find somewhere to have dinner when he spotted someone approaching from another direction.
“That way…”
“He’s going to the Memorial Stone again to pay his respects to Obito and Rin?”
“Kakashi!”
Naraku hurried over and called out.
Hatake Kakashi was so immersed in his own thoughts that he completely failed to notice Naraku’s approach.
Only after hearing someone call his name did he finally snap back to reality.
“Oh, Naraku.”
Naraku paid no attention to Kakashi’s listless, perpetually exhausted appearance.
“Come on.
I have something to talk to you about.
You’re buying.”
“Huh?”
A hint of confusion appeared in Kakashi’s dead fish-like eyes.
“I’m busy today.”
His hand instinctively touched the book tucked inside his pocket.
Kakashi had absolutely no intention of paying for dinner.
He had spent a long time standing in line today just to get the latest edition of Jiraiya’s Make-Out Paradise.
He was looking forward to going home and enjoying it.
“Busy?”
Naraku gave him a look of utter contempt.
“Who gets up before dawn just to stand in line for some smut novel…”
“I’ll pay!”
Kakashi immediately agreed to buy dinner.
…
Inside a quiet private room at an izakaya.
“You’re joining the ANBU?”
Kakashi looked at Naraku.
“You’re obviously qualified to be Deputy Commander, but what about the Medical Department?”
As far as Kakashi was concerned, Naraku was best suited to managing Konoha’s Medical Department.
“What?
Are you worried I’ll steal your position as ANBU Commander?”
“No.”
Kakashi lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking.
“Then what’s going to happen to the Medical Department?
Who’s taking over your position?”
“Hachiya Ao.
Though I suppose I was promoted too.
I’m now Deputy Director of the Medical Department, and I’ll still be in charge of the Mortuary Unit and Veterinary Rehabilitation Unit.”
“How did it end up being him?
Could it be…”
Kakashi reacted quickly.
He immediately realized there was something suspicious about Hachiya Ao being chosen.
“You’re right.”
Naraku nodded, confirming Kakashi’s suspicion.
“That guy is also a medical ninja.
He’s been in the field for a long time.”
But Hachiya Ao was a member of Root.
And Danzō ‘s subordinate.
The two of them understood the situation perfectly.
On the surface, Root had been disbanded, and Danzō no longer held any official position.
But everyone knew what was really going on behind the scenes.
Kakashi had never liked Danzō .
Nor did he approve of Root’s methods.
After all, Hatake Kakashi had once been a member of Root himself.
He had even received orders from Danzō to assassinate the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Of course, in the end, Kakashi had chosen to stand on Sarutobi Hiruzen’s side.
Because of that experience, Kakashi was extremely familiar with Root.
He didn’t believe that disbanding Root meant Danzō had lost control of its former members.
“Anyway, it has nothing to do with me.”
Kakashi yawned.
“Now that you’re joining the ANBU, you can take a lot of work off my hands.”
At this time, Hatake Kakashi was the Commander of the ANBU.
Aside from the Third Hokage, he held the greatest authority within the organization.
But Kakashi didn’t care much about that.
As far as he was concerned, aside from his regular missions and duties, he would much rather spend his free time reading.
“You’ve got the right idea, but forget about it.”
Looking at Kakashi’s face, most of which was hidden behind his mask, Naraku asked,
“I asked you here because I want to learn more about the ANBU…”
“Oh, is that all?”
Given Naraku’s current position, there was little Kakashi couldn’t tell him aside from matters of extreme secrecy.
And Kakashi had no intention of hiding anything.
After more than a decade in the ANBU, there were few people who understood the organization better than he did.