At nine o'clock in the morning, at the Konoha Anbu Training Division.
Kei Yamanaka, clad in a black combat suit and wearing a Jonin flak vest over it, had just arrived at the entrance.
A Root ninja hidden behind the door stood up and opened it for him, offering a slight bow as he greeted Kei.
Tap~ Tap~ Tap~ Tap~
As Kei stepped into the Anbu Training Division, his crisp footsteps echoed through the vast, windowless hall.
With the heavy door shutting behind him,
The entire space seemed to be swallowed by darkness, gradually dimming.
Otsu, the leader of Squad Two whom Kei had previously met, appeared several meters away using the Body Flicker Technique.
Kneeling on one knee, he spoke respectfully.
"Lord Kei, Lord Danzo has ordered me to guide you and explain the current responsibilities and area divisions of each department within Root."
"Lead the way."
Kei gave a slight nod.
He thought to himself, no wonder this one became a captain while the previous could only serve as a gatekeeper. Just compare their attitudes—who could doubt who Danzo favored?
"As you wish, please follow this way, Lord Kei."
Otsu rose from the ground, raised his hand in invitation, then walked slightly ahead to lead the way.
Officially called the "Anbu Training Department," this place was truly dedicated to selecting and training Anbu recruits.
The main areas on the upper levels were mostly made up of various classrooms and training facilities.
With war approaching,
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had no plans to expand the Anbu recently.
Therefore, most of the above-ground buildings remained largely unused.
When Kei followed Otsu into the elevator descending deep underground and entered the subterranean facility,
It was at that moment that Kei Yamanaka first truly grasped the sheer scale of Shimura Danzo's power.
There was the Interrogation Unit responsible for detaining and questioning high-risk individuals; the Intelligence Unit dedicated to espionage missions; the Combat Unit tasked with executing various operations; and the Intel Division responsible for processing intelligence.
Going even deeper, there were units such as the Research and Development Division focused on developing new Ninjutsu techniques, and the Logistics Unit ensuring supply chains...
"How many people does Root have in total?"
Kei asked with a frown, turning toward Lieutenant Otsu walking beside him.
"At present, my Combat Unit consists of seventy-seven members. As for the others in different departments, only Lord Danzo knows exactly."
Lieutenant Otsu stepped once more into the nearby elevator and pressed the button for an even lower floor.
"Hmm."
Kei nodded again.
Considering the direct-command Anbu under Hokage Hiruzen numbered around a hundred or so, it wasn't surprising that Danzo's combat forces were somewhat smaller.
However, adding in the Interrogation Unit, Intelligence Unit, Reconnaissance Unit, R&D Division, Training Section...
This was essentially a mini-Konoha!
No wonder, even in the age of non-combustible beings, Danzo's subordinates could cause so much chaos.
Its true size might easily surpass everyone's expectations!
Following Lieutenant Otsu deeper into the base, as the elevator doors slid open,
The sounds of intense training filled the air immediately.
Kei Yamanaka stepped out of the elevator and felt a fleeting chakra fluctuation around him. He turned his head thoughtfully, glancing at the many barriers embedded in the walls.
Within the underground space, dozens of children who appeared only eight or nine years old stood with vacant eyes and expressionless faces, mechanically repeating their monotonous training routines.
Slap!
A child who momentarily lost focus at Kei Yamanaka's arrival was lashed by a nearby Root ninja.
No cries of pain or bitter complaints followed—under intense agony, the child simply refocused his gaze and continued repeating the motion of swinging his blade.
"Lord Kei Yamanaka."
Three Root instructors responsible for training simultaneously bowed toward Kei Yamanaka.
"Are these all the backup members currently undergoing training in Root?"
Kei Yamanaka waved his hand, signaling them to rise, then asked this question to the clearly senior Root instructor among them.
"There are currently five groups undergoing training, each group supervised by three instructors."
"Squad Kinoto has thirteen trainees currently undergoing final assessments at Training Ground Two. Their potential is promising; we expect at least six to complete their training and officially join Root next month."
"Before you now is Squad Otsu, consisting of eighty-eight members. Estimated time remaining: one year."
"Squad Hei currently has 145 trainees in basic training at Training Ground Three. They still need two more years to complete training and won't be combat-ready anytime soon."
"Squad Tei also has two hundred trainees..."
"Squad Bo also has two hundred trainees..."
The training supervisor rattled off all the information.
Kei Yamanaka nodded slightly, then waved his hand, signaling Squad Leader Otsu to move to the next location.
He seriously feared he wouldn't last another second—otherwise, he might not be able to resist tearing this place apart.
From what he'd just heard, he already had a clear understanding of Root's training methods.
The first two years focused entirely on basic cultural education and foundational skills training. Then came a brutal culling process based on survival of the fittest.
Just look at how only thirteen remained in Squad Kinoto—now he understood exactly how many young lives Danzo had ruined.
That bastard… he wasn't even human anymore!
This old geezer had long abandoned any sense of compassion!
Starting with two hundred per batch, barely ten survived that so-called 'training'!
Damn it!
Kei Yamanaka discreetly pinched his palm, forcing himself to remain calm.
True, he could be ruthless—but Danzo? That monster never had a conscience to begin with.
"Lord Kei Yamanaka, I've finished showing you the current facilities. Lord Danzo is waiting for you in his office. Your own office is located right next to his."
Squad Leader Otsu re-entered the elevator, descending to the underground level closest to the surface.
Following Squad Leader Otsu's guidance, Kei Yamanaka approached the door of an office.
The young guard stationed there was none other than Tatsuma Aburame—the same young man who had stood beside Danzo during his visit to Konoha Hospital.
Pushing open the heavy door ahead of him, Kei Yamanaka stepped into the dim light casting shadows over Danzo, who sat behind his desk, rapidly going through stacks of documents.
Noticing Kei Yamanaka's entrance, Danzo set aside his brush.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed both Squad Leader Otsu and the guarding Tatsuma Aburame.
The office door shut tightly.
Kei Yamanaka swept his gaze across the four corners of the room. Four masked Root operatives stood silently, their eyes gleaming with quiet mockery.
"Sit."
Danzo rose and walked over to the couch where guests were received, calmly beginning to boil water and prepare tea.
Kei Yamanaka sat down across from Danzo.
Watching him skillfully demonstrate his exquisite tea-making skills, Kei raised a hand and clapped.
"Lord Advisor to the Hokage—truly a man of noble birth."
"Flattery, but thank you."
Danzo gave a slight nod and pushed the brewed tea toward Kei, taking a cautious sip first.
After a brief pause to steady himself, he spoke again.
"Hiruzen is the Hokage who stands in the sunlight; I am Root beneath Konoha's shadows. The ninja world is built on things that must remain in the dark—assassinations of enemy leadership, inciting rival factions, gathering fugitive ninja, and conducting human experiments..."
Kei held the teacup in one hand, lifting it toward his lips.
He looked like he was about to speak, then set the cup back down.
Seeing that Danzo still showed no signs of unusual behavior,
he smacked his lips uninterestedly, leaning lazily back against the couch.
"This isn't fun. Let's just begin."
"...Where exactly did this old man reveal a flaw?"
Danzo didn't rush into action but instead asked directly.
"I've seen far too many secrets. Even Orochimaru might not know so much."
Kei chuckled lightly.
Revealing too much weakens control.
Given their relationship, there was no way Danzo could truly trust him!
With this many secrets revealed all at once, how could Danzo not have prepared some means to control him?
"Indeed, that was my oversight."
Danzo quietly sipped his tea. After placing the cup down, he gestured toward the four Root ninja who had been waiting in readiness earlier.
However, the Root ninjas crouched silently in each corner of the room—yet showed no reaction whatsoever.
They remained still, just as before.
Seeing that none of the four moved,
Danzo lifted his gaze to stare directly at Kei, speaking calmly.
"No wonder you bested Jiraiya. You truly warrant special precautions, old man."
ZAP~
As soon as Danzo finished speaking,
the entire room suddenly erupted with blinding purple light.
Clearly, it was the Tsuchigumo clan's signature barrier technique!
[Dreamlike Mirage!]
In the original story, Bai Lang—the Tsuchigumo traitor—taught this technique to four underlings.
And those four, upon appearing, immediately sealed Naruto's chakra completely.
Even when Naruto flew into a rage and tapped into the Nine-Tails' chakra, he couldn't break the barrier!
Poof~
The Danzo standing before Kei erupted into a cloud of chakra mist.
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