Chapter 31
During this period, Naruto saw Hyuga Hazukiseveral times.
With the New Year approaching, Hyuga Hazukiinstructed Hyuga Natsu to take Naruto to the Shopping Street to buy new clothes.
After all, he couldn't always wear the same orange short-sleeved tracksuit, could he?
At the same time, she was to take Hinata along to buy New Year's goods.
If necessary, she would invite Naruto to continue staying with the Hyuga Clan and celebrate the New Year with all the clan members.
"So, Mom, we're off."
In private, Hinata's address to her mother was very affectionate. It was clear she enjoyed her mother's love.
Hyuga Hazuki, sitting in her room, smiled and nodded, watching the two children being led away by the maid, Hyuga Natsu.
"How wonderful..."
Gently stroking her abdomen, she felt the rhythm of new life.
Dreaming of a beautiful future.
Hyuga Hazuki felt that life was splendid.
Even if her health was poor and she might pass away after giving birth to a second child, it would still have been a life well-lived... The Shopping Street during the New Year was bustling with people.
Most of the populace was completely unaware of the war.
However, the tense atmosphere among the Ninja in the Village still affected them somewhat.
Coupled with the first wave of "travelers" from the Land of Fire and rumors... whispers of an impending war on the border also spread, creating an atmosphere of unease.
On the streets of Konoha, people hurried along.
A woman dressed in coarse cloth constantly surveyed her surroundings.
She appeared to be 25 or 26 years old, and her compassionate, saintly expression made her seem like a saintess from mythology.
Her simple attire could not conceal her natural beauty and... her curvaceous figure.
The ends of her deep golden hair were slightly curled, spilling out from beneath her hood.
Observing the familiar yet strange Konoha, she quietly passed by...
"Naruto-kun~? Naruto-kun...?"
Hinata called out twice.
Naruto only then shifted his gaze from her curvaceous figure.
Hyuga Natsu immediately looked over but saw nothing.
The woman had long since disappeared into the vast crowd, leaving no trace.
Therefore, she could only secretly speculate about unrelated possibilities.
Chapter Twenty-Five. Kabuto's Mom~
The dark underground entrance.
Seeing the dark, cavernous staircase, Yakushi Nonou couldn't help but frown slightly.
It had been several years since she left the Orphanage.
In these years, she had traveled across various countries, gathering intelligence for Konoha.
Her sole purpose was to constantly know the situation of her adopted son, Kabuto.
Kabuto, who had left the Orphanage first and joined Konoha several years ago, had now become a full-fledged Ninja.
He lived a carefree life in Konoha, and seeing photos of her adopted son growing up day by day brought a sense of relief to Yakushi Nonou's heart. This proved that her sacrifice was not in vain.
However, this time, Danzo suddenly summoned her back to Konoha.
This made Yakushi Nonou, who hadn't returned for several years, feel a sense of foreboding.
The communication's content confirmed her worries.
Just two days ago, the Cloud Ninja Mission visited Konoha, and a series of events followed, leading to an imminent major conflict between the two sides.
Currently.
Konoha's forces, centered around the Uchiha Base, were in a standoff with Kumogakure's forces across the river.
So... Danzo summoning her back was most likely to have her infiltrate Kumogakure?
Yakushi Nonou slowly descended the stairs, passed through numerous winding passages, and finally... in the deepest part of Konoha's underground, which was also the center of Konoha's underground, she met Danzo Shimura.
This was the Root's lair, and also the manifestation of Danzo's ambition.
He, dwelling in the shadows, bore the title of "Ninja of the Darkness."
This was not a good reputation.
Throughout the entire Ninja World, Danzo and the Root he led were notoriously infamous.
Mentioning them almost universally caused people to change their expressions.
However, what was interesting was... while the Ninja of enemy nations were so familiar with the Root, the people of Konoha knew nothing about it.
Even most "Konoha grassroots Ninja" were completely unaware of the Root's existence.
"Yakushi Nonou, you've returned..."
Danzo stood in place, leaning on his cane, then turned around, revealing a face with prominent wrinkles.
After a few years, his physical decline was visible to the naked eye.
Aging... a fate most humans cannot escape, had descended upon this schemer.
But Yakushi Nonou knew.
The exquisite Chakra control Danzo had honed in his youth would allow him to live for a very, very long time...
And Yakushi Nonou, who had left Konoha as a young girl, was now blooming splendidly.
Long years of raising children in the Orphanage, combined with her superficial background as a Medical Ninja, imbued her with a maternal, saintly glow.
This aura, no matter where she went, would quickly earn her recognition and affection from others.
"Do you want me to infiltrate Kumogakure?" Yakushi Nonou adjusted her large round glasses, not wanting to engage too much with Danzo.
"Don't rush."
Thump.
Danzo tapped the ground with his cane and moved his feet.
Under Yakushi Nonou's gaze, he walked towards a passage.
Yakushi Nonou hesitated for a second, then followed him.
"There's another matter... that I need you to confirm first..." Danzo said without looking back.
After many twists and turns, with a bad premonition, Yakushi Nonou once again arrived at a familiar place.
The morgue... also one of the Root's laboratories.
The Root... also belonged to a branch of the Anbu.
So, naturally, it possessed all the Anbu's functions.
This included the recovery and research of bodies of enemy Ninja, and even domestic Ninja.
Before even getting close, Yakushi Nonou smelled the nauseating stench of decay from inside.
It was a hellish odor that even immersion in chemicals couldn't mask.
Soon, Danzo pushed open the door.
The Medical Ninja belonging to the Root inside quickly stood aside.
Yakushi Nonou looked over, and what met her eyes were 8 bodies covered with white sheets.
Under Danzo's explanation, she learned all the details of the Cloud Ninja Mission's annihilation that had occurred two days prior.
"The autopsy report... has some issues."
Danzo ordered his subordinates to pull back the white sheets.
8 bodies, each with different death poses, were thus starkly displayed before Yakushi Nonou's eyes.
A Ninja's physique was so strong, decaying much slower than an ordinary civilian's. Even after two days, their faces were still vivid.
"..."
Frowning, Yakushi Nonou stepped forward to examine them.
"Becoming the chief of the medical team in her teens, and the experience accumulated from countless infiltrations into enemy nations..."
Danzo began to recount Yakushi Nonou's talents... and achievements.
"This old man believes that you, known as the 'Walking Shrine Maiden,' can accurately determine the true cause of death for these 8 individuals..."
Towards the end, Danzo's tone became undeniable, and threatening.
"..."
Yakushi Nonou was silent.
In terms of Medical Ninjutsu, those stronger than her included... Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin, and a handful of reclusive individuals, rare in the Ninja World.
However, it didn't require such exquisite Medical Ninjutsu; even a beginner.
Just by slightly understanding the Hyuga Clan's fighting methods, one could determine that the cause of death for the 8 individuals was not the Hyuga's technique at all.
Because although the Hyuga Clan could also inflict extremely cruel and violent Gentle Fist techniques like 'heart extraction,' their moves were, after all, traceable.
Their extremely precise Chakra control techniques would make the wounds very "artistic," leaving observers in awe.
However, all the wounds on these 8 unfortunate individuals looked as if they had been torn by a beast.
Forget about any aesthetic appeal; this was simply not damage that humans could inflict!
Thus, the answer was obvious.
Yakushi Nonou suppressed her inner shock, calmly looking at Danzo.
Danzo, equally calm, reached into his robe and pulled out an envelope, tossing it in front of Yakushi Nonou.
Yakushi Nonou opened the letter, and the moment she saw the photo, she almost lost her composure.
However, she still forcefully reined in her emotions.
Looking at the photos of her adopted son, accumulated over the years, and his recent changes, Yakushi Nonou's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
However, she did not notice the cruelty that flashed in Danzo's eyes.
The person in the photo was Kabuto, yet it wasn't Kabuto.
At least, not the real Kabuto.
Her true adopted son, at this moment, was serving Konoha as a spy, just like her.
The boy in the photo was merely a common deceptive tactic used by the Root... finding a boy who resembled Kabuto after a long period of not meeting, and then slowly replacing photos of the real Kabuto with photos of this boy.
Just like... boiling a frog slowly.
Eventually, Yakushi Nonou would completely forget her real adopted son, believing the fake Kabuto was her true child.
This was the ultimate fate of all spies.
Used up, then discarded.