"Root is taking in fresh blood..."
The impatience on Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged face faded, and his two gray-white brows lifted slightly.
Root, also known as the "Anbu Training Division."
This organization hid within Konoha's darkness, its greatest objective being to secretly eliminate obstacles that hindered the village's development.
In his early years, Shimura Danzō had failed in his bid for the position of Third Hokage.
But due to Hiruzen Sarutobi's momentary softness and concession, Shimura Danzō had still managed to establish a deeper-level ninja force within the Hokage's directly controlled Special Assassination and Tactical Squad—the Anbu: Root.
In name, Root was a force subordinate to the Anbu.
But in practice, nearly every ninja in Root answered only to Shimura Danzō.
As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood very well the benefits and drawbacks of a ninja force lurking in even deeper darkness.
Shimura Danzō and his Root had borne all of Konoha's "darkness."
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage in the public eye naturally maintained an image of "absolute light and greatness."
But excessive darkness would inevitably breed certain unnecessary desires and threats.
While indulging Root's growth, Hiruzen Sarutobi also took the initiative to curb the expansion of its power.
And the most fundamental, most important way of limiting Root's development was to strictly restrict the replenishment of its members!
"Danzō, did you just say 'a young ninja from the Nara Clan'?"
All manner of thoughts flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind as he looked at Shimura Danzō and spoke first.
"Since when has Root wanted to recruit members of the Nara Clan?
"Didn't you always disdain the Nara Clan's ninjas for not being 'dark' enough?"
It was true that the Sarutobi Clan had been friends with the Pig Deer Butterfly clans for generations and had even served as the alliance witness for