"Sorry, but I'm not on the same path as Root. Rather than wandering in darkness, I'd prefer a life in the light."
After a pause, Qingyun continued, "Root has contributed a great deal to Konoha's development over the years. But in the process, its members disregard their comrades' lives for the sake of their missions, sometimes even kicking them when they're down. I won't join an organization like that."
"Yakushi Nonō, this is our first meeting, but I can tell you're different from the Root operatives I've dealt with before. A word of advice: the Third Hokage is the one in charge of Konoha now. Think it over carefully!"
With that, Qingyun turned and left.
Yakushi Nonō shuddered at his words. She had never expected someone as young as Qingyun to see through so much.
And what did Qingyun mean by that last remark? Was he telling me to join Hiruzen Sarutobi instead? Or did he know something bad would happen to me in the future?
His final glance had seemed to pierce right through her, leaving none of her secrets anywhere to hide.
In truth, she had long since grown tired of Root's life in the shadows. She had considered leaving Root and no longer working for Danzo.
But Danzo wielded far too much power in Konoha. An ordinary ninja like her, even one reasonably skilled in medical ninjutsu, had no means of resisting his immense influence.
For a moment, Yakushi Nonō's thoughts were in turmoil.
Danzo would never have imagined that sending Yakushi Nonō to recruit Qingyun would instead result in Qingyun turning her against him, costing him a highly skilled medical ninja.
Of course, that would come later, so there was no need to dwell on it now. After leaving Yakushi Nonō, Qingyun returned to diligently treating