Danzo's Recruitment

"Then I shall trouble you, Sensei." Uchiha Ryūha gave a slight nod, not refusing.

Matsumoto Ryūichi, having received this "consent," grew even more excited, chattering away the entire journey about how he would secure benefits for Ryūha.

How to "reasonably" display Ryūha's strength without attracting excessive attention, how to arrange the future mission routes for Team Seven...

Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki followed behind, looking at Ryūha's calm profile, their eyes filled with worship.

The gap between them was now so vast that it was impossible to even feel a shred of jealousy.

Any previous envy had long since vanished into thin air.

In its place was a reverence bordering on faith.

To be able to walk by this lord's side, even if just to watch his back, was surely an honor, was it not?

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same determination in the other's eyes.

They must become stronger.

At the very least, they could not become a burden to Lord Ryūha.

Returning to Konoha, they handed in the "find the cat" mission, and Team Seven disbanded.

Matsumoto Ryūichi did not even let Ryūha write the two reports—"How could such trivial matters trouble you? I will handle them!"

He bid a hurried farewell and turned to run in the direction of the Hokage Building.

His footsteps were rapid, as if being a second late would be a sin.

Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki also bowed respectfully to bid Ryūha farewell.

Only then did they head home, their backs held much straighter than before.

Ryūha walked alone on the road back to the Uchiha Compound.

The night had deepened, and the lights along the streets were flickering on one by one.

He adjusted his glasses, his Reiatsu perception quietly spreading out.

Thirty meters away, in the shadow of an eave, a presence fluctuated slightly before returning to stillness.

Anbu.

No, this repulsive aura—it was Root!

Ever since they had left the Black Pine Forest, this presence had been trailing them.

Its concealment skills were excellent, but under Uchiha Ryūha's Reiatsu perception, it had nowhere to hide.

It was one of Shimura Danzō's men.

A faint, almost imperceptible arc curled the corner of Ryūha's mouth.

It seemed that today's "performance" had more than just Team Seven as an audience.

He deliberately slowed his pace and stopped in front of a dango shop at the street corner.

He bought a skewer of three-colored dango and ate it unhurriedly.

Within his Reiatsu perception, the presence in the shadows maintained a constant distance of thirty meters, following like a phantom.

Ryūha finished the dango, tossed the bamboo skewer into the trash can, turned, and looked toward the shadows.

Across the entire street, his gaze seemed to pierce through the night and the walls, landing precisely on that figure.

In the shadows, the Root ninja wearing an animal mask felt every hair on his body stand on end.

Was he discovered?

How could that be? At this distance, with these concealment methods...

But the next second, Ryūha had already withdrawn his gaze and turned to continue walking toward the compound, as if it had been nothing more than a casual glance.

The Root ninja froze in place, cold sweat soaking his undergarments.

Was it a coincidence?

Or...

He dared not think further, quickly taking out a scroll and recording in code:

"Target's sensory ability is suspected to be extremely high; may have discovered the tailing.

Combat process as follows..."

He recorded everything that happened in the Black Pine Forest, including the details of the "Red Fire Cannon," Ryūha's explanation, and the shift in Matsumoto Ryūichi's attitude, as detailed as possible.

Then, he bit his thumb, summoned an inconspicuous gray sparrow, and stuffed the scroll into the letter tube on the bird's claw.

The gray sparrow flapped its wings and vanished into the night.

In the deepest stone chamber of the Root base.

Shimura Danzō sat alone on a stone chair, holding the scroll that had just arrived.

The dim, yellowish light cast his shadow against the wall, twisting and deforming it.

He read slowly and carefully.

When he saw descriptions like "seal-less jutsu," "Red Fire Cannon," "instant human evaporation," and "using mental power to replace hand seals."

His single eye narrowed slightly, flickering with a cold glint.

"A mental-type bloodline limit, combined with ultimate control over Chakra..."

Shimura Danzō muttered to himself, his voice echoing through the stone chamber.

Why does the Uchiha clan always produce such astonishing geniuses?

He had assumed that the suspected space-time ninjutsu was the extent of it.

He had not expected such a surprise.

The scroll also recorded the drastic shift in Matsumoto Ryūichi's attitude.

As well as his intention to report to the Third Hokage and secure resources for Uchiha Ryūha.

"Hmph, Sarutobi..." Shimura Danzō sneered, "Trying to use soft tactics again to win over a genius and consolidate your rule?"

He set the scroll down, his withered fingers tapping against the armrest of his stone chair.

Uchiha Ryūha.

This Uchiha youth who had suddenly appeared was even more dangerous than he had anticipated.

Not just dangerous.

He was... a weapon that must be held in his own hands.

If that genjutsu capable of dominating the five senses could be used by Root...

If that ability to perform seal-less jutsu could be used by Root...

And on top of that, space-time ninjutsu!

A flicker of burning greed flashed through Shimura Danzō's single eye.

But it was immediately followed by an even deeper sense of apprehension.

Such a genius—Uchiha Fugaku would not let him go, and Sarutobi Hiruzen would not leave him be.

Seizing him openly would not work.

Assassination? The risk was too high, and it would thoroughly enrage both the Uchiha and the Third Hokage.

Then...

Shimura Danzō slowly stood up, walked to the wall, and pressed a hidden mechanism.

The stone wall slid open, revealing rows of scarlet Sharingan soaking in nutrient solution behind it.

"I can no longer wait..."

He stroked the cold glass wall, his eyes flashing with a frantic, icy light.

"Ryūha-kun, to possess such talent yet be born into the Uchiha—it is truly... a pity."

"But it does not matter."

Shimura Danzō turned around and looked at the figure standing like a statue in the shadows of the stone chamber.

"Fu, how is Torune's injury?"

"Reporting to Lord Danzō, it is no longer serious; he will be able to resume activity in three days," a low voice came from the shadows.

"Very good." Shimura Danzō slowly walked back to his stone chair and sat down. "Tell Torune that once he has recovered, he is to make contact with Uchiha Ryūha.

There is no need for testing, no need for conflict; he only needs to... express the goodwill of Root."

The figure in the shadows paused slightly.

"Lord Danzō, do you mean..."

"Such a genius should not be shackled by the narrow-mindedness of the Uchiha or the decay of Konoha."

Shimura Danzō's voice was calm, yet carried a heart-palpitating sense of seduction.

"Tell him that Root can give him everything he desires—knowledge, power, freedom, and... the qualification to look down upon everything from a higher vantage point."

"If he is sensible and willing to join Root... then whatever the Uchiha can give him, we can give him more.

Whatever the Uchiha cannot give him, we can provide as well."

"And if he is not sensible..."

A cold light surged violently in Shimura Danzō's single eye.

"Then, let him become nutrients for Root."

"Understood." The figure in the shadows bowed silently, then merged into the darkness and vanished.

The stone chamber returned to silence.

Shimura Danzō sat alone on his stone chair, staring at the scroll in his hands, motionless for a long time.

The dim light cast his shadow against the wall, and as the candlelight flickered, it looked like a demon waiting to devour someone.

"Uchiha Ryūha..."

He whispered the name, as if reciting a curse, or perhaps calling out to... prey that was soon to be in his grasp.

"We shall meet very soon."