Konoha — Root Headquarters
Inside the underground headquarters of Root, Danzō Shimura stared at the intelligence report in his hand, his brow tightening.
Something about it felt wrong.
He looked down at the Root operative kneeling before him.
"You're certain this report came from our agents in the Land of Grass?" he asked coldly. "There's been no mistake?"
The operative kept his head lowered.
"This intelligence was transmitted directly by our field agents. We've already verified its authenticity."
Danzō froze for a moment, then burst out in anger.
"Is the leader of the Hidden Grass an idiot?" he snapped. "I offered them a way to avoid paying war reparations, and they turned it down?"
For a rare moment, Danzō was genuinely speechless.
Why would anyone refuse something like that?
If they had money to burn, they could hand it over to him instead; he certainly wouldn't complain.
Across the room, a dry, slightly hoarse voice broke the silence.
"Looks like your plan ran into a snag."
It belonged to Orochimaru.
Danzō shot him an irritated look.
"Everything I'm doing here is to help you become Hokage," he said sharply. "And you're standing there enjoying the show."
Orochimaru let out a quiet chuckle but said nothing.
Did Danzō think he was a naïve child?
There had never been friendship between them only mutual benefit.
Danzō supported Orochimaru's bid to become Hokage. In return, Orochimaru would grant Danzō influence once he gained power, expanding Root's authority and increasing its funding.
It was a simple political exchange.
Orochimaru spoke calmly.
"None of that really matters."
"As long as my research succeeds, the Hokage's seat will practically fall into my lap."
Danzō's expression remained neutral, though his eyes sharpened.
"Have you made progress?" he asked cautiously.
Orochimaru nodded.
"Yes."
"But I'm running short on test subjects. Can you provide more?"
Danzō frowned slightly.
"That was easier during wartime. Now that things are quieter, acquiring large numbers of subjects will be… inconvenient."
Orochimaru smiled faintly and gave him a meaningful look.
"Inconvenient, perhaps," he said softly. "But for someone like you, I'm sure it's still manageable."
Danzō snorted.
"Test subjects are secondary."
"As long as our research succeeds, Konoha will reclaim its former glory and history will remember our names."
Deep down, he still believed the same thing he had believed for decades.
When Tobirama Senju chose Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Third Hokage, it had been a mistake.
Danzō Shimura had always been the better choice.
If he had become Hokage back then, Konoha would be far stronger today and they would never have had to win a war only to end it with compromises and peace negotiations.
Restoring Konoha's strength was a duty he fully intended to fulfill.
Later That Evening
Kakashi finished his second day of investigation.
Today he had visited several training areas and casually demonstrated a bit of taijutsu skill, using it as an excuse to strike up conversations with a number of lower-ranked Grass ninja.
The information he gathered was different from what he had heard in the tavern.
The shinobi who spent their time training were noticeably more supportive of war than the ones drinking in bars.
That made Kakashi uneasy.
If that mindset continued to spread, the Hidden Grass might actually become dangerous in the future.
Still, rising to the level of the Five Great Nations was another matter entirely. That kind of leap required more than ambition, it required luck.
History had already proven that.
Years earlier, a small nation had tried to challenge the great powers and reshape the balance of the shinobi world.
That country was the Land of Rain.
Believing its strength had grown enough, the Rain leadership had declared war on both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind an action that helped ignite the Second Shinobi World War.
They did have a terrifying ace: Hanzō, the legendary "Salamander," often called a demigod among shinobi.
On the battlefield, Hanzō cut through enemies like a storm.
But wars weren't won by one person alone.
At the lower and middle ranks, the Rain forces couldn't compete with the armies of Konoha and the Sand. Eventually, their defeat became inevitable.
Compared to the Rain Village at its peak, the Hidden Grass was in an even weaker position.
They didn't have anyone remotely comparable to Hanzō.
If the Rain Village couldn't break into the ranks of the great powers, the Hidden Grass had even less chance.
Even so, Kakashi couldn't shake the feeling that the Grass Village was slightly more dangerous than other minor villages.
On his way back, Kakashi happened to pass the Grass Village hospital.
He hesitated… then stepped inside.
After all, evaluating another village's medical infrastructure was also something ANBU agents were expected to observe.
That was the justification he gave himself.
Entering the hospital, Kakashi once again pretended to be someone visiting a patient and headed toward the wards.
This time he didn't see the red-haired Uzumaki woman. The patients being treated were ordinary civilians receiving normal care.
That actually made him feel a little better.
At least he didn't witness the same disturbing scene as yesterday.
It made sense, too. Without an active war, fewer ninja were getting injured, and severe wounds were rarer.
Kakashi wandered through the hospital corridors, genuinely observing the facility.
He wasn't just pretending to investigate; he was actually doing it.
As he passed an empty ward, he caught sight of a flash of red hair.
Inside, the Uzumaki woman, Hanrei was kneeling on the floor with a rag, quietly scrubbing the tiles.
Sensing his gaze, she turned around.
When she recognized the ninja who had helped her that morning, she quickly stood up and bowed.
"Lord Kakato."
Kakashi froze for a second.
Now he regretted making up that name. If Midori Inuzuka ever heard about it, she'd laugh at him for a week straight.
He coughed lightly and pretended nothing was strange.
"So, you work here as part of the cleaning staff?" he asked casually. "That sounds like hard work. Make sure you get enough rest."
Hanrei smiled gently.
"Yes, that's right. Thank you for your concern."
For some reason, she didn't want to tell him about her real role in the hospital.
As a pure-blooded member of the Uzumaki clan, she possessed strong innate sensory abilities, even without formal ninja training.
She could sense the genuine goodwill in Kakashi's heart.
If he learned the truth that she was essentially used as a living medical resourcel; he might try to intervene… and that could cause trouble for him.
Kakashi fell silent after hearing her answer.
He didn't know how to respond.
And he hadn't expected the Grass Village to treat her this harshly.
Even when she wasn't being used to heal patients, they still forced her to work as a janitor instead of letting her recover.
"I won't keep you from your work," Kakashi finally said. "I should go."
It was almost time for the team to regroup.
Hanrei nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
"My name is Hanrei," she said with a small smile. "Uzumaki Hanrei."
Kakashi nodded seriously.
"I'll remember that."
After leaving the hospital, Kakashi returned to the small inn.
Since he, Kenshi, and Midori Inuzuka were all staying there, Aaron had decided to move the team's meeting point to the inn as well.
Once everyone had gathered, Aaron placed a document folder on the table.
"Our mission is complete," he said.
Inside the folder were detailed records.
"These are the files on the three Grass ninja Konoha captured."
He tapped the folder lightly.
"It even includes the information on the one who died during the operation."
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