"This is the result of my power struggle with Hiruzen."
Danzō leaned back in his chair, closing his single eye as he spoke in a slow, measured tone.
"The Hyūga clan has always followed the Hokage's lead.
Hyūga Hizashi is quite strong.
Hiruzen invited him to take this position, which aligns with my intentions as well.
At the very least, your safety is ensured."
"But don't let Hizashi's Will of Fire nonsense influence you."
"As for the two Chūnin..."
Danzō opened his eye, a sneer flashing across his face.
"They're both promising talents I personally selected. They're not like those useless ones who remain stuck at Chūnin level forever."
"I went through a lot of trouble dealing with certain obstacles to make this happen."
Not only did he help Yami find capable teammates, but he also took the opportunity to annoy Hiruzen.
"One of Yugao's teammates died, and another—Gekkō Hayate—was sent to Anbu under my orders. But he looks like a sickly wraith and probably won't last long."
"As for Kurenai... hehe, she was originally teammates with Sarutobi Asuma. But thanks to my maneuvering, Asuma has now left Konoha and joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja."
"Yami, this is the power of authority. Only with power can you openly manipulate situations and achieve your goals."
Even now, Danzō didn't miss an opportunity to instill his ideology in his grandson.
This was supposed to be a simple team assignment. It didn't really matter who his teammates were.
Yet somehow, Danzō turned it into a full-blown political scheme.
So Asuma's departure from Konoha and his enlistment in the Guardian Twelve had Danzō pulling the strings behind the scenes.
As expected… every shady thing in this world can somehow be traced back to this old man.
And yet, Danzō's actions this time were actually beneficial to him.
What could he even say?
Honestly, the system should be following Danzō, not him!
"Alright, old man. I've got a mission the day after tomorrow."
Yami waved dismissively before turning to leave.
To be fair, Danzō was genuinely concerned about him. The old man had carefully arranged his team, and Yami had already formed an idea of how to utilize them.
He couldn't do everything alone—it was time to find a few useful tools.
"Tomorrow morning at ten, bring Kabuto from the orphanage to my house."
Leaving those parting words to the darkness, Yami disappeared in a flash.
Yami slept in until he naturally woke up.
As he headed downstairs for breakfast, a servant approached him.
"Young Master, a white-haired boy has been waiting at the door since early morning. No matter how much we tried to persuade him, he refused to come inside."
Yami raised an eyebrow.
He already knew who the servant was talking about—Yakushi Kabuto.
But why is he waiting outside instead of coming in?
Taking a sip of his porridge, Yami gestured.
Soon, Kabuto stood before him, looking uneasy.
"Why didn't you come inside? Why wait outside?" Yami asked.
Kabuto lowered his voice. "Y-You told me to come at ten… but it's not time yet."
Yami chuckled, motioning for Kabuto to take the empty seat across from him. He signaled for the servant to bring another breakfast before sending them away.
Soon, only two children remained in the spacious dining room.
"Eat first. We'll talk afterward."
With that, Yami resumed eating, paying Kabuto no further attention.
Kabuto kept his head down, eating quietly, but his unease remained.
Since their first meeting, Yami had left a deep impression on him.
Especially that smile… It gave him chills.
Though Yami was only a little older than him, Kabuto felt like a mouse facing a cat whenever they met.
It was a deep, instinctive fear.
And even though Yami hadn't appeared in a while, that feeling hadn't diminished. If anything, it was even stronger this time.
Finally, Yami finished his breakfast.
The moment he put down his chopsticks, Kabuto did the same.
"Kabuto, do you know why I called you here?" Yami asked with a smile.
"I… don't know." Kabuto replied cautiously.
"Then do you know about Director Nonō's other identity?"
Yami took a sip of milk, his voice relaxed. "You're a smart kid, so don't try to play dumb with me. I hate people who think they're clever."
Cold sweat formed on Kabuto's forehead.
After a long hesitation, he whispered, "Director Nonō… is a ninja."
Yami nodded, still lazily sipping his milk. "But to be precise, she is a spy for Root."
"During the Third Shinobi World War, she provided Konoha with a lot of critical intelligence..."
Kabuto's expression grew serious, it was the first time he had heard about Nonō's past.
"Do you know what Root is?" Yami suddenly asked.
Even most Chūnin and Genin didn't know much about Root. And as an orphan, he had never heard of it. The Ninja Academy certainly didn't teach about it.
Yami cleared his throat.
"Root eliminates those Anbu can't.
Root takes on missions Anbu won't.
In other words—Root does everything Anbu does, and even more.
Act first, report later.
With the Hokage's special permission…
No, wait—what is the Hokage?
The Hokage can't control Root.
Root absorbs nutrients and grows wildly."
Kabuto sat in stunned silence, his mouth slightly open.
Did he just hear that right?
The Hokage can't control Root?
That sounded… unbelievably arrogant.
"Well? Do you understand now?"
"...I think I do. But… why are you telling me this?" Kabuto asked cautiously.
He was just an orphan, nothing special. Why would Yami share something with him?
"You don't understand, Kabuto."
Yami suddenly sighed, his tone filled with pity.
"Nonō has wanted to leave Root for a long time. She wants nothing more than to focus on running the orphanage."
"She's an elite spy of Root. She holds too many secrets. Do you think my old man would just let her walk away?"
"There are so many orphans in the orphanage. They need food, clothes, medicine."
"If Nonō stops taking on missions… where will the money come from?"
Kabuto's face turned deathly pale.
The thought of Nonō being forced into something she didn't want, all for the orphanage made his chest tighten.
Before he realized it, tears slipped from his eyes.
Yami's voice suddenly changed.
"I can give you a chance."
"If you become a stronger spy… if you prove yourself more valuable than she is..."
"Then tell me, what's stopping me from setting her free?"