Joining Root

Amada took a deep breath, his tone tinged with hesitation.

"Lord Danzo, I'm still carrying out missions with Teacher Kushina's team. If I suddenly leave and join Root, it might arouse unnecessary suspicion. Especially on Lord Hokage's end. I don't know what he'd think if he found out."

Hearing what Amada meant, Danzo smiled.

"You don't need to worry. I'm not asking you to join Root directly. You can remain with Kushina's team as an ordinary ninja, still appearing to be just another Uchiha ninja. As for Root's missions, I'll contact you when necessary. Only Red Fox and I will know your identity."

As he spoke, he turned his head slightly and gestured toward the Anbu Ninja standing nearby, wearing an animal mask—Red Fox.

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

Amada's heart sank as he realized he had no choice.

Danzo had even anticipated the excuses he might use to refuse.

If he refused again, Danzo would likely see him as uncooperative, and that would be a serious problem.

Looks like I have no choice but to agree for now.

Amada thought to himself.

He raised his head and looked at Danzo calmly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Since you've put it that way, Lord Danzo, I have no reason to refuse."

Danzo nodded, sounding somewhat pleased.

"Good. You're a smart man. Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything beyond your abilities. As long as you follow my instructions, your identity and missions won't be exposed."

Amada bowed slightly, his tone respectful.

"Understood, Lord Danzo."

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

"Aren't you going to Rice Field Country on a mission tomorrow? It's on your way. I'll assign this mission to you as well. Consider it a chance to prove your abilities. Remember, don't open the scroll until you reach your destination."

Amada took the scroll, wary.

He knew Danzo's missions would never be simple, but he could only nod and agree.

"Understood, Lord Danzo."

Danzo said nothing more and turned to leave.

Amada followed Red Fox, silently leaving the underground base.

After they emerged from the base, Amada couldn't help asking:

"Senior, I wanted to ask—do we get paid for carrying out Root's missions?"

Red Fox paused at the question, a flicker of surprise in his gaze beneath the mask.

Clearly, he hadn't expected Amada to ask something like that.

After a moment of silence, he explained quietly:

"Each mission earns points based on its difficulty. You can exchange those points for money, or use them to obtain resources such as ninjutsu knowledge and equipment. You can check with Root's finance department for the specific exchange rates."

Amada nodded, thinking to himself:

At least I'm not working for free.

He had already begun calculating his options.

Danzo's Root organization was dangerous,

but if he could obtain resources that benefited him, it might still be an opportunity.

For now, I'll leave it at that.

Amada thought to himself,

Once I've built up my strength, I'll kill that old bastard Danzo sooner or later.

Red Fox led Amada to the edge of the village, then stopped and said coldly:

"That's far enough. Remember, only Lord Danzo and I know your identity. Don't leak any information, or you'll bear the consequences."

Amada nodded respectfully.

"Understood, Senior."

Red Fox said nothing more. His figure flashed and disappeared into the night.

The next morning, at the gates of Konoha.

Amada, Asuma, and Kurenai were already waiting there.

To their surprise, Teacher Kushina arrived at the meeting point on time instead of being late.

"Has the sun risen in the west today? Teacher's actually on time!"

Asuma couldn't help teasing her.

Kushina glared at him, her face faintly red.

"Cut the nonsense! Today's a C-rank mission. Everyone, stay alert!"

Kurenai stood to the side with a smile and said softly:

"Teacher looks very energetic today."

Amada said nothing, quietly checking his equipment.

He was thinking about the mission Danzo had given him.

After they had waited for a while, the sound of hooves and rolling wheels came from the distance.

A convoy of carriages approached slowly. At the front was a lavishly decorated carriage,

its sides carved with intricate patterns, making it look especially imposing.

Once the carriages stopped, a middle-aged man dressed as a butler jumped down.

He walked up to Amada and the others, bowed slightly, and said respectfully:

"You must be the ninja assigned to escort us, right? My name is Mumu, and I manage this caravan. The person you're protecting is inside the carriage—my employer's daughter, Miss Tachibana."

As he spoke, he gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

Amada and the others saw a girl with long, straight black hair sitting inside. She had delicate features and a shy look in her eyes.

She raised her head slightly and gave them a bashful smile, then quickly lowered it again, seeming a little reserved.

"Miss Tachibana, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Kushina said with a gentle smile.

Mumu nodded, then began arranging the journey.

"Ninja, our mission is to escort us safely to Rice Field Country. It's a long journey, and we may run into some trouble. I hope we can count on you."

Kushina nodded and immediately began assigning roles.

"Kurenai, you'll stay close to Miss Tachibana and ensure her safety. I'll ride in the front carriage and handle security and command. Asuma, cover the middle and both sides to prevent anyone from ambushing us. Amada, you'll watch the rear."

They all answered in unison:

"Understood!"

With the assignments made, the convoy slowly set off.

Amada rode in the rearmost carriage, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.

He kept thinking about the scroll Danzo had given him.

Although Danzo had specifically told him to wait until they reached their destination to open it, Amada still felt uneasy.

As he followed at the rear of the convoy, he thought to himself:

"Why did Danzo tell me to wait until we reach our destination to open the scroll? Is he worried that opening it early will affect the mission? Or... is there some kind of trap inside that'll be triggered if I open it too soon?"

A man like Danzo wouldn't make arrangements without a reason.

Forget it. I'll follow Danzo's instructions for now.

In the end, Amada decided not to open the scroll yet.

He didn't want to get into trouble just because of a moment's curiosity.

The first two days of the journey passed peacefully, without a single incident.

The caravan moved slowly along the main road. The scenery was monotonous, but the journey was peaceful enough.

Asuma sat on top of the middle carriage and yawned, bored out of his mind. He couldn't help complaining:

"This is way too boring! I thought someone would try to assassinate us, but we haven't even seen a bandit."

Kurenai sat beside Miss Tachibana's carriage. Hearing Asuma complain, she couldn't help chuckling.

"Isn't it better when there are no enemies? Do you really want trouble?"

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

"It's not that I want trouble. I just think this is too easy. It's a C-rank mission, after all. Shouldn't there be at least a little excitement?"

Kushina sat in the front carriage. Hearing their conversation, she turned and glared at Asuma.

"Don't let your guard down! The mission isn't over yet. Who knows what might happen later?"