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Kuro's speed was absolutely terrifying.
A marathon champion would look like a snail compared to him.
The Root orphanage branch was located in a remote, mountainous region of the Land of Fire, over a hundred kilometers away from the Hidden Leaf Village.
Kuro had started running with Rokuro on his back at 6:00 AM.
The sun hadn't even set yet. It was only around 4:00 or 5:00 PM.
Within a single day, they had already entered the perimeter of Konoha.
However, Kuro didn't take him through the main gates of the village.
Instead, he bypassed the civilian areas entirely, slipping through a hidden underground tunnel that led directly to the entrance of the Root Headquarters.
---
At the massive iron gates of the underground base, several Anbu guards stood watch.
The moment they saw Kuro approaching, every single guard snapped to attention and bowed deeply.
It seemed Okamoto wasn't exaggerating; Kuro's status within Root was incredibly high.
Seeing this level of respect directed at his new master put Rokuro in a fantastic mood.
---
As they walked deeper into the subterranean complex, another Anbu operative approached quickly.
"Lord Kuro. Lord Danzo has requested your presence immediately."
Kuro nodded and followed the operative down the dimly lit stone corridors.
Rokuro had been let down to walk on his own the moment they entered the tunnel.
He scurried along behind Kuro, his heart pounding against his ribs.
He was about to meet Danzo Shimura.
That old bastard.
Danzo was the ultimate conspirator, the darkest shadow in Konoha.
Meeting him in person was terrifying.
Who knew what kind of sick experiment the old man might decide to run on him?
---
Noticing the boy's tension, Kuro patted Rokuro's shoulder reassuringly.
"Relax. You have nothing to fear. This is just routine procedure. Every single person who joins Root must receive a specialized seal. It simply ensures that you cannot leak Root's secrets to outsiders."
Ah.
The Cursed Seal.
Rokuro instantly recognized it from the canon plot—the infamous Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal that Danzo placed on the tongues of all his subordinates.
Knowing what it was, Rokuro actually didn't care.
Once I learn Fuinjutsu properly, I can probably dispel it in minutes.
For now, he just had to play the part of the loyal, obedient tool and let Danzo brand him.
Earning the old man's trust was paramount.
---
Having thought it through, Rokuro relaxed slightly.
He began looking left and right, trying to take in his surroundings.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see.
It was just an endless labyrinth of cold stone tunnels.
They didn't pass a single other person.
---
Soon, the trio arrived in front of heavy double doors.
They pushed them open and stepped inside.
The room was surprisingly plain, resembling a standard administrative office.
Sitting behind a massive wooden desk, poring over a stack of documents, was Danzo Shimura.
Kuro led Rokuro to the desk and bowed slightly.
"Lord Danzo. Kanda Rokuro has arrived."
Danzo looked exactly as Rokuro remembered.
His right eye and right arm were heavily bandaged.
Judging by the timeline, he had already transplanted a Sharingan and possibly Hashirama's cells.
Hearing Kuro's voice, Danzo slowly raised his head, fixing his one visible, cold eye on the four-year-old boy.
"I read Okamoto's report. Since you have chosen to take him as your personal disciple, he is officially inducted into Root. Have the seal applied immediately, then send him to the main training facility. Once he formally reaches the standard of a Genin, we will begin assigning him missions."
---
Kuro glanced down at Rokuro, then looked back at Danzo.
"My Lord, I evaluated his combat capabilities on the journey here. His current physical strength and Chakra reserves already exceed that of an average Genin. I intend to bypass the general training facility and personally instruct him in my Nintaijutsu, so he may become a useful asset to you as quickly as possible."
Danzo's single eye widened slightly in genuine surprise.
He beckoned to Rokuro.
"Come here, boy. Let me see for myself."
Rokuro felt his stomach drop.
He didn't dare step toward the old man.
Instead, he shrank back, looking up at Kuro with wide, frightened eyes.
This timid reaction played perfectly into Danzo's expectations.
It cemented the old hawk's belief that Kanda Rokuro, despite his monstrous talent, was still just an ordinary, impressionable child.
After all, Danzo's scarred visage and oppressive, blood-soaked aura were enough to terrify grown men.
But... if Danzo only knew the truth!
If the "Darkness of the Shinobi" knew that Rokuro wasn't afraid of him, but rather terrified that physical contact might expose the System, the old schemer would probably be deeply depressed.
---
Seeing Rokuro hesitate, Kuro chuckled softly.
"Go on. Lord Danzo is not a bad man. You will understand that in time."
With no other choice, Rokuro took a deep breath, forced his legs to move, and stepped up to the desk.
Danzo didn't care about a child's fear.
He simply reached out with his unbandaged left hand and placed it firmly on top of Rokuro's head.
A moment later, a rare look of profound satisfaction crossed the old man's face.
"Excellent. Truly excellent. A formidable physical constitution, and Chakra reserves that dwarf a standard Genin. And he hasn't even turned five yet? He truly is a once-in-a-generation prodigy."
Kuro nodded.
"According to his file, he is still three months away from his fifth birthday."
Danzo retracted his hand, studying the nervous boy intensely.
"Very well. If he is this advanced, sending him to the general facility is a waste of time. Keep him here. Instruct him in your Nintaijutsu. If his progress slows, we can transfer him then."
"That was my thought as well," Kuro agreed.
"Give me one year. I will mold him into a Chūnin-level operative ready to serve you, My Lord. I only ask for the necessary resources to support his growth."
Danzo nodded without hesitation.
"For a talent of this caliber, resources are not an issue. Requisition whatever you need from the quartermaster. See that this seedling is cultivated properly."
"You have my thanks, Lord Danzo," Kuro said warmly.
"I will have him stay in my quarters for now. I plan to dedicate the next two months entirely to his foundation."
"Approved," Danzo said, waving a hand.
"I will not assign you any field missions for the next two months. You just returned from a high-risk S-Rank assignment; use this time to rest and instruct the boy."
Kuro placed a hand on Rokuro's shoulder, guiding him into a respectful bow.
"We will take our leave, My Lord."
"Dismissed. Report back if there are any developments."
---
Kuro guided Rokuro out of the office and the heavy doors clicked shut behind them.
The moment they were in the hallway, Rokuro let out a massive, silent breath of relief.
His heart was hammering.
Thank God.
He was incredibly thankful that he had restrained himself and left his [Ninjutsu Level] at 2 instead of pushing it to 3.
The moment Danzo touched his head, the old man had instantly sensed his exact physical strength and Chakra capacity.
If Rokuro's Ninjutsu stat had been maxed out for his age, Danzo would have realized immediately that something unnatural was going on—
and Rokuro would currently be strapped to an operating table.
---
While Rokuro was still recovering from the near-miss, Kuro led him down another corridor to a room not far from Danzo's office.
This was the sealing chamber.
Inside, three Root operatives were waiting.
Seeing Kuro arrive with a new recruit, they didn't need any instructions.
They gestured for Rokuro to step into the center of an intricate, circular array painted on the stone floor.
Since Kuro had already explained the procedure, Rokuro didn't resist.
He stood calmly in the center of the array.
He watched with morbid curiosity as the three operatives wove hand signs.
The ink on the floor seemed to come alive, slithering up his legs like thousands of tiny, black tadpoles.
They crawled up his body, converging on his neck, before burrowing under his skin and settling on the back of his tongue.
The sensation was cold and deeply uncomfortable—
but it faded quickly.
The entire process took less than a minute.
"The seal is active, Lord Kuro," one of the operatives reported, standing up.
Kuro nodded and beckoned.
"Come, Rokuro. We are going home."
---
Rokuro snapped back to reality and hurried after his master.
However, his mind was completely elsewhere.
The moment the ink had settled on his tongue, a familiar chime had echoed in his head.
Reading the new entry in his System log, Rokuro felt an overwhelming wave of euphoria.
Ding!
[Skill Unlocked: Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal (Level 1)]
[Progress: 0 / 4,000 EXP]
This notification changed everything.
It meant that the System classified foreign seals as learnable abilities.
From now on, whenever an enemy tried to bind, restrict, or control him with a Cursed Seal or a Sealing Jutsu, they weren't placing a leash on him—
they were literally gifting him a new, high-level Jutsu.
For Rokuro, this was a massive, game-breaking advantage.