章節 21: Chapter 21: Darkness is a Quagmire
Autumn rain gently drizzled, falling like silk, like mist, like smoke. Ren stood at the entrance of the Hokage's office, feeling a sense of boredom as he gazed out the window at the blurry scenery beyond the hallway.
Inside the room behind him, there were muffled voices, but through the door, he couldn't quite make out what was being said.
"Starting today, you'll begin your mission as Danzo-sama's bodyguard."
Finally becoming one of Danzo's close confidants, Ren now found himself stationed outside, standing guard during a meeting between Danzo and the Hokage.
"Are you new here?" asked a voice.
Standing on the opposite side was a member of the Hokage's direct ANBU squad.
A fox mask, white hair.
It was a very distinctive look.
"Yeah," Ren responded.
"You seem kind of familiar."
"Can your Sharingan see through masks?" Ren asked.
"We've met before, haven't we?" Kakashi said, his gaze shifting toward Ren's mask through the corner of his eye.
"We're in the same village. Is it so strange for us to have seen each other?" Ren said calmly.
"You were in the forest that night, weren't you?" Kakashi asked directly.
Ren didn't respond. Kakashi had already recognized him.
Suddenly, the voices inside the room grew louder, as if a disagreement had broken out, and Kakashi stopped talking.
Not long after, the door to the office was pushed open, and the Third Hokage walked out.
"Kakashi," the Third Hokage called.
"Yes," Kakashi replied.
"I am officially sending out a team, but Danzo believes the mission has hidden dangers, so he will send a separate covert team."
Kakashi realized that this was now his mission. "So, it's not the Hokage's direct order?"
"Follow Danzo's instructions," the Third Hokage said before walking away.
Danzo emerged, leaning on his cane. He addressed Kakashi, "On the surface, this is a peaceful diplomatic mission. We are exchanging intelligence with the ninja group from the Land of Forests, the Hannya. But I suspect it could be a trap, and the Third Hokage agrees."
"That's why we're sending the Anbu to protect the team carrying out the mission. If they betray us and attack, then…"
"Kill them. Leave no one alive," Danzo said coldly.
"Eliminate them?" Kakashi asked, staying calm.
"They must understand that Konoha does not tolerate betrayal," Danzo responded icily.
"For this mission, I'd like to bring Itachi along," Kakashi said.
"Katsura will also accompany you," Danzo said, glancing at Ren.
"He has dealt with the Hannya before."
"Yes," Ren replied.
Katsura… Is that his codename? Kakashi thought, glancing at Ren.
"Kakashi, I've always admired your work in the Anbu," Danzo suddenly said. "I even considered bringing you back to Root."
Kakashi was startled but remained respectful. "Please, don't joke about that."
"No, you have the potential," Danzo continued. "The potential for darkness."
"…"
Ren followed Danzo as they left. Once outside the Hokage building, Danzo spoke again.
"For this mission, keep an eye on Uchiha Itachi. Report back to me on his performance."
"Yes."
"That boy's talents are no less than Shisui's, and he is Uchiha Fugaku's eldest son. He has great potential for the future."
"…"
Danzo glanced at Ren from the corner of his eye. "Aren't you curious why I'm telling you all this?"
"No."
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "You seem disinterested in everything."
"Am I wrong to behave this way?" Ren responded calmly.
"No, you're exactly how a true shinobi should be."
Danzo looked away, his expression unreadable.
Feigning obedience. But as long as I place the right chains on you, I can make use of you, Danzo thought.
...
The next day.
After the rain, the skies cleared.
At Konoha's gates, a four-man squad prepared to leave the village after a spirited speech from their leader, Might Guy.
Ren watched them leave from the shadows, recognizing Guy's green outfit—it was far too eye-catching.
"You're early," a voice suddenly came from beside him. Kakashi had arrived with a dark-haired young man.
"This is Itachi," Kakashi introduced.
"Let's not use real names during the mission," Ren said, still wearing his mask. "I'm Katsura. Let's get moving."
Straight to the point… Itachi thought, observing the unfamiliar Root ninja.
Kakashi had already explained the mission to Itachi, so they wasted no time and left the village immediately.
They soon caught up with Guy's team, who weren't moving particularly fast, and shadowed them silently from the trees.
None of the three were particularly talkative, so their journey was in stark contrast to the lively conversation in Guy's group ahead.
"With a team setup like that, it doesn't seem reliable at all," Itachi couldn't help but comment on the team ahead. "No wonder they need protection."
"Don't judge by appearances. That team is no weaker than ours," Kakashi replied.
Itachi was surprised. In his mind, Kakashi was a mysterious figure, someone with exceptional skill, and was known as an elite Jōnin. But when he looked at Guy's team ahead—Guy, who seemed overly enthusiastic, and an old man carrying cooking utensils—it didn't inspire confidence.
As they approached noon and neared the border, Guy's team openly started a fire in the forest and began cooking a hot pot meal, eating with great enthusiasm.
"It's great to have you with us, Kokai," Guy said, clearly satisfied.
"There's plenty more where that came from," Kokai, the elderly cook, replied cheerfully.
"Everyone, eat up! We need to stock up on chakra and energy," Guy announced loudly.
Cook ninjas, like Kokai, were valued on missions for providing better sustenance than rations or soldier pills, and were well-regarded in the ninja world.
"Is this really okay, Captain?" one of Guy's other teammates asked, looking worried.
"With the fire burning so bright, we're totally exposed. What if the enemy comes?"
Guy was unconcerned. "If they come, that's good. Our mission is probably to find out if they're enemies or not."
Hidden in the trees, Itachi was surprised by Guy's insight. "I didn't expect him to realize the true nature of the mission without knowing the details."
"Let's take a break as well," Kakashi said, removing his mask.
"Understood," Itachi replied, taking out a soldier pill and eating it.
Ren, standing on a branch nearby, remained motionless.
Itachi hesitated before asking, "Aren't you going to eat something?"
"No need."
His response was as cold as ever.
"He's from Root. Their ways are a bit different from ours," Kakashi explained.
Root… Danzo's unit… Itachi thought.
"Root isn't just a training division of the Anbu?" Itachi asked.
"That's the official story, but in reality, they're an elite force with fully developed skills," Kakashi replied.
"So what's the difference between Root and the Anbu?" Itachi asked.
Kakashi paused, unsure how to answer.
There was already an Anbu, so what was the purpose of Root? A unit with such elite members, yet they answered to Danzo… Itachi couldn't help but wonder.
"To handle things you can't," Ren suddenly spoke up.
Itachi was taken aback.
Kakashi, too, was surprised. This Root member was speaking out of turn.
Ren continued, "Like the last mission." He glanced at Kakashi. "A suspected traitor to the village."
"If the Anbu were handling it, they would arrest them, bring them back to the village for interrogation."
"If Root is involved, they're killed on the spot."
Itachi pondered this.
Kakashi couldn't help but say, "Is it really okay to speak about your own unit this way?"
"It's not a secret," Ren said coolly. "And you were in Root yourself for a while, right? You should know this."
Itachi looked at Kakashi, surprised. Kakashi remained silent, staring at Ren.
"In the end, both Root and the Anbu are essentially the same thing," Ren continued, speaking more for Itachi's benefit. "Weapons hidden in the shadows, used to do what others won't."
"The darkness is like a swamp. It's easy to step into but hard to escape."
Kakashi found himself puzzled. This wasn't the kind of talk he expected from a Root member.
This guy...
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