Root Base, Konoha Village.
Shimura Danzo picked up the scroll on the table and began to read. This was his daily routine; he checked the Uchiha clan's movements.
"What exactly is Tsunade trying to do?"
Shimura Danzo put down the scroll, his face grim. Since Tsunade returned to the village, the Uchiha clan had become much more subdued.
On one hand, without conflict, Root had fewer opportunities to target the Uchiha clan. On the other hand, he was worried about Tsunade because she had stayed in Konoha for too long.
"Could it be that she really wants to become Hokage?"
Shimura Danzo subconsciously clenched his fists. Back then Minato, died in the Nine-Tails' attack, and Hiruzen, returned to power to stabilize the panicked situation.
But everyone knew he was appointed in a time of crisis, and given his advanced age, he wouldn't last long.
Currently, there were only three people in Konoha most qualified to be the Fifth Hokage: Tsunade, Jiraiya, and himself.
Danzo had initially thought he had the best chance. Tsunade and Jiraiya were often away, seemingly uninterested in the Hokage position.
However, Hiruzen refused to give him the title, repeatedly rejecting him.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
Danzo's eyes flashed with displeasure. Only after saying this did he feel much better. He could wait for Hiruzen to give it to him, he could outlast him.
But Tsunade's return to the village disrupted his plans. He had to admit that Tsunade had a greater advantage than him in the competition for the Fifth Hokage; he basically couldn't beat her.
Fortunately, Tsunade hadn't done anything since returning to the village, appearing indifferent to everything.
Danzo was temporarily relieved.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Danzo looked up at the doorway.
"Lord Danzo," a Root ninja entered, kneeling on one knee, and said, "Just recently, the Anbu reviewed Kabuto Yakushi's file."
"Did they find out why Hiruzen wanted Kabuto's file?"
Shimura Danzo frowned slightly and asked.
The Anbu belonged only to the Hokage, and only the Hokage could mobilize them. He instinctively assumed that the Anbu's investigation of Kabuto was Hiruzen Sarutobi's doing.
"Not the Hokage, it was Lady Tsunade," the Root ninja explained. "The Anbu was acting on Lady Tsunade's orders."
"What did you say?"
Shimura Danzo abruptly stood up, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.
He had just been relieved that Tsunade had been so lazy after returning to the village, and now she was already commanding the Anbu?
Was she going to become the Fifth Hokage tomorrow?
"The Hokage granted Lady Tsunade the authority to temporarily mobilize the Anbu," the Root ninja continued.
"Temporarily?"
Shimura Danzo felt slightly relieved, but remained very wary. He knew Hiruzen Sarutobi very well. Entrusting the Anbu, a force exclusively for the Hokage, to Tsunade was undoubtedly a signal. Even if Tsunade had no designs on it, the other ninja clans and individuals would.
The situation suddenly became extremely unfavorable.
Shimura Danzo clenched his fist and slammed it down.
With a loud crash, the desk in front of him snapped in two.
Damn it!
If he had been a step ahead of Hiruzen Sarutobi back then, he would have been the Third Hokage long ago. He finally waited until Minato died, and now Tsunade had appeared.
If this continued, would he ever become Hokage?
"Why is Tsunade investigating Kabuto Yakushi?"
Shimura Danzo took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "Could it be because of Nono Yakushi?"
After stopping thinking about the Hokage, his intelligence returned to its former heights. Kabuto was Nono's adopted son. And Nono had recently been getting very close to Tsunade.
In addition, Root had just issued a mission last week, sending her to the Land of Earth next week.
Konoha Village is two or three days' journey from the Land of Earth. According to the schedule, Nono should have departed today.
"Go and fetch Yakushi Nono for me,"
Shimura Danzo ordered. "Also, keep an eye on the Anbu's movements; see if any members have left the village."
"Yes, sir."
The Root ninja turned and left.
"Tsunade! I hope you don't get your way!"
Shimura Danzo reached out and touched his right eye, saying fiercely, "The Hokage is mine!"
Everyone thought his right eye was blind, but in reality, he had replaced it with Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan. Each Mangekyou Sharingan has a corresponding dojutsu; his was Kotoamatsukami.
Simply put, it could silently alter the target's will and thoughts. But Shimura Danzo had never used it.
Not because he was kind, but because he was afraid of being discovered. Especially by the Uchiha clan.
They might know a great deal about Uchiha Shisui and the Mangekyou Sharingan. If he were to try and control Hiruzen or Tsunade, and the Uchiha clan were to sabotage him, it would be very troublesome.
While the major ninja clans and Jonin might not necessarily trust the Uchiha clan, conversely, they might not trust him either.
After all, his reputation was rather poor.
However, Shimura Danzo had no intention of improving his reputation. Because he was Root, buried in the shadows.
"Lord Danzo," the Root ninja returned and said, "Yakushi Nono has been taken away by Tsunade; we haven't found her."
"Damn Tsunade!"
Danzo Shimura roared in fury. "Looks like you really want to oppose me!"
The Root ninja's breath caught in their throats, feeling a wave of killing intent wash over them.
"Go kill Kabuto Yakushi!"
Danzo Shimura said, his face contorted. "Tsunade wants him, but I won't give him to her!"
"Yes."
The Root ninja agreed without hesitation. They had been brainwashed by Danzo Shimura; in their hearts, Danzo Shimura was greater than Konoha, greater than the Hokage.
"Wait."
Danzo Shimura suddenly thought of something and said, "We can't let Root make a move and leak Kabuto Yakushi's information to Hidden Stone."
If nothing unexpected happened, Tsunade would definitely send someone to pick up Kabuto. Although the Root members were all quite strong, the Anbu were no less capable, and casualties were inevitable.
If the Yamanaka clan read the memories of the Root members, they would become a threat to him. The current Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer his old comrade. With Tsunade interfering, he might kill him.
"Yes."
The Root ninja stood up.
"Hiruzen! Tsunade!"
Shortly after the Root ninja left, Danzo Shimura's impotent rage echoed through the office.
...
Night fell.
Kitazawa and Kakashi Hatake, after a day's journey, finally stopped. Although they had to race against Root, they still needed to rest.
Besides, Kakashi had been using his Sharingan all day, which was already quite exhausting. They were rushing to Hidden Stone; encountering enemies while exhausted would be a huge loss.
"No fires during the mission," Kakashi reminded him. "We're not far from the Land of Earth; we could encounter Hidden Stone ninjas at any moment."
"I know," Kitazawa said, setting up the tent. "Did you bring any food?"
"I have rice balls and sushi," Kakashi replied.
"Want some snacks?"
Kitazawa said with a smile. "I have potato chips, lollipops, and cookies here."
"Why do you carry snacks with you?"
Kakashi Hatake asked, puzzled.
"For the kids."
Kitazawa clapped his hands and said, "You know, I'm a ninja academy teacher."
"...?"
Kakashi Hatake was silent for two seconds before saying, "I don't eat snacks."
"The tent is set up, come in."
Kitazawa walked into the tent.
"You're a ninja academy teacher, why are you participating in an ANBU mission?"
Kakashi Hatake took a bite of his rice ball and asked.
"It's related to the Konoha ninja we're meeting. His name is Kabuto Yakushi, a member of Root, and the adopted son of Nono Yakushi."
Kitazawa explained the background to him.
"I see."
Kakashi Hatake nodded slightly and then said, "You're a medical ninja, you shouldn't be here."
After Kitazawa's explanation, he understood why he was participating in the ANBU mission.
It was because Kitazawa had received help from Nonou Yakushi, namely, she took him to perform surgery and taught him medical ninjutsu.
While repaying a debt of gratitude is understandable, medical ninjas aren't good at combat; coming here would just be asking for trouble.
"It was Lady Tsunade who taught me medical ninjutsu," Kitazawa asked with a light laugh. "Is Lady Tsunade an ordinary medical ninja?"
Kakashi Hatake was slightly taken aback, but still didn't quite believe in his abilities.
If he really had such talent, why would he have waited until now?
"Are you really not going to eat?" Kitazawa handed him a bag of potato chips and asked.
"Thank you," Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then took the chips.
"You're welcome," Kitazawa smiled and said, "After all, we're teammates now."
"After dinner, we'll take turns keeping watch," Kakashi said calmly. "I'll keep watch for the first half of the night, and you keep watch for the second half."
"Okay," Kitazawa agreed.
The third day arrived. The two successfully reached the nearest town to Hidden Stone.
"You stay here; I'll infiltrate Hidden Stone alone," Kakashi said calmly.
"Can you convince Kabuto?"
Kitazawa countered.
"Having another person increases the risk of exposure,"
Kakashi shook his head. "As long as I explain my purpose to Kabuto, he'll believe me."
"He's a Root member, you're an Anbu member, and it involves Nono-senpai; he won't be easily convinced,"
Kitazawa said with a smile. "Besides, my strength is really not bad. Even if you don't believe me, you have to believe Lady Tsunade."
Kakashi hesitated.
"The Third Shinobi World War is long over, and Hidden Stone won't be so vigilant," Kitazawa suggested. "We can easily sneak in with a caravan."
All five villages have sensory barriers. Forcing entry would be easily detected. But there's no barrier at the main gate.
"Alright," Kakashi finally agreed.
Just as Kitazawa said, he trusted Tsunade.
The two devised a plan and immediately set to work.
The five villages, though called villages, are actually sizable towns. Coupled with the considerable spending power of ninjas, many merchants travel between the five villages for business.
Kitazawa and Kakashi quickly found a fairly large caravan, knocked two of the caravan members unconscious, and used a transformation jutsu to sneak in.
The caravan was stopped at the entrance to Hidden Stone. However, they only registered; there was no detailed inspection. Sure enough, things weren't so strict during peacetime.
After entering Hidden Stone, the two seized an opportunity to leave the caravan.
"Hurry," Kakashi said seriously. "If we wait too long, the caravan will definitely notice two people are missing."
"Follow me," Kitazawa nodded.
Kabuto had entered Hidden Stone as a spy. To better gather intelligence, he had become a ninja in Hidden Stone under the arrangement of Root.
The scroll Tsunade had given him marked Kabuto's current location and included a simple map. It could only be said that the Anbu were indeed thorough, saving them a lot of time.
"It's that two-story wooden house," Kitazawa stopped and said.
"Wait a minute."
Kakashi Hatake finished speaking, forming hand seals and spreading his senses. "There are no Jonin from Hidden Stone around."
"Let's just knock on the door."
Kitazawa stepped forward upon hearing this. Soon, the door opened, and a young man appeared before them. Although it was the first time Kitazawa had seen Kabuto, he recognized him.
Kabuto hadn't disguised himself while working as a spy in Hidden Stone; he used his true appearance.
The reason was simple. Disguise, such as transformation techniques, could be detected. Furthermore, Kabuto had been trained as a spy since childhood, and even few ninjas in Konoha had seen his true face.
"Who are you?"
Kabuto Yakushi asked warily.
"We are ninjas from Konoha. We are here on the orders of Lady Tsunade and Nono-senpai to bring you back to Konoha,"
Kitazawa said quickly.
"What did you say?"
Kabuto Yakushi was stunned by the amount of information conveyed in that sentence and stood there dumbfounded.
"We need to hurry, because the Root ninjas could make their move at any moment,"
Kitazawa said in a deep voice.
"Why should I believe you?"
Kabuto Yakushi asked, gathering his thoughts. He knew Nono and that she had always wanted to break free from Root and Danzo Shimura.
With Tsunade's help, it was indeed possible. But Kabuto was cautious.
What if Kitazawa and Kakashi Hatake were sent by Danzo to test his loyalty?
Such things weren't unheard of within Root.
"Your glasses and name were gifts from Nonou-senpai," Kitazawa added. "If you still don't believe me, you can leave a shadow clone. Someone will come to kill you within half an hour."
Kabuto's expression changed slightly. Although he often wore glasses, few people knew they were a gift from Nonou Yakushi.
"I'll believe you for now," Kabuto thought for a moment, forming hand seals and creating a shadow clone.
"Let's go."
Kakashi Hatake cautioned, "Leave the village first, lest we get trapped in Hidden Stone."
The three had barely left the village when Kabuto suddenly trembled and stopped.
"Did something happen to the Shadow Clone?"
Kitazawa guessed.
"Yes," Kabuto nodded, "but it wasn't Root that attacked, but Hidden Stone ninjas."
"They used someone else to do their dirty work."
Kitazawa immediately understood. "Shimura Danzo sold your information to Hidden Stone."
"How many people?"
Kakashi asked in a low voice.
"Three Jonin and three Chunin," Kabuto said, his brow furrowed.
"Looks like we're in big trouble."
Kakashi glanced around, not believing Kitazawa and Kabuto could handle two opponents.
"We have the advantage. If we're lucky, they won't be able to catch us."
Kitazawa breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing "three Jonin and three Chunin. "
"It's a bit difficult, but still within an acceptable range."
"Not that easy," Kakashi shook his head and said, "Every ninja village has many ninjas who are extremely skilled at tracking."
After saying this, he bit his thumb and slapped it on the ground. A ninja dog appeared from the smoke.
"Pakkun," Kakashi instructed, "Lead the way. If there are any enemies nearby, let us know."
"Okay."
Seeing the urgency of the situation, Pakkun didn't ask any further questions and turned to run.
Kitazawa curiously sized it up. Pakkun had a significant role in the original work.
It was one of Kakashi's summoning beasts, possessing a keen sense of smell, strong perception, and excellent tracking abilities.
In the original work, it had achieved numerous victories. It had tracked Gaara, Zabuza Momochi, Sasori, and Sasuke Uchiha, among many other ninjas.
It even uttered a famous line to Sakura Haruno: "You use the same shampoo as me, but my fur is still much smoother."
The three followed Pakkun towards the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. Thanks to Pakkun's keen sense of smell, they hadn't encountered any battles along the way.
But just when the three thought they could reach the Land of Fire safely, something unexpected happened.
The ground cracked open, and the soil transformed into a dense barrage of spears, piercing towards them.
"It's an Earth Style ninja," Pak exclaimed quickly. "He's underground; I can't smell his scent."
Earth Style: Mud Wall!
Kakashi Hatake formed hand seals. In front of him, the ground rose up, creating a thick wall. Three dog heads were also on the wall. The densely packed spears crashed into the earthen wall, instantly embedding themselves within it. However, the earthen wall also developed cracks from the attack.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Kitazawa leaped up, stepping onto the wall, and spat out an enormous fireball at the Earth Style ninja.
The temperature soared, and the distorted air currents within the flames were terrifying.
With a deafening boom!
The fireball slammed into the ground, charring everything in its path. The Earth Style ninja narrowly escaped the fireball's range at the last second.
Just then, a series of whooshing sounds filled the air.
Five more Hidden Stone ninja appeared one by one, surrounding them.
Kakashi Hatake's expression darkened; he sensed the trouble he was in.