Root Organization

"Uzumaki Naruto, please take care of me!"

Uchiha Shisui's body stiffened, as if he were a statue standing rooted to the ground.

What?!

What?!

What?!

What had he just heard?

The son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Red Hot Habanero, Uzumaki Kushina... Uzumaki Naruto?

Heavens!

Those two had a child?!

Uzumaki Naruto was their child!

Was that real?!

Uchiha Shisui swallowed hard, feeling as though his entire worldview had been overturned.

He knew that Lady Uzumaki Kushina had been pregnant back then. It had not been a secret in Konoha.

But after the Nine-Tails Attack, hadn't Lord Hokage said that Lady Uzumaki Kushina and the child in her womb had both died in order to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox?

And now Uzumaki Naruto was saying that he was the child of those two...

Suddenly, Uchiha Shisui shuddered from head to toe as he noticed something he had never paid attention to before.

The time Uzumaki Naruto had appeared... wasn't it exactly when the Nine-Tails Attack had ended?

Then there was Uzumaki Naruto's golden hair and the Kekkei Genkai, Adamantine Chains. For some reason, Uchiha Shisui believed it.

Lady Uzumaki Kushina's Adamantine Chains.

Lord Minato Namikaze's golden hair.

But...

Uchiha Shisui's body remained stiff.

Even he, the strongest ninja of the Uchiha Clan, had not known such a secret. How had Uzumaki Naruto learned of it?

Could Lord Hokage have kindly told Uzumaki Naruto?

Uchiha Shisui might have been naïve, but he was not stupid. He knew that was absolutely impossible.

Telling Uzumaki Naruto the truth could very well make him resentful. It might even turn him into Konoha's enemy, causing the Nine-Tails to go berserk and destroy Konoha.

Which meant...

Uzumaki Naruto had uncovered the truth himself?!

Goosebumps rose all over Uchiha Shisui's body as a tsunami of shock swept through his heart.

Uzumaki Naruto knew the truth, yet he still showed everyone a gentle face.

Was gentleness his true nature?!

No!!!

That had to be Uzumaki Naruto's disguise!!!

Uchiha Shisui's scalp prickled.

A boy who had grown up surrounded by malice had learned the truth of his birth, yet he could still disguise himself flawlessly.

He was absolutely villain material!!!

"Naruto, what are you trying to do?!"

Uchiha Shisui struggled to raise his head. Though he could not see, he seemed to feel Uzumaki Naruto's indifference.

"Is that important?"

Uzumaki Naruto asked in return.

Uchiha Shisui nodded forcefully.

A faint smile curled at Uzumaki Naruto's lips. "As far as I know, during the Fourth Hokage's era, the Uchiha Clan and Konoha had a fairly good relationship. It was nowhere near as tense as it is now."

"But once the Fourth Hokage died, the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha rapidly deteriorated. Do you think that's normal?"

Uchiha Shisui swallowed. He no longer knew what Uzumaki Naruto was trying to say.

Uzumaki Naruto looked in Konoha's direction and said calmly:

"Uchiha Shisui, don't you think... I could do better than that old fool Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

Uchiha Shisui sucked in a sharp breath.

Uzumaki Naruto... was trying to stage a coup!!!

Uchiha Shisui could not speak. He had originally thought Uzumaki Naruto had saved him by chance.

But now, it was clear that everything had been part of Uzumaki Naruto's plan. Saving him had merely been one link in it.

Perhaps even an insignificant link. His plan definitely did not end with saving him.

Danger!!!

The blond boy before him was far too dangerous!!!

It was not just his Kekkei Genkai. What was even more terrifying was his temperament. No one knew what kind of face Uzumaki Naruto hid beneath his mask.

A few minutes passed.

Uchiha Shisui spoke bitterly, "I never thought that, before I died, I would hear such a shocking truth."

"But it's already too late."

"If it had been before, perhaps I really would have considered agreeing to you. But now... Uzumaki Naruto, you should leave."

Uchiha Shisui sighed. "The Root ninja won't let me go. If you don't leave soon, they might find you."

"Is that so?"

Uzumaki Naruto glanced into the distance, then said before Uchiha Shisui could speak again:

"If you mean a group of masked people, there's no need to say any more, because they're already here."

"What?!"

Uchiha Shisui's expression changed drastically.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."

Three ninjas clad in black robes and mysterious masks flickered into the clearing.

"Uchiha Shisui is here. He's still alive, but it appears he has lost most of his combat ability."

"His other Mangekyō Sharingan is gone. He likely entrusted it to someone else."

"That boy is Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. We don't know why he is here, but he is very weak."

"..."

The three mysterious ninjas began conversing as soon as they appeared, acting as though no one else was present.

No.

Rather than a conversation.

It was more like they were exchanging information. Their voices were extremely cold, so calm that they seemed to hold not a trace of emotion.

The moment he heard those voices, Uchiha Shisui knew who had come. His expression turned ugly.

"Root ninja."

The three Root ninja completely ignored Uchiha Shisui.

After their cold exchange.

One of the Root ninja looked at Uzumaki Naruto and asked indifferently, "Uzumaki Naruto, is Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan on you?"

Uzumaki Naruto ignored them just as they had ignored Uchiha Shisui.

His azure eyes remained on Uchiha Shisui as Uzumaki Naruto said, "Then, Uchiha Shisui, tell me your choice."

"Will you die meaninglessly here, or will you choose to follow me and witness a new world?"