Danzo's words were like a basin of ice water poured over Yakushi Nonou.
Her weakness was completely exposed—Danzo had seized it entirely. Her previous excitement drained, her voice of protest dwindled into despair:
"Grandpa Danzo… the funding issue… Lord Hokage promised…"
"Hmph, promised?" Danzo sneered, disdain dripping from his words at Sarutobi Hiruzen's so-called "benevolence."
"Hypocritical benevolence!" he spat. "He's far away on the front lines, commanding the war, while several elders supervise logistics and the battlefield. Today, Konoha's stability rests solely on me! My word is the highest command in this village! Understand?"
Every word struck Nonou like a hammer. Her face turned pale, lips trembling, but no sound came out.
"I… I…" A deep sense of helplessness overwhelmed her.
Just as the tension reached its peak, and Nonou teetered on the edge of collapse…
Creak—
The slightly worn wooden office door opened a crack, and a small figure squeezed inside.
It was Kevis.
His small face betrayed none of the panic or curiosity a child should have; he was unnaturally calm. His gaze swept over Yume Ryoma standing behind Danzo, then landed on Danzo and Nonou, confronting each other in tense silence, finally resting on Nonou's pale, helpless face.
The sudden intruder startled both Danzo and Yakushi Nonou.
Danzo scrutinized the child—the "uncut jade" he was determined to obtain. His composure far exceeded that of ordinary children, and his calmness confirmed what Danzo already suspected: this child was extraordinary.
Nonou's heart constricted. She feared Danzo would harm Kevis and instinctively wanted to shield him behind her.
But Kevis, with his short legs, walked with uncommon determination to the center of the office.
He looked up at Nonou, and in a voice surprisingly steady for his age, broke the oppressive silence:
"Mama Dean, you don't have to worry about me anymore."
He paused, then turned toward Danzo, forcing a polite, well-behaved smile onto his small face.
"Grandpa Danzo, I'll go with you."
Kevis had been listening outside the door for some time and could no longer stand idly by. Yakushi Nonou's weakness was fully exposed, leaving her no room to resist. If they waited, he might be forcibly taken.
Better to take the initiative while he still had value.
"Hmph! Priestess, even a child is clearer-headed than you!" Danzo remarked, glancing at Kevis with satisfaction, his sharp tongue not relenting as he jabbed at Yakushi Nonou.
Nonou's face turned ashen, her chest tightening. She could barely register Danzo's taunts; her mind focused solely on Kevis's words: "I'll go with you."
"Kevis… you're still so young… you don't even know how dark Root is…"
Her voice trembled as she reached out instinctively, trying to pull him back, to shield him from the man-eating abyss before them.
Before she could act, Kevis turned his small head, grinning at her—a smile filled with reassurance, clean yet hinting at wisdom far beyond his years.
"I know, Mama Dean," he said. His voice was childish yet clear. "Everyone in the Orphanage is hungry. I eat a lot every day. If I go with Grandpa Danzo, the Orphanage will have fewer burdens, and… I can eat my fill, even have meat."
He smacked his lips, looking ravenous, making Nonou's heart ache. This child understood everything perfectly.
Kevis didn't allow Nonou to argue. He turned back to face Danzo, standing ramrod straight, showing no fear toward a high-status adult.
He lifted his small chin and spoke firmly:
"However, Grandpa Danzo, I have a condition."
The air in the room tightened. Yume Ryoma behind Danzo turned his head, scrutinizing the audacious little fellow.
Danzo's brow twitched, a playful smile curling on his lips. Heh… this little thing dares to make demands? Interesting. Truly interesting.
This composure, this courage—it was far beyond what an ordinary child could possess. Danzo's assessment of Kevis climbed another notch. Initially seen as a mere prodigy, he now appeared frighteningly mature. This only strengthened Danzo's desire to train Kevis personally, to have him inherit the Will of Root, sculpting him into the sharpest blade imaginable.
"Speak," Danzo said, his voice softening slightly, tinged with curiosity.
Kevis's posture remained impeccable. "As long as the Orphanage can have meat at every meal—no, as long as Mama Dean and everyone in the Orphanage can eat their fill—I'll go with you. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it, and I promise to satisfy you."
He deliberately emphasized "eat their fill," uttering the words with sincerity, as if fulfilling this wish were his highest goal.
Yakushi Nonou could no longer restrain her tears. They streamed down her face as she clamped a hand over her mouth, preventing herself from crying out. Her heart swelled with emotion.
Danzo stared at Kevis for a long moment, his voice softening in a rare display of admiration.
"Little brat… very good!"
He praised the child, forcing a tone of reliability and even feigned kindness. "This old man promises you: from now on, in addition to the village's monthly support, Root will approve an extra 200,000 ryo for the Orphanage, for food and daily needs. This old man keeps his word!"
Two hundred thousand ryo!
Nonou's eyes widened, hardly believing her ears. Such a sum could dramatically improve the Orphanage's penniless existence.
Meanwhile, Danzo's mind calculated: people with attachments are easier to control. This little brat, thinking of the Orphanage at his age, was effectively handing over his weakness. For high-value individuals, coercion alone wasn't enough; incentives had to be intertwined with loyalty. Kevis's talent alone justified the small sacrifice.
Two hundred thousand ryo was nothing to Root, and securing the child's loyalty was priceless.
"Really? That's great!" Kevis's face broke into a wide smile, delight dancing across his features as if receiving a rare treasure. He clapped his small hands, visibly pleased.
But inside, he fumed: Only 200,000 ryo? For beggars! Danzo's stingy to the core!
Still, something was better than nothing.
At least Yakushi Nonou and the Orphanage could breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
Just wait a few years… little ol' me… By then, your Root?
He looked up again, innocence and joy returning to his face. Sweetly, he called out:
"Thank you, Grandpa Danzo!"