## Konoha – Hokage's Office ##
Sai knew coming to see the Hokage alone might not be the best idea, but it was Naruto's order that brought him here—to inform Tsunade that Gaara had left on his own.
But when she asked Shizune to leave and remained alone with Sai, he knew it wouldn't be that simple.
So there he sat, facing her, while she sat behind her desk, studying him closely.
An ordinary person might have felt fear, or at least some unease, but Sai insisted he didn't feel those emotions.
It took hours before Tsunade finally spoke, cutting straight to the chase.
"I'll be straightforward. I know about your ties to Danzo, just as I know about Naruto and your other teammates."
Sai didn't respond, which Tsunade expected, yet she continued, "Are you free to speak for yourself? Or has Danzo done something to prevent you from doing so?"
Sai blinked, then nodded.
"It's of my own free will, because Danzo-sama is already dead. If he were still alive, the seals Danzo placed on all Root members would stop us from speaking freely about him or Root. He believed our existence should remain a secret—fewer people knowing meant greater safety. But I'm willing to cooperate."
"What was your purpose?" Tsunade asked.
"To protect Konoha from domestic and foreign threats in the most comprehensive and careful way possible."
Sai answered easily, with the well-rehearsed fluency of a longtime Root member. "We are not your enemies, Hokage-sama, but it would be better if only you—and your… or rather, at least until Naruto-senpai takes office—were aware of our existence."
This caused Tsunade to arch an eyebrow. "And then what? Will Root become Naruto's personal army, his bodyguards?"
It was difficult to picture Naruto agreeing to that, but Danzo had once called Naruto his masterpiece, so perhaps it wasn't entirely impossible, right?
"Of course not," Sai replied, annoyed by the implication. "Like I said, we handle issues that could pose a threat to Konoha. Most of the time, even you, as Hokage, wouldn't even know these issues existed."
Somehow, Tsunade felt like he was implying she was incompetent.
"Not kept in the loop, huh?" Her tone carried a hint of anger, but Sai merely smiled pleasantly at her, which only irritated her further. "You've got quite a tongue on you."
"I mean no disrespect," Sai said, waving his hands in front of himself. "We resolve threats before they even come to your attention. We did the same for former Hokages, including Sarutobi-sensei. If every matter required your involvement, your workload would be overwhelming. You'd be distracted by foreign matters and overlook critical developments along our borders."
"So…" Tsunade said, trying to grasp exactly what Root was, "you're like an international strike force? A borderless army?"
That characterization was overly simplistic and reductive.
Sai's smile faltered, and he hesitated, searching for a more accurate way to explain.
"Not exactly."
Many of us are stationed near Konoha. Some among us are part of the regular ninja forces, like Miss Maki, while others… are not. If you need a reason to explain all this, think of us as Konoha's equivalent of Gaara's automatic defense. Regardless of whether you're aware of our actions, we will always act in the best interest of the village."
He noticed her eyes narrowing and sighed. "I don't mean to threaten you, Lady Hokage..."
"How can I possibly trust you?"
"Do you trust Naruto-senpai?" Sai countered, addressing Tsunade. "His instructions, we follow. We will also follow your orders, but we are not directly under your command like traditional ninjas. We have no intention of participating in your day-to-day missions, and we are not ordinary ninja."
"How many of you are there?"
"Enough," Sai answered, then sighed again upon hearing her fingers tapping on the table. "Our numbers are considerable, but if you're still doubtful, let me say this—we are nowhere near enough to control the entire village."
Discovering that Danzo had built a paramilitary organization hidden in plain sight within the village—and only now, after Danzo's death, was she learning about it firsthand—was like a slap in the face for Tsunade, an unmistakable warning bell ringing loudly.
The organization had become so deeply embedded that it could continue functioning even without Danzo.
As much as she hated to admit it, Konoha would genuinely need Root for the upcoming war.
"Will you commit your strength to support the war effort?"
"We are already prepared," Sai replied factually, which surprised Tsunade. "Danzo-sama has been closely monitoring small villages along the nation's borders for years. The reports from our spies are deeply troubling."
That statement fully captured Tsunade's attention.
"Every single small village around the Land of Fire is preparing for war... and their target isn't Amegakure."
"Our allies—"
"Are gone," Sai said before she could question the loyalty of those small allied villages. "They recognized an opportunity. They no longer wish to remain subordinate to Konoha, scavenging the scraps we leave behind. Once word spread of Sunagakure being attacked, the Lands of Rice and Grass were the first to secede and ally with Amegakure, and many other neighboring villages did the same."
"You're serious?" Tsunade asked incredulously, then rubbed her temples. "Damn it, if this is true, then you really might be useful after all."
Root had functioned well as an independent group for over twenty years without causing any problems for Konoha. So why stop them now when they were needed?
There was no reason to issue a halt… especially considering they might simply follow Danzo's precedent and continue acting independently regardless.
"Fine… continue carrying out your operations. But if you do anything to endanger the village—"
Sai stood up and walked toward the door, ready to leave.
"That would never be our intent, Lady Hokage."
"Perhaps one day, we'll prove just how important we are to Konoha. But until then, we'll keep guarding it quietly."
He opened the door and looked back one last time. "This is the promise we made when we joined Root—we'll do everything within our power to guard the village from the shadows."
He smiled happily again. "You'll sometimes hear whispers of our accomplishments."
With that, he closed the door behind him.
The brief meeting ended. Tsunade turned around and gazed through the window at the morning view of the village.
"I suppose even small help counts. A tree cannot grow tall without solid roots."
She had to wait for Jiraiya's message to confirm everything she'd just heard.
Those foolish traitors had no idea what they'd stumbled into. But they would learn soon enough.
Tsunade wondered just how many covert operations Root had already set in motion. She hoped those actions would be enough to make the traitors pay dearly.
In the end, thieves, killers, and spies have no real loyalty.
Fortunately, before returning to their respective countries, the other Kage had each left behind several representatives.
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