Some time earlier...
The Hokage's office door stood closed. Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, reading through mission reports.
A knock sounded.
"Enter."
The door opened. An ANBU stepped inside, bear mask gleaming in the light. Hiruzen recognised him immediately—one of the guards he had assigned to secretly protect Ryu.
Hiruzen set down his papers. "Is everything well at the Hamura estate?"
"The estate is secure, Lord Hokage," the ANBU said. "I'm here regarding a different matter. A report from ANBU codenamed Fox, from Captain Ro's team."
Kakashi, Hiruzen thought.
"What is the information?" he asked.
The ANBU gave Hiruzen a scroll detailing the Iburi Clan—their progenitor, a war orphan who had fled into the mountains decades ago before the formation of the Leaf Village, and his discovery of his unique bloodline; their isolation through the last three great wars; more and more descendants with bloodline ability appearing in later generations; their uncontrollably and irreversibly turning into smoke; and their connection to Orochimaru.
"Wood Release." Hiruzen's gaze sharpened as he read the words.
ANBU nodded and said, "It is confirmed to be a Root operative embedded within the clan, gathering intelligence on Orochimaru's operations and links... his justification is sound. Fox is currently at the cave along with Ryu Hamura. My team is monitoring from a distance."
So one of Orochimaru's test subjects survived. The realisation settled over him like cold water. Danzo hid him well. For over a year, he kept this secret.
His fingers tightened on the armrest.
Naruto will enter the academy in a few years. The seal Minato placed will be tested the moment the boy begins moulding chakra. Every test shows Naruto hasn't inherited the Uzumaki's unique traits. If the Nine-Tails breaks free...
He didn't finish the thought.
Finding a Wood Release user now, just when we need one most... But he's under Root's control. Under Danzo's control.
His jaw set with determination.
I will have to take that child away from Root—no matter what it takes.
He forced his mind to shift to the other matter at hand… The Iburi Clan.
A new bloodline that could shift the balance between villages. Kakashi approached this well—earning trust instead of forcing compliance. And bringing Ryu was wise. The boy would never refuse a patient, and his personality and reputation will do more to build trust than any promise I could make.
He looked at the ANBU, considering his options.
How did we miss a whole clan living so close to us? Maybe their smoke transformation has very high hiding and infiltration ability... perfect for ANBU. They must have hidden away every time anyone came near them.
He looked back to the ANBU.
"Gather all ANBU not currently on a mission. Prepare for battle."
The ANBU tensed but quickly composed himself. "Understood, Lord Hokage."
He understood that Wood Release was a bloodline worth waging war for.
The masked shinobi vanished.
"A new bloodline..." Hiruzen said as his gaze lowered. "This is big. But finding a Wood Release user was a bigger surprise."
He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping the wood, and remembered the old days and the horror of the sight of [Wood Style—Deep Forest Emergence].
Back in the Iburi cave
Kinoe's eyes fluttered open. He tried to sit up, and pain shot through his body. A hand pressed lightly against his chest.
"Easy."
Ryu was healing Kinoe. He cleaned up small blood stains from his face using a clean cloth as he healed.
Yukimi knelt nearby, freed from her restraints. Her eyes were fixed on Kinoe, concern etched across her face.
"Are you okay, Tenzo...?" she asked softly.
Several Iburi clan members clustered in loose groups, their eyes flicking between Ryu, Kakashi, Kinoe, and their own people who had just been released from Ryu's barrier seals.
Some faces showed hope. Others held only suspicion.
One man stepped forward. He jabbed a finger at Ryu. "The child is barely out of his nappies. What can he do for us? Orochimaru is a legendary Sannin. We should trust him instead."
Ryu laughed; The man's jaw tightened at the reaction.
"Let me tell you about Orochimaru," Ryu said. His voice was light, but there was steel underneath. "He is not interested in curing you. He wants to uncover secrets of your bloodline, understand how it works, and transfer it to others. He has always been obsessed with bloodlines and immortality. He will kill everyone here if that is what it takes."
"You are just trying to turn us against him," the man snapped.
Ryu's eyes narrowed slightly. "When he found out I was dying, he asked me to donate my body for research. Not once did he even offer to treat me. He had the resources to at least try to help, but he didn't. Curing people like us is not even on his list. If he wanted to cure you, he would have done it long ago."
The murmuring among the Iburi grew louder. Some looked down, ashamed. Others looked more shaken than angry.
The granny, Gotta's mother, stepped forward.
"The boy has a point," she said. "I remember when this cave was full of voices. We had close to fifty members once. Now look around. We have lost too many."
Her eyes swept over the gathered faces.
"Some were taken by Orochimaru with promises of salvation. Some were lost to our own curse—turned into smoke and never able to come back. Year after year, our numbers shrink."
The scarred man gritted his teeth. "We gave Orochimaru enough time."
The granny looked at Gotta and said, "Are you so stubborn that you cannot give him even a few days when we have given so much to Orochimaru... including our own flesh and blood?"
Silence spread through the cavern. No one answered her.
A younger man standing near the back lifted his hand slightly. "His family is rich," he said, nodding toward Ryu. "They have more resources than Orochimaru ever had here."
The granny glanced at Ryu. "You have resources?"
Ryu gave a small shrug. "Enough. The Hamura estate can provide food, medicine, and supplies. And I have more medical tools and knowledge than Orochimaru was ever willing to use to help you."
He added, "Also, Orochimaru has already been declared a criminal and is on the run. He cannot help you now, even if he wanted to."
Yukimi rose from where she'd been kneeling and walked toward her father. Her hands trembled slightly as she stopped beside Gotta.
"Father," she said.
Gotta turned his head toward her. His face was lined with exhaustion and guilt.
Yukimi looked at him straight on. "I know you trust Orochimaru. I know why. He said he would help us. He took my brother, and we hoped he would come back cured. But what has he done for us since then, other than take away our clan members?"
She gestured at the cave around them. "We are scraping for food and supplies. We are hiding in the dark, waiting for the wind to kill us. Orochimaru has not sent medicine. He has not sent food. He has not even sent a message."
Her voice shook, but she did not stop.
"I know my brother is gone. I do not blame you for that. I know how desperate our situation was. But if you do not take the helping hand of these people today, and you keep trusting Orochimaru, who is nowhere to be seen, I will hold you responsible for the rest of my life."
"Please, Father... don't let us fade away in this darkness."
The words struck harder than any jutsu.
Gotta's eyes widened slightly. For a moment, no one spoke.
Kakashi watched quietly from the side. Kinoe, still on the ground, looked between father and daughter, trying to understand the depth of the clan's fracture. Ryu said nothing, letting Yukimi's words sink in.
Gotta looked at his daughter. He saw the fear in her eyes, the anger, and under all of it, the fragile thread of hope she was clinging to.
Slowly, he turned his gaze over the rest of the clan. Thin faces. Tired shoulders. People who flinched whenever a stray breeze slid through the tunnel. Few of the children laughed anymore. Few of the adults believed they would live to grow old.
She is right, he thought. I staked our future on Orochimaru, and he gave us nothing but silence. I sent my own son away. I watched more and more of my clan walk into the forest and never return.
The faces of those who had gone with Orochimaru rose in his mind. His nephew. The hopeful volunteers. The ones who had begged for a chance to be cured. None had come back.
He had made that decision as their leader.
The guilt had been gnawing at him in the dark hours of the night. Now, hearing his daughter's words said aloud, it felt like a weight pressing down on his chest.
He stepped forward, past Yukimi, past the scarred man, until he stood a few paces in front of Ryu.
For a moment, he simply looked at the boy—at the mismatched eyes, the calm expression, and the quiet confidence that seemed out of place on such a young face.
Then, slowly, he bowed his head.
"Please help us."
Ryu's expression softened.
"That's what I'm here for," he said. "And from today, you will never have to bow down to me or anyone ever again. Stand up."
##PoWeR StOnEs PLeaSE##
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