Yakushi Nonō

Just as the Special Zone was flourishing, Yan went somewhere.

An orphanage on the outskirts of Konoha.

It had been established during the Third Shinobi World War and had been around for nearly ten years.

It mainly took in children who had lost their parents in the war.

The head of the orphanage was Yakushi Nonō, a great beauty.

She also had a famous title.

"The Wandering Miko!"

Her main job had been gathering intelligence for Root.

After completing several extremely difficult missions, she had been granted permission to retire and had come to run this orphanage.

But the good times didn't last.

Root wasn't about to let a talent like her go so easily, especially when she still knew so many of Konoha's secrets.

On top of that, the Uchiha Clan had been causing trouble everywhere lately and had even gained autonomy over a whole region.

Inside the Special Zone, Uchiha ninja attacked any Root members they came across.

They beat them within an inch of their lives without actually killing them, leaving many disabled and unable to keep working as ninja.

Before long, Root didn't dare enter the Uchiha Special Zone anymore.

But that didn't mean Shimura Danzō would give up.

And so, a group of unwelcome visitors arrived at the usually overlooked orphanage.

In the open area in front of the orphanage.

"Yakushi Nonō!"

A ninja wearing a mask with a demon face approached a young woman with glasses and addressed her arrogantly.

"Lord Danzō orders you to report to Root immediately."

The woman known as Yakushi Nonō furrowed her brow and asked in response,

"I thought I'd already retired. Lord Danzō approved it himself."

"That was before!" The Root ninja replied stiffly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"Are you planning to disobey orders?"

"Lord Danzō said this orphanage exists because of Root. If you refuse..."

"Hmph!"

The threat behind his words was unmistakable.

Yakushi Nonō looked troubled. She pressed her lips together and remained silent for a long while.

Just then, two children suddenly ran out of the back room.

One was holding a picture, while the other watched the Root ninja with a grave expression.

The child with the picture scampered over to Yakushi Nonō and proudly said,

"Big Sister, Headmistress! Look at my drawing. Guess who it is!"

Hearing the child's innocent voice, Yakushi Nonō smiled faintly, as if she had made up her mind.

She crouched down right in front of the Root ninja.

Looking at the two little figures, one big and one small, she smiled and patted the child on the head.

"I bet you drew me."

"Correct!" the child cheered. "I have something else to show you!"

Then the child ran back into the room, leaving the older child standing by the door.

Yakushi Nonō turned toward him, a gentle smile appearing on her face, and walked over.

"Kabuto, I'm leaving."

"Is it because of him?" The boy called Kabuto narrowed his eyes, his face set in a grim expression.

Yakushi Nonō shook her head. "Don't overthink it."

Then she took off the glasses perched on her nose, put them on him, and continued,

"Now you'll be able to see clearly!"

"Headmistress!" Kabuto's mouth fell slightly open. He didn't know what to say.

He knew the person outside was a ninja, and that he must have come for the headmistress for a reason.

But they couldn't refuse!

After this farewell, who knew when they would see each other again?

"Take care of your little brothers and sisters," Yakushi Nonō urged him, a sorrowful expression on her face that was difficult to describe.

"I will!" Kabuto nodded firmly.

The atmosphere in the orphanage was so oppressive it was hard to breathe. Sorrow quietly spread through the air.

Yakushi Nonō's expression was grave, her eyes full of helplessness and reluctance.

Kabuto stood to one side, his small body trembling slightly, tears welling in his eyes as if they might spill over at any moment.

"Finished saying your goodbyes? If so, let's go. Lord Danzō is waiting," the Root ninja said coldly, seeming to have run out of patience.

Yakushi Nonō patted Kabuto's head, braced a hand against her leg, and stood up.

By the time she turned to face the Root ninja,

her expression had settled back into calm, with a hint of coldness in her eyes. She said flatly,

"Let's go. We shouldn't keep Lord Danzō waiting."

The Root ninja snorted and turned, preparing to lead Yakushi Nonō away from the orphanage.

Just then, a young man with short hair appeared beneath the orphanage's gate. He was looking at them with a smile.

The moment the Root ninja saw him, he reacted as if startled and shouted in alarm,

"Uchiha Yan! What are you doing here?"

Yakushi Nonō, standing nearby, narrowed her eyes at the name.

Although she had always stayed at the orphanage, the name wasn't unfamiliar to her.

In fact, she could more or less guess why Danzō had come looking for her.

It had to be connected to Uchiha Yan.

She hadn't expected to meet him for the first time under these circumstances.

What had brought him to the orphanage? Could he have come for the same reason as Danzō?

Yan folded his arms and walked up to Yakushi Nonō and the Root ninja, smiling the whole way.

"Do you need someone from Root to ask why I'm here? Hurry up and get lost. I don't feel like fighting these days."

"Uchiha Yan!" The Root ninja immediately pulled a shuriken from his weapon pouch and took a fighting stance. "Don't get too cocky. This is Root's territory."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three ninja suddenly appeared in the surrounding bushes. They wore the same demon-faced masks, and some held shuriken while others formed Hand Seals, surrounding Yan.

Yan glanced around casually and smirked.

"Trash like you really think you can bare your teeth at me?"

"If you won't leave, then none of you are leaving."

With that, Yan widened his eyes. An invisible pressure swept out in every direction, and wave after wave of intense mental attacks shot into the minds of the four Root ninja.

The four Root ninja felt a sharp pain in their heads, as if thousands of needles were stabbing them. Their weapons clattered to the ground, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

Yakushi Nonō watched in shock from the side.

So this was the man who dared to stand against the Hokage?

Kabuto, meanwhile, stared at Yan without blinking, his eyes shining.

So strong! If I were this strong too, I could protect the headmistress!

Even as the Root ninja screamed in pain, Yan didn't stop.

He flashed into motion and appeared behind one of them like a ghost, then casually swung his hand.

A tremendous force sent the ninja flying. He slammed into a tree and snapped it in half, startling flocks of birds and beasts in the forest.

The other three ninja endured the pain in their heads and tried to counterattack.

But Yan didn't give them a chance. He vanished from where he stood and darted effortlessly between them.

Every blow carried an indescribable force, leaving the three ninja utterly unable to defend themselves.