Sasuke, Naruto, and Sako

Root's shinobi were well-trained, especially in intelligence work.

A was the only shinobi in the village since Hashirama Senju to possess the Wood Release bloodline limit. He had been personally trained by Danzo.

So there could be no problem with the intelligence.

But why were those Uchiha children approaching the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

The oldest among them was fifteen and already a Chunin.

Danzo gestured for A, the Wood Release shinobi, to leave. He had been about to assign missions.

If the matter had not been urgent, A would not have interrupted him so rashly.

Whether it had been a coincidence or not no longer mattered.

"Mu, do you remember the mission I gave you in Sea Country?"

Danzo stared at the shinobi before him, whose face was concealed by nothing but a Blank Mask.

Like his name, Mu had no past, no family, and no friends.

Only after Danzo took him in did he learn the meaning of his existence in this world.

It was to master the Sealing Technique that served Danzo alone.

Mu lowered his head even further.

"Yes, Danzo-sama. If Orochimaru takes any actions beyond his mission, I will use the Reverse Four Symbols Seal on him and ensure that the Three-Tails is not taken by him."

"Good. Now is the time to show your resolve. For the village, and for me. I will not allow the Uchiha Clan, with its hidden ambitions, to produce a genius beyond control."

"Danzo-sama, this subordinate asks only one thing. Yuan?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

Mu vanished in a Body Flicker.

Danzo looked toward the remaining shinobi.

"You will assist Mu. Be careful not to get caught up in it. I want results before tomorrow morning."

"Yes! Danzo-sama, we are willing to offer our lives for you and for the village!"

Danzo silently watched the shinobi disappear in Body Flickers.

The Root under his command was the training division of the ANBU. Every year, it had to submit a roster of all prospective members to the Hokage Chamber.

Some on that roster successfully entered the ANBU, while others died during training or missions.

Still others faked their deaths and remained hidden within Root.

These were the nameless shinobi Danzo had cultivated.

There were certain tasks that even the ANBU, or even Root, could not conveniently carry out.

At times like those, the nameless shinobi needed to show their resolve.

At Konoha Hospital, even with Uchiha Yuan intervening, the Head Nurse persisted in her explanation.

She was merely caring for the infant normally, while Anko was disrupting the hospital's regular operations.

Yet the strangulation marks on Naruto Uzumaki's neck had not even fully faded.

Only after Uchiha Yuan pointed them out did Anko and Guy notice them.

The purple bruises on the baby's delicate skin were a horrifying sight!

This middle-aged woman in a nurse's uniform was a bad person.

Consumed by fury, Guy handed the baby to Itachi, who was holding Sasuke.

Even he did not know what he would do next, but the anger in his chest was suffocating.

Fortunately, Uchiha Yuan stopped Guy. Anko beside him was equally unable to vent her anger, but before she could make a move—

The Head Nurse covered her face with her hands, tears spilling through her fingers.

"My husband and my child were both killed by that Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. What did I do wrong? Am I not allowed to avenge them?"

She was a pitiable person too.

Her wailing woke Naruto Uzumaki just as he was about to fall asleep. It had to be said, this baby had quite the nerve.

Despite all the noise around him, he still looked groggy, like he had not woken up yet.

Then, suddenly realizing there were so many people around him, baby Naruto Uzumaki burst into loud tears.

Sasuke was disturbed as well and began crying along with him.

The two babies flailed their arms wildly, their hands smacking into each other.

But strangely, when one tiny wrinkled hand clasped the other soft pink hand—

Both babies stopped crying at the same time.

Naruto Uzumaki suddenly broke into a giggle, his little face scrunching up as he looked utterly delighted.

Sasuke curled his lip and pulled his hand free in "disgust."

The two babies immediately began bawling again.

Naturally, Uchiha Yuan noticed this small detail.

Indra and Asura's Chakra!

The reincarnated Chakra of the Sage of the Six Paths' two sons now resided within the two infants.

Even Uchiha Yuan did not know exactly how this Chakra reincarnation worked.

Was it an inferior version of Living Corpse Reincarnation? Or a secret technique passed down by the Sage of the Six Paths?

But those two masses of Chakra had destined the two infants' fates to become entwined from the moment they were born.

Itachi could not take it anymore. Caring for Sasuke was already difficult enough, and now there was another baby in his arms.

They had both stopped crying, only to start wailing again.

He looked at Uchiha Yuan as if pleading for help.

Just then, a tall and a short ANBU wearing animal masks arrived in Body Flickers.

The shorter ANBU snatched baby Naruto Uzumaki from Itachi's arms. Her movements were steady and careful, and she appeared to be a woman.

The taller ANBU spoke in a hoarse voice.

"What happened? Why is the hospital such a mess?"

Uchiha Yuan glanced at the sobbing Head Nurse and the at-a-loss Guy, then briefly explained what had happened.

When the tall ANBU questioned Anko for more details, the usually boisterous girl found herself unable to describe the Head Nurse's vile actions.

In truth, the two ANBU had been monitoring and protecting baby Naruto Uzumaki all along. Rescuing him from the Head Nurse would have been effortless.

But the ANBU had only appeared when Uchiha Yuan was about to hold Naruto Uzumaki.

"We have a general understanding of the situation. Don't worry. The ANBU will handle this matter properly."

Hearing that, Guy said unhappily, "I don't really understand what the Head Nurse meant about the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, but how will the ANBU deal with this baby? Are you going to hand him back to the hospital? I can't agree to that."

"Rest assured, we will not hand him back to the hospital."

With that, the two ANBU left with Naruto Uzumaki in Body Flickers.

As the Head Nurse departed in a daze, the gathered staff and patients dispersed as well.

Guy, full of energy again, enthusiastically patted Uchiha Yuan on the shoulder.

"Hey! Friend, what's your name?"

"Uchiha Yuan."

"Uchiha... Oh, so you're from the Uchiha Clan. You did well in this matter!"

Giving his trademark thumbs-up and flashing a toothy grin, Guy turned and left.

Uchiha Yuan shook his head as he watched him go.

Even the warm and straightforward Guy was hostile toward the Uchiha Clan and had not even been willing to offer his name first.

One could easily imagine the attitudes of the other shinobi.

He turned to look at the silent Shisui.

As a member of the Police Force, given Shisui's character and habits, he should have intervened in this dispute even earlier than the ANBU.

Yet Shisui had merely stood quietly to the side. It seemed something had happened on the Police Force's end.

Anko approached with her fists clenched.

"Hey! Uchiha Yuan, you showed up late on purpose, didn't you?"

"Does visiting the three of you patients count as being late too?"

"Hmph. You only came after everything was already taken care of, and you still say you weren't late?"

Bickering with Anko, Uchiha Yuan took Shisui, Itachi, and Sasuke to the ward where Orochimaru Squad was staying.

Ryo and Shion, both wrapped in bandages, were idly passing the time. After giving Uchiha Yuan a glance, their attention was drawn to Sasuke in Itachi's arms.

"What a beautiful child!"

"He really is beautiful. Can you let big sister hold him?"

Itachi shyly moved closer.

Left out, Uchiha Yuan could only skillfully peel an orange. He had specially bought the fruit basket.

"You're kidding, right? Such a beautiful child is a boy?"

Anko's voice was exaggerated.

"Your name is Itachi, right? Your little brother is Sasuke. Could your father and mother have gotten it wrong? Maybe Sasuke is actually a little sister?"

Itachi shook his head. "That's impossible, big sister. Don't joke around. Sasuke won't be happy."

"I'm not joking. I'm not lying to you. Look if you don't believe me."

Kurama Shion carefully removed Sasuke's diaper.

Anko and Itachi widened their eyes. Hyuga Ryo quietly activated her Byakugan and smiled mysteriously. Shisui's face turned slightly red, his expression full of astonishment.

Uchiha Yuan pressed a hand to his forehead.

Sako?

Was this how the Kurama Clan's genjutsu was supposed to be used?

Substitute teacher, when did you suddenly become such a prankster?