The first Root member to shake hands with Hiruzen stiffened all over.
Almost by reflex, he said, "Not hard at all—everything is for Konoha!"
His name was Aburame Tatsuma, formerly the second-in-command of Root.
"No. It is hard."
Hiruzen carefully looked him over, recalling his file.
Skilled in infiltration, tracking, reconnaissance, and counter-reconnaissance… the kikaichū he cultivated possessed enhanced sensory traits…
Hiruzen gave his shoulder a firm pat.
Then, from his pocket, he solemnly took out a medal and personally pinned it onto Tatsuma.
It was an octagonal medal, matte black.
Forged from chakra metal mixed with black iron, it had a cold, heavy texture.
At the top was a miniature Konoha emblem. At the center was engraved a great tree with flourishing branches and leaves.
The recipient's name was recorded among the tree's roots, as if being firmly supported by its root system.
Below it were small raised characters:
[Root of Konoha, Silent Guardian of the Firmament.]
On the back of the medal, in dark gold engraving at the center, was a line:
[Personally awarded by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.]
Tatsuma's pupils shrank.
He hadn't expected that calling over these "remnants of Danzō"… was actually to personally award them medals!
Even though Danzō, up until the dissolution of Root, had never openly ordered them to attack the Hokage…
Within Root—that underground private kingdom—every member knew: their "Danzō-sama" would complain the moment he returned, saying how weak and dovish Sarutobi Hiruzen was, how sooner or later he would bring trouble to Konoha…
Better that he become Hokage instead!
The so-called Root—its official name was the ANBU Training Department, subordinate to the ANBU.
Which meant that in name, Root was also part of the ANBU—direct troops under the Hokage.
And hearing such words from Danzō, yet failing to report them in time—was already a grave taboo!
Far too disloyal…
Tatsuma watched as Hiruzen focused intently on pinning the medal onto him, and he felt a slight heat rise in his hands and feet.
Too ashamed!
'I thought…'
'I thought that Hokage-sama had called us here to Mito-sama's place to use her ability to probe hearts… to test how we truly felt toward you…'
'That it was to purge us.'
Tatsuma felt even his face grow hot, hesitating as he spoke.
They were Root—people without emotions, without names, without pasts.
But human hearts were made of flesh after all… and the village's changes were not something they hadn't seen…
Hiruzen moved on to the next Root member.
He still shook hands with him solemnly.
"Thank you for your hard work."
This Root member showed a bit more liveliness than Tatsuma.
Rather than being like a cold machine.
His name was Ida, inheritor of a secret technique called Super Beast Imitation Drawing. He had been recruited into Root by Danzō several years ago, but did not fully agree with his ideals.
Ida looked at Hiruzen excitedly: "Hokage-sama, you are the one who works the hardest!"
"Not hard at all. It's all for the village."
Hiruzen shook his head, patted his shoulder, and said loudly: "Good lad!"
Ida immediately straightened his back.
"Thank you for Hokage-sama's praise!"
Hiruzen smiled inwardly.
'Danzō's control over Root isn't as strong as I thought.'
'But that's also just how things naturally work.'
Root indeed gathered capable and extraordinary individuals. In terms of average ability, they even surpassed the ANBU.
But the more capable a shinobi was, the less likely they were to be completely conditioned…
Most had entered Root too early, never having seen the outside world.
And the period after Hiruzen disbanded Root and let them recuperate—was precisely meant to give them a buffer.
Hiruzen went down the line—shaking hands, patting shoulders, pinning medals.
Until he reached the last Root member.
He wore black gloves, his expression clearly tense, looking at Hiruzen awkwardly.
"What, don't want to shake my hand?" Hiruzen asked with a smile, a thought stirring in his mind.
Having read through Root's files, Hiruzen naturally recognized him.
His name was Aburame Shikuro—a rare poison insect user even within the Aburame Clan.
The nanoscopic poison insects he controlled—the Rinkaichū—could destroy living organisms at the cellular level.
For shinobi without special countermeasures, a single touch meant certain death.
He could be called a walking biological weapon!
Because of this, Shikuro had never had friends or companions since childhood.
Even members of the Aburame Clan kept their distance.
Because even ordinary kikaichū would be eroded by the Rinkaichū.
It wasn't that the clan was cold-hearted.
It was that, as a child, Shikuro truly had no ability to fully control the Rinkaichū.
He was extremely dangerous.
And because of that, Danzō saw the darkness in his heart—and brought him into Root…
Aburame Shikuro would occasionally think:
If he had descendants, they would probably grow up experiencing the same thing as him…
"It… it's not like that, Hokage-sama!"
"I carry extremely dangerous poison insects inside my body…" Shikuro said, lowering his head.
"Then can you control them properly now? At least keep them from gathering in your hands."
Hiruzen raised a finger.
"Just for the time it takes to shake hands."
Shikuro froze, staring at Hiruzen in disbelief.
He could control the insects from leaking out.
Not just for a short time—even a few hours would be no problem…
But the terror of nanoscopic poison insects ran too deep.
So much so that even during daily training or meals—if Shikuro wasn't wearing gloves and protective gear, even his fellow Root members would instantly react as if facing a great enemy.
Even if Shikuro could retract the insects, who would want to experience that bone-gnawing pain?
Root shinobi could feel pain too!
And yet, the Hokage before him—
chose to trust him.
Hiruzen looked at Shikuro, encouragement filling his eyes, gesturing lightly with his hand.
Shikuro took a deep breath, mobilizing chakra throughout his entire body, compressing the poison insects inward as much as possible…
With such force, it was as if he were trying to drain all the blood from his hands.
His body trembled as he removed his gloves.
And then—
Hiruzen grasped his hand without the slightest hesitation.
And unlike with the others—he not only shook his hand, but also patted Shikuro's shoulder, not rushing to let go at all, as if there were no poison insects inside him.
"I knew it, Shikuro—you can control your insects very well!" Hiruzen said loudly, pinning the medal onto him and nodding in satisfaction.
Shikuro stared blankly at Hiruzen.
This was the Hokage!
Everyone else avoided him—whether clan or Root—yet Hokage-sama trusted him!
An indescribable feeling ignited in his heart…
He suddenly recalled a scene.
Once, when Danzō summoned him to report, Shikuro had been training his insect control without wearing gloves.
When Danzō saw this, he immediately scolded him harshly, not even allowing him to explain.
From a system and safety standpoint, Danzō wasn't wrong.
But with Hiruzen as a comparison—it was no longer the same…
"Everyone."
"The medal on your chest is to commend your silent contributions to Konoha all this time. It is called the 'Konoha Root Guardian of the Firmament Medal.'"
"With this medal—"
"When you carry out missions, the village will no longer take a share. You will continue to receive an annual stipend of one million ryō for recuperation. All personal medical treatment will be free. Serious illnesses will receive joint consultation from experts led by Tsunade from the Research and Medical Departments."
"And your next generation will also receive the village's focused attention. Their abilities will be evaluated, and suitable teachers will be assigned by the village for one-on-one instruction."
"If any of your children are interested in the Five Nature Transformations, I can also serve as a tutor for Root children for a while…" Hiruzen said with a smile.
"If they aren't suited to becoming shinobi, then I'll find them an appropriate position in the Land of Fire."
"I can't guarantee great wealth and high status, but making sure they have food, clothing, shelter, and a stable life won't be a problem."
The combat-sequence shinobi of Root numbered seventeen in total, the same establishment size as one ANBU squad.
Giving them these preferential benefits would not have any real impact on the village's finances.
That was also why, when setting up the various subsidies, Hiruzen had built in "redundancy."
For example, for the ANBU subsidies, the number of people who actually met the requirements was three hundred and forty-nine.
But the budget had been calculated on the basis of five hundred people, precisely to guard against sudden situations like this…
The books had to keep liquid funds.
As Hiruzen's words fell—the pupils of the Root shinobi seemed to quake as though struck by an earthquake. Not one of them had guessed it would be like this…
So it really wasn't a purge—it was heavy reward instead!
In the understanding of the Root shinobi, for private soldiers of Danzō like them… once their superior had been completely suppressed by the Hokage, there was almost no chance they wouldn't be purged!
That was how cruel the shinobi world was.
Even if they truly had made contributions to Konoha, and even if they had not caused Sarutobi Hiruzen any substantive harm… as long as there was even the shadow of disloyalty, then Hiruzen executing them would still be justifiable by shinobi ethics…
Because in Konoha, there had always only ever been one supreme commander, one Hokage!
No one would speak for them. Even if someone might feel a bit of pity, once they thought about the words "Root" and how it was tied to "Danzō"… they would most likely let it drop.
It could be said that they were meat on Sarutobi Hiruzen's chopping block, ready to be minced at any time!
But Hokage-sama didn't make an example out of them—instead, he chose to lift them up.
"All these years, you have made many contributions to Konoha. I have seen that clearly."
"I am very gratified that none of you has done anything that would put me in a difficult position."
Hiruzen's tone suddenly turned serious.
The air inside the Senju ancestral residence seemed to freeze solid in that instant.
The Root shinobi all felt their hearts tighten.
They understood it even more deeply now.
It was not that the Hokage lacked the ability to deal with them, but that he was a generous and benevolent man, and so he treated them with kindness.
"Though this is also a result of my failure to supervise Root in time…"
"I bear an inescapable responsibility for Danzō's loss of control…" Hiruzen let out a sigh and gave the Root shinobi a slight bow.
That single action shocked the Root shinobi badly.
The Hokage was bowing in apology?
What they had seen from Danzō was corporal punishment and harsh scolding. Where had they ever seen something like this?
Aburame Tatsuma's heart trembled. He immediately bent into a deep bow, while tugging at his companion's sleeve.
Only then did the companion beside him react, hurriedly bending as well, and tugging at the sleeve of the companion on the other side…
Like a line of dominoes, a whole row of Root shinobi bowed deeply one after another…
Though one thing was worth mentioning.
Ida and Aburame Shikuro had already bowed deeply to Sarutobi Hiruzen before anyone reminded them.
Watching this scene, Mito sighed silently to herself: 'That decisiveness in apologizing… just as expected of a child taught by Hashirama…'
Back then, whenever Hashirama held talks with others, he would always begin with a sincere apology.
Forget bowing—he had even knocked his head against the table before…
Of course, every now and then he would also accidentally display a bit of strength.
But after Hashirama's fame resounded throughout the shinobi world, those incidents of not controlling his strength stopped happening.
Probably just a coincidence…
"Everyone, in your eyes, being taken by Danzō into Root may seem like a small matter…"
"But in my eyes, this is a major matter!"
"It concerns the institutional construction of the village, and it also concerns the purity of the Will of Fire!"
"So I ask you—raise your heads high and think seriously: what else do you still need me, your Hokage, to do for you?" Hiruzen said in a deep voice.
"You have worn yourselves out for the village, endured hardship in all weather, and steeped yourselves in darkness…"
"If the village does not repay you, would that not mean this is one-sided exploitation? Everyone who contributes to the village must receive a return…"
"That is an order!!" Hiruzen shouted loudly.
But in truth, he said it that way because the Hokage was a bit out of options.
Because he realized that the Root shinobi seemed unable to understand the idea of "reward matching contribution"…
"Hokage-sama, this is already very good…"
Shikuro silently raised a hand. After receiving Hiruzen's nod, he said softly: "Danzō-sa… no, the Advisor taught us that dedicating ourselves to the village and the Will of Fire is the highest and most supreme honor and reward for people of darkness like us."
The other Root members all nodded one after another.
Hiruzen chuckled.
He had seen through Danzō's method clearly.
'To completely attach personal value to the village, deny a shinobi's personal demands and interests, and shape them into 'tools of the village' without selves…'
'To use the doctrine that immersing oneself in darkness and devotion is the highest glory to fill the material void left by Root having no public commendation and no tangible reward.'
'To bind 'absolute obedience to orders' tightly to 'the survival of Konoha,' equating Danzō's personal commands with the village's benefit, so that shinobi lose independent judgment and can only blindly obey him…'
If this went on, Hiruzen was certain that in a few more years, if Danzō ordered these Root shinobi to assassinate him, they would simply carry it out.
"To dedicate oneself to the village is naturally a glory beyond compare."
"The so-called Will of Fire means that when everyone gives for Konoha, Konoha in turn protects everyone…"
"You have shielded Konoha from wind and rain, and you have also suffered grievances. The village, and I as Hokage, have kept all of that in our hearts."
"If even the people of Root cannot receive repayment, then who would be worthy of that honor?"
"Then the Will of Fire too would become nothing but empty words!" Hiruzen said with utmost seriousness.
The Root shinobi silently looked at Hiruzen.
In their eyes, under the sunlight, the Hokage seemed to have a thin layer of fire burning over his body…
So warm.
"Hokage-sama, this is already very good," Tatsuma said softly.
And then, one after another, the Root shinobi all spoke in agreement, their expressions and tones utterly sincere.
On some faces, joy that could no longer be suppressed had already appeared.
And that joy made Hiruzen's heart ache slightly.
Shinobi really were far too easy to fool…
He had merely given some compensation and a little comfort, and urged them to ask for more, yet this group kept insisting it was enough.
As though being acknowledged by the village and given a bit of real security was already some enormous bargain, and they did not dare ask for a shred more.
As though they feared that if this Hokage thought them greedy and insatiable, he might instead take away this long-awaited kindness they had only just obtained.
Hiruzen let out a long sigh.
Shinobi were the most cunning and brutal of all, yet sometimes, they were also the most simple and easily contented…
Mito, too, gave a faint sigh.
With her Mind's Eye of the Kagura combined with the Nine-Tails' sensory ability, she could not reach the level of hearing thoughts.
But at this distance, she could still precisely sense the emotions in Hiruzen's heart.
Mito was moved.
The tolerance and love in Hiruzen's heart for Konoha's shinobi had already reached the same level as Hashirama's…
Pure goodwill.
Mito could not help but think of Danzō, who came here to hoe the ground for her.
The stray thoughts in her heart became extremely chaotic…
Mito shook her head. There was really no need to compare him with Danzō.
There was no comparison at all…
At this moment, even the Nine-Tails within her raised its two long ears in confusion and muttered inwardly: 'This feeling… it's even reminding me of Asura…'
'A shinobi like this actually exists? One day, I should have Mito tell me his story. His name was Sarutobi Hiruzen, right…'
Worth mentioning was that the current relationship between the Nine-Tails and Mito was much better than before.
At the very beginning, when it discovered that Uzumaki Mito had begun to recover her vitality and draw on its chakra…
The Nine-Tails had been extremely irritable and dissatisfied.
But Mito explained a certain principle to the Nine-Tails, and so the woman and the fox reached a further stage of cooperation.
Inside Mito's body, the Nine-Tails could at least still retain a certain degree of freedom.
Because Mito was confident she could keep the Nine-Tails under control, there was naturally no need to treat it too harshly. She was not the sort who liked abusing tailed beasts either…
But if it were transferred to a different vessel, that person's ability would be nowhere near Mito's…
And in order to keep the Nine-Tails from breaking free, they would have to use methods on it. Even tying it up hand and foot and hanging it would be getting off lightly!
At first, the Nine-Tails still talked tough, insisting that it would never be sealed away…
But then it thought about how right next door there was that Wood Release brat, plus groups upon groups of Uchiha in the Konoha Military Police Force…
By the time Mito died, just those two forces alone would be enough to make its life miserable.
And now Kushina had shown up too…
When it came to things that restrained tailed beasts, Konoha was practically overflowing with them. Truly a village deeply unfriendly to tailed beasts!
And then there was the chakra of Sarutobi Hiruzen, which even made it feel as though he were some kind of kin…
So after thinking it over, the Nine-Tails still ended up cooperating with Mito despite all its verbal resistance…
One comfortable year was still a year of comfort!
"Mito, when you have time, tell me about this Sarutobi Hiruzen…"
The Nine-Tails gave a cold snort.
"He's not that disgusting."
"What, after I die, are you thinking of making him your next jinchūriki?" Mito said with a laugh in her mind.
"How could that be? I have always yearned for freedom!" the Nine-Tails roared angrily like a cat with its fur standing on end:
"With his bloodline—being neither Senju, nor Uzumaki, nor Uchiha—how could he possibly bear my chakra!"
But even so, there was no disturbance in the mental space. Mito did not care in the slightest about this little fit of its.
If the big cat wanted to roll around, then it could just play by itself…
"Tch…" The Nine-Tails lay back down and rolled onto its other side.
Cold violence was violence too!
Hiruzen looked over the expressions of the Root shinobi and shook his head.
"Then I'll add one more thing…"
"As for your deeds and merits, the portions that can already be declassified will be publicly announced and commended within the village. Your stories and your names will also be written into the teaching materials of Konoha's Ninja Academy, for the children to study and pass down!"
"Of course, if you have concerns, the village can also handle it under assumed names."
Ordinarily, anonymity was meant to prevent family members from being retaliated against while lacking the ability to defend themselves.
But in the shinobi world, with extraordinary military force and the village's barriers, retaliation was not so easy…
So hiding names did not carry that much meaning. As long as the details of the missions were concealed and intelligence was not exposed, that was already enough.
Besides, neither his son Shinnosuke nor Asuma had ever hidden their names…
Any shinobi with even a bit of talent, so long as they had crossed blades with hidden villages of enemy nations, had long since ended up on the big lists.
The Root shinobi looked at Hiruzen in shock.
In the past, they had been people without names, without pasts, without emotions…
And now their names and their service seemed about to merge into Konoha itself, to remain bound to it forever…
That was the difference between heaven and earth!
No matter how deeply rooted Danzō's mental control over them had once been, it still could not compare to Sarutobi Hiruzen's sincerity—to the way he broke apart and patiently explained his respect for them and the treatment they would receive.
Ida and Shikuro looked at Hiruzen, their knees already about to buckle into a kneel.
The other Root shinobi were the same…
But then a powerful current of air rose out of nowhere, erecting a wall of wind before them and unconsciously forcing them to straighten their bodies.
Tatsuma froze.
The Hokage could release Wind Release shape transformation this exquisitely without even needing hand seals?
All he saw was Hokage-sama flick his arm, and in the middle of that motion, it seemed as if he had perfunctorily formed a seal…
Hiruzen folded his arms across his chest.
"You're only receiving what you deserve!"
"Merit is rewarded, fault is punished! If you make mistakes in the future, I will still punish you strictly. I have not given you any special favoritism."
At that moment, the way the Root shinobi looked at Hiruzen was nearly fanatical!
After so many years of conditioning, they were still deeply susceptible to the strong-leader approach.
Hiruzen's words had struck directly at the point that won their conviction.
This was not a passing whim of kindness, but an institutional guarantee with rules and structure behind it.
Solid!
"Hokage-sama, I have a request…" Tatsuma raised a hand.
"Speak." Hiruzen nodded.
"Could another Root be established, and could we be taken back in…"
"We people all carry darkness in our hearts. We can't fit into the ordinary shinobi ranks…
"It's only when we gather together that we feel we belong somewhere. We're used to dirty work and dark work—we only want to keep doing our part for Konoha!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen fell into thought.
This truly was also a problem. He had considered it before as well.
On the great stage of the shinobi world, shinobi who were innately inclined to immerse themselves in darkness truly did exist.
Forcing them into the crowd would instead make them unstable factors.
One of Danzō's main standards in selecting people back then had been the darkness in their hearts.
To be objective, it was not as if he simply saw a genius and mindlessly abducted them…
His old friend did still have some discernment.
After all, he had seen at a glance the darkness in Uchiha Seisui's heart…
"Anyone who wants to leave, raise your hand. Do not conceal even the slightest thing. That is an order!" Hiruzen barked.
And not a single person raised a hand.
Some of the Root shinobi even shot doubtful looks toward Hokage.
Back when things had been like that, they had still done the job fairly happily…
Now that the treatment was this good, and after death they might even become a page in a textbook, who would have to be out of their mind to quit?
"Good."
Hiruzen once again gained a new understanding of shinobi endurance.
Those who could endure everything truly could be called shinobi…
"Not fitting in with the group is not an illness. It is a temperamental imprint unique to those who have seen too much bloodshed and carry obsessions."
Hiruzen said slowly: "From this day on, a new Root is established. From now on, every single one of you will report directly to me."
"If one day you can no longer suppress the darkness in your hearts, and cannot dispel it, then come to me." Hiruzen's gaze swept across every one of their faces.
"Whether it is killing intent or malice, I will help you eliminate it, and help you find the Will of Fire again."
The Root shinobi were stunned.
Even the Nine-Tails, listening from the sidelines, was momentarily dumbfounded.
This sounded like Hashirama telling it that if it ever wanted to go on a destructive rampage to vent its feelings, it should go find him…
Was that right?
"Mito-sama, I'll trouble you…" Hiruzen turned sideways and said respectfully to Mito.
Mito nodded. Her back straightened slightly, and more than ten Adamantine Sealing Chains suddenly blossomed from behind her, snaking like nimble serpents toward the arms of the Root shinobi beside her.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on the tips of their tongues melted away like snow upon contact, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
And not only that—the chains also injected some glowing green chakra into their bodies.
The burning pain from the curse marks being released was fully soothed, and their bodies felt much lighter as well.
"On behalf of Hashirama, I thank all of you for what you have done for Konoha."
Mito said softly: "In the future, work well under Hiruzen. He is Hashirama's successor. If you want to make contributions to the village, only by following him can you be shown the most correct direction…"
The Root shinobi all dropped to one knee in unison.
"Thank you, Mito-sama!"
This time, Hiruzen did not stop them.
"No—thank your Hokage instead…" Mito said with a smile.
That fleeting emotion that had passed through Hiruzen's heart just now made Mito absolutely certain.
'Monkey… is the successor Hashirama wished for in his heart!'
Since that was the case, then as Hashirama's widow, Mito would naturally support Hiruzen with everything she had…
At this moment, the members of Root all raised their hands together and pressed them over the left side of their chests, their backs straight as spears, their hoarse shouts perfectly uniform: "We are willing to die for Konoha! We obey only Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen, his face solemn, pressed his own hand over his heart as well.
"I am always with all of you!"
At this moment, the initiative over Root and the Danzō affair had been completely clenched in his palm…
He was both referee and player.
No matter what accident might occur, Hiruzen was confident he could easily resolve it within controllable limits!
After the Root shinobi left—
"Mito-sama, you've worked hard…"
"What hardship is there in doing things for the village?"
Mito smiled and shook her head.
"It's you instead—rushing around to clean up Danzō's mess. What deep brotherhood…"
"Danzō is fortunate too, to have a companion like you."
Hiruzen smiled.
"That's one side of it. Mainly, it's still for the village."
"Mito-sama, in your perception, did anyone seem off in any way?" Hiruzen asked openly and directly.
In truth, Aburame Tatsuma's guess had been half right…
Calling these Root shinobi to the Senju ancestral residence had also been for the purpose of sensing whether the malice in their hearts had gone out of control.
Methods to win hearts were naturally useful, but the Mind's Eye of the Kagura plus malice sensing was the safest approach of all.
"You…"
Mito froze for a moment, then laughed. "You truly are Tobirama's disciple."
Back then, Senju Tobirama had also asked her to help probe people's hearts, in order to obtain a relatively safer result…
"They're all good children. Don't worry."
Hiruzen nodded and smiled in relief.
That sounded a great deal more reassuring to the heart.
After Hiruzen took his leave—Yamato ran out of the house, his face full of excitement as he shouted: "Obaachan, I want to become a Root shinobi too in the future!"
Mito smiled kindly and stroked his face.
"Then you'll have to work hard at eating and training, and become a strong shinobi!"
"Obaachan won't pull strings for you!"
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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
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