Root Organization's Escape Plan Fails!

[At age 6, after entering the Ninja Academy, you displayed extreme genius, drawing everyone's attention.]

[Awakening your eyes at six made all eyes fall upon you.]

[You caught the attention of Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shimura Danzō.]

[At 6 years and 1 month, Uchiha Sasuke challenged you and was thoroughly beaten. Sasuke was deeply unwilling and swore he would defeat you before graduating from the Ninja Academy.]

[At 6 years and 2 months, Yamanaka Ino confessed to you. Receiving no response, she was greatly disappointed.]

[At 6 years and 3 months, Fugaku Uchiha personally invited you to his home, praising your genius.]

[At 6 years and 4 months, you trained hard.]

[At 6 years and 5 months, Hyuga Hinata developed a strong curiosity about you.]

[At 6 years and 6 months, you actively sought out Shimura Danzō, exposing to him the Uchiha Clan's impending rebellion and expressing your willingness to follow him.]

[Shimura Danzō placed the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on you, making you a member of Root.]

[At 6 years and 7 months, you monitored the Uchiha Clan.]

[At 6 years and 8 months, you monitored the Uchiha Clan.]

[At 6 years and 9 months, you monitored the Uchiha Clan.]

[At 6 years and 10 months, you monitored the Uchiha Clan.]

[At 6 years and 11 months, you monitored the Uchiha Clan.]

[At age 7, the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall erupted, and the Uchiha Clan was annihilated.]

[After discussions between Uchiha Itachi and the Konoha High Command, they agreed that only one Uchiha could survive: Uchiha Sasuke.]

[You tried to flee but were quickly caught up to.]

[You killed two Root Ninja.]

[You passed out!]

[When you opened your eyes, you found yourself in the Root Organization's base. Danzō gave you a new identity: from today onward, you are not an Uchiha but the codename Hungry Wolf.]

[At 7 years and 1 month, you carried out a mission under Shimura Danzō's orders. You killed a Konoha ninja.]

[At 7 years and 2 months, you killed two Iwagakure ninja.]

[At 7 years and 3 months, you killed two Kusagakure ninja.]

[At 7 years and 4 months, you killed a Kumogakure ninja.]

[At 7 years and 5 months, knowing what would happen in a month, you chose to flee during a mission. You hid in the Land of Earth, but Danzō quickly realized your actions.]

[Danzō ordered Root Ninja to hunt you down.]

[You killed four Root Ninja who caught up to you.]

[You fled for half a month.]

[An elite Root Ninja squad appeared before you. You were outmatched and killed.]

[Before dying, you broke the mask of your opponent and recognized them.]

[The squad leader was Yakushi Kabuto.]

[This simulation ends.]

[Please choose one of the two benefits below.]

[1: Nothing.]

[2: The thing you were holding in your hand as you died.]

Uchiha Setsuna opened his eyes.

"Still no good. Even if I defected to Danzō, joined his faction, and did many things for him, Danzō would never trust me. He'd keep watching me constantly."

"Even when I'm out on missions."

"Chunin-level strength can't escape from Danzō's grasp."

"I need to think of another way to survive half a year under Danzō."

"Otherwise, the benefits I can gain will still be very limited."

"Just like this time."

Uchiha Setsuna looked at the two options.

In the past, he always chose the first option.

Because the first option was something real, while the second was unknown.

Faced with the threat of the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, his attitude had become relatively conservative.

But this time, he could only choose the second option.

"In the Life Simulation, what was I holding in my hand as I died?"

Uchiha Setsuna moved his mind.

"I choose 2!"

The next moment, Uchiha Setsuna felt something appear in his hand.

A kunai, a bloodstained kunai.

Clearly, this was the kunai he had been holding during his battle with the Root ninja in the Life Simulator.

Uchiha Setsuna washed the kunai clean and tossed it aside.

Just a single kunai—utterly useless to him.

He entered the classroom.

The morning consisted of cultural classes.

But Uchiha Setsuna had no mind to listen at all.

"How can I survive this six-month period under Danzo's thumb?"

"In the Life Simulator, Danzo gave no clear reason."

"At the same time, I didn't trigger anything unusual."

"This proves Danzo simply gave me six months."

"Wait."

Uchiha Setsuna thought of a problem.

"I don't necessarily have to find a breakthrough from Danzo's side. In the Life Simulator, the one who killed me was Yakushi Kabuto leading the Root ninja. I can seek a breakthrough from Yakushi Kabuto."

In Uchiha Setsuna's mind, memories of Yakushi Kabuto surfaced.

A war orphan, his foster mother was Yakushi Nonō.

And Yakushi Nonō had once been one of the Root ninja.

Under Danzo's orders, Yakushi Kabuto also joined the Root organization, carrying out many missions for them.

In terms of talent, Yakushi Kabuto was very strong.

No special bloodline, no special kekkei genkai, yet he was no weaker than those ninja.

But more crucially, Yakushi Kabuto's abilities weren't limited to ninjutsu.

In scientific research, he could become Orochimaru's right-hand man.

Later, he even mastered Sage Mode, something Orochimaru himself couldn't achieve.

In the Fourth Great Ninja War, without Yakushi Kabuto's help, Tobi Uchiha wouldn't have proceeded so smoothly.

However, a person like this wasn't always so dark, so insane.

In fact, Yakushi Kabuto had once been a very sunny and positive person.

He yearned deeply for familial bonds and friendship.

The reason Yakushi Kabuto later became what he was—it was entirely Danzo's design.

Danzo single-handedly orchestrated Yakushi Kabuto and Yakushi Nonō's mutual slaughter.

He shattered Yakushi Kabuto's longing for family, causing his psyche to collapse. From then on, Yakushi Kabuto's mind gradually twisted, seeking only an outlet for his pain.

"What if I revealed the truth about Yakushi Nonō to Yakushi Kabuto?"

"Would Yakushi Kabuto betray Danzo?"

Uchiha Setsuna felt this possibility was very high.

Because to Yakushi Kabuto, no one was more important than Yakushi Nonō.

"In tomorrow's Life Simulator, I can set this as my direction."

"Use Yakushi Kabuto to buy time."

"And thereby gain more benefits."