"Think it through carefully. Once you join the ANBU, you can't just walk away. Unless there's an extraordinary reason, there's no quitting. I'll give you one day to decide."The Third Hokage exhaled a stream of smoke, his sharp gaze locking onto Natsume Yō. "If tomorrow you're sure, come find me. If not, you can keep studying at the Academy until graduation. Then we'll pretend this conversation never happened. How about it?"
"Yes, Grandpa Hokage."Yō nodded, pretending to let out a relieved sigh, shoulders easing as if the weight had been lifted.
"Then I'll be going."He bowed respectfully, then slipped out of the office.
After the boy's footsteps faded, Sarutobi muttered to himself, "This child… sharp eyes, steady heart. If guided well, his future might rival even Uchiha Shisui."
And then, as if flipping a switch, the Hokage's expression twisted into something lecherous. From under his desk he pulled out a crystal ball—inside, the image of Konoha's women's bath shimmered to life."Peeping Telescope Jutsu," Sarutobi's own depraved creation.
Halfway home, Yō's path was suddenly blocked. A masked shinobi stood before him, fox mask glinting in the light, the red tree-root tattoo on his arm impossible to miss.
"Natsume Yō. Lord Danzō requests your presence."
"…Alright. Lead the way."At first, Yō thought it was just the Hokage summoning him again. But the second he saw that tattoo, his mind clicked—this wasn't Sarutobi. This was the other shadow of Konoha: Shimura Danzō.
"Follow."The masked operative's tone was cold, confident, as he turned his back on Yō without hesitation. Escape clearly wasn't an option.
Root Headquarters.
"Lord Danzō, I've brought Natsume Yō."The operative dropped to one knee, voice echoing through the vast, cavernous underground.
"Leave."Danzō's voice rolled out of the shadows, low and commanding. The way it bounced off the walls, it was as if a god had spoken, each syllable weighing down on the chest.
Yō knelt at once. "This one, Natsume Yō, greets Lord Danzō."
The first impression hit him hard: pressure, suffocating and cold. The Root was no bright Hokage office. It was a graveyard of light. Oppressive. Silent. Like stepping into hell itself.
"Natsume Yō—will you enter my Root, and serve Konoha?"Danzō's eyes opened slowly, two blades flashing in the dark. The killing intent behind his gaze made Yō shiver, like a poisonous viper had coiled around his neck.
"Lord Danzō… Hokage-sama already summoned me. If I give you my word now, wouldn't that break protocol? I wouldn't know how to explain it to him…"Truthfully, Yō had no intention of becoming one of Danzō's dogs.
Joining ANBU meant obeying the Hokage, but at least there was some personal freedom. Joining Root? That meant becoming Danzō's property. His interests, his orders, his chains. Freedom would be gone—forever.
"I don't need excuses."Danzō's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Yes or no. Don't use the Third Hokage as your shield."
Yō clenched his teeth. This old fox… he's not leaving me a way out.