Testing

A few days later.

The shift in wind direction was often sudden and hasty. Faced with the aggressive stance of the Stone ninja, Konoha, which was on the verge of compromise, suddenly rejected the Stone ninja's ridiculous demands with a tough attitude. This shortened the fuse for war and laid the groundwork for future events.

Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, resting. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically... When the sudden change of heart from Konoha's higher-ups, along with the news of Ye Zi joining 'Root,' was delivered to him, he thought of many things, which is why he felt so weary.

His index finger habitually bent and straightened, but it simply rested on the desk. His eyes slowly opened, revealing a sharp, cold glint. The wrinkles etched by time around his eyes smoothed out as he looked at the silent, empty office.

"One can't force everything," he sighed softly after a long pause. That night, Orochimaru had given up on killing Ye Zi, and he hadn't intended to force Ye Zi to stay either. Subconsciously, he had hoped Ye Zi would leave Konoha. So, at the opportune moment, he had ordered the guards not to stop Ye Zi. However, Ye Zi ultimately couldn't leave, nor did he need to be handed over as a compromise for Konoha. Instead, he joined 'Root.'

Why did he join Root?

Hiruzen pondered this question extensively, even considering the potential future consequences. Yet, for now, he could only watch silently, waiting for the transformation Ye Zi would undergo after joining Root. Whether it would be for better or worse remained unknown.

Year 34 of Konoha. Kakashi, Might Guy, and other peers were born one after another.

On this day, 'Root' welcomed a new member, only twelve years old. For 'Root,' which often recruited young members, this was not unusual. Talented individuals often required a more advantageous environment for cultivation, and 'Root,' as the training division of the Anbu, could provide the best training environment for anyone in Konoha.

The first task upon entering Root was to update personal information, which involved an assessment of one's abilities.

Tap, tap...

The sound of crisp footsteps echoed in the dimly lit corridor. This was an indispensable part of the Anbu's training division. Just as the division was named 'Root,' its location was buried beneath Konoha, like roots embedded in Konoha's soil, continuously supplying nourishment.

Ye Zi silently followed the person leading the way and conducting the test, walking through the dimly lit, flickering corridor. The torches on the wall emitted faint crackling sounds, and the dim, yellow firelight cast long shadows on the floor.

After turning a corner, the leader stopped in front of an iron door. Seeing this, Ye Zi also stopped, watching him silently.

The leader turned, his gaze cold as he looked at Ye Zi, his tone utterly indifferent. "There are three main tests. I will tell you the second one after you complete the first. For now, enter this room. I will inform you of the specifics after you enter."

As soon as he finished speaking, the iron door slowly opened with an unpleasant creak.

Ye Zi walked into the room without a word. A dazzling light shone down from above, illuminating the entire room as bright as day. A significant number of shuriken were scattered in mid-air, close to the walls, frozen as if time had stopped. Under the light, they emitted a blinding, cold radiance.

Ye Zi narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the shuriken around him. He vaguely understood what the first test was, but the sheer number seemed excessive. This meant the test carried a certain risk; a single mistake could easily lead to him being overwhelmed by shuriken. It was no wonder the person in charge of the test hadn't revealed all three test details at once. It seemed that if the first test failed, there would be no need for a second.

At this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out in the empty room. It was the voice of the person who had brought him here.

"Walk to the center."

Ye Zi silently walked to the middle of the room upon hearing this. The most dazzling beam of light was focused on his position.

The voice continued, "Do you see the shuriken around you? This is the first test, primarily assessing your reaction speed and evasion skills. I will start the switch after counting down from three. At that point, the surrounding shuriken will all launch towards your location. You can use kunai, or you can jump, squat, or lie down, but you cannot leave the range of the light beam, nor can you use ninjutsu. If you understand, raise your right hand."

After listening to the explanation, Ye Zi's expression changed slightly. He looked down at the area illuminated by the light beam at his feet. It was about one meter in diameter, not small, but given the number of shuriken, the entire area would likely be covered.

Is this really a test?

He frowned, not raising his right hand, but instead staring silently at the area covered by the light beam. The observer in the room patiently watched Ye Zi in the arena. After casually turning off the loudspeaker, the person looked at the middle-aged man standing silently beside him and asked, "Without specialized training, facing a test of this difficulty on his first try, he's likely to die, even with medical ninjas on standby."

The middle-aged man was Danzō. He looked down at Ye Zi, who was silently bowing his head, through a gap about five fingers wide. After a moment, he slowly said, "How do you think he survived the swift blades of the Cloud ninja Jiu Xiao? And how did he successfully break through the heavy encirclement of the Stone and Ash ninja?"

The person was stunned. More than ten seconds passed before he could utter a word.

Danzō continued to watch the silent Ye Zi and slowly said, "He's not from the Hyuga clan, nor the Uchiha clan. But I think his eyes are very good. That's why he could survive Jiu Xiao's blades and break through that seemingly impossible predicament. Since his eyes are so useful, this level of test shouldn't be much."

The person still couldn't say anything after hearing this. His eyes are very good? Even if there was a basis for it, it seemed difficult to confirm. What if this guess was wrong?

He couldn't help but look at Ye Zi with a hint of pity. The projectile launch mechanism in the room was set to the highest difficulty. Even he, after countless training sessions in this room, couldn't guarantee he could emerge unscathed.

Hundreds of shuriken launched simultaneously. Under the constrained area, lateral movement would only be possible for the first few seconds. Because by the time all the shuriken were launched, the ground within the area would be covered in shuriken. Therefore, after dodging some shuriken by moving sideways, one could only choose to jump, then adjust their posture in mid-air to dodge each shuriken. The connection between any two movements could not have the slightest delay, nor could there be any mistake, even a seemingly insignificant one, unless one had a very high pain tolerance.

Moving sideways first, then jumping into the air, was the standard response. However, could Ye Zi, who had not undergone similar training, rely on his so-called good eyes to make the judgment in such a short instant?

The person shook his head slightly, the pity in his eyes gradually fading. He reached out and hovered his hand over the switch, patiently waiting for Ye Zi to raise his right hand. Regardless, he had reason to patiently wait for Ye Zi to observe the room, even if Ye Zi was currently just staring at the range of the light beam in silence.

"The kid that Lord Danzō values. I hope you can pass," the person thought silently. Then, he saw Ye Zi finally begin to observe the direction aimed by the shuriken scattered across the walls. He seemed to glance at each direction only once before looking away.

"Hmm?" Both the person and Danzō noticed this detail and fell into deep thought. Before they could think further, they saw Ye Zi, after merely glancing around, show signs of raising his hand.

Seeing this, Danzō's lips curled slightly. He seemed to have noticed another of Ye Zi's strengths.