Impossible Candidate (Please Keep Reading!!)

Mist swirled through the darkness as the slender Kami-kakushi slowly emerged from the shadows, standing face-to-face with the Tall figure opposite him.

Orochimaru smiled at Shimura Danzō, who was studying him with one eye narrowed. What should have been a gentle, graceful smile like that of a refined gentleman had turned dark and cold beneath the passage of light and time.

The great Third Hokage had once again reunited Konoha, and every department had begun joyous celebrations. Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, had stirred up another heap of trouble, while various frictions and conflicts broke out among the exchanged Ninja. Konoha was destined to be loud and restless tonight.

That also meant some people would emerge from the shadows. Amid the clamor of the world, they would silently extend their hands toward that radiant idol. Everyone thought that with the idol shining so brilliantly, no one would notice if they reached out and seized a few strands of its light.

The bustling Konoha of this moment was like that, and so were these two silent people.

Standing in the misty corridor, the two looked wordlessly at Konoha in the distance, which seemed to have become a city that never slept amid the haze.

The noise and chaos outside seemed as though they would never have anything to do with them. They would forever remain as they were now, hidden within darkness and shadows, becoming the roots that supported the flourishing blooms.

Without roots, what would become of a seemingly lush tree? Would a gust of wild wind topple it straight onto the ground, turning it into a scene of rotten leaves and dead wood? Many people thought so, and so many tacitly allowed all this to happen.

Their existence was false, yet also real. Whether it was Shimura Danzō, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, or Mitokado Homura, they all possessed an unspoken understanding of mutual recognition amid their struggles.

These dark things were bound to exist. And their existence was the true foundation of Konoha's existence; they bore all the filth Konoha did not wish to see.

Just as a good life inevitably produced garbage, someone had to dispose of it, and someone had to live alongside the muck.

And those who chose this path were undoubtedly people infinitely loyal to Konoha.

"From Root's perspective, you look quite well, Lord Shimura Danzō."

"Hmph. Spare me the pleasantries. I never expected you to choose me, Orochimaru."

Standing inside the cold underground cavern, the bandage-wrapped Shimura Danzō looked indifferently at the Third Hokage's disciple, whose chilliness resembled that of a snake, and snorted through his nasal cavity.

In truth, he had hesitated over Orochimaru's appearance and offer of allegiance. After all, this man was one of the Sannin and Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple. In a sense, he belonged to Hiruzen Sarutobi, so Danzō's involvement here could be considered overstepping his bounds.

Yet unexpectedly, despite appearing as close as father and son to his teacher, Orochimaru had come to him of his own accord. He needed something the Third Hokage could not give him. Simply put, Orochimaru—one of the Sannin and one of Konoha's finest Ninja—now possessed a human instinct.

He feared death.

He feared it terribly.

He feared it so much that he wanted to prolong his life through every conceivable means.

Shimura Danzō understood. He understood very well, because he was the same. No one could face the battlefield without fear.

A hell made of blood and organs, filled everywhere with gunpowder smoke and broken remnants of all things. Collapsed buildings, spoiled food, fetid water rotting with viscera, flies buzzing everywhere, and beasts yearning to devour human flesh.

No one who had participated in the Ninja World War failed to fear that kind of battlefield, nor did anyone fail to feel powerless before the fragility of human life. No matter how powerful one was, even someone as great as the Second Hokage could die in war.

The world was that cruel. So Shimura Danzō greatly agreed with what Orochimaru had said.

Of course, agreement was all it was. Trust was something that still required time to cultivate.

"I welcome your joining us, Orochimaru."

Looking at the cold-faced Jonin Orochimaru before him, Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes and said quietly, "Hiruzen has now entered a stage of stubborn self-indulgence. Though I am Konoha's root, there are times when I must deal with certain problems as well."

"Ah, that is precisely why I came."

"Yes. After all, you know very well that while Konoha appears exceptionally prosperous now, there are already countless hidden influences and potential problems beneath the surface. With Root's numbers, we are already stretched thin."

After one last glance at the faintly warm scenery outside, Shimura Danzō silently walked deeper into the corridor.

That small area outside was the only place in the entire facility where one could observe the outside world.

As Shimura Danzō walked, the surroundings grew increasingly dim and lightless. To prevent possible wiring inspections from exposing the place, Shimura Danzō had not installed any external lines in Root's current headquarters. Only a few internal generators were running.

Those things existed to keep the laboratories operating, not to light these corridors. Moreover, Orochimaru could sense figures in the darkness occasionally watching them.

These Root Ninja had undergone special training. They were puppet-like beings with unconditional loyalty to Konoha and Danzō.

For the greater good, they had continuously altered their bodies and minds, eventually becoming what they were today.

In the darkness, these people and Danzō had ultimately formed an organization that could be called the most mysterious and unfathomable in all of Konoha.

Root.

"Do you find this disgusting too, Orochimaru?"

"No. I think it is necessary."

"Good. If you carry too much moral baggage, you cannot become a member of Root."

As they walked through the dark corridor, Shimura Danzō's figure appeared blurred and indistinct. Yet whenever he occasionally gestured somewhere in the passage, the sound of mechanisms sliding could be heard from within.

No one knew just how much manpower and resources from Konoha this place had consumed. Through some of the sliding doors that flashed past, one could see a series of expensive instruments humming inside, maintaining their operation.

Shimura Danzō had no intention of explaining anything, and Orochimaru likewise would not be tactless enough to ask. They had only just confirmed their cooperative relationship and were still testing each other's state of mind and intentions, a stage meant to let both sides adjust to one another.

At a time like this, there was no need for deeper interaction.

Yet as he looked at Orochimaru, who seemed not to care much, Shimura Danzō suddenly felt inclined to say a little more.

"You are different from Sosuke Aizen. He seems far too upright, and he does not much like this sort of filth. Though he acknowledges that Konoha should have darkness, he would never approve of a root like this."

"Sosuke Aizen?"

"Hmph. He was the one I initially intended to work with. A mere Chunin who could develop so many ninjutsu—if he joined Root, he would certainly make us even stronger. Unfortunately, this old man still cherishes talent."

Continuing forward on his own, Shimura Danzō spoke in a low voice, as though persuading Orochimaru—or perhaps persuading himself.

"Someone like him shouldn't be infected by Root. He should remain on Hiruzen's side and avoid contact with Root as much as possible. You, on the other hand, can get to know him and interact with him from a middle position, but any more than that would make things difficult for me on Hiruzen's end."

"Sosuke Aizen... that genius who develops ninjutsu. I'd really like to get closer to him."

But there were more pressing matters to handle now, so he decided to leave it for later.

Watching Shimura Danzō's retreating back, Orochimaru instinctively licked his lips, yet unconsciously pushed that assignment to the back of his mind.

There was no particular reason for it. Perhaps it was because he was Konoha's Acting Advisor, or perhaps because he was genuinely a good person, but Orochimaru had no intention of opposing him.

Why would a normal person constantly think about opposing another normal person? Wasn't that a problem with their brain? Orochimaru himself didn't think there was anything wrong with him. He had merely chosen a path that would allow him to survive.

Thus, without giving it a second thought, Orochimaru discarded the matter of investigating and interacting with Sosuke Aizen.

Then, as though it were only natural, the two of them put the matter aside and headed toward the research facilities deep within Root. They were going to have an open and honest talk.

But Orochimaru did not know that another of his friends was already standing before that good man.

"Aizen... Sosuke..."

Why... was it you...?

As she watched the smiling figure slowly emerge from the mist, Tsunade felt her thoughts come to a complete standstill.

She had considered many possibilities: Shimura Danzō, that secretive-looking man; a private force secretly created by Mitokado Homura or Utatane Koharu; or perhaps something her teacher had done.

Less likely possibilities included something orchestrated by one of Konoha's clans, those mysterious Byakugan users, or the unruly Uchiha. All of those were possible. But no one had ever considered that gentle man.

A man only twenty years old, wielding great authority, as spotless as a blank sheet of paper.

A man who understood the Will of Fire better than the Hokage, who cared more about the village's daily life than the Elders—a man as gentle yet radiant as Konoha's Moon.

Sosuke Aizen.

Dressed in a white haori, he stood before Tsunade.

"Good evening, Lady Tsunade. This truly is a meeting that surprises me."

Looking at the utterly stunned Senju Tsunade, Sosuke Aizen smiled with his usual gentleness and adjusted his glasses.