Joining

One day, Konoha might very well produce a second White Fang. Even if the odds were extremely low, Danzo did not want to let any opportunity slip by. His goal was to take the Hokage's seat, so he needed many talented people, as well as the support of many individuals with high standing in Konoha.

He was the hidden Root, so unlike green leaves exposed to the sunlight, he was not dazzling. The currently renowned Sannin were all part of Hiruzen's faction, while the White Fang of the Hatake clan could never support him either. In the short term, he had no chance of reaching for the Hokage's position. His only opportunity would come when Hiruzen died or stepped down.

That moment would be a matter of chance, not certainty. It might come ten years from now, or perhaps a year from now. No one could predict it. All he could do was wait silently for the opportunity to arrive.

When the time came, he would do everything in his power to seize it. To grasp that opportunity more securely, he needed to make preparations now.

If he could not gain the support of those who already possessed fame, then he would cultivate a group of renowned people himself.

Thus, he had come.

At this moment, when the air had finally been squeezed completely dry, he bathed in the pale moonlight and gave Ye Zi a choice.

Faced with such a choice, Ye Zi was unable to decide for a while. He was no longer as miserable as when he had first arrived in this world. He now possessed the means to survive, so he did not necessarily have to remain in Konoha. Yet reality was often this cruel and helpless. One was always forced to choose.

He remained silent for a long time. Danzo was extremely patient as well. Even the killing intent in the air had not changed in the slightest with the passage of time, remaining as unhurried as ever.

"What reason do I have to believe you?" Ye Zi tightened his grip on his sword hilt and spoke calmly.

By saying this, he had shown that he was compromising. The reason was as clear as the choice Danzo had given him: die or join Root. He had no choice, because he did not want to die.

No matter the world, there was always a distinction between the strong and the weak. The weak could only make choices. He was still weak, so on this moonlit night, he had to make a choice. The reason was simple: if he said no, he would definitely die here, in a place not far from Konoha's gates.

His opponent had come prepared and had long since eliminated every possibility of escape. This was an encirclement arranged based on his strength.

After hearing Ye Zi's compromise, the coldness on Danzo's face faded considerably. He said, "You can only believe me. The Stone ninja want Konoha to hand you over, but they never said whether they want you alive or dead. Since they want you handed over, I'm sure they would be satisfied with nothing more than a corpse."

The implication was clear: If he wanted to hand Ye Zi over to the Stone ninja in exchange for avoiding a war, he might as well kill him outright. Why bother with so much nonsense?

"Are you really that confident you can keep me here?" After remaining silent for a moment, Ye Zi spoke unwillingly.

"Haha."

Danzo, whose expression had remained rigid, suddenly laughed. The marks carved into his face by the years trembled with his skin, making him appear especially strange and jarring.

The man's gaze suddenly turned as cold and indifferent as ice.

"You, with bestiality contained within your body, chose to compromise at this moment. In truth, you yourself know very well that the surrounding trees, sand and stones, even the moonlight and the air, are all part of a net or a trap. You may be able to break free in the future, but you cannot escape now. I am certain of that, and so are you."

Ye Zi lowered his head unwillingly and silently sheathed Raiya. There was no need to take the risk. The fact that his opponent had been waiting for him here and now already meant he was destined to leave no other way.

The only consolation in this misfortune was that he did not need to be handed over by Konoha. In the eyes of certain people in Konoha, he still possessed value—or rather, his potential for appreciation was highly anticipated.

"I'll join."

His words carried a hint of weakness as he turned his back to the moonlight and walked toward Konoha's gates.

Watching Ye Zi's back as he walked toward the gates, a faint trace of admiration passed through Danzo's eyes. He sincerely looked forward to Ye Zi growing into Konoha's second White Fang—or perhaps... Raiya!

A Raiya that served only him, savage and merciless, powerful enough to tear apart anything in its path.

Whoosh!

A figure landed in front of Danzo. The newcomer wore a white cloak and a white fox mask. They knelt before Danzo on one knee and asked, "If this person becomes strong enough, he may become an unstable factor."

Danzo's gaze was cold and indifferent, and a gleam resembling Orochimaru's shone in his eyes. He said, "Everyone has something they need. As long as he remains in Root for even a moment, I can always find out what he wants. As long as I give him what he wants, he will stay. I don't need his loyalty. I only need to bind him."

"As for strength... heh, if I cannot always stay one step ahead, what right do I have to pursue anything? Besides, he is not Orochimaru. He has no qualifications to speak with me as an equal, much less any chance of surpassing me."

The masked Root member paused before asking, "Then should we arrange for someone to monitor Ye Zi?"

Danzo thought for a moment and said, "No."

The Root member hesitated for a moment, seeming to have something to say.

Danzo noticed and looked at him coldly. In an even tone, he said, "If you have something to say, say it."

"Yes." The Root member no longer hesitated and said, "I don't think this person is worth so much of your effort, my lord. You even forced those people to create such an environment. It won't be long before the Third Hokage learns of these actions."

"Not worth it?"

Danzo raised his head to gaze at the bright moon. A gentle breeze wafted over, lightly stirring the branches and leaves along both sides of the road and producing a rustling sound. He stared at the moon in the sky, as if he had thought of that moment when he had stood at the crossroads that divided his life. Because he had weighed whether something was worth it, he had missed the most crucial opportunity.

After a long while, his voice was cold. "There is no such thing as worth or not worth it. There is only doing or not doing."

After returning home, Ye Zi had just taken off his shoes at the entrance when faint footsteps sounded in front of him.

Orochimaru wore a white set of loungewear and stared coldly at him without saying a word.

Ye Zi's movements paused slightly, but he immediately continued taking off his shoes. After changing into a pair of slippers, he looked at Orochimaru and said calmly, "Someone gave me a choice, so I stayed."

A subtle change passed through Orochimaru's eyes. As if he had guessed something at that moment, he asked coldly, "Who?"

Ye Zi said, "Root."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, concealing the dangerous gleam within them.

"I think you should know about Root, and you should also know who that man with a cross-shaped scar on his chin is. But I don't." Ye Zi's tone was calm, but his heart was anything but. He hated this feeling.

Orochimaru nodded and said, "I know. You will know as well in the future. Get some rest."