Leaving Root Completely Baffled

The masked ninja froze.

He had carried out countless missions and seen targets react in all sorts of ways.

Some were terrified, some were furious, some stayed calm, and some begged for mercy.

But... this was the first one who had tried to sell him something.

"What... did you say?" A trace of disbelief crept into the masked ninja's voice.

Uchiha Rìtiān picked up a flashlight and tossed it in his hand.

"I said, why not buy a flashlight? Don't you Root guys often go on missions at night?"

"Think about it. On a dark, windy night, Fire Release can easily give you away, while an Illumination Technique wastes chakra."

"With this flashlight, you only need the tiniest bit of chakra to keep it lit all night. How convenient is that?"

Uchiha Rìtiān made such a convincing case that the masked ninja actually thought... he had a point?

No, no! I'm here to take him in! How did I get sidetracked?

"Enough nonsense! Come with me!" the masked ninja said coldly.

Uchiha Rìtiān spread his hands. "Sure, but you at least have to tell me who your boss is, right?"

"You'll know when you get there."

"That won't do. What if he's a bad guy? I'm just a child." Uchiha Rìtiān wore an expression that all but said, "I'm so scared."

The crowd around them whispered, watching the masked ninja warily.

The masked ninja's mouth twitched. This brat was quite the actor.

"Our boss is a member of Konoha High Command. You'll know when you get there." The masked ninja lowered his voice.

"High Command? How high? Higher than the Third Hokage?" Uchiha Rìtiān asked with feigned innocence.

The masked ninja: "..."

Why does this brat have so many questions?

Unwilling to waste any more words, he reached for Uchiha Rìtiān's arm.

Uchiha Rìtiān slid aside, dodging by the narrowest of margins.

"Hey, why are you getting physical?" Uchiha Rìtiān looked aggrieved. "A Konoha ninja is bullying a child! Everyone, come look!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their looks toward the masked ninja growing even more hostile.

The masked ninja's head ached. He had never expected this brat to be so difficult.

Anywhere else, he would have knocked the boy out and taken him away already, but this was a street full of people...

Ding! Talk-no-jutsu successfully activated. The target has entered a confused state.

Show-off points +50!

Uchiha Rìtiān laughed inwardly. You're still too green to take me on.

Just then, an elderly voice rang out.

"What's going on? Why all the commotion?"

The crowd parted, and an old man wearing a conical hat walked over. It was none other than Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Uchiha Rìtiān's eyes lit up. My savior's here!

"Grandpa Third!" Uchiha Rìtiān rushed over and wrapped his arms around the Third Hokage's leg. "This uncle wants to take me away! I'm so scared!"

The Third Hokage: "..."

The masked ninja: "..."

The surrounding crowd: "..."

Everyone stared, dumbfounded. How could he change his expression so fast?

The Third Hokage helplessly patted Uchiha Rìtiān's head. "There, there. With Grandpa here, no one can take you away."

He raised his head and looked at the masked ninja, his gaze deep.

"You're... with Root?"

The masked ninja dropped to one knee. "Greetings, Lord Hokage. I am merely following Lord Danzo's orders to invite this young friend over for a chat."

The Third Hokage frowned. "Danzo wants to see a six-year-old child?"

"Lord Danzo said this young friend is very talented and wanted to... assess him." The masked ninja spoke evasively.

The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment, then looked at Uchiha Rìtiān.

"Uchiha Rìtiān, do you want to go?"

Uchiha Rìtiān's mind raced.

By asking that, the Third Hokage clearly did not want him to go, but could not very well refuse Danzo outright.

After all, Danzo was also a member of Konoha High Command, and Root... did hold a certain amount of power.

Uchiha Rìtiān's eyes shifted, and he came up with an idea.

"Grandpa Third, I want to go!"

The Third Hokage paused in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Uchiha Rìtiān nodded firmly. "Lord Danzo is a member of Konoha High Command. Wanting to meet me means he thinks highly of me."

"Besides, I happen to have a big business deal to discuss with Lord Danzo!"

The Third Hokage: "..."

The masked ninja: "..."

A big business deal? What on earth is this brat thinking?

Ding! Choice fulfilled: option three (the sweet-talking version). Rewards: talk-no-jutsu +1, show-off points +100.

Uchiha Rìtiān was delighted. He had even completed a choice along the way.

The Third Hokage sighed. "All right. Since you want to go, go ahead."

"But remember, if you run into any danger, shout Grandpa's name, and I'll be there right away."

Warmth filled Uchiha Rìtiān's heart. The Third Hokage really was a good man.

"Thank you, Grandpa Third!"

And so, Uchiha Rìtiān left with the masked ninja.

Along the way, Uchiha Rìtiān looked around, chattering nonstop.

"Hey, I've never been down this road before."

"Wow, that house is really well hidden."

"Hey, do all you Root guys live underground? Wouldn't it be really damp?"

The masked ninja's head throbbed from the noise. He finally understood why Lord Danzo wanted to see this brat.

This brat... really was unusual.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the two arrived at a concealed underground structure.

"Go in. Lord Danzo is waiting inside," the masked ninja said coldly.

Uchiha Rìtiān straightened his clothes and walked in with his head held high and his chest out.

The hall was dark, with only a few candles giving off a faint glow.

An old man wrapped in bandages sat in a chair at the far end, a cold gleam in his one exposed eye.

It was none other than Shimura Danzō.

Uchiha Rìtiān inwardly tensed, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Uchiha Rìtiān greets Lord Danzo." Uchiha Rìtiān bowed slightly.

Danzo's gaze swept over Uchiha Rìtiān like a blade.

"You're Uchiha Rìtiān?" Danzo's voice was hoarse and chilling. "Six years old, a One-Tomoe Sharingan, and you defeated a child from a branch of the Hyuga Clan?"

"And you made some... Chakra Flashlight and earned quite a bit of money?"

Uchiha Rìtiān was inwardly startled. Danzo had done a thorough job gathering intelligence.

"You flatter me, Lord Danzo. It's all been small-time stuff," Uchiha Rìtiān said modestly.

Danzo snorted coldly. "Small-time stuff? I'd say your ambitions are anything but small."

"Tell me. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Uchiha Rìtiān raised his head and looked straight into Danzo's eye, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Lord Danzo, I'd like to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Danzo narrowed his eye. "What kind of deal?"

Uchiha Rìtiān held up one finger and said unhurriedly:

"I can supply Root with specially made ninja tools and equipment. Fair prices, and no cheating anyone, young or old."

"And all you need to do, Lord Danzo... is leave me alone."

Danzo paused, then gave a cold laugh.

"Brat, are you trying to dictate terms to me?"

"Do you believe I could make you disappear from this world right now?"

The air froze in an instant, and an oppressive aura enveloped the entire hall.

Uchiha Rìtiān's heartbeat quickened, and his palms grew slightly sweaty.

He knew Danzo was not joking.

This scheming old bastard really would do it.

But he could not back down. If he did, he would lose the upper hand completely.

Uchiha Rìtiān took a deep breath, the smile on his face unchanged.

"Lord Danzo, you won't."

"Oh? Why not?" Danzo's voice was as cold as ice.

Uchiha Rìtiān pointed at his own head and said with a smile:

"Because what's inside this head of mine is worth far more than you imagine."