When he heard that Danzō wanted him to join Root, Uchiha Gen was visibly startled. After a brief hesitation, he asked with a somewhat timid expression,
"What is Root? How come I've never heard of this department in the village?"
Danzō's lone eye gleamed, and a fanatical light flickered across his face as he spoke,
"Root is a department even more secretive than ANBU. We stand in the darkness of the village, protecting the village bathed in sunlight. We are the most important force safeguarding Konoha."
In truth, Danzō did not particularly care about Uchiha Gen, despite his impressive display of taijutsu.
A special jōnin, after all, was still fundamentally a chūnin—someone whose strength had reached jōnin level in only a single field.
Uchiha Gen defeating Yoshiwara Yūto was not something Danzō found remarkable.
Taijutsu was, in the end, just taijutsu.
Compared to Gen, Uchiha Shisui was the true genius—one who had drawn the attention of both Danzō and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The reason Danzō had summoned Uchiha Gen and offered him a place in Root was simple: he wanted to plant a spy within the Uchiha clan. Someone who could quietly relay information, strengthening the village's surveillance of the clan.
As an outsider within the Uchiha—someone who had never been truly accepted—Uchiha Gen was perfectly suited for such a role.
Seeing Gen remain silent, Danzō spoke again, his voice low and deliberate.
"Join Root, and I can allow you to possess the Sharingan."
"What?!"
Uchiha Gen snapped his head up, his face filled with shock and excitement.
Danzō continued to tempt him.
"You are an outsider among the Uchiha, with impure blood. The chance of awakening the Sharingan naturally is slim. That is why you focus on taijutsu, isn't it? Join Root, and I can grant you the Sharingan immediately."
A faint, satisfied smile crept onto Danzō's aged face.
He was confident that Uchiha Gen would not refuse. No one could resist the temptation of the Sharingan—especially an Uchiha who had yet to awaken it.
Time passed in silence.
Suddenly, Danzō's expression darkened.
The timid, uneasy look on Uchiha Gen's face vanished, replaced by a mocking smile.
"Old man," Gen said calmly, his voice dripping with disdain,
"I have to admit—your offer is tempting. But I'm not interested in joining Root. A proud Uchiha would never crawl into the sewers and become a rat."
A sharp killing intent burst from Danzō's remaining eye.
"Kill him."
In the next instant, a Root ninja appeared behind Uchiha Gen. A shuriken flashed, slicing toward his neck like a beam of cold light.
Bang!
Gen's body burst apart into smoke.
It was a Shadow Clone.
"Lord Danzō," the Root ninja said stiffly, kneeling. "This is my failure. I did not realize he had already switched places with a clone."
Danzō's voice was icy.
"As expected of an Uchiha. Carelessness is unacceptable. He must have replaced himself the moment he sensed your intent."
"I will pursue and kill him immediately."
Danzō sneered, his gaze cold and calculating.
"No need. We'll decide how to deal with him after he survives the battlefield."
"For now, let him fight for the village. That is his only value—and the only reason he is still alive."
---
Training Ground 17
Standing before Uchiha Gen, Senju Gen, and Aida Kai was a man in his early twenties.
"I am Shiranui Aoba," he said evenly. "A chūnin of the village. From today onward, I will serve as your guiding ninja."
Aoba's gaze lingered on Uchiha Gen for a moment, and he smiled faintly, his expression complicated.
"Uchiha Gen, I'll be relying on you."
Gen returned the smile politely.
"Aoba-sensei, please guide me as well."
At that moment, his expression subtly shifted as the memories from his Shadow Clone flowed into his mind.
Danzō… Root… That assassination attempt was fast and merciless.
A sharp glint flickered deep within Uchiha Gen's eyes.
He knew he had already crossed paths with Danzō.
And that their conflict had only just begun.
---
Over the next two days, Shiranui Aoba conducted emergency pre-battle training for the three of them.
However, Uchiha Gen had already learned extensive battlefield experience from Hatake Sakumo, while Senju Gen had been guided by elders of the Senju clan.
As a result, among the three, only Aida Kai earnestly absorbed Aoba's instruction.
---
Departure
Early in the morning, as the sky began to pale, Uchiha Gen sat beneath the corridor outside his home, carefully wiping down a shuriken.
Once finished, he placed it into a cloth belt beside him, where more than a dozen shuriken were neatly arranged.
He rolled the belt up and fastened it around his waist.
"Gen."
"Brother."
As Gen prepared to leave, he heard his mother's voice.
Turning around, he saw his mother, Uchiha Rei, and his younger sister, Izumi, both holding back tears.
Suppressing her emotions, Rei said softly,
"Gen… you must come back alive."
Izumi clenched her fists.
"Gen, be careful on the battlefield. Don't ever let your guard down."
"I will," Gen replied gently. "Don't worry. I'll be cautious."
He stepped forward, ruffled Izumi's hair, and lightly flicked her nose.
"Wait for me. Your brother will come back safely."
After bidding them farewell, Uchiha Gen leapt onto the rooftops, moving swiftly through the village until he reached Training Ground One.
Today, all shinobi assigned to the front lines were gathering there.
More than a hundred people had already arrived, with more streaming in from every corner of the village.
Some stood in groups, discussing battlefield intelligence; others waited silently.
Uchiha Gen stood in a quieter corner, arms crossed, waiting for his teammates.
"Gen-kun."
Hatake Seiko approached, scanning the crowd before spotting him.
"Seiko."
Gen's gaze swept over Seiko's dark-green flak vest and the short blade strapped across his back.
"Nervous?" Gen asked.
Seiko nodded.
"Before I left, Father patted my shoulder and said the future of the Hatake clan rests on me."
"Forget that once you leave the village," Gen said calmly. "On the battlefield, overthinking will get you killed."
They exchanged what information their clans had gathered about the war.
Soon after, Senju Gen arrived, followed by Aida Kai, Hyūga Kagami, and others.
By then, more than two thousand shinobi had assembled—many of them Academy graduates barely nine to twelve years old.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived alongside jōnin such as Nara Shikaku.
After delivering a brief speech about protecting the village and driving back the enemy, the shinobi were divided into units and began departing Konoha—marching toward the battlefield.
---
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