Enjoying the hot springs of Yugakure was merely a pleasant bonus. Roshi's real purpose in the Land of Hot Springs was far more practical—he wanted to see whether the region harbored any unusual or valuable tree species.
That meant leaving the inn to investigate. However, mindful of his responsibilities as the team leader—and unwilling to invite unnecessary complications—Roshi left his main body behind and dispatched a Shadow Clone instead.
After forming a brief set of hand seals, the clone used Transformation Jutsu, turning into an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. With his presence suitably unremarkable, he merged seamlessly into Yugakure's bustling streets.
He began by strolling along the main thoroughfare, his eyes casually sweeping over the trees lining the road. They were all common species—neatly trimmed, healthy, but utterly unremarkable.
Unsurprised, Roshi turned into quieter side streets rarely visited by tourists. His gaze lingered on branches and leaves peeking over courtyard walls, hoping to spot privately cultivated plants or local varieties unique to the region.
Still nothing.
After some time, he entered an old, slightly weathered shop tucked into a street corner.
Inside, Roshi pretended to browse aimlessly before stopping in front of a shelf stocked with dried herbs and small packets of seeds.
"Customer, are you interested in herbs from the Land of Hot Springs?" the shopkeeper asked warmly.
"You could say that," Roshi replied, his voice roughened to match his disguise as he kept his head lowered. "I have a habit of collecting seeds and specimens from different places. Plants, especially."
The shopkeeper immediately launched into an enthusiastic introduction. Roshi selected a few seed packets as suggested, paid without hesitation—then lingered.
"Boss," he added casually, "besides these common ones… are there any rarer or more peculiar trees or plants native to this area?"
"Or perhaps any old legends? Folk tales about unusual plants?"
He paused briefly, then continued, "I once heard of a giant tree—something worshipped as a god."
The God Tree, after all, had once absorbed the natural energy of the entire world. Though its Roots were destroyed in the Six Paths Sage's era, remnants—or descendants—might still exist.
If Roshi wanted a truly suitable species, even something distantly related to the God Tree would be far more promising than an ordinary plant.
The shopkeeper frowned slightly in thought. "A god connected to a tree? I can't say I've heard of that. But as for gods…"
He lowered his voice. "There is a local legend about a god associated with death."
Death…?
Roshi's mind sharpened instantly.
"…Some say it grants death to enemies, or something along those lines," the shopkeeper added vaguely.
Clearly uninterested in the topic, he turned away to reorganize another shelf. Sensing the conversation had reached its limit, Roshi thanked him politely and left the shop.
The so-called Jashin.
Setting aside the questionable naming sense of its worshippers, the possibility of such an existence wasn't entirely implausible.
Hidan of the Akatsuki possessed both immortality and a strange curse technique—the Jashin Ritual of Evil.
Even the latter alone could be partially explained through Chakra theory. Blood carried Chakra, and Chakra itself could be viewed as a kind of living information imprint—one capable of precisely identifying an individual.
Using blood as a medium, it might be possible to lock onto a person's life signature and forcibly link two information fields, resulting in shared damage. The precise mechanism was unclear, but compared to Tobirama's Edo Tensei, it wasn't completely absurd.
What truly elevated the matter was Hidan's immortality.
That alone made the existence of the Evil God disturbingly plausible—though how such a being operated remained unknown, even in the original anime.
In the Ninja World, a Sage was an existence that could wield natural energy. A god, however, suggested something far more abstract—something closer to a rule, a concept, or a system.
Still, now was not the time to investigate gods of death.
Roshi had responsibilities to fulfill as the Chūnin Exams team leader—and a more immediate objective: to use this long journey to gather as many valuable plant specimens as possible.
Whatever secrets this land held, they would have to wait.
—
The Shadow Clone was an excellent jutsu—one that could easily stand alongside the Wood Clone.
While the main body enjoyed comfort and rest, it remained blissfully unaware of the clone's exhaustion until the moment of dispelling, when an entire night's worth of memories, strain, and fatigue flooded back all at once.
Early the next morning, Roshi regrouped the Konoha ninja and led them onward for the final stretch of their journey to the Kumo.
The night spent in Yugakure was likely the most comfortable rest they would enjoy before reaching their destination.
The Land of Frost, especially in the depths of January, was anything but welcoming. The cold bit sharply into the bones, yet Roshi still insisted on stopping there for a night as planned.
After all, once they arrived in Kumogakure, the Konoha delegation could not afford to appear weary or travel-worn.
That decision quickly proved its worth.
The moment they crossed the border of the Land of Frost and officially entered the Land of Lightning, Kumogakure's reception team was already waiting for them.
At the front stood a kunoichi with striking yellow hair, blue-green eyes, and pale skin.
She was also the first person Roshi had seen whose figure rivaled Tsunade's without losing any sense of balance or presence.
—
"Within the Root base, all existing intelligence has been preliminarily cataloged and archived. The personnel remaining inside have also largely completed reassignment and restructuring."
Kakashi stood before the Hokage's desk, delivering his report. Despite his calm tone, a trace of fatigue—and helplessness—lingered in his eyes.
"But that's as far as we've been able to go," he continued after a brief pause. "Root maintained a large number of deep-cover operatives over the years. However, inside the base, there are no corresponding personnel rosters, contact records, or mission logs."
"Even when members are willing to cooperate, the Curse Seal prevents them from revealing anything substantial. Combined with Root's extreme compartmentalization—one-on-one intelligence chains—they simply don't know enough. There's no clear point of entry."
Tsunade's directive—to seize Root's visible assets and personnel—had gone relatively smoothly.
But the truly dangerous parts remained untouched.
The intelligence Root had gathered independently over decades, never reported to the Hokage…
The covert operations executed without authorization…
All of it was still buried.
Kakashi had spent half a year pouring effort into this task, yet progress in that area was negligible.
He was certain of it for one simple reason: even Yamato's experimental records were nowhere to be found in the current Root archives.
The satisfaction Tsunade had felt at cornering Danzo instantly faded.
"Shizune," she asked sharply, "has the Sealing Team made any progress on the Curse Seal?"
Shizune shook her head. "None so far."
"In that case," Tsunade said decisively, "we'll proceed as planned. Shizune, prepare the next batch of documents that Advisor Shimura 'needs' to personally review."
Her lips curved slightly. "Make the selection broader this time. Keep him busy."
Konoha had accumulated decades' worth of unresolved cases, classified files, and financial gray areas—there was no shortage of material.
Her gaze returned to Kakashi. "And don't relax on your end either."
"That old man still hasn't truly let go," she said coldly. "Which means Root is still hiding something. Something far more important."
"And until we find it," Tsunade added, "this isn't over."
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