Root, Danzo

A gentle breeze swept across the vast lake, ruffling the surface into ripples. Waves lapped against the shore with a rhythmic splashing sound. With towering trees, clear, shimmering water, and the chorus of birds and insects, it felt as if one were standing inside a beautiful landscape painting.

Yakushi Nonō looked at the delicate-featured Sato Hideaka and took a deep breath before asking, "Hideaka, was that charred, cratered pit by the rockery in the courtyard caused by your ninjutsu?"

"I'm sorry, Sister Nonō. After reading the 'Basic Ninja Knowledge' scroll, I thought I'd try to create my own ninjutsu based on the methods inside... I didn't expect that getting a little too excited would cause that much damage!"

Sato Hideaka scratched his head in embarrassment, feeling guilty and awkward for having destroyed a corner of the otherwise serene and elegant courtyard.

Watching the flustered boy, Yakushi Nonō said with a solemn expression, "Can you try it again? Try your self-created ninjutsu right here!"

"Um, alright."

Sato Hideaka's expression shifted. He suddenly noticed that Yakushi Nonō's face lacked its usual cheerful tenderness; instead, it appeared heavy and grave, and her smile from earlier seemed forced. He felt a faint sense of unease, as if he had overlooked something critical...

He channeled two distinct attributes of chakra—fire and earth—in proportion, gathering them into his right arm. Waves of scorching heat radiated from his limb as dark, crimson magma surged to cover it, bubbling with liquid heat and emitting faint wisps of black smoke.

Fixing his gaze on a massive tree in the distance that would take five people to encircle, Sato Hideaka dashed toward his target. The magma on his right arm churned, vaguely taking the shape of a hound...

[Lava Style: Hell Hound]!

His fist slammed heavily into the trunk. The scorching liquid magma took the form of a hound, baring its ferocious maw as it embedded itself deep into the wood. It pierced clean through the massive tree, the inherent, immense heat of the magma instantly bringing the timber to its ignition point.

The tree began to burn violently from the point of impact!

The magma dripped down, falling into the interior of the trunk and slowly melting into the ground under the force of gravity. It reduced the ten-meter-tall tree and its deep-seated roots to ash.

"Lava, Lava Style... it really is Lava Style?"

Yakushi Nonō's pupils contracted sharply. This magma-like technique of his was clearly a Kekkei Genkai formed by the fusion of earth and fire chakra—earth and fire melting together to create Lava Style!

Even though she had prepared herself mentally, Yakushi Nonō was still shocked. She had merely adopted an orphan from the village as she always did, but she had never expected this child to possess such formidable talent.

Most importantly, he possessed a Kekkei Genkai!

Everyone who possesses a Kekkei Genkai wields power far greater than that of an ordinary ninja; they are the high-end combat assets of a ninja village. As the saying goes, "The innocent are punished for their treasures"—perhaps possessing such power was a sin in itself.

Whether it be a nation or a ninja village, those with Kekkei Genkai are treated with extreme importance. A child with such a gift who has not yet matured is, on one hand, protected by their own faction to keep them hidden from outsiders, but on the other, they are targeted for espionage and assassination by enemies, which can lead to total catastrophe!

Yakushi Nonō knew that with her own strength and status, there was no way she could protect a child with a Kekkei Genkai. This was exactly what she had feared most once she realized Sato Hideaka might possess the Lava Style Kekkei Genkai.

Just as Yakushi Nonō was lost in her internal struggle, a rustle in a nearby thicket caught her attention. Her ninja instincts kicked in, and she quickly leaped into the high branches to survey the surroundings and prepare for a threat.

A dark shadow darted through the dense forest, rapidly retreating from the area...

Seeing the familiar attire and the way the figure moved, Yakushi Nonō's face turned deathly pale. It was the signature style of "Root"...

No one understood better than Yakushi Nonō what kind of terrifying and corrupt entity existed beneath the peace of Konoha. In the gloomy underground world, there was an organization called Root, which raised "killing machines" devoid of humanity.

Before these "killing machines" were successfully trained, they had to sever all their bonds. They had no names, no emotions, no past, and no future. They had completely lost their humanity, with nothing in their hearts but their missions!

Thinking of the cruel, inhuman training she had once endured in the sunless depths of Root, Yakushi Nonō began to tremble, fear surfacing in her eyes—

Hideaka was only five years old; he must never be taken by Root.

Even if it cost her everything!

The fear in Yakushi Nonō's eyes was gradually replaced by resolve. She jumped down from the tree, told Sato Hideaka to take the other children back to the orphanage, and instructed him, "Hideaka, don't go anywhere with anyone until I return, do you understand?"

Seeing the gravity in her expression, Sato Hideaka nodded in agreement.

After giving these instructions, Yakushi Nonō darted into the woods alone, sprinting once more toward Konoha—

If there was anyone left in Konoha who could stop the leader of Root, it was only that one person!

Near a remote warehouse on the outskirts of Konoha.

A figure wearing a strange mask, dressed in a beige trench coat, and wrapped tightly in a mysterious and secretive manner, suddenly slipped into a room. He opened a trapdoor in the floor, revealing a pitch-black staircase.

After descending the stairs, he navigated a dense network of tunnels. The masked man moved with practiced familiarity, soon arriving in a cold, gloomy room furnished with a few bookshelves, a square table, and wooden chairs, all lit by a single candle.

"This is Number 167. I have special intelligence to report to the leader!"

The man sat on a wooden chair and spoke to the empty room as if talking to himself. The room then fell into a deathly silence.

After an unknown amount of time, the bookshelves slowly shifted, revealing a long, dark passage!

The masked man lit a torch with his candle, held it up to illuminate the dark corridor, and walked over two hundred meters until he reached an underground hall.

In the center of the hall, atop a five-tiered dais, sat a wooden chair. A middle-aged man with bandages wrapped around his head sat upon it. He rested his chin, marked with a cross-shaped scar, on one hand, staring down at the man below with his single, sinister eye.

"Leader, you ordered me to monitor Yakushi Nonō. I was discovered by her. The mission failed!"

The masked man in the trench coat knelt on one knee, bowing his head respectfully.

"Number 167, I recall that your colleagues were executed for mission failure. I assume you didn't specifically request to see me just to seek death, did you?"

The bandaged man narrowed his exposed eye, revealing a hint of impatience and killing intent.

"Yes, Leader. I discovered the child you wanted us to watch. He not only possesses extraordinary ninja talent but also the Lava Style Kekkei Genkai. It was because I was gathering this intelligence that I was discovered by Nonō!"

"Kekkei Genkai? Lava Style Kekkei Genkai?" The bandaged man stood up abruptly from his chair. A few seconds later, he sat back down and addressed a dark corner, "It seems there is no need to investigate this brat's identity. Number 4, take your squad and bring this brat back. I want him completely unharmed..."

In the dark corner, several shadows flashed by and vanished, along with the aforementioned Number 167. He was a member of Root's Number 4 Squad.

Shimura Danzō sat in his chair, feeling his breathing grow slightly rapid—a rare occurrence, as nothing usually affected his cold heart.

However, Yakushi Nonō, you have truly brought me a surprise!

The Lava Style Kekkei Genkai combined with such astonishing talent—as long as this brat could withstand the trials and mature, Root would gain at least one elite Jonin. If trained properly, he might even become a Kage-level powerhouse!

Sato Hideaka... in Danzō's mind, he was already within his grasp!