Root Didn't Take Just Any Tom, Dick, or Harry

Konoha, Hokage Office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the Hokage's chair, holding a battle report from the front lines. His eyebrows were raised high, and his face was full of astonishment.

He'd actually taken out all of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?

Duy had certainly given me a big surprise.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had a well-known little hobby.

He liked carrying his Crystal Ball around every day, hiding in his office and peeking all over the place with the Peeping Bathhouse Technique.

Hardly anything that happened in the village escaped his notice.

So, of course, he knew that Might Duy's status as a veteran Genin was just a cover.

Duy had trained in the Eight Inner Gates. His strength was nowhere near as ordinary as it seemed.

Even so, Hiruzen had underestimated Might Duy's strength.

He had previously figured that Duy was, at most, about as strong as an ordinary Jonin. It would be good enough if he could help hold the line at the front.

He'd never imagined that the guy could wipe out the entire Seven Ninja Swordsmen by himself.

That was just ridiculous!

Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his chin and nodded to himself.

It seemed that Duy had already mastered the Eight Inner Gates to a very advanced level.

He knew full well that this forbidden technique, the Eight Inner Gates, could grant its user terrifying strength beyond the Five Kage for a short time upon opening the Eighth Gate, though it came at the cost of their life.

When Duy returned to the village, he'd have that girl Tsunade examine him.

If she could help him recover sooner, he might play a crucial role in the war as a whole.

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought to himself.

Tsunade had already returned to the village.

Although the successive deaths of Nawaki and Dan Katō during the Second Shinobi World War had left Tsunade with hemophobia, making it impossible for her to return to the battlefield,

she hadn't stayed in Konoha after that. She'd wandered from place to place with Dan's niece, Shizune, bringing joy to gamblers across the Ninja World.

But when the Third Shinobi World War broke out, Tsunade still cared about the village and returned to Konoha of her own accord.

Though her hemophobia kept her from fighting on the front lines, she made plenty of contributions to the war effort by staying in the rear, training medical ninja and treating the wounded.

After all, she was the greatest medical ninja in the entire Ninja World.

Sarutobi Hiruzen put Might Duy out of his mind and turned his gaze back to the battle report, where another name caught his attention.

Aragaki Yasushi.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was very familiar with Aragaki Yasushi.

After all, he'd personally chosen him as a companion for his rebellious second son, Asuma Sarutobi.

Over the years, Hiruzen's opinion of Aragaki Yasushi had changed three times, and each time, the boy had surprised him.

When Aragaki Yasushi was still at the Ninja Academy, Hiruzen had watched him for a long time and decided he was a hardworking, dependable kid.

What's more, his understanding of the Will of Fire ran deeper than that of many Jonin in the village. Despite his young age, he could think about problems from a Hokage's perspective.

That was why Hiruzen had personally arranged for Aragaki Yasushi and Asuma to be placed on the same team. He'd hoped Aragaki Yasushi could guide Asuma and help rein in his rebellious streak.

As for Yuhi Kurenai, the other member of their team, she was just an extra.

Hiruzen could naturally tell that Yuhi Kurenai liked Aragaki Yasushi, while Asuma liked Yuhi Kurenai.

But a love triangle was just a time-honored tradition in Konoha's team assignments, a rite of passage everyone had to experience.

It was perfectly normal for kids to have crushes on each other. It could even strengthen their bonds. What was there not to like?

But once Aragaki Yasushi went to the battlefield, Hiruzen's opinion of him changed.

This kid was clearly no ordinary talent!

He'd actually developed Paper Style, a secret technique, all on his own!

At this rate, the village would probably have another new ninja clan.

And to develop a secret technique single-handedly—this kid's talent was actually greater than Hiruzen's own!

He was a research-oriented ninja like Hiruzen's teacher, Senju Tobirama, and his student, Orochimaru.

This kid would surely become a pillar of the village, a precious legacy for the next Hokage.

Once he fully matured, he'd easily be a candidate for Fifth Hokage.

As for why Aragaki Yasushi hadn't stood out much at the Ninja Academy but seemed to become unstoppable as soon as he reached the battlefield?

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, that was perfectly normal!

After Aragaki Yasushi was assigned to a team, he had a Jonin instructor and access to advanced knowledge he could never have encountered at the Ninja Academy. His rapid improvement was entirely understandable.

Hiruzen even felt a little smug when he thought about it.

My eye for talent is as sharp as ever. I picked a Jonin to be Aragaki Yasushi's instructor.

Otherwise, wouldn't Aragaki Yasushi's talent have gone to waste?

But now, Sarutobi Hiruzen had to admit that he'd still underestimated the boy.

Aragaki Yasushi's growth was even more terrifying than he'd imagined. He was improving as if he'd strapped himself to a rocket!

He could fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen head-on and even team up with Might Duy to take them all out?

In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, he was a young Minato—or perhaps even better than Minato.

Even Minato hadn't been this impressive at that age!

Thinking about it, Sarutobi Hiruzen happily took a puff from his pipe. Through the swirling smoke, the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears.

He felt that Konoha's future was bright, with talented young people emerging everywhere.

With these youngsters, the village would surely prosper forever, and he, the Hokage, could look forward to a peaceful retirement.

Just as he was quietly delighting in the thought, a series of "tap, tap, tap" sounds approached from afar.

Someone was coming—and from the sound of it, a disabled person leaning on a cane.

The smile on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face vanished at once, and he furrowed his brow.

He could guess who it was without even trying. He could even guess why the man had come.

Sure enough, the next second, a loud crash rang out as someone shoved open the Hokage Office door from outside.

Shimura Danzō walked in, leaning on his cane, his face dark. The oppressive air around him seemed ready to spill into the room.

As soon as he came to a stop, Danzō got straight to the point, his tone forceful. "Hiruzen, that boy must join Root!"

"Only Root can make full use of his abilities. With him, the village is sure to win this war!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly blew out a smoke ring and asked, feigning confusion, "You mean Might Duy?"

At that, Shimura Danzō immediately lost his composure. His face turned from green to white, and Hiruzen's feigned ignorance left him speechless.

The room fell silent for a full three seconds before he gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Root doesn't take just any Tom, Dick, or Harry."

"You know who I mean. I want Aragaki Yasushi, that brat who uses Paper Style!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen dropped his act and furrowed his brow, his tone firm. "I can't hand Yasushi over to you. He's the future of the village."

"And the village's future shouldn't be kept in the darkness of Root. He should bask in the sunlight, where he can grow strong."