Root Questionnaire

Far from the center of Konoha, inside a small house in the Nara Clan Grounds, the atmosphere was frighteningly quiet.

Under the dim yellow light, the simple, worn furnishings were visible. The slightly moldy ceiling stood in stark contrast to the pristine white walls around it.

In a corner, a tall figure stood blankly in front of a cabinet door.

Asuka crossed his arms over his chest, his index finger constantly tapping the muscles of his forearm as he pondered.

There were five people in the room, and they would most likely never find the "real culprit." After all, the "real culprit" was standing right there in the room. But it was not exactly appropriate to say so now. Otherwise, they might use the Shadow Binding Technique to control him, then some plump fat guy from the Akimichi Clan would grab him by the neck with both hands, leap into the air, and deliver a vicious "plum blossom sit." Finally, someone from the Yamanaka Clan would seize control of his body and make him do all sorts of inhuman things.

Mm. At the thought of such a socially fatal possibility, Asuka shuddered. Then he recalled the anomaly he had noticed in Nara Ryoko earlier, and a look of realization crossed his face.

At last, he knew what had felt wrong.

The Yamanaka Clan must have used a jutsu to control "Nara Ryoko," then used her as bait.

And now the fish had swum right into the house. Sigh! Staying here tonight was simply a waste of time. He should go treat the child instead.

Still remembering his original purpose, Asuka thought briefly, then turned and headed straight for "Nara Ryoko" by the door.

Knock! Knock! Hearing the soft knocking from outside, Asuka instantly stopped in his tracks and stared suspiciously at the door.

Good grief. Could Nara Ryoko really have another man?

When a thick, masculine hand suddenly appeared by the door, Asuka hurriedly looked for somewhere to hide.

This was bad!

Realizing the space beneath the bed was too far away, he gritted his teeth and pressed his palms tightly together. His stagnant Chakra began to flow.

Bang! Hm? A Chakra fluctuation? Sensing a sudden burst of Chakra from inside, the person outside flashed into the room.

When he saw Nara Ryoko staring warily at him and a child standing there stupidly looking at him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That Chakra fluctuation just now must have been Ryoko's instinctive reaction to an uninvited guest entering the room.

"Ryoko!"

Calling out her codename, he adjusted the Fox Mask on his face and said in a low voice, "The elder needs you."

Needs me?

Seeing the mask on his face and hearing his tone, "Nara Ryoko" vaguely guessed his identity.

One of Danzo's subordinates? What a nuisance.

She had opposed Ryoko joining that so-called Anbu Training Department from the beginning. Who would have thought Ryoko was as stubborn as a mule? She refused to listen to any advice and had even gone to Danzo herself.

Being a ninja and carrying out missions was already dangerous enough, but Danzo's missions were even more perilous.

Getting in was easy. Getting out was another matter entirely.

Thinking that Ryoko's body was currently occupied by her, and that even if she returned it now, Ryoko would not wake until tomorrow morning, she brushed aside the long hair hanging over her forehead and spoke in Ryoko's voice.

"What mission?"

"Ryoko, complete one final psychological evaluation first. If there are no mental issues, gather at the usual place tomorrow."

"Alright."

"Um."

At that moment, the Root ninja glanced at Ryoko beside him. He pointed at the child standing blankly on the floor and asked hesitantly, "Not bringing him?"

???

"Ryoko" stared at the ninja with a face full of question marks, then looked at the child, utterly confused.

Wasn't this a psychological evaluation? Why bring him? The Root ninja frowned. Watching Ryoko's reaction, he said in an odd tone, "During the previous two psychological evaluations, your son would cry nonstop whenever he left you, constantly distracting you. Your scores only barely passed, and that has already displeased the elder."

"It's fine. He won't cry now."

Uchiha Asuka had transformed into this child right in front of her. If he did not mind embarrassing himself, he could cry all he wanted. He was not her son anyway, and his crying would not distract her.

After pondering for a moment, the Root ninja said firmly, "Bring him anyway. Don't waste either of our time."

Uh! "Nara Ryoko" froze. Looking at the insistence in the Root ninja's eyes, the words of refusal caught in her throat.

She was using Nara Ryoko's identity right now. If she exposed any flaw, with Danzo's temperament, he would probably assign several certain-death missions.

That was why she had opposed Ryoko joining Root in the first place. Getting out alive was no easy feat.

With that in mind, she turned around and picked up Asuka. After glaring at him, she returned to the Root ninja's side and said flatly, "Let's go."

Ignoring the struggling child in her arms, Nara Ryoko followed the Root ninja directly into the living room and began the psychological evaluation.

Or, as it was more commonly known, a questionnaire.

Even now, Asuka was still dazed. There had truly been too many unexpected developments tonight.

He reached out and tugged at her hair, only for her to viciously twist the flesh of his thigh. The sharp pain finally made Asuka accept reality.

Looking at the Root ninja preparing the questionnaire, he wrapped both arms around "Nara Ryoko's" neck. Feigning affection, he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "Can't you just fill it out yourself?"

Nara Ryoko looked straight ahead, supporting the child's bottom with her right arm as the fingers of her left hand wrote across his back.

Shut up. Don't cause trouble for Ryoko. Danzo is not easy to deal with.

After writing that, she patted Asuka's back, sat down on the sofa, took the paper the Root ninja handed her, and calmly said after scanning the questions, "I'm ready."

"Begin!"

The moment he spoke, Asuka saw Nara Ryoko's eyes turn serious.

A questionnaire! He had heard of Root's questionnaires before.

Apparently, their questions were exceptionally demanding tests of one's heart.

If he had guessed correctly, this masked ninja should also be a sensory specialist.

By observing the respondent's mental fluctuations, heartbeat, and writing speed, he could determine whether they were loyal to Danzo-sama.

Filled with curiosity, Asuka secretly looked over the questions on the paper.

Question: If you were a member of the Anbu Training Department and the village came under attack by a powerful ninja whom you could not eliminate, what would be your first thought? 1. Rescue, evacuate, and settle the villagers.

2. Gather the remaining ninja on the spot. Even at the cost of your lives, stop the enemy ninja's advance.

3. First gather intelligence on the enemy at the battlefield, then find an opportunity to send it to the Hokage-sama.

4. Go to the Root Base, follow the elder's orders, wait for the precise moment to launch a full assault, and strive to kill the enemy in a single blow.

After reading the first question, Asuka raised a brow and could not help feeling a little emotional.

This question... was pretty deadly. Ever since he entered the Ninja Academy, he had been taught that if Konoha faced a surprise enemy attack:

Phase one: eliminate the enemy's surprise attack force. If that was impossible, immediately proceed to phase two.

Phase two: lead noncombatants to safety. Send women and children to the village shelters, then proceed to phase three.

Phase three: mobilize the entire village's strength to eliminate the enemy.

Who the hell ran to Danzo in phase one? If he had to answer this question, he would definitely choose 1 first, then 2, then 3. Seeing Nara Ryoko choose 4 without the slightest hesitation, Asuka's mouth twitched, and his gaze moved on to the second question.

Question: If the Hokage-sama were engaged in a one-on-one battle with a powerful enemy in the village, what do you think you should do? 1. Rescue villagers trapped by the aftermath of the battle.

2. Guard the Hokage-sama in place and prevent other enemies from secretly ambushing the Hokage-sama.

3. Gather nearby ninja and tightly surround the two combatants, creating enormous psychological pressure for the enemy.

4. Ninja must always be prepared to sacrifice themselves. Trust in the Hokage-sama's strength, trust in Danzo-sama's judgment. As long as the village remains, our Root remains.

Immediately head to the Root Base, follow the elder's orders, and prevent anyone from taking advantage of the Hokage-sama being tied down to attack the village and cause even greater losses.

???? Seeing Nara Ryoko choose 4 again without a moment's hesitation, Asuka buried his head in her shoulder.

There was no need to read the remaining questions. Choosing Danzo was always correct. Any hesitation, doubt, or wavering would definitely cost major points.

It really was a test of human nature.

But who was possessing Nara Ryoko right now?? Wasn't the Yamanaka Matron still inside the cabinet??