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When Tsukimi Heshu returned to Konoha, the scene was grand. Magnificent. The whole village was watching.
BANG!
Fireworks painted the sky. Colorful streamers rained down in a shimmering cascade.
Through the celebratory haze, Heshu saw the villagers' smiling faces.
"What's going on?" Heshu lowered his voice, asking Nara Sōsai who had appeared beside him.
"Word of your deeds in Iwagakure has spread across the entire shinobi world, Hokage-sama," Nara Sōsai whispered back. "Everyone's calling you 'The Last Conscience of the Shinobi World'."
According to the rumors…
The Fifth Hokage, who had been framed by Tsuchikage Ōnoki, hadn't flown into a rage. Instead, he'd graciously educated Ōnoki on the virtues of peace. So thoroughly that Ōnoki was moved to tears, publicly admitting his wrongs.
Furthermore, Iwagakure, faced with an external invasion, only survived thanks to the Fifth Hokage's aid.
The Fifth Hokage's compassion for the common folk, his reverence for life, his profound understanding of peace… it had all spread like wildfire. Everyone praised Tsukimi Heshu as the final bastion of conscience in the post-war world.
Under the pressure of public opinion and the Daimyos, every major village was forced to send signals of peace to Konoha. Regardless of the other villages, Konoha had effectively ushered in an era of genuine peace.
And the architect of this beautiful outcome was Tsukimi Heshu.
Hence, this spontaneous welcome ceremony.
Every villager wore a smile. Their eyes brimmed with respect. Adoration poured from their very beings.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood among the celebrating crowd. At the very front. His gaze towards Heshu was complex.
Pride. Relief. A touch of smug satisfaction at his own foresight. And deep, heartfelt gratitude for the peace Heshu had brought.
Amidst the cheers and praise, Heshu finally made his way into the Hokage Tower.
"A great success, Hokage-sama," Nara Sōsai said, a look of genuine relief on his face.
"More or less. A happy accident." Heshu nodded. "Mostly thanks to the excellent follow-up PR campaign."
He paused, glancing at the man beside him who looked like he'd aged five years. "You had a hand in that, didn't you?"
Nara Sōsai nodded, his expression sincere. "I didn't do much. Your actions simply provided excellent material to work with. You bore the brunt of the hardship, Hokage-sama."
Heshu sat down in his chair, pausing for a moment at his words.
Nara Sōsai certainly had a way with words.
"You've worked hard these past days," Heshu said, genuinely touched.
The utterly drained look on Nara Sōsai's face sparked a flicker of guilt in Heshu's heart.
"In that case, Hokage-sama, may I take a…" Nara Sōsai's eyes lit up.
"Hm. There are still a few matters here that need your attention," Heshu said, smiling brightly.
"…"
Nara Sōsai felt the blood drain from his face.
"Don't worry. Soon, I'll select talent to form an Administrative Department. You won't have to work this hard then," Heshu patted his shoulder reassuringly.
Nara Sōsai nodded, his soul seemingly absent.
Heshu opened the first file on his desk. A coincidence? Or fate? It was exactly what he'd been thinking about.
The issue of Root.
Danzo was busy with production outside the village. Heshu naturally couldn't let his dear elder have any worries. Managing both production and the Anbu was far too taxing for an old man like him.
He would go and help lighten Danzo's burden immediately.
Heshu stood and left the Hokage office.
Watching his retreating back, Nara Sōsai's eyes were full of silent accusation.
So why did he come in only to leave immediately?
The mountain of paperwork before him threatened to swallow him whole. In that moment, only the thought of his cute little cousin could soothe his depressed soul.
"Aaah…" Nara Sōsai let out the sigh of a corporate slave.
Better marry early. Have a son. Have something cute to play with.
Shaking off the distracting thoughts, he lowered his head and began scribbling furiously.
Root Headquarters.
Footsteps echoed in the dark passageway.
Heshu walked through, accompanied by the masked Kabuto.
"Is it done?" Heshu asked.
"It is," Kabuto replied.
Before coming to Root, Heshu had instructed Kabuto to gather all members using Danzo's authority.
Root was Danzo's private army. They answered to no one else.
A dense, silent crowd stood in perfect order. So quiet they seemed like shadows given form.
Heshu's figure flickered, appearing at a high vantage point on a second-floor walkway.
The Root members looked up. Not a single ripple of emotion crossed their hidden faces.
"From today, Root is disbanded," Heshu announced.
Silence. Dead, heavy silence.
Their masks hid their faces, seemingly blocking all emotion. No one reacted.
The truly loyal to Danzo dismissed his words outright. The numb ones accepted their fate, their hearts sealed by the curse marks on their tongues.
No one took him seriously.
"Upon disbandment, you will be divided into three tiers," Heshu continued, unfazed. "Those with weaker strength will retire into civilian life. Those of medium and high skill will be reassigned to other duties."
Golden light shimmered. It spread from his palm, wrapping around every person in the room.
Those enveloped frowned instinctively.
But then—from their bodies, from their tongues—dark, writhing curse seals were pulled out by the golden light. They dissipated into black smoke.
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
The suffocating silence shattered. Gasps. Murmurs.
Hands flew to throats, patted bodies. Shock. Joy. Then, welling up behind it all—fear.
The skill extracted from Ultraman Cosmos could extract any form of energy. Danzo's curse marks were pure energy. Easy to remove.
Heshu and his clone Hanataki shared skills, but to avoid exposing too much, they limited its use.
"Now. Line up according to rank. Team Leader. Squad Leader. Cell Leader. Member."
Team Leaders were the strongest. Squad Leaders next. Then Cell Leaders. Members were the weakest. This would give a clear visual of the power hierarchy.
Specialized units like medical or intelligence were excluded, to be handled separately.
"We take orders only from Lord Danzo."
Some moved. Others stood firm, the first to speak being their representative.
Heshu wasn't surprised. He'd have been surprised if this didn't happen. Danzo's brainwashing was strong. Die-hard followers were expected.
Heshu looked at the stubborn group. About forty shinobi.
"Are you their representative?" Heshu asked the first speaker, who wore a bear mask.
"Yes," the ninja stated firmly. Behind him stood others of like mind.
"If you oppose me, speak for yourselves. I don't want to hear from a 'representative'," Heshu sneered. "Or is your conviction not even that strong?"
"We obey only Lord Danzo!"
This time, all the resisting Root ninjas chorused. They were the continuation of Danzo's will. Shinobi who walked in Konoha's shadow. Their resolve was not to be questioned.
Heshu nodded. "Good. Then I repeat: from today, you will all obey only me."
The unified rejection came instantly.
"We obey only Lord Danzo!"
"We take no orders from anyone but Lord Danzo! Not even the Hokage!"
"That's right!"
"…"
Heshu couldn't help but chuckle. "Spirited."
"A lie of a lie… shall become the truth."
His soft words were swallowed by the clamor of defiance.
"We will never obey…" The ninja's fierce gaze wavered. "…We will never obey Lord Danzo! We heed only the Hokage!"
"We obey only the Hokage-sama!"
"Any order not from the Hokage is worthless!"
"…"
Kabuto watched the hardliners' instant about-face, his lips twitching. His gaze returned to Heshu.
Just as he suspected. Tsukimi Heshu possessed some method of mental control. Far more advanced than curse marks. It rewrote a person's will silently, seamlessly. Turned them into loyal hounds.
A chill crept up Kabuto's spine.
The Root ninjas who had complied initially were drenched in cold sweat. Who would choose to be controlled, if they could think clearly? Especially by something so insidious.
Compliance skyrocketed after that. Heshu's reassignments proceeded swiftly.
Team after team left the dark underground. Root ceased to exist in Konoha.
From this day, there was no Root.
"Hokage-sama… why assign the Matron to the orphanage?" Kabuto asked, his feelings complicated. Given Heshu's vindictive nature, he'd expected no mercy for Yakushi Nonō.
"Simple," Heshu smiled at him.
They walked, step by step, out of Root and into the warm winter sunlight. For a fleeting second, Kabuto—who always scoffed at naive hopes—felt a sliver of fantasy. Maybe… maybe the widely praised Hokage, Tsukimi Heshu, truly intended to let bygones be…
"Easier to control you with her under my watch," Heshu finished, his smile vanishing.
Yakushi Nonō was a kind woman. Loved taking in orphans. As a matron, her vulnerabilities multiplied. And her vulnerabilities… were Kabuto's vulnerabilities.
Kabuto's heart turned to ice.
"As expected of the Hokage," he said, self-mocking.
Ruthless.
The afternoon sun was warm, lazy.
Heshu decided to fulfill his duties as a teacher. He was Hokage, yes. But he was also Itachi's, Tenri's, and Shinya's sensei. Couldn't let them go without learning something. He'd look useless otherwise.
After sending for the trio, he settled by the riverside to soak up the sun. Pure bliss.
"Sensei!"
The voice came before the person. Hyūga Tenri shot towards him like a human cannonball.
"…"
Heshu subtly shifted position.
Tenri's eyes widened as she barreled towards the river. "Sensei!" she cried, betrayed. Why would he dodge?!
Heshu, a reliable and powerful sensei, would never let his student fall into a winter river. He prepared to act—but saw Tenri pivot on her ankle. Her body spun, graceful and light, landing perfectly on the bank.
"Not bad. Some improvement," Heshu nodded.
"Of course! As your student, I can't embarrass you!" Tenri puffed out her chest. "Besides, I'm the future Sixth Hokage!"
She bounced slightly in her excitement.
And thus, tragedy struck.
Splash.
A lone water flower bloomed on the calm river surface.
Tenri hauled herself out, dripping wet, refusing to meet Heshu's eyes.
The future Sixth Hokage… defeated by her own stupidity.
Akiaoi Shinya lived farther away, so he arrived late. Seeing the soaked Tenri, he considerately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Sensei." He bowed politely.
Finally, a normal student! Heshu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hold on. Where's Itachi?" A question mark popped over Heshu's head. Itachi shouldn't be this slow.
He soon found out why.
Itachi arrived, carrying a chubby little boy in his arms.
"…"
Uchiha Sasuke.
Why bring that brat here? Their zodiac signs were fundamentally incompatible!
[Ding! Affection of Target Character Uchiha Sasuke: -70!]
Heshu: "…"
See? Incompatible!
"Apologies, sensei," Itachi said earnestly. "My parents are on a mission today. Only Sasuke and I are home. I was worried about leaving him alone."
"Ewa-sa-wa…!" Sasuke babbled incoherently. Two chubby hands waved menacingly at Heshu, a fierce glare on his tiny face.
"…" Heshu's eye twitched. Ignoring Sasuke's display, he said, "Itachi, you could have left Sasuke at my place. Miss Rishihui is a professional."
The defiant Sasuke froze. Went utterly stiff. Then curled back obediently into Itachi's arms.
Itachi also stiffened, his eyes darting away. "Naruto… might not like Sasuke very much."
"You sure about that?" Heshu raised an eyebrow.
Wasn't it the opposite? Too much 'like'?
"…"
Itachi held Sasuke. Both were quiet as mice.
Heshu nodded, satisfied.
Incredible, Naruto. Such fearsome power at such a young age.
A Treatise on How to Scare the Living Daylights Out of Sasuke and Itachi with a Single Sentence.
Author: Uzumaki Naruto.
"Sensei, what did you call us here for today?" Akiaoi Shinya asked, ever the polite one.
"To guide your training," Heshu said. And teach you a few big moves.
The words were barely out of his mouth.
Tenri immediately revived, completely energized.
"Wahoo! Awesome!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
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