I deliberately did not recognize this Root ninja and instead addressed the masked figure as an Anbu. After all, although as a transmigrator I recognized that this ninja, who was respectfully calling Danzo "Lord Danzo," belonged to Root, 'Ryuma' himself had no way of knowing that.
I had been expelled from the Ninja Academy and had barely come into contact with any real shinobis. Other than a few ordinary ninjas and some friends, I had never been exposed to the deeper workings of Konoha. There was simply no reason for me to know that a secret organization like Root even existed.
I immediately let go of the Root ninja. "Now, take me to your so-called Lord Danzo."
The Root ninja did not say anything else. He simply gave a silent nod before turning around and leaping away, his figure flashing across the rooftops. I immediately followed behind him. As I jumped from roof to roof, the cool night air brushed against my skin. My upper body was completely bare after the battle against the Nine-Tails. My clothes had been burned away during the fight, and ever since then, I had not gotten the chance to find a replacement. The scorch marks on my body were still clear evidence of the fierce battle that had taken place only a short while ago.
…
Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai watched the retreating backs of Ryuma and the ninja whom Ryuma had referred to as an Anbu. However, unlike Ryuma, all three of them knew perfectly well that the masked ninja was not part of the regular Anbu. He was Root. And if a Root ninja had appeared here, then there was little doubt that Danzo was behind whatever was happening right now.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed dangerously beneath his mask, his expression darkening as anger simmered within him. "Danzo has totally gone too far this time," Kakashi said in a cold voice. "I need to tell Lord Third about this before Danzo does something to Uncle Raito and Aunt Kazumi, and Ryuma really takes drastic measures, loses control, and goes on a killing spree."
Asuma and Kurenai immediately agreed with Kakashi's assessment. Kurenai, in particular, looked especially worried. After all, she had met Raito and Kazumi several times before, not to mention that she already had feelings for Ryuma. If everything went well in the future, then the two of them would become husband and wife, and Raito and Kazumi would become her father-in-law and mother-in-law. The thought of something happening to them made her heart tighten. Without wasting another second, all three of them disappeared in a blur, moving at high speed toward the location where the Third Hokage should currently be.
…
I continued running behind the Root ninja, matching his pace as we jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The buildings gradually became fewer until we left the residential district behind entirely. After that, our route shifted toward the forest surrounding the village. We moved swiftly through the trees, branches flashing past beneath our feet as we advanced deeper into the area surrounding Hokage Mountain, getting closer to our destination with every passing minute.
Honestly speaking, there was only one thought constantly running through my mind: I wanted to kill every single Root ninja the moment I arrived at their base. The urge was so strong that I could almost feel my fingers itching for violence, but I forcibly suppressed it. First of all, the chances of successfully accomplishing that were low. Root ninjas were not ordinary shinobi; every single one of them was an elite trained by Danzo himself. Not to mention that I still had not fully recovered from my battle against the Nine-Tails. My chakra reserves were far from full, and my body was carrying far more fatigue than I was willing to admit.
And then there was Danzo himself. No matter how much I disliked him, at the end of the day, he was still one of Konoha's highest-ranking figures, the so-called Shadow Hokage of the village. Killing him was simply not an option, at least not right now. If I actually killed Danzo, then it was highly likely that I would immediately be branded a missing-nin and become an enemy of Konoha. That was something I could not afford (not while my parents were still inside the village, and not while there were still people I needed to protect).
Not to mention Hiruzen Sarutobi was a sentimental person, especially when it came to people he cared about. Danzo was his longtime friend. If Hiruzen could let Orochimaru escape even after discovering the countless heinous experiments and crimes he had committed, then there was no guarantee he would stand on my side if I killed Danzo. In fact, there was a high chance that he would try to deal with me instead. Because of that, I could not simply storm into the Root base and go on a killing spree, at least not as long as my parents were safe.
Honestly speaking, I did not want to defect from Konoha either. This village was my home. I had lived here my entire life (after transmigration). My parents lived here, my friends were here, and I even had feelings for Kurenai. Because of one Danzo, I could not just throw everything away and lose everything I cared about. So no matter how angry I was, I had to remain rational. At least for now.
Finally, after traveling around Hokage Mountain and reaching an area hidden behind it, the Root ninja in front of me gradually began to slow down. Clearly, we were close to our destination: the Root base. As we approached the foot of the mountain, my senses became increasingly alert. I could feel numerous presences hidden throughout the surrounding area. One… Two… Five… Eight… Twelve… There were approximately twelve ninjas concealed nearby.
Their chakra signatures were carefully suppressed, making them difficult for ordinary people to notice, but to me they still stood out. I guessed they were all Root ninjas. After all, somewhere around here was the entrance to the Root headquarters. These ninjas were most likely stationed around the perimeter to guard the base from intruders and eliminate anyone unfortunate enough to wander too close.
The deeper we moved into the area, the heavier the atmosphere became. Finally, we stopped in front of what appeared to be an ordinary rocky wall at the base of Hokage Mountain. The Root ninja stepped forward and formed a hand seal. Immediately, black sealing markings began spreading across the previously clean stone surface. The intricate symbols rapidly appeared one after another, covering the wall like living ink.
A moment later, the stone trembled.
Rumble...
The massive wall shifted inward. Rock scraped against rock as a hidden entrance slowly revealed itself before my eyes, a dark passageway appearing behind it. Without hesitation, the Root ninja entered, and I followed behind him. The moment we walked inside, the stone entrance behind us slowly closed once again.
Rumble...
Within less than a minute, the wall had completely sealed itself shut, leaving no visible trace of the entrance. I only glanced back briefly before continuing forward.
The passageway was dimly lit by electric bulbs installed at intervals along the walls. The faint yellow light stretched into the darkness ahead, creating long shadows throughout the tunnel. As I walked behind the Root ninja, I could sense several hidden life signatures concealed throughout the passage. They remained perfectly still. Watching. Observing. Clearly, additional Root ninjas were lying in stealth positions throughout the tunnel as another layer of security. Anyone foolish enough to force their way inside would probably be dead before making it halfway through the corridor.
The Root ninja continued walking in silence, and I followed him through the mostly dark passageway for several minutes until the tunnel finally opened into a much larger area. As I stepped out, my eyes narrowed slightly. What appeared before me was a massive underground structure with numerous pathways crisscrossing through the enormous chamber. There were walkways above me, walkways below me, and walkways extending in multiple directions. I currently stood on one of these elevated pathways, suspended over what appeared to be a bottomless abyss. Looking downward, I could not even clearly see the bottom.
The entire place felt cold, silent, and oppressive: a secret fortress hidden beneath Konoha.
The Root ninja continued walking forward. At the center of my level, where several pathways converged into a single platform, a lone figure stood waiting. The Root ninja immediately stopped and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzo," he said respectfully, lowering his head. "I have brought Ryuma Hatake as you ordered."
Danzo silently gave a small nod. "Understood."
The Root ninja immediately moved aside and stood quietly at the edge of the platform. I ignored him and focused my attention entirely on the old man standing before me, my gaze slowly traveling from head to toe.
Danzo Shimura, the infamous leader of Root. Honestly, he really looked like half a mummy. Bandages covered most of the right side of his body and face, while one eye remained hidden beneath them. Standing there in the dim underground lighting, with his cane in hand and his visible eye calmly observing me, he gave off an unsettling feeling that was difficult to describe. The old man looked exactly like the kind of person who would secretly operate from the shadows of the village.
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