The road back to Konoha.
Shimura Danzo always thought that Akihara Kagura was an obedient child. Most children used as test subjects are frightened into submissiveness by horrifying human experimentation.
However.
This little guy was an exception.
Throughout the journey, Akihara Kagura showed great curiosity about the outside world. Even when they rested by the river, he would ask if they knew how to fish.
Fishing?
Only lazy people would fish!
As the Root supporting the darkness of Konoha, how could they waste time on such things? Even in desperate times, they would only use spears to catch fish for food!
Shimura Danzo realized that this child might have a great curiosity about the world and perhaps had never seen real darkness. After returning, careful training would be needed.
As long as the little guy witnessed the cruelty of this world, he would certainly become obedient and sensible. Shimura Danzo prided himself on being good at handling children, especially in shaping a somewhat normal-minded child into a killing tool.
However…
Akihara Kagura quickly changed his mind.
"Wood Release: Planting Jutsu!"
Akihara Kagura demonstrated a spearing technique by the river using Wood Release!
A wooden spike emerged from the boy's palm and was plunged into the river, piercing a fish over a meter long. The fish immediately struggled violently!
The next moment!
The boy's fingers pressed together!
The wooden spike branched and grew again!
A cluster of dense wooden spikes grew inside the fish, completely penetrating its body, and blood immediately stained the river's surface red!
This technique of Wood Release...
It appeared extremely brutal.
"Lord Danzo, I caught a fish!"
Akihara Kagura looked at Shimura Danzo with a face full of joy.
The boy's smile seemed incredibly innocent and pure, yet in this bloody method of fishing, it appeared especially cold and ruthless, as if killing life was a pleasure for him.
This was a natural-born killing tool.
"Truly..."
The old man watched the bloody scene before him and slowly uttered a rare compliment: "Ingenious Wood Release, a good child..."
Whether it was the Wood Release Bloodline on the boy or his attitude towards life, Shimura Danzo felt that he had indeed found a good seedling this time. In the future, he just needed to ensure that he was loyal to him!
Konoha Village.
The most prosperous ninja village in the ninja world.
Shimura Danzo, worried that his whereabouts might be discovered, and also wanting to see just how perfect Akihara Kagura's Wood Release potential was, hurriedly brought the boy back to Konoha.
Shimura Danzo never liked to enter the village through the main gate but preferred to sneakily open the seal barrier from Konoha's back mountain to return to the Root Organization's base.
Akihara Kagura followed Shimura Danzo and jumped into a well. Upon entering the Root Organization base, he was immediately met with a gloomy and dark atmosphere.
This supervisor...
His style was too dark!
The entire Root Organization base was buried underground.
Even though the interior of the Root Organization base included many classical pavilions and towers, with some luxuriously lined against the mountain wall, it couldn't change the eerie feeling under the shroud of darkness.
Bang, bang, bang...
The dull sound of knocking on wood echoed underground.
A group of people couldn't help but turn their heads to look at the boy who suddenly tapped on the railing.
"Jia."
Shimura Danzo's expression showed some displeasure with the boy's actions, and he coldly said, "What are you doing? Be quiet."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Akihara Kagura replied and then explained, "I originally thought the railing would be made of stone, but it's actually wooden. Lord Orochimaru once mentioned..."
"Shut up!"
Shimura Danzo's face showed a hint of anger. He looked at the boy and said coldly, "Jia, from today, completely forget Orochimaru's name!"
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Akihara Kagura responded again and continued, "That lord mentioned that the underground air is humid, and wooden structures could easily rot."
"..."
Everyone present fell silent.
Shimura Danzo thought he might have spoken too cryptically earlier and wanted to repeat himself, telling the little guy to forget Orochimaru the person, not just Orochimaru the name, but felt it might seem too petty.
"I'll go handle official business."
Shimura Danzo waved his hand somewhat helplessly and instructed his subordinate, "Ryuma, arrange a place for him to stay, let him understand the will of Root, and then bring him to see me."
"Yes."
Aburame Ryuma nodded respectfully and looked coldly at the boy, "Follow me, don't run around, this base has many hidden mechanisms and restricted areas."
"I got it."
Akihara Kagura obediently followed behind Aburame Ryuma.
The base of the Root Organization was vast in scale.
The entire base was like a huge water well, with a group of towering classical buildings clinging tightly to the stone walls, linked together by a series of corridors.
"Jia, this is your residence."
Aburame Ryuma brought Akihara Kagura to a dormitory.
The whole room had only a cupboard, a quilt laid on the floor, and a lamp in the corner, making it seem a bit empty.
"Hmm..."
Akihara Kagura glanced around his accommodation and made a request, "Please bring me a bed frame, I don't really like sleeping on the floor..."
"There isn't one."
Aburame Ryuma shook his head and said coldly, "Members of Root do not need unnecessary emotions or external feelings, all you need to do is accept arrangements."
"..."
Akihara Kagura raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you my superior? Or will you be my superior in the future?"
"No, and I won't be."
Aburame Ryuma shook his head again and replied, "Only Lord Danzo is the sole superior. Everyone acts based on Lord Danzo's orders."
Theoretically speaking.
In reality, there were some unwritten rules within Root. As Shimura Danzo's personal guard, Aburame Ryuma's status was clearly higher than the other members.
However, in the hearts of Root members, there was no distraction, only the missions assigned by Lord Danzo. When have they ever cared about the hierarchy of superiors and subordinates?
"Now I will convey to you the will of Root..."
Aburame Ryuma, oblivious to the boy's emotions, continued on his own, "Root members have no name, no feelings, no past, and no future, with only missions in their hearts. Supporting the great tree of Konoha from behind is the will deeply rooted in us...'Root'..."
"What is your name?"
Akihara Kagura asked his first question.
"Aburame Ryuma."
"Isn't that a name? Aren't you a member of Root?"
"That's not a name."
Aburame Ryuma's response was swift, as though he had been conditioned for such questions: "Aburame Ryuma is my code name within Root. Lord Danzo, familiar with my past, designated my past name as my code name within Root."
"So you remember you have a past..."
Akihara Kagura seemed to have found a loophole and slowly said, "This doesn't quite align with our will of Root..."