The Wandering Miko

Danzo was a ruthless man.

After losing his right eye, he immediately took out the Sharingan he had kept hidden for years and had Orochimaru transplant it.

The operation had only been half successful. Though he had regained his sight and the power of the Sharingan, he couldn't awaken the Mangekyo or seize the authority of a Deity.

If not for Guo Wang taking over his body, this Dojutsu, called Mirror Flower, Water Moon, might never have seen the light of day again.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had miscalculated. He had thought that, with "Danzo" in a somewhat more receptive mood and the special setting of the Memorial Stone, he could persuade Konoha's most hardline warmonger and secure a ceasefire with Iwagakure.

But "Danzo" was still Danzo. In some ways, his stubbornness was even more terrifying than Ōnoki, that old rock.

Their conversation ended in acrimony. After Hiruzen left, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who had been waiting nearby, came over to lay down two bouquets. They said nothing more and left with the Hokage. As elders of the Advisory Department, they also favored a ceasefire.

"That fool Hiruzen is still too cowardly!"

A cold, restrained voice rang out. Kagami Uchiha's tombstone was suddenly pushed aside, and a boneless-looking arm holding a long box emerged from underground. A pale young man with snake-like eyes followed.

"I never expected you to keep your remaining Sharingan in a place like this."

Following Guo Wang's instructions, Orochimaru had used Earth Release to retrieve the Sharingan from Kagami Uchiha's tomb. After sensing his teacher's Chakra, he had stayed hidden underground to listen. He naturally knew how Danzo felt.

"If you had even a little public support, why would I have to go this far?"

Guo Wang glanced coldly at the subordinate who was already becoming somewhat uncontrollable, wondering when he should deal with this sinister man.

"That old Ōnoki is no pushover. If I weren't so good at using Ninjutsu to save my own skin, I'd have been reduced to dust long ago."

In this Shinobi World War, aside from Sarutobi Hiruzen, the general who had personally broken through the Mount Kikyo front, Orochimaru had probably contributed the most.

On the Land of Lightning front, Jiraiya and Danzo, two Kage Level fighters, had joined forces to hold back the Third Raikage. The Land of Water was a rabble, scattered and disorganized. Only the Land of Earth stood out: it was the second-strongest shinobi village after the Land of Fire, and Ōnoki's Dust Release could kill with a single hit. At the fiercest point of the fighting, Konoha's army had retreated a hundred miles in a single day and had nearly been driven all the way back to its homeland.

At the time, Namikaze Minato had already learned Flying Thunder God, but he wasn't proficient with it, had few of the special Kunai, hadn't finished developing the Rasengan, and was too slow to activate Sage Mode. At best, he was an Elite Jonin. Without Orochimaru's ruthless willingness to risk death, how could he have held back Iwagakure's tens of thousands of troops?

But now, as the fighting on the Land of Earth front drew to a close, Orochimaru's reputation still didn't match Namikaze Minato's. The latter's exploits at Kannabi Bridge were certainly dazzling, but Orochimaru's coldness on the battlefield—his willingness to disregard his comrades for the greater good—had also made the Konoha Ninja, who prized love and peace, fear him.

"Only the weak huddle together for warmth. Only they need other people's approval."

Hearing Guo Wang's blunt criticism, Orochimaru's smile began to fade as he explained his values.

"The strong are always alone, walking at the very front!"

Taking the long box containing Kagami Uchiha's left eye, Guo Wang gave the young man, who seemed to have less and less humanity, a deep look before turning and walking ahead.

"Come with me!"

Root!

No name, no emotion.

No past, no future.

It supported Konoha like the roots of a great tree, buried deep beneath the earth!

Throughout the Shinobi World, Root's name was even more notorious than Konoha Anbu's, because every time Root was deployed, the results were horrifyingly cruel. To the shinobi of the other four nations, Danzo's title of Darkness of the Shinobi made him seem even more dangerous than Sarutobi Hiruzen.

No one knew that Root's headquarters wasn't in Konoha at all, but in Kikyo City, near the border. Beneath a landmark called Footprint Ancient Path, a steel complex plunged deep underground, lending the mysterious organization an even more solemn and imposing air.

"Though I won't agree to Iwagakure's surrender, Hiruzen will probably use his standing to force the proposal through at the Jonin Council."

As Guo Wang walked through the compound, the Anbu stationed at Root bowed respectfully to him. He didn't bother to hide his contempt as he called the Hokage by name.

"Then what will you do, Elder Danzo?"

After this Shinobi World War, Orochimaru had completed the final transformation of his outlook. The only reason he still remained in Konoha was that a last trace of attachment lingered in his heart. Now he wanted to see the final outcome of this brutal war and bring the first half of his life to a close.

The old man before him, Shimura Danzō, was one of the only two people in the village he feared.

The other, White Fang of the Leaf, had taken his own life after the Battle of Kikyo Pass.

Compared with the mild-mannered Sarutobi Hiruzen, who still valued bonds, Danzo was so ruthless that even Orochimaru didn't dare take him lightly.

"Do nothing."

"Oh? That doesn't sound like you."

The answer surprised Orochimaru. He couldn't help licking his dark purple lips, his dark golden snake eyes fixed on the old man as he considered what lay behind those words.

"Orochimaru, what do you think is the most important thing in this world?"

The unexpected question caught him off guard, but he quickly narrowed his eyes and spoke his mind.

"Thought!"

"You didn't say life. That surprises me."

Guo Wang looked at the young man beside him with mild surprise. According to Danzo's memories, Orochimaru was an evil man who sought eternal life.

"Life is merely a prerequisite for acquiring all knowledge and turning it into my own thoughts."

"Young man, for saying that, I'll give you a chance today."

Being praised was an unfamiliar experience for Orochimaru, and it made him feel awkward. Still, he was intrigued by Danzo's words. He perked up his ears, waiting for the old man to continue.

"To gain eternal life, you must first keep your thoughts from straying or becoming twisted. But the more knowledge you acquire in this world, the stranger you become, until you're no longer yourself. On the path to the source, your soul is bound to be tainted."

"Eternal life leads to obsession, and obsession leads to madness and self-destruction."

"To break this vicious cycle, you need a shortcut to the source: come into contact with the authority of a Deity before you're tainted!"

By the time he finished, Danzo and Orochimaru had reached a prepared operating room. A beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a white lab coat and round glasses, was waiting inside. She gave the two men a slight nod.

"Oh, isn't this the 'Wandering Miko'? I thought you'd already left Root. What brings you back?"