Yūsuke's Panic

Hokage's Office.

Looking at the sensible Yūsuke, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a satisfied puff of smoke.

After watching Hiruzen Sarutobi put on a passionate one-man performance about the Will of Fire, Yūsuke took his leave and went home.

When Yūsuke returned home, he found the family business operating as usual again. The only difference was that every seat was already taken, and a line had formed outside the door.

Watching his parents bustle about, Yūsuke hesitated for a moment before entering the family barbecue restaurant. He went upstairs to change clothes, then entered the kitchen and picked up a tray amid his parents' gratified smiles.

Once the last table had paid their bill, Father Watanabe shut the doors, bringing the busy day to an end.

"Son, weren't you on a mission? How did you come back so quickly? And this morning, Lord Jiraiya came looking for you. Do you know what it was about? Remember to explain it to Lord Jiraiya tomorrow."

The moment he sat down to rest, Watanabe Meiko started nagging in Yūsuke's ear. Seeing his father cracking sunflower seeds and watching the show from the side, Yūsuke gave a bitter smile.

How could he not understand how much pressure his father had endured today?

"It's fine, Mom. I already met Senior Brother Jiraiya this afternoon. The mission was simple, so I finished it quickly."

Feeling like his ears could not take much more, Yūsuke hurriedly stopped his mother's nagging.

"Mom, I'm hungry."

The moment she heard that, she stopped talking, quickly got up, put her apron back on, and entered the kitchen once more.

"Yūsuke, don't put too much pressure on yourself." Changing the subject, his father suddenly said seriously, "Someone came to ask me around today whether our family has a genealogy, and whether our ancestors were a Bloodline Family."

Without changing his expression, Yūsuke replied, "It's nothing serious, just a routine inspection. Dad, you know it's wartime right now. The village is just under greater pressure at the Front Lines, so they're checking whether there are any ninja families living in seclusion."

But inwardly, he was in an uproar. This world did not lack technology fanatics. What if someone captured his parents to study their bloodline? After all, if someone suddenly developed abilities out of nowhere, what else could it be but a Kekkei Genkai? Yūsuke immediately began to panic.

Not wanting his father to notice anything wrong, Yūsuke kept him company and chatted as though nothing had happened.

After the family finished their simple dinner, Yūsuke used the excuse that the Third Hokage was going to train him and left home.

After leaving home, Yūsuke rushed frantically toward the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had finished handling his affairs and was preparing to go home when Yūsuke suddenly burst in.

Looking at the panicked Yūsuke who had rushed inside, then at the damaged door lock, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on. His disciple had been perfectly fine just moments ago, so how had he suddenly become like Jiraiya and Tsunade?

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could ask anything, Yūsuke told him everything his father had said.

After hearing him out, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply. In truth, he already had an answer.

"Yūsuke, go home first. I'll handle this matter. At the same time, I'll assign Anbu to secretly protect your parents."

But Yūsuke did not take his leave. He simply stood there motionlessly, staring at him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Yūsuke, trust your Teacher. If I can't even protect the people of my own village, then I'm unworthy of being Hokage."

"Yes, Teacher."

Only after receiving the Third Hokage's promise did Yūsuke finally manage to set his mind at ease. Though he had not been in this world for long, they were still his parents. As the saying went, once your parents, always your parents.

After watching Yūsuke leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned an Anbu.

"Go. Find out where Hokage Assistant Shimura Danzō is right now."

"Yes."

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his seat, looked out the window, and quietly smoked.

Root.

Shimura Danzō sat in his own seat, looking over the report handed to him by one of his subordinates.

He stared at the masked figure before him, someone resembling an Anbu, and asked in confusion, "Why are there so few members left in Root now?"

The Root member said, "Lord Danzō, Root has been established for too short a time and lacks a proper foundation. Most of our remaining members are orphans, and their training periods have been short."

Looks like I'll have to ask some ninja clans for people. Danzo thought.

"Lord Danzō, the Hokage has arrived." At that moment, another Root member came to report.

"You may leave."

"Yes."

Since Root had been established, this was Hiruzen Sarutobi's first visit. Looking at the gloomy surroundings, he did not feel particularly comfortable. Perhaps he had walked in the sunlight for too long and was no longer accustomed to such a cold, dark place.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi enter, Danzo rose to greet him.

"What made you suddenly think of coming here to take a look?"

Gazing at Hiruzen Sarutobi's somewhat gloomy expression, Danzo spoke first.

"Danzo, looking at this Root reminds me of when I first became Hokage. You told me that the Hokage should stand beneath the sunlight, receive everyone's respect, enjoy the villagers' love, and command the awe of the ninja clans."

"As for the things the Hokage should not do, or perhaps could not bear to do, you would handle them. You said you wanted to establish your own force. You said you wanted to be the Hokage's shadow, dealing with those filthy matters in the Hokage's place. You have accomplished that these past years, and I'm very gratified."

Looking at Danzo's aged face, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke nostalgically.

Having his work over the years acknowledged by his old friend, Danzo looked proud.

"After all, I poured a great deal of effort into cultivating these people. It's just that some assassination missions were rather difficult before, and we lost quite a few members..."

"Do you think your subordinates recognize me as their Hokage? Do Root's ninja still belong to Konoha?"

The words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving Danzo drenched in cold sweat.