Chương 172: Chapter 171: Kabuto and Kakashi (Part 2)

Chapter 171: Kabuto and Kakashi (Part 2)

After seeing Kabuto approach him, Danzo squinted slightly, examining the young boy before him with interest- and not in a creepy way. But as expected, this boy was likely from the orphanage.

However, unlike other war orphans, this boy appeared much braver, with eyes filled with a maturity uncommon for his age.

A child like this would be well-suited to be trained in the Root and later sent as a spy to enemy ninja villages.

Seeing Danzo take an interest in Kabuto, Nono became very anxious and quickly went to protect the child, "Lord Danzo, he is a kind-hearted child, not at all suitable for training in the Root."

Hearing this, Danzo glanced coldly at Nono and sternly replied, "Director Nono, the Root doesn't just recruit ninjas randomly. It's always voluntary and based on initiative."

Nono didn't believe Danzo's nonsense at all. Being from the Root herself, she knew far better than anyone how dark the Root truly was.

Once someone joined the Root, they would be reduced to nothing more than a tool, and the training process in the Root was extremely brutal. The only place in the ninja world that could compare was the Bloody Mist Village.

Waving his hand, Danzo didn't allow Nono to speak further and instead turned to Kabuto.

"I am Danzo Shimura, an advisor to the Hokage. I've come here to recruit subordinates. Are you willing to leave the orphanage and serve me and the village?"

Kabuto glanced at Danzo, then at Nono, and asked, "If I become your subordinate, does that mean I'll become a ninja? I've always wanted to become a ninja so I can protect everyone in the orphanage."

Kabuto's simple and sincere dream made Danzo smile. He then began to paint a promising picture like nth times he did with hundreds of other children before.

"Of course, my subordinates are ninjas and elite ones at that. Once you become my subordinate, I will personally train you until you are strong enough to stand on your own as a ninja."

At that moment, from a distance, Nono gave Kabuto a signal, indicating that he should refuse immediately.

Seeing Nono's signal, Kabuto hesitated before saying to Danzo, "The director doesn't seem to want me to leave. I think I'll stay here for now."

Danzo's expression suddenly turned serious. "Are you really planning to stay here? The orphanage can't take care of you forever. Sooner or later, you'll have to face reality."

With that, Danzo began walking out of the orphanage.

After Danzo left, Nono let out a sigh of relief. She walked over to Kabuto and gently patted his head.

"I was so worried about you just now. I'm glad you didn't agree to his request."

Kabuto curiously asked, "Director, is he really an advisor to the Hokage? Why are you so afraid of him?"

Nono sighed softly and replied, "Yes, Lord Danzo is indeed a Hokage advisor and has great power in the village. But whatever you do, don't become his subordinate. It's too dangerous there."

Seeing Nono's gloomy expression, Kabuto sighed inwardly.

He had already learned of Danzo's identity during the Nine-Tails incident, and under Lord Byakuya's guidance, he had witnessed Danzo's actions in preventing the police force from heading to the battlefield.

Although he didn't fully understand why Danzo stopped the police force, he knew that only a bad person would do something like that.

Moreover, while sweeping the courtyard earlier, he had overheard the conversation between Danzo and the director. Coupled with the previous visits from the Root ninjas, Kabuto knew that Danzo wouldn't give up easily.

Danzo's purpose in coming here was not only to recruit the orphans but also to recruit the director.

Although the director appeared kind and gentle, in reality, she was a ninja from the village. Kabuto realized this after learning the chakra refinement technique and officially becoming a ninja himself.

To make Danzo give up, there were only two options: either the director agreed to Danzo's conditions, or Kabuto volunteered to join Danzo's organization.

Kabuto leaned more toward the second option. He had become a ninja to protect the orphanage, his home.

For this home, the director was like a mother to them all, and as the oldest child, Kabuto felt he was the most suitable person to sacrifice and contribute for the sake of this family.

Danzo's visit to recruit from the orphanage was surely something that Lord Byakuya had anticipated.

Lord Byakuya was a ninja far more powerful than Danzo. Both in strength and strategy, he surpassed Danzo, who was viewed as an enemy of the orphanage. Kabuto knew he had to act according to Lord Byakuya's plans.

He couldn't just stay in the orphanage and rely on the director's protection forever.

That night, while the director and the others were asleep, Kabuto quietly slipped out of the orphanage.

He had been doing this for several months now, sneaking out every night to train in the ninjutsu that Lord Byakuya had provided, silently enhancing his own abilities.

But this time, he wasn't going out to train. He was going to meet someone.

After leaving the orphanage for about fifty meters, Kabuto encountered Danzo, who was hiding in the shadows in a corner. Kabuto, feeling nervous, said, "Lord… Lord Danzo!"

Danzo glanced at Kabuto as if trying to see through him with his gaze.

After observing Kabuto for a long time, Danzo couldn't figure out much. He stroked his chin and slowly said, "Kabuto, stop pretending. I knew you would come, and you knew I'd be waiting here for you. Earlier, with Nono present, you couldn't speak your mind. Since the hurdles are gone, tell me your true decision."

"L-Lord Danzo, if I become your subordinate, will I really become stronger?"

"This is a given," Danzo narrowed his eyes and continued, "Do you have any other questions? Feel free to ask about anything, even matters like your treatment. If I remember correctly, the orphanage received a few donations this year, but it's still far from enough to cover expenses, right?"

Hearing this, Kabuto's expression changed slightly. He then looked shocked and said, "Lord Danzo, you already know? How did you figure out what I was thinking?"

Danzo reveled in Kabuto's shock and said indifferently, "Reading people's intentions is part of the Root's training. Of course, I know what you desenpaie. If you join the Root, I'll immediately provide funds to the orphanage and promise not to recruit any more children. Having you will be enough."

Upon hearing this, Kabuto no longer hesitated and quickly said, "L-Lord Danzo, if you really keep your word, I'll be your subordinate from now on!"

---

The next morning.

Kabuto, led by Danzo, walked into the Root training base.

The base was located in the back mountains of Konoha Village. After passing through a cross-shaped courtyard, the two entered the base and saw a group of Root ninjas inside the training grounds.

When the Root ninjas saw Danzo, they all lowered their heads in respect.

Seeing this, Kabuto couldn't deny feeling nervous. Although he had witnessed the chaos caused by the Nine-Tails, back then, he had Lord Byakuya by his side at that time. Now, he was relying solely on himself.

After the Nine-Tails' rampage, Lord Byakuya had stopped communicating and seemed to have left Konoha.

Perhaps it was because Kabuto had joined the Root, and Lord Byakuya feared being detected by Danzo or other Root ninjas. Kabuto knew if that happened, he would be exposed.

Just as Kabuto was about to say something to Danzo, he was handed over to a Jonin from the Root.

The Jonin was Ryoma Aburame. Glancing at the bewildered and naive-looking Kabuto, Ryoma silently shook his head.

Another unfortunate soul was forced into the Root.

He remembered how he had been tricked into joining the Root years ago. If it weren't for his talent and luck, he would never have risen to his current position as Danzo's second-in-command.

Looking at the roster, Ryoma said, "So, you're the new recruit, Kabuto. Lord Danzo has already mentioned your name to me. Soon, someone will come to provide you with clothes, bedding, and the books you'll need to study. For now, you can get acquainted with the others or do nothing at all."

"Alright…" Kabuto nodded and asked, "What's your name, senpai? How should I address you?"

At the word "senpai," Ryoma's eyes flashed with a trace of panic.

After glancing around warily, he said with a lingering sense of dread, "Just call me Ryoma. And don't use the term 'senpai'!"

"Why?"

Kabuto was puzzled. He was used to being polite.

Ryoma recalled past events involving Lord Byakuya's explosive rage, then shook his head and said, "Because I hate that title, and Lord Danzo doesn't like it either."

"By the way, since you've joined the Root, you'll need to give yourself a codename. Root ninjas have no past, and we address each other by codenames."

Kabuto, obedient as always, replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Ryoma. But is Ryoma also a codename?"

"No, that's just my actual name."

Seeing Kabuto's puzzled look, Ryoma added, "I used to have a codename, but once you reach the Jonin level, codenames don't really matter anymore."

Kabuto nodded. His conversation with Ryoma had provided him with a lot of useful information.

Just as Kabuto was about to ask another question, Danzo appeared again, this time accompanied by a white-haired boy with a masked face.

The white-haired boy exuded an air of indifference, his eyes devoid of life.

Ryoma also noticed the boy and commented with a sigh, "Lord Danzo is truly remarkable, even Kakashi has been recruited into the Root."

"Kakashi? Ryoma, you accidentally leaked information about the new recruit."

Ryoma waved his hand dismissively and said in the tone of a seasoned veteran, "Kabuto, Kakashi isn't some newcomer. He's the village's youngest Jonin and a prominent figure from back in the day. Although I'm currently much stronger than he is, the future is unpredictable. Well then, I've already said too much today... Knowing too much without understanding the need for secrecy can be very dangerous."

After warning Kabuto one last time, Ryoma left the training grounds.

At that moment, Kakashi, who was following Danzo, noticed Kabuto in the training area, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The boy in the training field was far too young.

Typically, a ninja would need to graduate from the academy and pass the Chunin exams to join the ANBU or Root.

Only with Chunin-level skills could one qualify for high-level missions in those organizations.

But this child appeared several years younger than Kakashi. Could he already have the skills of a Chunin? Or was this one of Danzo's secret protégés, not recorded in the official ninja records?

As Kakashi let his thoughts wander, he stopped paying attention to the boy.

He had grown accustomed to such things. Whether this child was a genius who graduated early or a ninja secretly trained by Danzo, it had nothing to do with him.

All Kakashi wanted now was to complete his missions and numb himself from his thoughts.

After a brief moment of eye contact, Kabuto caught Kakashi's gaze. He could tell from Kakashi's eyes that he understood this person's inner world.

Reflecting on the boastful and talkative Ryoma earlier, Kabuto began to form a new understanding of the Root.

Previously, he had believed that all Root ninjas were mere tools, devoid of emotions. But now, he realized that Root ninjas indeed had emotions; they just suppressed them intentionally.

If these emotions were not released, these ninjas would eventually suffer psychological issues and possibly become mentally twisted.

Some might even end up committing suicide.

Kabuto thought to himself that he, too, would soon become one of them. He could only hope for good luck, that he could quickly gain enough strength to protect himself in this brutal environment, and one day return to the orphanage.

---

About ten minutes later, Kakashi entered the training ground.

What seemed like a rare and unlikely encounter earlier, now had them standing close to each other, but both were too socially awkward to initiate conversation.

After a moment of hesitation, Kabuto took the initiative and asked, "Kakashi-senpai, why did you join the Root? I've heard Ryoma mention you. You're known as a genius in the village."

Kakashi glanced at Kabuto and chose not to respond.

As Kakashi stared at him, Kabuto muttered to himself, "Kakashi-senpai, I joined because I want to become a ninja to protect my family. I assume you're here for the same reason."

To become a ninja and protect family?

Kakashi frowned. If Kabuto wanted to become a ninja, shouldn't he have gone to the Ninja Academy? Why would he join the Root?

But after thinking it over, it made sense. For those outside of the village's main children, becoming a ninja wasn't so easy.

Danzo likely saw potential in Kabuto and brought him into the Root for training. However, those without formal Ninja Academy education would find it hard to leave the Root and serve elsewhere.

The mention of protecting family, however, struck a chord with Kakashi.

It seemed he no longer had anyone left to protect. The only reason he kept living was to see the world in place of his fallen comrades, but even then, the world was too dark to bother.

With a touch of self-deprecation, Kakashi said, "Then, work hard and strengthen yourself to protect your family. As for me, I no longer have anyone left to protect—they've all left already."