When Uchiha Yuan heard Danzō's offer to recruit him into Root, he froze for a moment. Then, affecting a timid look, he asked,
"Root? What's that? How come I've never heard of such a division in the village?"
Danzō's single eye brightened, and a flicker of fanatical pride crossed his face.
"Root," he said, "is a division even more secret than the ANBU. We exist in the darkness beneath the village, guarding the light above. We are the most vital power protecting Konoha."
In truth, Danzō didn't actually care much about Uchiha Yuan, despite the boy's impressive display of taijutsu strength.
A Special Jōnin was, at the end of the day, little more than a chūnin whose skill in one particular area had reached the jōnin level.
Defeating Yoshihara Yuto didn't impress Danzō—taijutsu prowess alone was nothing special in his eyes.
Compared to Yuan, Uchiha Shisui was the true genius who commanded the attention of both Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The real reason Danzō had summoned Yuan, and asked him to join Root, was to plant a spy inside the Uchiha clan—someone who could feed him information and assist in monitoring them.
And as a child of mixed blood who had never been valued by the main family, Uchiha Yuan's identity made him the perfect candidate for a Root informant.
When Yuan remained silent, Danzō continued,
"Join Root, and I can give you a Sharingan."
"What?!"
Yuan snapped his head up, an expression of barely contained excitement flashing across his face.
Danzō leaned forward, voice dripping with temptation.
"Boy, you're an Uchiha by blood, but not pureblooded. The chance that you'll ever awaken the Sharingan is very low.
That's why you've focused your training on taijutsu instead, isn't it?
But if you join Root, I can grant you the Sharingan immediately."
As he spoke, Danzō's old face twisted into a smug smile.
He was certain Yuan wouldn't refuse him. No one could resist the allure of possessing a Sharingan—especially an Uchiha who had yet to awaken one.
Time passed in tense silence. Gradually, Danzō's expression darkened.
Because Uchiha Yuan was looking right at him—with no trace of fear left on his face. Instead, a mocking smile curved at his lips.
"Old man," Yuan said arrogantly, "I'll admit your offer is tempting—but I'm not interested in joining your Root.
A proud Uchiha doesn't crawl underground like a rat."
At those words, Danzō's single eye flared with murderous light. He realized, with fury, that this boy had been toying with him.
"Kill him!"
In an instant, a Root operative appeared behind Yuan, a kunai flashing like cold lightning across his throat.
Bang!
Yuan's figure burst into smoke and vanished.
—A shadow clone.
"Lord Danzō," one of the masked shinobi said grimly, "forgive me. I failed to notice that he had already switched himself out with a clone."
Danzō's voice was cold. "As expected of an Uchiha. One must never underestimate them.
He must have used the substitution the moment he blocked your kick."
"I'll go finish him off," the operative said, preparing to move.
But Danzō's lips twisted into a thin, cruel smile. "No need. Let him be—for now. We'll deal with him after he returns from the battlefield… if he returns.
For the time being, his only purpose is to fight for the village—and that's the only reason he's still alive."
Training Ground 17.
Standing before Uchiha Yuan, Senju Gen, and Aida Suke was a man in his twenties.
"I'm Shiranui Aoma, a chūnin of the village. Starting today, I'll be your new jōnin instructor."
His gaze drifted toward Yuan, and a complex smile tugged at his lips.
"Uchiha Yuan… please take care of me from now on."
Yuan returned a faint smile. "Teacher Aoma, I'll be in your care as well."
Just then, his expression shifted slightly—the memories from his shadow clone flowed back into him.
That final strike from Danzō's assassin had been sharp and decisive.
A deadly reminder. Yuan's eyes flickered with cold light.
He knew now—he and Danzō were already opponents, and their clash had only just begun.
Over the next two days, Shiranui Aoma put the three of them through accelerated pre-battle training.
But Yuan had already learned much about combat firsthand from Hatake Sakumo, and Gen had guidance from his clan elders.
Only Aida Suke listened obediently to every word of Aoma's instruction.
At dawn, the sky barely lightened.
Yuan sat on the veranda of his home, carefully wiping down a set of shuriken. One by one, he slid them into a cloth belt beside him—more than a dozen in total.
Then he stood, rolled up the belt, and fastened it around his waist.
"Xiao Yuan."
"Brother…"
As he was about to leave, his mother's voice called to him.
Turning back, he saw his mother and little sister, eyes glistening with tears, staring at him with deep reluctance.
His mother, Uchiha Li, fought to steady her voice.
"Yuan, you must come back alive."
"Brother," his sister Izumi said softly, "be careful on the battlefield. Don't ever let your guard down."
Yuan smiled gently. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll be careful."
He stepped forward, ruffling Izumi's hair and lightly tapping her nose.
"Izumi, wait for me to come back."
After saying his goodbyes, Yuan vaulted onto the rooftops, running swiftly toward Training Ground 1, where all shinobi heading to the front were to assemble.
When he arrived, over a hundred people were already gathered.
Some chatted in small groups, discussing the situation at the front lines, while others stood silently, weapons slung across their backs. More shinobi continued to trickle in from all directions.
Yuan stood off to one side with his arms folded, quietly waiting for his teammates to arrive.
"Yuan-kun!"
Hatake Haruka's voice came from across the field. He spotted Yuan and jogged over.
"Haruka," Yuan greeted. He looked over his friend, who wore a dark green flak vest and carried a short blade about two feet long on his back.
"Nervous?"
Haruka nodded slightly. "A bit. Before I left, Father put his hand on my shoulder and said the revival of the Hatake clan rests on me now."
Yuan smiled faintly. "Don't pressure yourself too much. Once you leave the village, forget what your father said. On the battlefield, focus on surviving—don't overthink things."
The two continued chatting, exchanging bits of information their clans had gathered about the front.
Before long, Senju Gen arrived, followed shortly by Aida Suke, Hyūga Kyō, and several others.
By the time everyone had assembled, more than two thousand shinobi stood gathered in Training Ground 1—most of them children between nine and twelve years old, fresh out of the Academy.
Finally, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, arrived, accompanied by several jōnin including Nara Shikaku.
After delivering a rousing speech—its theme, as always, "Konoha is justice; defend the village, drive out the enemy"—the troops formed ranks and began marching out of the village toward the battlefield.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito