Watanabe Tsuyoshi, The First member of "Root."
Although only a chunin, he felt honored to have been chosen for "Root."
His ancestors had all been ninja who had followed the Senju clan since ancient times.
After years of constant warfare during the Warring States era, peace finally arrived thanks to Hashirama Senju, a genius unmatched in history.
He still remembered being just a child on the day Konoha Village was officially declared, and the genuine excitement his parents had shown back then.
Unfortunately, that peace didn't last long. With the death of Hashirama Senju, unrest began brewing once more among the nations.
Soon after, the First Great Ninja War erupted.
Upon returning from a mission one day, he found only his parents' lifeless bodies covered with white sheets.
At that time, he shed no tears—deep down, he understood that this was simply the fate of every ninja.
From that moment on, however, he dedicated himself even more fiercely to each mission he undertook.
Yet this war proved to be more brutal than anyone could have imagined.
On the eve of peace, the seemingly invincible Second Hokage shockingly succumbed to injuries sustained during a dishonorable ambush.
Danzo, who had followed that great man, returned to the village and decided to carry forth his legacy by establishing the "Root" organization.
As a loyal follower of the Senju clan, when Danzo personally extended an invitation to him, he joined "Root" without hesitation.
"We are the guardians who plant our roots deep into darkness as Konoha's shadow."
Tsuyoshi always remembered those words Danzo had spoken to them all when he first joined the organization.
Since joining Root, he had never left the village again.
He became the unseen eye within the shadows, following Danzo's orders to monitor anyone who might threaten the village.
This afternoon, an unexpected task came directly from Danzo himself.
The mission instructed him to begin monitoring a boy named Kagura from the Uchiha clan.
Looking at the eight-year-old not far away, Watanabe found it hard to believe that someone so young could actually pose a threat to the village.
But trained by Root, he steeled his mind and loyally carried out his duty.
Watching the boy hum joyfully along the path and sensing the cheerful aura around him, Tsuyoshi couldn't help but smile faintly.
But for some unknown reason, while walking, the boy suddenly stopped and started scanning his own body suspiciously from head to toe.
After standing silently in place for quite a while, he suddenly broke into a wild grin and continued forward.
Tsuyoshi frowned slightly, dismissing it as just youthful eccentricity, and resumed his observation.
By now night had already fallen, yet instead of heading home, the boy seemed content to wander throughout the village.
Following the boy's meandering path, both gradually reached a remote corner of the village.
Surveillance was indeed an art; as the environment changed, finding good hiding spots became increasingly difficult for Tsuyoshi.
Just as he landed in a hidden spot on top of a roof, something unexpected happened.
At a street intersection, Tsuyoshi barely blinked—only to realize that the boy had completely vanished from sight!
Startled, he no longer bothered to conceal his presence and rushed straight to the center of the crossroads.
As he looked around in confusion, a voice came from behind him:
"Look into my eyes."
Startled, he immediately turned his head—only to see a pair of Sharingan eyes with two tomoe within them...
Let us roll back time slightly.
The moment Kagura realized he was being watched, he tensed every muscle in his body, ready to rush toward the source of that gaze.
But after a moment, he relaxed once more, yet stayed firmly in place.
Coincidentally at that moment, the System's slowly spinning roulette wheel finally stopped.
This time, the skill he had drawn was—[Kotoamatsukami].
This was a Ninjutsu regarded as the ultimate Genjutsu!
Seeing this Genjutsu technique, Kagura couldn't help but let out a genuine smile.
After a slight shift in thinking, he resumed walking forward, pretending he had sensed nothing unusual.
Strolling slowly along the path leading back to the village, Kagura began considering who exactly his observer could be.
First, he ruled out enemies from other nations.
Right now was just after the end of the First Great Ninja War, and security throughout the entire village and its surrounding areas was extremely tight.
Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have dared send lower-ranked Genin like them to gather in the woods outside the village.
If it were truly an invasion by outsiders, there would be no way they could infiltrate so silently.
It was precisely because he understood this point that Kagura had stopped himself from attacking earlier.
Then, if the surveillance originated from someone within Konoha itself, why were they monitoring him?
Moreover, he had already been in this world for five years—so why start watching him specifically today?
What made today stand out from all the others?
The exam... revealing his power... the Uchiha clan...
Linking these clues together, Kagura felt he had come close to uncovering the truth.
As a genius from the Uchiha clan, he had shown far more strength than usual during today's test.
That must have been the root cause of everything.
He was very familiar with Hiruzen Sarutobi's character—the Third Hokage always preferred teaching over forceful suppression.
His ideology leaned closer to Hashirama Senju's ideals, so it was unlikely this surveillance originated from him.
Besides, as the direct mentor of Team 7, he himself would have been the best choice to monitor Kagura.
There would be no reason to send someone that easy to detect.
So among all those currently present in Konoha, who possessed such intelligence capabilities, learned about the events of this afternoon almost immediately,
and at the same time held animosity toward the Uchiha clan, while having both the capacity and intent to place someone under observation?
Only one person fit: Danzo.
Was this person then sent by Root?
Thanks to his advantage of knowing future plotlines, Kagura instantly figured everything out and identified who was spying on him.
But now came the real problem—what should he do next?
Pretend not to notice he was being observed?
No, that wouldn't work. After all, he wasn't some innocent bystander.
Keeping him under watch for too long might eventually reveal secrets he was determined to protect.
Should he kill the observer?
That wouldn't work either. Could he really justify killing someone merely for watching him?
Could he then go tell the elders of Konoha that he was innocent?
In the end, aside from becoming a rogue ninja and fleeing the village, he probably had no other choice.
After all, years of hard training were all meant to avoid being killed by that kid, Uchiha Itachi, and to survive.
Now, directly become a rogue ninja and be hunted by the entire village?
That would truly be asking for a death wish.
Thinking, he saw the newly acquired [Kotoamatsukami] in his System, and an idea formed in his mind.
Soon after, he deliberately walked toward a remote area. Under the cover of night, he finally lured his stalker out from hiding.
"Look into my eyes!"
The moment Watanabe Tsuyoshi turned around, the Double Tomoe Sharingan shone straight into his mind.
Seeing the enemy before him now dazed and confused, Kagura couldn't help but marvel at the immense power of this ninjutsu.
Back then, even the author might have felt this jutsu was too overpowered, so they added certain limitations upon its release.
Unless one possessed Hashirama Senju's chakra or was Shisui Uchiha himself, anyone else who obtained the eyes of Shisui Uchiha would need to wait more than ten years between each use of this technique.
However, such restrictions didn't exist for Kagura.
Thinking for a moment, Kagura began manipulating Watanabe Tsuyoshi's consciousness.
Inside Watanabe Tsuyoshi's mind.
Hearing the voice, he snapped his head around and braced himself defensively.
Yet he never expected the person standing behind him to actually be Danzo!
He quickly sheathed his blade and knelt on one knee to bow respectfully.
Danzo gave him a glance but showed little expression, speaking calmly.
"I've come to inform you that your mission has changed.
From now on, stop monitoring Kagura.
You are to proceed immediately to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side and start observing his every move."
What...?
Watanabe Tsuyoshi wore an expression of confusion.
Truth be told, even though it hadn't been officially announced, everyone in the village already knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi was set to be Konoha's next Hokage.
After all, this appointment came directly from the previous Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Danzo let out a cold snort and continued toward Watanabe Tsuyoshi,
"Have you forgotten the oath you swore upon entering Root?
You do not need to question why; only faithfully carry out the orders I give."
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
The puzzled look vanished from Watanabe Tsuyoshi's face as he bowed his head respectfully toward the "Danzo" before him.
As Watanabe Tsuyoshi strode away with newfound resolve, Kagura once again marveled at the sheer power of Kotoamatsukami.
"I hoped Sarutobi-sensei would understand the meaning behind his actions..."
With his plans successfully carried out, Kagura strode forward, once again humming a tune as he headed back home.
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