The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the ruins of Konoha; Yakushi Nono wandered the familiar streets alone, her heart shrouded in an unspeakable heaviness.
She had once been an elite member of Root, burdened with the heavy responsibility of being an undercover agent in enemy Villages, spending those years rushing through the wind and rain of Iwagakure just to scout for intelligence.
However, this game of mutual deception had long since exhausted all her passion.
She did not like such missions, nor did she like such a life.
When she finally escaped the shadows of Root and became the head of an orphanage, she felt as if she had found the meaning of life—caring for children who had lost their parents to war.
Those innocent smiles and reliant gazes made her feel true warmth and satisfaction for the first time.
But reality was always cold.
The orphanage's funding was intermittent, barely sustained by meager allocations from Root.
Whenever war broke out, she could still take the children to earn a bit of money for food through logistical medical work; but once peace arrived, this faint source completely dried up.
Moreover, after the Nine-Tails' attack, Danzo approached her once again, wanting her to return to her old profession. He believed that with Konoha currently rebuilding, other Villages might have designs on them, and he wanted her to go to Iwagakure as an undercover agent.
Naturally, she wanted to refuse, as she was no longer willing to face that kind of life, but ultimately, under the threat of the orphanage's revolving funds, she was forced to accept Danzo's coercion.
She set out once more on the path of an undercover agent in Iwagakure to ensure the orphanage's survival.
At that time, her heart was wrenched with pain, yet she had no other choice.
Her undercover life proceeded as usual at first, but it soon fell into an eerie mist.
The Root contact person she was supposed to meet suddenly disappeared, and all the intelligence she sent back vanished without a trace.
Yakushi Nono was confused and uneasy; why was there no news at all?
Without a contact person, even if she discovered some intelligence, what use would it be?
What she didn't know was that Root had already vanished into thin air, and Danzo, its former controller, had been reduced to a cripple under the Fourth Hokage's thunderous methods.
This news had not spread throughout the entire Shinobi World, but was only circulated among the high-level officials of various Villages.
This was because Danzo had always hidden behind the scenes; many ordinary Shinobi likely didn't even know he existed, so naturally, the news couldn't spread.
In other words, Danzo did not have the status or position for anyone to care about his affairs.
If it had been Minato who became a cripple, the entire Shinobi World would likely have known within a few days.
Yakushi Nono had thought about returning to Konoha to ask what was going on, but it happened to coincide with the outbreak of war between Kumogakure and Konoha, and the atmosphere in Iwagakure was also tense.
As a member of Konoha, she forced herself to stay in Iwagakure to wait for an opportunity, thinking that this planted seed might still be useful in the future.
Perhaps Root was temporarily unable to attend to her because of the Kumogakure situation, and they would contact her again after some time.
Unfortunately, even after the war ended, she received no contact from Root.
One day, after Yakushi Nono determined that staying there was useless, she set off on her return journey alone.
Returning to Konoha, the sight before her made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
The Root base had become a scene of broken walls and debris, silent and deserted.
She stood frozen in shock, unable to believe that with Danzo's power, Root could have collapsed so suddenly.
With her doubts unresolved, she ran toward the place she cared about most: the orphanage.
What met her eyes was an even harsher reality: dilapidated walls, collapsed eaves, and the figures of all the children had disappeared.
At that moment, remorse surged over her like a tide.
She thought that Danzo had betrayed his promise and cut off the funding while she was undercover, allowing this place once filled with laughter to vanish into nothingness.
At this time, her thoughts were a bit chaotic; she was like a headless fly, completely unsure of what to do.
Ultimately, her professional instincts drove her to investigate the reasons behind it.
During this process, she also discovered that some Anbu were searching for something, and what puzzled her even more was that they seemed to be looking for her.
Yakushi Nono didn't quite understand how she had been exposed; after all, after Takuno completed the modification of the Konoha barrier, she was no longer a member of Root nor a Shinobi, so she didn't know that the keys to the Konoha barrier were changed periodically.
But remembering the current state of the Root base, and since she was still technically a member of Root, she began to deliberately avoid them and cautiously scouted for information.
Soon, she gathered the information she wanted from the streets and alleys; it wasn't difficult, as these were matters of public record.
The whole truth left her dazed: shortly after she left, Danzo was personally crippled by the Fourth Hokage, Minato.
At the same time, a new orphanage was built with the support of the Fourth Hokage, and all other scattered and fragmented old orphanages were unified and replaced.
Those children already had a more stable home.
Yakushi Nono stood there like a wooden chicken, feeling happy for the children while a belated pang of regret surged in her heart.
"If I had just waited a little longer," she murmured to herself, "I could have escaped Danzo's threat, and with the Fourth Hokage's support, I could have transferred to the new orphanage and continued to care for those children."
Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now.
So, what should she do now?
Yakushi Nono was a bit lost. Should she go to the Fourth Hokage and confess her past? If she admitted to being a remnant of Root, would she be viewed as a member of the remnant faction and executed?
After a period of internal struggle, Yakushi Nono finally found peace.
"I'll go see the children first and confirm with my own eyes that they are well. After that, even if I am executed by the Hokage, I will die with no regrets."
Just as this thought arose, a deep-seated sorrow tore at her heart.
Yakushi Kabuto, the child she treated as her own, had also been caught up in the darkness of Root and had joined them.
According to the current information, Yakushi Kabuto was likely already dead or in a dire situation.
Did she feel resentment? Yakushi Nono did not. She knew that the Fourth Hokage had done nothing wrong; he had even specially prepared an orphanage with much better conditions for those orphans—
Knowing the state of Root yet failing to stop Kabuto from joining them, what right did she have to resent him?
After shedding a line of tears, Yakushi Nono made up her mind and quietly walked toward the new orphanage.
As she neared her destination, she keenly sensed something unusual: the figures of Anbu were faintly visible among the surrounding eaves and trees, seemingly waiting for their prey.
She was also filled with surprise: "Just because I took one more look at the old orphanage, the Anbu tracked me here? Konoha's detection system is truly awe-inspiring."
But this instead gave her a slight sense of relief; how safe the children were, living under such protection.
If this continued, even if she wanted to keep hiding, she would surely be caught within a few days, wouldn't she?
However, there was no longer any need to keep hiding. She had decided that as long as she saw the children living normally, she would reveal herself, and whatever happened after being caught would be fine.
Just as she was about to step forward, a cold voice rang out unexpectedly by her ear.
"Found you, the Wandering Miko, Yakushi Nono."
Before the voice could fade, her eyes widened, and before she could even react, she fell into darkness amidst a bout of dizziness.
Takuno deftly caught her unconscious body, yawned slightly, and then left with her.
He needed to take her away from the Konoha barrier; that way, the Anbu would receive news from the Sealing Department that she had already left Konoha.
However, those Anbu would likely be scolded by him afterward.
Takuno suddenly felt a bit embarrassed; after all, he was the one who caused his subordinates to fail, yet he would still have to criticize them later—
But it couldn't be helped; since he was their leader, he could only give them more compensation in the future.
In this way, Takuno took Yakushi Nono out of the Konoha barrier, using the backdoor he had previously left in it, of course.
The night was thick.
Deep in the dense forest, a bonfire was the only flickering light in the darkness.
The fire crackled, reflecting Takuno's face hidden behind the fox mask, mysterious and unsettling.
He was unhurriedly adding new firewood to the pile, his movements composed, as if this were not a place of captivity, but an ordinary camping trip.
The dancing firelight cast wavering shadows on his cold mask, adding a touch of eeriness.
Not far from his feet, the unconscious Yakushi Nono lay quietly, the faint rise and fall of her chest the only sign of life.
"Since you're awake, stop acting; it's a waste of both our time." Takuno's low voice pierced the silence of the night without warning, as clear as if he were whispering right in her ear.
Yakushi Nono's body tensed instantly, as if pricked by invisible needles, her last shred of hope ruthlessly punctured.
She He sat up abruptly., her eyes filled with vigilance and fear as she quickly scanned her surroundings, finally locking onto that eerie fox mask.
"Who—who are you?! What is your purpose in infiltrating Konoha and kidnapping me?!" Her voice carried a suppressed tremble, yet she struggled to remain calm.
"People call me 'The Collector'." Takuno's voice was light, even carrying a hint of playfulness, as if it were merely an insignificant code name.
Yakushi Nono's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a cold hand.
She had certainly heard that name!
News of Kumogakure repeatedly suffering at the hands of this "Collector" had been widespread lately; he had already ascended to the top of Kumogakure's global most-wanted list, his fierce reputation preceding him.
But what confused her even more was that rumors suggested this mysterious person seemed to have cooperated with Konoha on the battlefield—
Why would a seemingly friend of Konoha know of her existence? And why would he lay a hand on her?
"As for the purpose," Takuno's gaze peered through the holes of the mask, unceremoniously scanning Yakushi Nono for a moment as if evaluating an object, "I need you to work for me."
Yakushi Nono's brow furrowed deeply.
Work for him? This reason was simply absurd! She didn't consider herself a core figure in Konoha, nor did she possess peerless talent; where was the value that would make him risk infiltrating the Village to kidnap her?
How could she know that in Takuno's eyes, her own value might be limited, but the adopted son behind her named "Yakushi Kabuto" was an immeasurable, unpolished gem!
"I'm sorry, my loyalty lies with Konoha!" Yakushi Nono refused without the slightest hesitation, her gaze as firm as iron, her tone filled with a readiness to die. "You can kill me right now!"
"Is that so?" A barely audible chuckle came from beneath Takuno's mask, carrying a hint of a dangerous omen.
He nonchalantly snapped his fingers.
"Aaaahhh!!!"
A shrill, inhuman scream instantly tore through the silent night sky!
Yakushi Nono's eyes suddenly bulged, her eyeballs nearly bursting from their sockets; her body jerked and curled up like a fully drawn bow.
All over her body, veins bulged hideously like menacing earthworms; blood surged wildly beneath her fair skin, and blood vessels were clearly visible.
Every inch of flesh and every bone felt as if they were undergoing invisible torture; unspeakable pain surged like a tide, instantly submerging her.
She collapsed to the ground, only able to let out broken, desperate whimpers.
That familiar and cruel scream rang in Takuno's ears once again as expected; he seemed to have grown accustomed to it.
After an unknown amount of time, the bone-deep pain finally receded slowly like a tide, leaving behind a ravaged riverbed.
Yakushi Nono lay limp on the ground like a discarded, broken doll, left with only heavy, difficult, and intermittent gasps, each breath seeming to exhaust all her strength.
Cold sweat had long since soaked her clothes, sticking to her body clammily.
"Now then," Takuno's voice was calm and steady, as if the person who had just cruelly administered the torture were not himself, "has your answer changed?"
"No... no..." Yakushi Nono gasped, her voice weak yet still carrying an unquestionable firmness. "I will never... betray Konoha!"
Deep in her eyes, the stubbornness belonging to "the Wandering Miko" had still not been completely extinguished.
A fleeting trace of appreciation crossed Takuno's eyes.
Someone who could maintain such will under the extreme torture of the "Death Curse Seal" was indeed rare and worthy of respect.
However, he had planned for a long time; how could he have prepared only this one shackle? Appreciation was one thing, but subjugation was the goal.
With a flick of his wrist, a small scroll cut through the air and landed in front of Yakushi Nono.
She struggled to prop herself up, picking up the scroll with deep suspicion and unrolling it with trembling fingers.
When her gaze touched the text and images on the scroll, her pupils suddenly constricted to the size of pinpricks as if hit by a strong light, and the blood throughout her body seemed to freeze into ice instantly!
On it, densely packed, were records of all the children from the orphanage she cherished as her own life, their latest movements, information, and even photographs!
The devil's whisper sounded in her ear at just the right time, carrying a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Now, do you still wish to refuse, Miss Yakushi Nono?"