The chill of Konoha's night air brushed against my skin as I crouched on the rooftops. The System's translucent screen floated before my eyes, glowing faint blue:
"Investigate ROOT's recent mobilization."
Rewards: +200 System Points, Mystery Ability (Sealed).
ROOT. Danzo's personal force.
In the original timeline, they were ghosts—operatives erased from history books, their sins buried with their silence.
But this was not that timeline.
Sakumo had noticed unusual movements near the northern training grounds, and the whispers among ANBU suggested something bigger.
Something that even the White Fang himself considered dangerous.
"Are you sure about this?" Nawaki's voice broke my thoughts. He stood behind me, clutching his kunai nervously. The boy had grown sharper after his near-death experience, but deep down, he was still the same optimistic Senju.
"This isn't a mission for you," I replied quietly. "If ROOT catches us—"
"—they'll erase us? Yeah, I've heard it before," Nawaki muttered, but his eyes were determined. "But you saved me once, and I'm not letting you go alone."
Before I could argue further, the System pinged:
"Take an ally to infiltrate ROOT."
Bonus Reward: +50 Affection (Companion).
Tch. The System loved drama.
"Fine. But stay behind me and don't do anything stupid."
We reached the abandoned shrine that served as ROOT's rumored entrance. To any normal person, it was just old stone and moss, forgotten by time.
But to those who knew where to look…
A faint chakra signature flickered beneath the altar.
"Hidden seal," I whispered. "Danzo's style."
Nawaki leaned closer, impressed. "You can sense that much now? What else has that weird 'training' of yours given you?"
"Enough to know when I'm about to get killed," I muttered.
Suddenly, my System interface flashed red:
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a tall man in standard ANBU gear, mask shaped like a weasel, but the pattern… ROOT-exclusive.
"You shouldn't have come here." His voice was cold, emotionless.
My hand instinctively reached for my kunai. Nawaki stiffened.
"ROOT doesn't like visitors," I said slowly, eyes locked on him.
The masked operative tilted his head slightly, almost curious. "You're interesting. Danzo-sama will want to meet you."
Before I could reply, he moved—faster than my Sharingan could track.
A kunai whistled past my cheek, grazing skin. Blood trickled down.
And then, the System voice echoed inside my head, louder than ever:
For a split second, everything slowed down. I could see every motion, every faint shift in the operative's stance.
I smiled. "Finally…