The True Puppet Technique

As Danzo's disciple, Qi possessed exceptional tracking abilities. For Root, this was the most fundamental skill; every member of Root was an expert at searching.

The Special Mobile Force was merely a later organization. Root's original function had actually been only one—to serve as a training institution for Anbu officers.

From this perspective, Danzo handing Root over to Qi and establishing the Root Division had clearly not been a spur-of-the-moment decision. It had been planned long ago. The situation today had been created by Konoha's upper echelon; Danzo had merely carried it out.

Konoha had never lacked enthusiasm for reform. The ever-expanding Anbu ranks, along with their increasingly chaotic duties and management structure, had long drawn the attention of the higher-ups. The Fourth Hokage's reforms had been inevitable. Root being renamed Anbu was something every Konoha ninja already knew would happen sooner or later.

Compared to rebuilding something from scratch, directly creating something new was obviously easier. That was essentially what the Fourth Hokage's reforms were about.

After leaving the Nanaya Estate, Qi sped along at a rapid pace. He easily found the traces Sasori had left behind and followed them. Shadow-level experts were difficult to track because they did not act casually, but once they did, even a Shadow-level ninja could not avoid having their trail discovered.

More importantly, even Sasori had to be cautious after entering the Nanaya Clan's territory. This was not the land of some ordinary noble. Nanaya was one of the Land of Fire's four great noble clans and possessed considerable military strength itself. Nobles loathed anyone who intruded upon their territory. Even when nobles merely wished to pass through another noble's lands, they had to give advance notice—let alone a rogue ninja like him, wanted by Sunagakure.

Of course, as a Shadow-level ninja, Sasori