Spreading open the scroll, Shawn's eyes rapidly scanned its contents.
It was extremely comprehensive—not just hand-seal sequences, but also numerous formulas, principles, and detailed explanations of each technique.
Those annotations were most likely left personally by the First Hokage and had been completely copied by Danzo.
The techniques listed were equally extensive.
From foundational jutsu such as Wood Locking Wall, Wood Clone, and Adamantine Summoning Trees,
to advanced techniques like Deep Forest Emergence, Wood Dragon Technique,
and even True Several Thousand Hands—everything was there.
The only thing that made Shawn feel slightly regretful was the absence of Yamato's Four-Pillar House Technique.
After all, that was an essential skill for missions and outdoor camping.
"From now on, my main focus will be Wind Release and Wood Release."
Shawn had no intention of abandoning Wind Release just because he had awakened Wood Release.
He was very clear about one thing—
His Wood Release might surpass Yamato's, but it was nowhere near Hashirama Senju's.
At his current level, relying solely on Wood Release was unrealistic.
Wind Release, on the other hand, was his original specialty, with a solid foundation.
Moreover, setting aside the unreliable status-bar cheat, Shawn believed that if he wanted to go further, the only true path was to master more chakra natures and attempt to fuse them into kekkei genkai.
As for crooked or shortcut paths?
Stealing eyes.
Stealing "power banks."
Stealing the Ten-Tails.
Stealing the Ōtsutsuki.
...
Shaking off those thoughts, Shawn focused and began carefully rereading the Wood Release scroll from the beginning.
Once again, it started with Wood Locking Wall.
The annotations were incredibly detailed—far more accessible than Danzo's explanation.
Danzo's teaching had clearly been a high-level summary, stripping away complexity and leaving only the core essentials.
But Shawn preferred Hashirama's notes.
They might have been long-winded, but they were thorough.
After reading through it several times, Shawn rolled up the scroll and slowly began forming hand seals.
Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!
As his hands came together, Wood Release chakra surged into the ground.
In front of him, curved wooden pillars burst forth, interlocking into an arched barrier.
This shape closely resembled the Wood Locking Wall Shawn remembered Yamato using in actual combat.
On the basis of successful activation, Shawn had further refined his chakra control, altering the form of the technique.
Looking at the arched wall, Shawn suddenly thought of Kakashi Hatake's habit of carving dog heads into Earth-Style walls.
Should I add my own signature too?
A dragon carving would look pretty cool…
"And it'd help train chakra control as well."
"Once the jutsu is more stable, I'll give it a try."
Muttering to himself, Shawn continued training.
He experimented with different forms—
arched bridges,
four-sided enclosures,
and other structural variations—
to deepen his familiarity and control.
As this continued, his casting speed increased steadily, closing in on the upper limit of his hand-seal speed.
Meanwhile — Hokage's Office
Danzo stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, voicing his intention to expand Root.
"Expand Root?"
Hiruzen pondered quietly.
Recently, undercurrents in the shinobi world had been intensifying, placing immense pressure on ANBU.
Hiruzen had originally planned to expand ANBU's strength.
But now—
Konoha's political structure was stable, his authority unshakable.
It was time to make greater use of Danzo, his old friend.
One in the light.
One in the dark.
That division could reduce pressure on Konoha—and on himself.
Sensing Hiruzen's wavering, Danzo spoke firmly,
"Konoha is a great tree bathed in sunlight. Naturally, darkness will grow beneath it."
"Root exists in that darkness."
"More so than ANBU, Root is a force born of shadow."
"You protect the village in the light, Hiruzen.
I will protect it in the dark."
"Root will be the blade hidden in shadow—
eliminating all threats to Konoha, including those from within."
Danzo had harbored such thoughts before, but they had been vague.
Shawn's words had sharpened them into clarity.
Light and darkness…
Hiruzen weighed the implications rapidly.
Danzo continued,
"Hiruzen, Konoha is fully stabilized now. It's time we eliminate some internal rot."
"All the great villages are expanding their forces. War will come again sooner or later."
"If we don't cleanse the inside now, we won't be able to face the changing shinobi world."
"Leave these matters to me."
This was complete honesty.
Hiruzen immediately replied,
"I'll allow Root to expand—but you are absolutely forbidden from targeting comrades."
Danzo answered solemnly,
"Root protects Konoha. We target only Konoha's enemies."
"If someone is an enemy of the village, they must be eliminated."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
"In that case—do it."
"In emergencies, you won't need to report in advance."
A smile flickered in Danzo's eyes.
"Hiruzen—with the two of us working together, no one will ever harm Konoha."
Back at Root
Time passed quickly.
Shawn spent the entire morning refining Wood Locking Wall.
After lunch, he returned to his room at the Root base and resumed Rasengan training.
The difficulty far exceeded his expectations.
Although Naruto's training experience provided valuable reference—such as the use of Shadow Clones—Shawn deliberately avoided shortcuts.
His goal wasn't just to master the technique.
He was training chakra control.
Besides—
Single-hand Rasengan was cooler.
Like driving a Ferrari with one hand.
An entire afternoon slipped by.
Staring at the still-unbroken water balloon, Shawn stretched lazily.
Ninjutsu training is way too tedious.
He decided to head out and walk around Konoha's streets.
Just as he reached for his disguise, there was a knock at the door.
Opening it, he saw a masked Nakamura.
"A. Mission."
With that, Nakamura vanished.
"So soon…?"
Shawn felt puzzled, but his movements were swift.
He changed clothes, donned his demon mask, and departed.
Moments later, Shawn arrived at the assembly point.
Four shinobi were already standing before Danzo.
Nearby stood over a dozen shinobi dressed like Root members—
but with noticeably different auras.
New recruits?
Shawn swept them with his gaze, then stepped into formation.
Danzo spoke expressionlessly,
"The Third Hokage has approved Root's expansion."
"Root will no longer serve solely as ANBU's training division."
"From now on, Root will execute missions independently—
protecting Konoha from the darkness, just like ANBU."
Shawn's heart skipped.
That was fast.
Danzo had already secured Hiruzen's approval.
Truly best friends…
But then Shawn's thoughts shifted.
This probably suits Hiruzen just as well.
Danzo continued,
"From this moment on—A. You five will serve as squad leaders."
"Ten. Read the roster."
Standing beside Danzo, Shimura Taichi produced a list and began announcing names.
Sarutobi Atsushi, codename: Ape
Inuzuka Ryō, codename: Three-Head
Aburame Hii, codename: Flying Insect
Soon, Shawn heard the names and codenames of three subordinates assigned to him.
He couldn't help but wonder—
Had Danzo transferred these people specifically to reinforce Root?
Or had Hiruzen slipped them in?
In the end, it didn't really matter.
To Danzo—
They were all expendable assets.