Joining the Root

Amada took a deep breath, his tone carrying a hint of probing:

"Lord Danzo, I am currently still executing missions within Kushina-sensei's squad. If I were to suddenly leave the team to join 'Root', I fear it would arouse unnecessary suspicion. Especially regarding the Hokage; if he were to find out, there is no telling what he might think."

Hearing Amada's implication, Danzo chuckled:

"You need not worry about that. I am not asking you to join 'Root' openly. You may continue to remain in Kushina's squad as an ordinary ninja, appearing to be nothing more than a standard Uchiha shinobi. As for 'Root' missions, I will contact you when necessary. Your identity is known only to myself and Red Fox."

As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly, signaling the Anbu ninja standing to the side wearing an animal mask—Red Fox.

Red Fox remained silent, his gaze beneath the mask as cold as ever.

Amada's heart sank as he realized he no longer had any room to maneuver.

Danzo had even anticipated his potential excuses for refusal.

If he were to decline again, he would likely be viewed by Danzo as uncooperative, which would spell major trouble.

It seems I have no choice but to agree for now.

Amada pondered to himself.

He raised his head, looking at Danzo with a calm gaze, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness:

"Since Lord Danzo has already put it this way, I have no reason to refuse."

Danzo nodded, his tone carrying a measure of satisfaction:

"Very good, you are a smart man. Rest assured, I will not ask you to do anything beyond your capabilities. As long as you act according to my instructions, neither your identity nor your missions will be exposed."

Amada bowed slightly, his tone respectful:

"Understood, Lord Danzo."

Danzo took a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Amada:

"Are you not heading to the Rice Field Country for a mission tomorrow? It happens to be on the way. This task is entrusted to you; consider it an opportunity to prove your capabilities. Remember, do not open the scroll until you reach your destination."

Amada took the scroll, his heart secretly on guard.

He knew that a mission from Danzo would never be simple, but he could only nod in agreement:

"Understood, Lord Danzo."

Danzo said nothing more and turned to leave.

Amada followed behind Red Fox, silently exiting the underground base.

Once outside the base, Amada could not help but ask:

"Senior, I would like to ask, do we receive compensation for executing 'Root' missions?"

Upon hearing this question, Red Fox's footsteps faltered slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes beneath the mask.

Clearly, he had not expected Amada to ask such a question.

After a moment of silence, he explained in a low voice:

"Every mission is recorded with points based on its difficulty. These points can be exchanged for money, or used to trade for ninjutsu knowledge, equipment, and other resources. You can check the specific exchange rules at the 'Root' finance department."

Amada nodded, thinking to himself:

At least it's not unpaid labor.

He had already begun to calculate.

Although Danzo's 'Root' organization was dangerous, if he could obtain resources beneficial to himself from it, it might not be a bad opportunity after all.

I'll leave it at that for now.

Amada pondered internally, Once my strength has fully developed, I will slaughter this old man Danzo sooner or later.

Red Fox led Amada to the edge of the village, then stopped and said in a cold tone:

"This is as far as we go. Remember, your identity is known only to Lord Danzo and myself. Do not leak any information, or you will bear the consequences yourself."

Amada nodded, his tone respectful:

"Understood, Senior."

Red Fox said nothing more, his figure flickering as he vanished into the night.

The next morning, at the main gate of Konoha.

Amada, Asuma, and Kurenai were already waiting there early.

Surprisingly, Kushina-sensei was not late today and appeared at the meeting point right on time.

"Did the sun rise from the west today? Sensei is actually not late!"

Asuma couldn't help but tease.

Kushina glared at him, her face flushing slightly:

"Less chatter! Today is a C-rank mission, everyone keep your spirits up!"

Kurenai stood to the side with a smile, saying softly:

"You look to be in high spirits today, Teacher."

Amada said nothing, merely checking his equipment in silence.

He was pondering the mission Danzo had given him.

The group waited for a while until the sound of hooves and rolling wheels drifted from the distance.

A caravan of carriages slowly approached, led by one that was luxuriously decorated.

The carriage body was carved with exquisite patterns, appearing exceptionally grand.

After the carriage stopped, a middle-aged man dressed in a butler's uniform jumped down.

He walked up to Amada and the others, bowed slightly, and spoke in a respectful tone:

"Are you the ninja lords who accepted the escort mission? My name is Mumu, and I am the steward of this merchant caravan. The person to be protected is inside—Miss Tachibana."

With that, he gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

Amada and the others saw a young girl with long, straight black hair sitting inside, her features delicate and her eyes carrying a hint of shyness.

She lifted her head slightly to offer them a timid smile before quickly lowering it again, appearing somewhat reserved.

"Miss Tachibana, please take care of us."

Kushina said with a smile, her tone gentle.

Mumu nodded and began to arrange the itinerary:

"Respected ninjas, the mission this time is to escort us safely to Rice Field Country. The journey is long and we may encounter some trouble, so we ask for your protection."

Kushina nodded and began to assign tasks:

"Kurenai, you are responsible for protecting Miss Tachibana at close range to ensure her safety. I will sit in the front carriage to handle surveillance and command. Asuma, you are responsible for the middle section and the flanks to prevent any side ambushes. Amada, you take the rear."

The group responded in unison:

"Understood!"

With the mission assigned, the caravan began to set off slowly.

Amada sat on the carriage at the very back of the formation, his gaze scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

The scroll Danzo had handed him played over and over in his mind.

Although Danzo had explicitly instructed him to open the scroll only upon reaching the destination, Amada felt a persistent sense of unease.

As he followed at the rear of the caravan, he pondered to himself:

Why did Danzo want me to wait until the destination to open the scroll? Is he worried that opening it early would affect the mission? Or is it that... there is some trap set within the scroll that would trigger if opened prematurely?

A man like Danzo would never make arrangements without purpose.

Forget it, I will just follow Danzo's instructions.

Amada ultimately decided not to open the scroll for the time being.

He did not want to fall into trouble because of a moment of curiosity.

The first two days of the journey were calm, with no accidents occurring.

The caravan moved slowly along the main road; while the scenery along the way was monotonous, it was at least peaceful and serene.

Asuma sat on the roof of a carriage in the middle, yawning out of sheer boredom, and couldn't help but complain:

"This is too boring, isn't it? I thought someone might come to assassinate us, but we haven't even seen the shadow of a bandit."

Kurenai, sitting beside Miss Tachibana's carriage, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing Asuma's complaint:

"Isn't it good that there are no enemies? Do you actually hope to encounter trouble?"

Asuma pursed his lips, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness:

"It's not that I hope for trouble, it's just that this feels so unchallenging. It's supposed to be a C-rank mission, after all; there should at least be some excitement."

Kushina, sitting in the front carriage, heard their conversation and turned back to glare at Asuma:

"Don't be careless! The mission isn't over yet; who knows what might happen later?"