After the squad assignments were complete, Danzō coldly declared, "From this moment on, Root shall become the guardian of Konoha's great tree—its very roots. We will dwell in the deepest shadows, purging all threats within and outside the village. Better to kill the wrong target than let one slip by."
"From now on, forget your names. Remember only your codenames."
"You are the weapons that will guard this village from the darkness, the blades that protect Konoha's roots."
"And Root—will be a sharper sword than the Anbu!"
Kneeling on one knee, Hajime Hoshita lifted his head and added fuel to the fire, "Lord Danzō's will is Root's will—it is our will!"
"We shall be Lord Danzō's sharpest blade, and eliminate all enemies!"
The summary hit just the right note—Danzō's eyes flickered with satisfaction.
What Hajime said was exactly what he wanted to hear.
What he didn't know, however, was that Hajime had left one line unsaid: Root's will is also Lord Danzō's will!
"The Hokage has granted Root special authority—our missions do not need to be reported or filed in advance," Danzō continued.
Everyone was visibly shocked at this.
But Hajime silently thought to himself, I doubt Sarutobi Hiruzen realizes just how much trouble this policy will cause for his successors.
Still, for me, the more powerful Danzō and Root become, the better.
At that moment, Shimura Daichi—codename "Ten"—began distributing missions to Hajime and the other squad captains, handing each of them a task sheet.
Danzō spoke coolly, "Go."
"Proclaim the will of Root to Konoha—and to the shinobi world!"
"Disperse!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A flurry of shadows vanished into the air—Hajime and the others standing before Danzō disappeared in a flash.
***
Training Ground 9
Hajime removed his mask and looked at the three subordinates before him. "You don't need to know my real name. Just remember my codename—'Alpha'."
"I am Lord Danzō's most trusted subordinate in Root."
"Lord Danzō's will is Root's will. Root's will is Lord Danzō's will."
"And here, among us, Lord Danzō's will is my will—and my will is Lord Danzō's will."
"Do you all understand?"
The three—Sarutobi Toku and the others—looked at each other in confusion.
Hajime caught the looks on their faces and gave a slight smile. "Seems like you don't fully understand yet. That's fine. In time, you will. For now, just memorize what I said."
"Next, let me assess your abilities."
After putting his mask back on, Hajime's gaze fell on Sarutobi Toku.
Sarutobi Toku quickly replied, "Captain, I specialize in Fire Release and Earth Release."
Inuzuka Ryo immediately performed a summoning jutsu, calling forth a black dog. "Captain, I specialize in the Inuzuka clan's beast mimicry techniques. Kurotama here can track enemies through scent."
Hajime glanced at the rather round Kurotama before turning to look at Aburame Shino.
Aburame Shino calmly stated, "The Aburame clan's secret techniques—combat, reconnaissance, sensing, communication."
Aside from Sarutobi Toku, Hajime was already fairly familiar with the Inuzuka and Aburame clans.
Previously, Root had served as a training division under the Anbu. With few exceptions, most members were selected from Konoha's major shinobi clans—and the Inuzuka and Aburame clans were commonly among them.
As for the Sarutobi clan, while not a secret technique family, they had a broad mastery of ninjutsu—especially Fire Release, which was their most renowned specialty.
With a slight nod, Hajime said, "Our mission target this time is an Anbu operative: Tsuchiya Naoya, codename Iron Wall."
The three were visibly startled.
Their target… was an Anbu?
While it was true the Anbu had many divisions and weren't all directly under the Hokage, it was still shocking.
After all, within Konoha, the Anbu represented the pinnacle of elite shinobi.
Hajime didn't bother to explain—he simply used the Body Flicker Technique and rushed ahead.
Sarutobi Toku and the others exchanged glances, then quickly followed.
Ten minutes later, Hajime's team arrived at the core district of Konoha.
Though it was nighttime, the streets were still bustling with activity, filled with people coming and going.
Hajime halted, standing atop a rooftop, looking down at the vibrant streets below.
But this prosperity and peace… didn't belong to him.
Right now, in Konoha, he was a "dead man."
"I need to walk in the sunlight again…"
The thought flashed through his mind, and Hajime resumed his movement.
Moments later, he appeared outside the Hokage Tower, with Sarutobi Toku and the others arriving shortly after. Seeing the building still brightly lit, the three couldn't help but swallow nervously.
They had originally been regular shinobi and had no idea which division of the Anbu Tsuchiya Naoya belonged to.
But now that Hajime had brought them to the Hokage Tower, it meant the man was part of the Hokage's personal Anbu unit.
A Root squad sent to deal with a direct subordinate of the Hokage?
Was Root's authority really this vast now?
Hajime hid behind a tree, only one eye peering toward the Hokage Tower.
Seeing that Hajime remained silent, the other three also quickly found places to hide.
Time ticked by. As night deepened, the once-lively Konoha began to quiet. The lights in the Hokage Tower and the surrounding buildings gradually went dark.
In the dead of night, Hajime finally moved—quietly tailing a lone figure.
The man hadn't exited the Hokage Tower but came from one of the adjacent buildings.
Sarutobi Toku watched thoughtfully.
That building was the Archives—home to not only historical records, but also a vast number of jutsu scrolls.
Silently trailing their target, Hajime and his squad followed him all the way to his home.
Outside Tsuchiya Naoya's house, Hajime made a series of hand signs.
Sign language was standard among Konoha shinobi. Aburame Shino nodded and released a few insects, which stealthily slipped into the house without a sound.
A moment later, one bug flew back out. Aburame Shino released another Bugs.
After a brief exchange between the insects, they arranged themselves into characters:
Bathroom.
Their target was bathing.
After confirming this, Hajime signaled again, and the four of them quietly infiltrated Tsuchiya Naoya's home.
Tsuchiya Naoya was twenty-one years old, single, and lived alone.
Sarutobi Toku and the others took up positions at all possible escape routes. Hajime, meanwhile, sat in the living room.
Soon after, click—the bathroom door opened.
When Tsuchiya Naoya stepped out and saw Hajime sitting there, his expression immediately changed. He turned to flee, but Hajime's voice rang out:
"Your escape routes are sealed. Don't waste your chakra."
Sarutobi Toku and the others revealed themselves, encircling the room.
Panic flared in Naoya's eyes. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then barked, "Who are you people?!"
Hajime rose with a light chuckle. "We are Root, under the command of Lord Danzō."
"Tsuchiya Naoya, you're an Anbu. You should recognize us."
"And if we're here, that means your actions have been exposed."
"If you don't want this to get too painful, then just answer our questions honestly."
With that, Hajime activated his status ability, forcibly applying the "Heart and mouth in unison" condition on Tsuchiya Naoya.
Of course, this wouldn't make him confess—it only prevented him from lying.
Still clinging to a shred of hope, Naoya sneered coldly, "Root doesn't have the authority to investigate Anbu. You're impostors! I demand to see the Third Hokage!"
Hajime chuckled softly—then in the blink of an eye appeared in front of him. His chakra surged as he clamped a hand around Naoya's neck and slammed him against the wall with a bang.
Naoya's eyes widened, his face turning red as he struggled to breathe.
"I don't need you to talk to kill you."
Hajime stared into his eyes. "But I won't let you die that easily."
"Bugs—can your insects eat him alive, bit by bit?"
Aburame Shino hesitated briefly, then nodded. "They can. But, Captain… there's another type of insect that can inject toxins—cause him immense pain."
Hajime smiled coldly. "I'd rather he watch as his chakra and body are eaten away—bit by bit."
At that moment, Sarutobi Toku interjected, "Captain… I could try using genjutsu."
"What if he hasn't actually leaked any information to the enemy…"
Hajime suddenly turned and stared at him, a chilling smile in his eyes. "Looks like you've already forgotten what I just said."
Shing!
As his blade left its sheath, a scream rang out—but it quickly turned into a muffled, agonized whimper.
With a single strike, Hajime sliced off one of Tsuchiya Naoya's arms. As the man reeled in agony, Hajime covered his mouth.
"Don't scream too loud. It's rude to disturb the neighbors."
(End of Chapter)