Soul. What a mysterious, yet elusive word.
When Orochimaru was still in Konoha, Aburame Neri had once been assigned to be his assistant. That period had been her happiest and most fulfilling. She was exposed to pure research, untainted by other motives. It was also during that time, alongside Orochimaru, that she gained a preliminary understanding of the soul.
Unfortunately, the soul was too abstruse.
"I am not yet qualified to research souls," Aburame Neri said, her tone laced with regret. The laboratory equipment, materials, and resources were far from sufficient for soul research. Aburame Neri's talent in research was by no means inferior to Orochimaru's, but Root's missions and restrictions had severely hampered her growth.
"There will be opportunities in the future," Naruto said, giving Aburame Neri a meaningful look, leaving behind a thought-provoking remark. During their time together, he had seen Aburame Neri's passion for research. This would be her stepping stone to joining his faction in the future.
In the days that followed, the newly instated Tsunade was swamped with the duties of the Hokage, utterly overwhelmed. Jiraiya helped out for a few days before returning to his usual haunts, lingering around bathhouses. Sasuke, having returned to the village, once again threw himself into training, occasionally receiving guidance from Jiraiya when the latter had nothing better to do. Naruto truly did rest for these few days, even temporarily slowing down his training.
However, during these days, just as he received the mission for the Land of Demons, the intelligence still warm in his hands, terrible news arrived. Rock Lee's parents had died due to a sudden incident while performing a mission outside the village. Their bodies had already been transported back to Konoha.
The event had occurred too suddenly; everyone was caught off guard.
Upon receiving this news, Naruto's first reaction wasn't sadness, but suspicion. Perhaps due to years of habitually hiding his true self, he had become distrustful and prone to suspicion.
Rock Lee's parents were only Genin. They rarely undertook missions outside the village, let alone dangerous ones.
How could it be such a coincidence that an accident occurred on their mission? And I heard that their accompanying comrades all survived; only the two of them received a bento box.
There are too many coincidences. It makes one suspicious.
If their deaths weren't an accident, who would want to kill them? Could it be… Danzo?
The first suspect that leaped into Naruto's mind was Danzo. Because Danzo was ruthless and had a certain 'fastidiousness' when it came to his subordinates. The vast majority of ninja who joined Root were orphans, without parents or attachments. So, Rock Lee's joining had been an exception. Given Danzo's usual way of doing things, he likely wanted to mold Rock Lee into Naruto's most loyal subordinate. But for Root, ninja with family ties possessed a significant weakness. What if Lee's family was coerced in the future? Would he reveal Root's intelligence? Having emotional attachments meant having an extra weakness.
Considering Danzo's cautious nature, he would absolutely not allow such a potential risk to exist. So, using a mission to make Rock Lee "clean" seemed somewhat plausible. This way, Rock Lee would be completely loyal to Naruto. He would become Naruto's most useful subordinate, wouldn't he?
Looked at this way, Danzo was quite devoted, thinking a lot for Naruto's sake.
Regardless of whether this speculation was correct, it meant Naruto needed to be even more vigilant. To do something so depraved to fellow villagers, Danzo was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Once Danzo discovered Naruto's true inner thoughts, he would face immense trouble.
Naruto's eyes darkened. He arrived at the cemetery. Rock Lee was kneeling before a grave, crying his eyes out. His friends stood behind him: Tenten, Neji, Sasuke, Sakura, and even Hinata's team, who had just returned from a mission, were all present.
"Naruto, you're here." Seeing Naruto, Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll leave him to you." He patted Naruto's shoulder.
"We've been comforting him for a long time, but it's no use. Young man, it's up to your flame of youth to reignite him!" Guy, his face streaked with tears, sobbed as he grabbed Naruto's arm.
Everyone's face was etched with sorrow.
This scene made everyone sigh. The ninja world was too cruel. Tragedy struck too suddenly. They had been ninja for less than a year, yet they had already witnessed the cruelty and bloodshed of their world. Everyone's hands were already stained with blood. They had also witnessed life and death, parting and separation. Being a ninja was never child's play. People died.
This also made them begin to ponder: if they died on a mission, how much grief would their families feel?
"We're counting on you for Rock Lee," Guy said, perhaps the most affected among them. He had mentored students before. But their final fates were either death or abandoning the path of a ninja. When they saw people close to them die on missions, when they saw the cruelty and reality of their assignments, many would choose to retreat. Guy was very worried that Rock Lee would be unable to recover from this blow and give up on being a ninja.
Only after everyone else had left did Naruto approach Rock Lee. This scene felt somewhat familiar. The once self-doubting Rock Lee had also been disheartened before. Only then, it was due to his lack of strength. Now, he grieved for the loss of his family.
"The world of a ninja is cruel," Naruto said softly. "The moment you became a ninja, your life was no longer your own to control."
"I won't say much more. You must become strong. Didn't you say you wanted to follow me?" Naruto's tone remained gentle. His own heart felt no particular turmoil. Because from the very beginning, he had embarked on a path even more ruthless, even more cruel than that of a ninja. This was the resolve he possessed.
"To lose someone is sorrowful, but you must remember, you are a ninja. A ninja does not wallow indefinitely in the past. Danzo-sensei has already assigned me a new mission, to the Land of Demons. That mission might involve contact with the Pure Land; it is extremely dangerous. But I am prepared. If you are not ready, I will depart with Aburame Neri tomorrow."
A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the fallen leaves from the ground. Rock Lee stared blankly at the leaves being swirled up by the wind, drifting like rootless duckweed. From this day on, he too was like a fallen leaf, without an anchor.
Listening to Naruto's words, a faint light gradually returned to his empty eyes.
Yes, he had said it himself. He would follow Naruto. Yet here he was, wallowing in the pain of losing his family, like a dog.
He lifted his head and looked at Naruto.
Naruto's smile under the sunlight was gentle. Those who didn't know might assume Naruto came from a harmonious and happy family. But Rock Lee knew. Naruto's origins were tragic; he had endured malice since birth. He was one of the first to know Naruto, and he had watched Naruto gain recognition all along with that very smile.
His heart was deeply touched. He stood up, wiping away his tears.
"Forgive my unsightly appearance, Naruto. From now on, I am a ninja of Root, 'Sage.' Your most reliable, most loyal follower!"
_______
+60 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls