Root

Several furtive gazes fell on him from the surroundings, and each lingered on him for a few seconds.

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

Kushina's identity was special, and a conflict breaking out in the ramen shop could have serious consequences if it got out of hand.

"Mm."

It was Minato Namikaze's first time seeing Uchiha You act so cautiously. He immediately wrapped his left arm around the furious Kushina and whispered in her ear:

"Don't be angry. At worst, we can ask the owner to change our seats."

"Everyone around us has already noticed. Teacher Chishu taught us that weapons aren't to be used against civilians."

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

"Everyone, everyone, there are still open 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 arrogantly at the drunkard.

The moment he saw that they were ninjas, he fled in panic. Even a Ninja Academy student was capable of defeating an ordinary person.

Only then did this farce finally come to an end. Fortunately, it had not escalated.

However, the drunkard who had just run out entered an alley beside the restaurant. His previously bleary drunken face became calm and cold as he turned toward the darkness deep in the alley and spoke with displeasure:

"You should have acted just now and made things worse. I actually got mocked by a few brats."

A glimmer appeared in the darkness, and a figure stepped out, softly rebuking him:

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

"With your careless personality, you're not fit to serve Lord Danzo. Yet I still have to clean up your mess!"

"What an idiot!"

Bang! Bang!

A sound came from above the buildings. Upon closer inspection, two corpses had fallen to the ground.

"Th—"

Before he could finish speaking, pain shot through his neck. When he came back to his senses, he too had become a corpse on the ground.

"What a useless fool. Keeping you around would only ruin Lord Danzo's plans."

Root had already been established, but it was still severely understaffed. Even trash like this could enter Root. It seemed the selection requirements needed to be adjusted.

Only people who were cold-blooded and experienced in battle were qualified to serve Lord Danzo.

He glanced back at Ichiraku Ramen, his eyes turning fiercer as his figure vanished into concealment.

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

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

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

Especially after Mito's death, the Nine-Tails had been handed over to a brat from the Uzumaki Clan.

It was equivalent to handing nuclear weapons to a child. One careless mistake, and the nuke could be detonated.

On this issue, the Hokage still followed tradition. Coupled with his guilt toward an ally, he did not forcibly restrict Kushina's freedom. He even allowed her to make friends in the village and build bonds, hoping those connections would make her willing to remain in the village.

Danzo, on the other hand, wanted control above all else. A weapon was only safe when held in one's own hands. Throwing a nuclear bomb into the village—even if it would not explode—still brought dangers that Danzo could not ignore.

Unfortunately, Root still could not compare with the ANBU. It could only carry out little schemes in secret, and if it was discovered, serious mistakes could follow.

Therefore, everyone involved had to be eliminated!

The plan concerning the Nine-Tails had to proceed gradually, and they could not let anyone feel they were being deliberately targeted. Like today's drunken incident—it would look like nothing more than an ordinary accident to others.

If that idiot had not led those two people over, this matter could easily have remained hidden.

Now he needed to find a way to pin the deaths of those two on someone else. At the very least, no suspicion could fall on Danzo.

Meanwhile, the three people eating at Ichiraku Ramen ate especially much because it was a free feast.

Clutching his stomach, Minato Namikaze looked at the mess across the table and said awkwardly:

"I said I'd treat you to this meal. I'll treat you both next time."

Having just finished clearing the battlefield, You let out a burp and casually said:

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

"..."

That was a truly fatal blow!

Everything about Uchiha You was good, except that he was not mute.

As a civilian ninja, Minato Namikaze was truly poor!

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

Kushina took out her little red purse. The large bills inside left the two of them unable to look away.

After all, her guardian was Tsunade. Although Tsunade was famously a huge sucker, no one in the village dared blatantly swindle her, and Kushina had never lacked spending money.

"I really envy you, Minato."

Staring at those bills, Uchiha You swallowed and voiced his thoughts with envy.

"You're already getting treated by a rich woman at such a young age!"

Seeing Uchiha You's strange look, Minato immediately understood what he was thinking. His masculine 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'll be able to save up lots of money!"

As soon as he finished, You raised an eyebrow, his voice filled with teasing:

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

"Bastard!"

After dinner, You chose not to interrupt their post-meal time together. The moment they stepped outside, they embraced. So all that food had been for nothing—a wave of lovey-dovey affection hit him right in the stomach and nearly sent You off on the spot.

He pushed his wheelchair farther from 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 struggled to support himself. His lower body was wrapped in bandages, and traces of blood seeped out as he exerted himself. After struggling for a while, he finally managed to stand steadily.

"Still too much of a strain."

His bones and muscles had not fully healed, preventing him from taking the next step. 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 accumulated in my body. All the energy I've absorbed over the years has been used to repair my body. Once I can move without impediment, there will be much more I can do."

The village's calm did not mean it was truly peaceful.

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

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