It was incredibly rare to find someone whose mere presence was as chilling and sinister as Danzo's; a single glance was enough to confirm he was a villain to the core.
Inside Nono'u's office.
Danzo sat imposingly in the director's chair, his two Root operatives standing perfectly still like guardian demons at his sides. Nono'u stood in front of the desk, looking down at him.
As a former member of Root, protocol dictated that she should be kneeling on one knee in his presence. The fact that Nono'u remained standing irritated Danzo immensely, making his already gloomy face even darker.
Previously, at Hiruzen's request, Danzo had officially released Nono'u from Root so she could act as a liaison to gather intelligence on Tsunade when the Sannin requested staff.
But it seemed Nono'u had forgotten her roots. She lacked the proper respect when facing him, and that displeased Danzo greatly.
"Nono'u, have you forgotten your place? From the moment you entered Root, you belong to Root for the rest of your life," Danzo's voice was cold and raspy, carrying a trace of anger and a distinct undercurrent of killing intent.
Staring at Danzo, Nono'u remained silent. She desperately wanted to argue, but she lacked the power and authority to resist him.
Eventually, Nono'u slowly lowered herself onto one knee.
Looking down at Nono'u, dressed in her nun's habit and kneeling before him, a vicious light flashed in Danzo's single eye. "This woman knows far too many of my secrets. It is time to dispose of her."
However, she was still temporarily useful. Danzo reigned in his emotions and asked in a low voice, "Nono'u, does the orphanage currently house any children with exceptional aptitude?"
Hearing this, Nono'u instantly knew exactly why Danzo had come, but she gritted her teeth and replied, "Lord Danzo, there are no exceptionally talented children in the orphanage at present. Very few even possess the capacity for chakra, and those who do are entirely mediocre."
"Is that so? Wasn't there a boy recently who beat back a member of the Uchiha clan?" Danzo asked, a cruel, mocking smile playing on his lips, his tone freezing cold.
Nono'u's heart plummeted, and she involuntarily clenched her fists. She knew with absolute certainty that Danzo was here for Saiki.
As the legendary "Wandering Miko," Nono'u possessed her own intelligence network. She had been closely monitoring Saiki's progress during the Chunin Exams over the last few days.
While she didn't have all the granular details, she knew Saiki had single-handedly annihilated an elite Sand squad led by a Jonin and defeated numerous ninja from other villages, effectively causing the third stage of the exams to be cancelled due to a lack of remaining candidates.
After a moment of panic, Nono'u managed to steady her breathing. Knowing Saiki was under Tsunade's protection, she felt a measure of security. She spoke plainly: "I apologize, Lord Danzo. That child is no longer a ward of this orphanage. He currently resides with Lady Tsunade."
Danzo's face darkened even further. Trying to use Tsunade to pressure him? Tsunade had literally just abandoned the village today.
Nono'u's blatant evasion only solidified Danzo's resolve to eliminate her. Root had no place for operatives who refused to follow his orders absolutely.
Of course, if Danzo had his way, the entire world wouldn't have a place for anyone who refused his orders.
Furthermore, Nono'u simply knew too much. Her desire to cut ties with Root made her a massive security risk that had to be purged.
Danzo locked his sinister, single eye onto Nono'u. Even a woman with Nono'u's incredible psychological fortitude couldn't stop her body from instinctively reacting with terror under that demonic gaze, her frame trembling slightly.
After staring her down for a long moment and observing her fear, Danzo felt his absolute authority was still intact. Highly satisfied, a disgusting smirk twisted the corner of his mouth. "Tsunade left the village today. The boy remains in Konoha. If that child does not join Root, this orphanage will provide ten other children to take his place!"
With that ultimatum delivered, Danzo stood up and walked straight toward the door.
Pausing at the threshold, Danzo delivered his final decree: "Nono'u Yakushi, you must remember: as a member of Root, you have no name, no emotions, no past, and no future. The mission is your only reason for existing! I am giving you three days. Once you have made your decision, come find me."
Danzo's speech was painfully melodramatic. He literally just called her "Nono'u Yakushi" while simultaneously claiming she had "no name, no emotions, no past, and no future." The man was a walking contradiction of edgy anime tropes.
Once Danzo left, Nono'u collapsed, her strength failing her completely. She fell into a seated kneel, her hands pressing against the floor for support. Even with her brilliant mind—an intellect that had allowed her to survive countless lethal espionage missions—she was entirely powerless to resolve the current situation.
Was she supposed to sacrifice Saiki, or sacrifice ten other children from the orphanage?
It was an impossible, agonizing dilemma.
Given Danzo's methods, Nono'u knew it wouldn't end there. Danzo would likely force her to play a role in a twisted theatrical performance, manipulating Saiki into "volunteering" to join Root so Hiruzen and Tsunade wouldn't have any grounds to object.
Shortly after Danzo left the orphanage, Saiki, having finished cleaning up the living room he had destroyed, was making his way toward the facility.
Tsunade had run away. Saiki had accepted that reality, but he was still feeling incredibly distracted and down, so he sought out the orphanage—the only other place in this world where he felt a true sense of belonging.
By the time Saiki arrived, Nono'u had managed to compose herself and was busy comforting the terrified children.
It couldn't be helped; a single look at Danzo's face was enough to give any child nightmares for weeks.
Seeing the courtyard empty, Saiki headed toward the classrooms.
"Big Brother Saiki..."
The moment Saiki appeared in the doorway, the first child called his name, and the rest quickly followed suit. Before Nono'u could say a word, the children swarmed him.
"Big Brother Saiki, Big Brother Saiki! The bad men came back!"
"Yeah! They were so scary!"
Looking at the frightened, clinging children, Saiki—who was still dealing with his own depression—was momentarily confused.
He was still holding two large bags of fruits and snacks. As the little brats hugged his arms and legs, he realized they were dangerously close to wiping their runny noses all over his pants.
"What happened? Don't be afraid, tell me everything," Saiki said, patiently comforting them.
Having witnessed Saiki effortlessly crush two arrogant Uchiha recently, the children clearly viewed him as their ultimate protector and pillar of strength in the wake of Danzo's visit.
Listening to the children's frantic explanations, Saiki quickly deduced that Danzo must have paid them a visit. His already irritable mood darkened considerably.
However, he swallowed his anger and forced a warm, gentle smile for the kids. "It's okay. No one is going to be taken away. Go play now! The Director and I will handle everything."
Watching Saiki—acting like the ultimate older brother—comforting the children with that warm smile, Nono'u, who had felt so helpless against Danzo, felt a sudden, profound warmth bloom in her chest. Her nose stung with the threat of tears.
Running an orphanage was far more grueling than most could imagine. The challenge wasn't just caring for the children or securing funding.
What made Nono'u feel truly powerless was the constant, predatory greed of Konoha's major clans and high command. She simply didn't have the power to protect every single child.
Konoha had never been a charity. The orphanage existed solely to provide expendable fuel for the village's fires.
But looking at Saiki, surrounded by the children—his frame not particularly large or imposing, yet standing so tall—Nono'u felt that all her years of kindness had finally borne beautiful, protective fruit.
After handing the snacks and fruit over to the caretakers, Saiki followed Nono'u into her office, which doubled as her bedroom.
"Sister Director!" Saiki said with a smile, determined not to let his own sadness show.
To his utter surprise, Nono'u stepped forward and pulled him into a tight, desperate hug, pressing his face firmly against her warm, incredibly soft chest.
One hand gently patted his back, while the other stroked his hair. She whispered with heartbreaking tenderness, "You're hurting so much, aren't you? Don't force yourself to be strong. It's okay to cry. It's really okay."
Hearing this, Saiki was utterly bewildered. He lifted his head to look at her.
Hidden beneath her baggy nun's habit lay an unimaginable grandeur. Having his face buried in the deep cleavage between those two massive mountains, Saiki was overwhelmed by a profound sense of maternal gentleness and a wave of fresh, intoxicating fragrance.
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Nono'u offered a smile filled with pure empathy.
Nono'u's face wasn't as devastatingly beautiful as Tsunade's, but the gap wasn't massive. Compared to Tsunade, Nono'u radiated an overwhelming aura of motherly warmth and tenderness.
Just one look at that gentle smile would convince almost any man that she was the absolute perfect candidate for a wife.
Tsunade was gorgeous, but she lacked that traditional, soothing feminine softness, possessing instead a fierce, tomboyish heroism that refused to yield to any man.
"I already know about Lady Tsunade leaving the village," Nono'u said softly.
Hearing this, Saiki finally understood her reaction. He felt a bit helpless. Yes, Tsunade had run away, and yes, it hurt, but he wasn't going to break down sobbing over it.
He shook his head and laughed. "Sister Director, I'm really fine."