Root's secrets

"Interesting. With all these scrolls in this room, are they task records for Root missions? It would certainly be entertaining if those top-secret missions were made public." An intriguing idea suddenly occurred to Neji.

The scrolls in the room undoubtedly held extremely important information. Neji could clearly see three Root ninja concealed around the room, guarding it.

Unfortunately, the Byakugan can't read the contents... Neji looked away with a hint of regret.

This room is small, but it has a very powerful barrier seal. A heavily protected room within the Root Base caught Neji's attention.

Although the room was small, its security was tight. A dedicated protective barrier had been set up, with four Root ninja maintaining it and three more hidden nearby.

He just did not know whether it was a defensive barrier capable of protection or merely a sensory barrier.

This barrier is impressive, but it can't stop my Byakugan. Neji increased his eye power, strengthening the Byakugan's penetrating vision. His gaze instantly pierced the barrier, revealing what lay inside.

Inside the barrier was actually a small bookshelf lined with scrolls.

Is this where Danzo keeps his forbidden techniques? That was the first thought that sprang to Neji's mind.

The Hokage had the Scroll of Seals, which recorded all sorts of ninjutsu. Danzo must have copied quite a few techniques from it.

Perhaps I could give it a try. A dangerous idea took root in Neji's mind.

The problem Neji currently faced was that his chakra would soon become insufficient to meet his eyes' demands. At present, he could think of only one solution: a tailed beast.

Capturing a tailed beast to supply chakra would solve the problem.

But that was not practical. Aside from the Nine-Tails, Neji did not know the whereabouts of the tailed beasts' jinchūriki, making capturing one nothing more than an empty notion.

Given that, Neji could only settle for the next best thing and target tailed beast chakra that someone had artificially cultivated.

Not only could tailed beasts be divided further, but their chakra could also be cultivated and strengthened.

For example, Orochimaru had used powder scraped from the Eight-Tails' horn to grow a large section of that horn.

Kazuma had also cultivated Nine-Tails chakra collected during the Nine-Tails' Attack, then sealed it inside his son, creating a Pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki named Sora.

This showed that tailed beast chakra could indeed be cultivated and strengthened. Artificially cultivated tailed beast chakra was not a single-use consumable. It could regenerate endlessly and be regarded as a smaller source of tailed beast chakra.

Judging by the events of the original story, if Naruto had not talked the Pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Sora around, it was entirely possible that a fifth tail would have emerged.

Even that portion of Nine-Tails chakra within the Pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was the result of Kazuma stopping its cultivation early because he feared Sora lacked the aptitude to withstand any more.

That portion of Nine-Tails chakra cultivated by Kazuma was precisely what Neji had his sights on.

Although he knew that the Pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki named Sora was at the Fire Temple, even if he could devise a way to extract the Nine-Tails chakra from Sora, he had no means of storing it long-term.

Based on the information he possessed, that portion of Nine-Tails chakra was substantial. At the very least, it was enough to make that pseudo-jinchūriki manifest four tails or more, though its exact quantity was difficult to judge.

But Neji currently lacked powerful, effective sealing jutsu and could not put that portion of Nine-Tails chakra to proper use.

That was why Neji had not immediately set out for the Fire Temple.

Danzo undoubtedly possessed powerful sealing jutsu. After all, he had an S-rank Reverse Four Symbols Seal prepared on his own body.

I'll see whether an opportunity comes up. If it does, with my current strength, why shouldn't I give it a try? Neji thought.

Neji was quite confident in his own strength. There were only a handful of people in Konoha stronger than him now.

As he considered the matter, Neji soon finished thoroughly surveying the entire Root Base.

I'll watch a little longer. Ideally, I'll learn the guards' routines, then strike when Danzo goes out! Neji soon made his decision.

As the Hokage Advisor, Danzo could not simply remain at Root every day. He also had to go out on diplomatic business.

For example, when Konoha needed funding, Danzo, as the Hokage Advisor, had to visit the Daimyo's Mansion and persuade the Daimyō to allocate money.

As the Hokage Advisor, Danzo was known throughout the Shinobi World as the Darkness of the Shinobi World. There was no telling how many people wanted him dead, so he always took elite Root guards along whenever he went out, just in case. Root would inevitably be short-handed then, and its defensive strength would certainly be reduced. That would be Neji's chance to act.

Of course, no matter how short-handed it was, it was still Root's headquarters, and the risks would undoubtedly be considerable.

But I have to do this. I need a sealing jutsu powerful enough... With that thought, Neji deactivated his Byakugan and walked back to the Hyuga Clan.

As soon as he arrived home, Neji found Hyuga Hiashi waiting for him.

"Clan Head." Neji greeted him as usual.

"Mm." Hyuga Hiashi nodded slightly and said, "Our Hyuga Clan has been on friendly terms with Kirigakure's Kaguya Clan for generations. You know that, don't you?"

Neji nodded. The Kaguya Clan, also known by its other name, was a bloodline clan of Kirigakure that had maintained friendly relations with the Hyuga Clan for generations. Neji knew that much.

The Kaguya Clan's bloodline ability was called Shikotsumyaku. Few members of the clan could awaken it, and doing so was even more difficult than awakening the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.

The only person Neji remembered possessing Shikotsumyaku was Kimimaro. He still remembered the impression Kimimaro had left on him when he watched the anime. That vast, stark-white bone forest had been truly unforgettable.

"Good, as long as you know." Hyuga Hiashi nodded and said, "Before long, our Hyuga Clan will travel to Kirigakure to visit the Kaguya Clan. You will come along. Your strength is already quite impressive, and you will be able to protect the Main Family well."

"Yes, Clan Head," Neji replied, lowering his head.

Meanwhile, Fox, Tanuki, and Hound's prolonged failure to return and report on their mission drew Root's attention. Another three-person team was dispatched to the Uchiha Clan's shrine to investigate.

Upon arriving at the shrine, the three reinforcements spotted Fox, Tanuki, and Hound not far from its torii gate, their masks removed to reveal pale faces.

"Captain Black Fox, they're all badly injured." The speaker was a Root ninja wearing a bird mask.

"What happened here? Even if the surveillance target has awakened the Sharingan, they shouldn't have been beaten this badly." This time, the speaker was a Root ninja wearing a cat-faced mask.

The Root ninja called Black Fox wore a black fox mask with bold markings. He said grimly, "Take these useless fools back. They ended up like this just from watching a student who isn't even a ninja!"