Root?

Time returned to the present, to Sosuke.

He lightly wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, his expression barely changing as he glanced toward the shadows among several treetops.

He straightened slightly and rested a hand on Kyoka Suigetsu. Beneath his black frames, his gaze turned cold.

He had no intention of showing mercy to these sneaky watchers.

Sosuke slowly drew Kyoka Suigetsu and held it upright before him, murmuring softly.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

The ninjas concealed in the shadows watched Sosuke standing in the field.

They were members of Root. Each of them wore a different mask to hide their face. As Root operatives, they hid in the darkness, silently protecting the village.

Light and darkness had always existed together, just as Konoha and Root did.

Konoha basked in the light and carried hope, while Root lay buried deep in the darkness, drawing nourishment to feed the towering tree that was Konoha.

Thus, every member of Root held an exalted faith. They firmly believed that everything they did was for the village.

Acting on Danzo's orders, they had come to find the boy who was very likely to be chosen as Danzo's disciple.

One of their orders was to assess the boy's aptitude and determine what level he might reach.

The other was to take him back to meet Danzo, the leader of Root.

Before coming here, they had already heard of Sosuke's victory over Morino.

But Root's operatives were nothing like those second-rate Chunin teachers in the village.

The four of them here were each as strong as an elite Chunin. They could all be considered highly skilled ninjas.

They watched Sosuke draw his sword and hold it lightly before him.

Perhaps it was just their imagination, but a blue glint seemed to flash across the blade.

Beneath their masks, they furrowed their brows and watched Sosuke closely.

They had no idea what the boy meant to accomplish by doing that.

"Come out."

A strange smile tugged at Sosuke's lips as he stood in the field and suddenly called out.

His voice was calm, but to the Root operatives, it sounded like a clap of thunder!

The four Root operatives' pupils contracted.

They'd been discovered!? How could that be??

How had a brat like this found them?

They were members of Root, after all. Concealment was their specialty!

Whether assassinating enemy ninjas or gathering intelligence, perfect concealment was essential. If they were discovered, the consequences would be death!

And yet today, they had been found by a ninja brat who had only just graduated!

Even if he had an impressive record of defeating a Chunin, that wasn't enough to prove he deserved to be called a Chunin himself.

However Sosuke had discovered them, it was enough to astonish them.

Now that they had been spotted, the four Root operatives stopped hiding and appeared in the field, all facing Sosuke.

Their masks concealed their expressions.

Looking at the four masked figures before him, Sosuke narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly slid Kyoka Suigetsu back into its sheath at his waist.

Kyoka Suigetsu's Shikai had already been released, and it could no longer be undone. There was little point in keeping the blade drawn.

Besides, Sosuke had noticed the watchers' clothing. They were Konoha ninjas.

"Who are you?"

Sosuke asked coldly.

He was always very polite to his friends!

But he had no intention of treating people who spied on him with warmth, even if they belonged to Konoha.

One of the four, wearing a monkey-faced mask, stepped forward and spoke bluntly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"You're Sosuke, right? We're here under Lord Danzo's orders to take you to Root. If you have no objections, come with us."

There was no doubt that Sosuke had a talent for being a ninja, given that he had managed to detect them. They had already given him a very high evaluation.

Now they only needed to take him back to Root. Lord Danzo would decide everything else.

They hadn't even considered the possibility that Sosuke might refuse.

After all, he was still just a child.

But Sosuke's next words left them dumbfounded.

"I refuse."

Sosuke said the three words softly, a faint, cold smile forming on his face.

He had lived in Konoha for several years, but had never heard of an organization called Root.

Only the Anbu were an intelligence organization directly under the Hokage's command. And even if these people were telling the truth, who was Danzo?

He didn't want to risk going alone to some unknown place when he was still weak.

Having made up his mind, Sosuke refused without hesitation.

The Root operatives were clearly dissatisfied with his answer. Beneath their masks, they all furrowed their brows.

They hadn't come across a brat like this in a long time.

Another ninja, wearing a rabbit-faced mask, stepped forward and said coldly,

"Sosuke!! Do you even know who wants to see you? How dare you refuse!"

Sosuke gave him the same gentle smile he always wore, but his words were infuriating.

"Hm? I'm refusing precisely because I don't know who wants to see me. Sorry, who's Danzo?"

His words clearly agitated the Root operatives, and one of them angrily snapped,

"You brat! How dare you speak Lord Danzo's name so disrespectfully!!"

The monkey-masked Root operative in the lead glared coldly at Sosuke.

But he stopped his companions, who were about to attack, then turned back to Sosuke and said in a cold voice,

"Sosuke, due to the rules of secrecy, I can't tell you anything about Root."

"But you should know that Lord Danzo is a great ninja who made tremendous contributions to the village during the Ninja World War!"

"He wants to see you. This is our mission, and it's your opportunity. You'd better think carefully before making a decision."

"Mm, I've thought it over, but I still refuse."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sosuke answered without the slightest hesitation.

With Suigetsu's power, he had no need to risk going to some inexplicable organization.

Even joining the Anbu would be better than joining an organization that operated in secret!

Besides, his goal was to stand at the very top of the world.

"Fine! Very well! Don't blame us for using force, then. Lord Danzo's orders must be carried out!"

The monkey-masked Root operative gritted his teeth and spoke coldly, then prepared to personally capture Sosuke and take him back to Root.

Hearing his words, Sosuke's eyes turned cold behind his glasses.

So they'd resort to force when persuasion didn't work!?

What a domineering attitude... From this, he could get a rough idea of what kind of person Lord Danzo was.

But if you want to fight, then let's fight!?

Facing several Root operatives, Sosuke felt no fear.

A chance to test his strength—not bad.

At that thought, a smile curled across his lips.

Seeing this, the monkey-masked leader grew even angrier.