Unrolling the scroll, Hajime quickly scanned it with his eyes.
The scroll was incredibly detailed—not only listing the sequences of hand seals but also including numerous jutsu formulas and in-depth explanations.
These notes were likely written by Hashirama Senju himself and had been fully transcribed by Danzō.
The techniques listed were extensive, ranging from basic Wood Release jutsu like Wood Locking Wall, Wood Clone, and Vajra Trees, to powerful ones like Deep Forest Emergence, Wood Dragon Technique, and even True Several Thousand Hands. It was all there.
However, the absence of Yamato's Four Pillar House Technique left Hajime feeling a bit disappointed.
After all, it was the perfect jutsu for missions and outdoor camping—practical and efficient.
"From here on, my main focus will be Wind Release and Wood Release."
Hajime had no intention of abandoning Wind Release just because he had gained access to Wood Release.
He knew very well that while his Wood Release might be stronger than Yamato's, it was still far from Hashirama's level. He couldn't rely on it alone—not yet.
Wind Release was something he had already mastered to a solid degree.
More importantly, putting aside the unreliable cheat-like "status bar" system, Hajime felt that if he truly wanted to go further, mastering more nature transformations and attempting to fuse them into kekkei genkai was the only viable path forward.
As for the other paths…
Well, there were the underhanded ones: stealing eyes, snatching tailed beasts, robbing the Ten-Tails, or targeting the Ōtsutsuki clan.
...
Refocusing his thoughts, Hajime began studying the Wood Release scroll seriously from the beginning.
Starting again with Wood Locking Wall, he found the annotations beside the technique very thorough—far clearer than Danzō's earlier explanations. Danzō's version had been a concise summary, stripped down to the core essentials.
But Hajime preferred Hashirama's own notes. Even if they were a bit long-winded, they contained nuance and subtlety.
After rereading them several times, Hajime finally rolled up the scroll and began forming hand seals slowly.
Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!
With his final seal complete, Hajime poured Wood Release chakra into the earth. A moment later, curved wooden beams burst from the ground in front of him, arching together to form a protective wall.
The shape matched the one he remembered Yamato using in battle—an arched wooden barrier.
But Hajime, having refined his chakra control, managed to give it a slightly more polished and defined form, pushing the technique's shape toward perfection.
Staring at the arch before him, Hajime suddenly recalled Kakashi's Earth-Style Wall—the one with a dog's head carved into it.
Maybe he should try something with his own flair?
Sculpting a dragon sounded a lot more impressive.
"Besides, it could help me train my chakra control... I'll try it once I'm more proficient with the jutsu."
Hajime muttered to himself, then continued his training.
He experimented next with a bridge-shaped version of the Wood Locking Wall, followed by a four-wall fortress style, all to deepen his mastery and control over the technique.
With practice, his casting speed grew faster and faster, inching closer to the limits of his own hand seal speed.
***
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office…
Danzō stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, expressing his desire to expand Root.
"Expand Root?"
Hiruzen fell into brief contemplation.
Lately, unrest had been stirring in the ninja world, and the Anbu had come under increasing pressure. He had been considering expanding Anbu's capabilities.
However, now that Konoha's political power was firmly consolidated and his own authority unshakable, it was indeed time to put his old comrade Danzō to greater use.
Together—one handling the light, one the shadow—they could greatly reduce the burden on Konoha, and on himself.
Danzō, sensing Hiruzen's interest, quickly added, "Konoha is a great tree basking in the sunlight—darkness is an inevitable byproduct. Root is the guardian that dwells within that darkness, a force even deeper than the Anbu."
"Hiruzen, you guard the village in the light—while I will protect it in the shadows."
"Root will be the hidden blade in the dark, eliminating all threats to Konoha—including those from within."
Danzō had always entertained this idea, but it had been vague—until Hajime's reminder brought it into focus. Now he clearly understood his role within Konoha.
Light and shadow…
Hiruzen reflected in silence, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons.
Danzō continued, "Hiruzen, now that Konoha has fully stabilized, it's time to start clearing out some of the internal tumors."
"The other great ninja villages are all expanding their forces. War is bound to break out again sooner or later."
"We have to purge from within while we still have time—only then can we deal with the shifting state of the shinobi world."
"Leave this matter to me!"
This was laying everything bare—no more beating around the bush.
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately responded, "I'll allow you to expand Root, but under no circumstances are you to target our comrades."
Danzō replied in a solemn tone, "Root exists to protect Konoha. We only target Konoha's enemies. Anyone who threatens the village—no matter who they are—must be eliminated."
Hiruzen nodded. "Very well, then go ahead with your plans."
"In emergencies, you don't need prior approval."
A hint of a smile flickered in Danzō's eyes. "Hiruzen, as long as we work together, no one will be able to harm Konoha."
***
Time passed quickly. Hajime spent the entire morning training the Wood Locking Wall technique.
After lunch, he returned to his room at the Root base and continued training the Rasengan.
The training was much more difficult than he had anticipated.
Granted, with Naruto's training process as a reference, he had already cut down a lot of the trial-and-error—such as using shadow clones for assistance.
But Hajime's goal wasn't just to master the Rasengan. He also wanted to improve his chakra control, so he deliberately avoided shortcuts.
After all, forming the Rasengan one-handed was way cooler—like driving a Ferrari with one hand on the wheel.
The afternoon flew by.
Setting aside the balloon that still hadn't burst, Hajime stood up and stretched lazily.
Ninjutsu training was incredibly tedious. He figured he'd take a walk through Konoha's marketplace.
But just as he was about to get into disguise, someone knocked on his door.
When he opened it, he found Nakamura in a mask.
"'Alpha', mission," Nakamura said—and vanished the next instant.
"A mission already…?"
Hajime was a bit surprised, but he moved quickly. He changed into his gear and put on his demon-face mask.
Moments later—
He arrived at the rendezvous point and saw four others already standing before Danzō.
Nearby, there were over a dozen other shinobi in Root uniforms—but their demeanor was noticeably different.
New recruits?
Hajime gave them a quick glance, then fell into formation.
Danzō, expressionless as always, spoke. "The Third Hokage has approved Root's expansion. We will no longer operate solely as a training organization for the Anbu. From now on, Root will execute missions just like Anbu—protecting Konoha from the shadows."
Hajime felt a jolt in his heart.
Danzō worked fast—he'd already secured Sarutobi Hiruzen's approval.
No wonder they were such good friends.
"Still, this expansion may have been exactly what Hiruzen wanted as well," Hajime speculated inwardly.
Then Danzō continued, "From this moment on, 'Alpha', you five will serve as squad leaders."
"'Ten', the list."
Shimura Daichi, standing beside Danzō, stepped forward with a list and began reading off names.
"Sarutobi Toku — codename: Monkey."
"Inuzuka Ryo — codename: Cerberus."
"Aburame Shino — codename: Bugs."
Soon after, Hajime heard the names and codenames of the three subordinates assigned to his own unit.
He was curious—were these people selected by Danzō to temporarily bolster Root's numbers? Or had Sarutobi Hiruzen slipped them in?
But it probably didn't matter either way.
To Danzō, they were all expendable.
(End of Chapter)