Root

Several gazes landed on him from nearby, discreetly lingering on him for several seconds.

There was no need to think about it—they had to be ANBU.

Kushina's special identity, coupled with the conflict breaking out in the ramen shop, meant things could have serious consequences if they got out of hand.

"Mm."

It was the first time Minato Namikaze had seen Uchiha Yū act so cautiously. He immediately hooked his left arm around the enraged Kushina and whispered in her ear:

"Don't be angry. At worst, we can ask the owner to move us to another table."

"Everyone around us has already noticed. Teacher Qianshu taught us that weapons must not be used against civilians."

The owner, who had been cooking moments ago, hurriedly ran out. Seeing the situation escalating, he immediately stepped between them.

"Everyone, everyone, there are still empty seats inside. This meal will be on the house."

The owner had shown the utmost sincerity. Only then did Kushina put away the kunai she had just drawn, looking proudly at the drunkard.

The moment the man saw they were ninja, he fled in panic. Even students from the Ninja Academy were capable of defeating an ordinary person.

Only then did this farce come to an end. Fortunately, things had not blown up.

However, the drunkard who had just run out entered an alley beside the restaurant. His previously bleary, drunken face now turned calm and cold. He looked toward the darkness at the end of the alley and said with some dissatisfaction:

"You should have acted just now and made things bigger. Instead, I got mocked by a few brats."

A glimmer appeared in the darkness. A figure stepped out and softly rebuked him:

"You were too reckless. Didn't you sense the ANBU nearby?"

"With your careless nature, you're not worthy of serving Lord Danzō. Yet I still have to clean up your mess!"

"What an idiot!"

Bang! Bang!

A sound came from above the buildings. Looking closely, two corpses had fallen to the ground.

"Wh—"

Before he could finish speaking, pain flashed through his neck. By the time he came to, he too had become a corpse on the ground.

"What a piece of trash. Keeping you around would only ruin Lord Danzō's plans."

Root had already been established, but it was still short on manpower. Even trash like this could join Root. It seemed the selection requirements needed to be adjusted.

Only those who were cold, ruthless, and experienced in battle were qualified to serve Lord Danzō.

He glanced back at Ichiraku Ramen, a trace of ferocity in his eyes as his figure faded into concealment.

"Uchiha... Nine-Tails..."

Uchiha Yū had no idea that Root had set its sights on him. This time, he had merely been caught in the crossfire; their true target was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

A major disagreement had arisen over how to handle the Nine-Tails.

Especially after Mito died and the Nine-Tails was handed over to a brat from the Uzumaki Clan.

It was like handing a nuclear weapon to a child. One careless mistake could ignite it.

On this matter, the Hokage still followed tradition. Combined with his guilt toward their allies, he did not forcibly restrict Kushina's freedom. He even allowed her to make friends in the village and form bonds, using those ties to help her feel at ease staying there.

Danzō, meanwhile, wanted control above all else. A weapon was only safe when it was under his own control. Tossing a nuclear bomb into the village—even if it would not detonate—still brought danger that Danzō could not overlook.

Unfortunately, Root was still no match for the ANBU. They could only make small moves in secret, and if they were discovered, it would lead to serious problems.

Therefore, all witnesses had to be eliminated!

The plan concerning the Nine-Tails needed to proceed gradually, and it could not make people feel that she was being deliberately targeted. Like today's drunken incident—in the eyes of others, it was nothing more than an ordinary accident.

If that idiot had not led those two people over, the matter could have been easily covered up.

Now he needed to find a way to pin the deaths of those two on someone else. At the very least, no one could suspect Danzō.

Meanwhile, the three eating at Ichiraku Ramen ate especially heartily because the meal was free.

Finally, clutching his stomach and looking at the mess on the table, Minato Namikaze said awkwardly:

"I said this meal would be my treat. I'll treat you both next time."

The battlefield had just been cleared. You let out a full belch and casually said:

"Are you sure your wallet can support the amount we eat when you treat us?"

"..."

That was truly a fatal blow!

Uchiha Yū was good in every way, except he was not mute.

As a civilian ninja, Minato Namikaze really was poor!

"Don't worry, I still have money."

Kushina took out her little red purse. The few large bills inside made both of them unable to take their eyes off them.

After all, her guardian was Tsunade. Though she was widely known as a big sucker, no one in the village dared to swindle her too brazenly, and Kushina had never lacked spending money.

"I really envy you, Minato."

Looking at those bills, Uchiha Yū swallowed and voiced his thoughts in a jealous tone.

"At such a young age, you already get to eat meals paid for by a rich woman!"

Seeing the strange look in Uchiha Yū's eyes, Minato immediately understood what he meant. A man's pride made him puff out his chest as he retorted:

"I'm not living off a woman! Once I graduate and become a qualified ninja, I'll be able to take missions!"

"Then I can save up lots of money!"

As soon as he finished, You raised a brow, his tone full of teasing.

"You misunderstood me. I wasn't saying you live off a woman. I meant that being able to live off a woman is a skill too, hahaha!"

"You bastard!"

After dinner, You chose not to disturb the two of them during their post-meal time together. The moment they stepped outside, they hugged each other. So all that food had been for nothing—this wave of lovey-dovey affection nearly sent You straight to the grave.

He pushed his wheelchair toward the outskirts of the village. He had to pass through this small path to get home.

Under the moonlight of the night, there was only a frail figure.

He was struggling to prop himself up. His lower body was wrapped in bandages, and under his exertion, thin traces of blood seeped through. But after struggling for a while, he finally managed to stand.

"It's still too much."

His bones and muscles had not fully healed, preventing him from making the next move. In the end, he supported himself with both hands on the wheelchair and slowly sat down, taking a deep breath before grumbling:

"There's too little energy stored in my body. All the energy I absorbed over the years has been used to repair my body. Once I can move without difficulty, there will be much more I can do."

The village's peace did not mean there was truly peace.

Even if he did not want to enter the struggle between the various factions, someone had already come after him.

[He will not join Root. Read with confidence.]