"Why do I feel he's really weak?"
Orochimaru stared at where Natsume disappeared, puzzled.
Those two wood clones didn't feel threatening at all.
Like genin, at best.
But could a genin know so many secrets?
Impossible.
The only answer: he was pretending to be weak, so no one could gauge his true strength.
"A tricky guy."
Orochimaru was even more wary.
This person was very dangerous.
He couldn't let his guard down.
Next up was Danzo.
Orochimaru's eyes glinted with danger.
He and Danzo were partners.
They held each other's secrets.
If exposed, both would suffer.
So, they maintained a rare balance.
But now, Orochimaru was furious.
Because of Hashirama, Wood Style was the strongest bloodline limit—his top target, even ahead of the Sharingan.
Danzo's betrayal was something he couldn't tolerate.
But confronting him directly wouldn't work.
Unless he captured Danzo.
Orochimaru decided to sneak into Root himself.
With his skills, he wouldn't be caught.
Even in Root.
He could've sent someone else, but that might tip Danzo off.
Better to handle it personally.
Orochimaru wasted no time and went to Root.
At night, his stealth was flawless—no one noticed.
Root had many secret bases.
He was familiar with them due to his collaboration with Danzo.
And since Natsume said the survivor's codename was 'Tenzō,' that meant he was a Root member now.
That narrowed things down.
He just had to check the training bases.
Orochimaru sent out his snakes.
Soon, he had a target.
…
Northern Konoha.
Orochimaru entered a building.
This was one of Root's training bases.
As Konoha's most powerful institution, Root's training was brutal.
It turned members into emotionless tools.
The essence of a ninja, taken to the extreme.
Naruto is a hot-blooded series.
But aside from Naruto Uzumaki, ninjas are cold-blooded killers.
For missions or the village, they could kill anyone—women, children, anyone.
If ninjas were real, run as far as you can.
The building had many people.
Orochimaru quickly locked onto one member.
Ten-year-old Yamato.
He patiently watched until Yamato used Wood Style.
"It's true?"
Orochimaru was shocked.
The mysterious man hadn't lied.
And this was just a minor secret.
So what was the major one?
Could there be something more valuable than Wood Style?
Orochimaru grew intensely curious.
As for Yamato, he quietly abducted him.
…
The Next Morning
Natsume felt his Fate Ring pulse and woke up.
[Because of your actions, Yamato's fate has changed. You received 90 fate points.]
Ninety points meant Yamato's fate had veered wildly from the original story.
He'd likely never join the Anbu.
Natsume stroked his chin and thought of something.
Yamato later became Naruto's team leader.
Because Wood Style could suppress Nine-Tails.
"Can I use this chance to get close to Naruto Uzumaki?"
Natsume considered it—it was possible.
By then, Tsunade would be Hokage.
She knew about his Wood Style.
With fate points, Natsume most wanted to buy Sage Body.
Sage Body plus Wood Style—perfect combo.
But 90 points was far too little.
He'd bought Wood Style at a newcomer discount; its normal price was 900 fate points.
Direct purchase now would be 2,000 points, nearly double.
Sage Body was even more precious—3,900 points.
"Take it slow."
Natsume wasn't in a hurry. He was only seven—time was on his side.
For now, he'd just enjoy Tsunade's care.
"Natsume, morning!"
Tsunade was busy in the kitchen. Seeing Natsume, she stopped and flashed a dazzling smile.
Natsume's mood soared.
What a great start to the day!
Honestly, waking up to a beautiful woman's smile—how could anyone not be happy?
"Natsume, time for your medicine."
Shizune suddenly appeared.
Natsume's smile froze.
What a mean sister.
He gulped down the medicine, then ran to Tsunade, mouth open—obviously asking for candy.
"Natsume, get it yourself. I'm busy."
Tsunade was making rice balls, hands full.
Natsume blinked.
With his height, he was right at Tsunade's waist.
But there was no pocket.
Where was it?
He reached out and felt around her belt under the apron.
Sure enough, he found candy.
And also a warm sensation—the body heat coming through her clothes.
Tsunade glanced over but didn't mind.
She wasn't a typical shy girl, and Natsume wasn't an outsider.
After eating the candy, the bitterness was gone.
Natsume ran to the living room to wait for breakfast.
Shizune read quietly nearby.
That was her usual routine lately.
"Today I'll take you to school,"
After breakfast, Tsunade said, "Shizune, you stay and keep studying."
Since she'd agreed to let Natsume attend, she wouldn't back out.
And with him at school, she had more time to gamble.
She'd teach him again at night.
Natsume was actually looking forward to school.
He hoped to meet main story characters and earn more fate points.
But he'd entered at an awkward time.
Naruto Uzumaki and the Konoha 12 wouldn't attend for another six years.
Kakashi's generation had graduated four or five years ago.
Natsume was caught in the middle, so there'd be few story characters around.
…
Konoha Ninja Academy
The academy wasn't much affected by the Nine-Tails' attack. After half a month's repair, classes resumed.
Natsume joined as a transfer student in Class 1A.
"Tsunade-sama."
Class 1A's teacher, Naoto Yamanaka, greeted her warmly, "I've received the notice. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Natsume."
Tsunade nodded.
Natsume was officially her student.
No one dared bully him.
"Natsume, I'll pick you up after school."
Tsunade patted his head and left.
"Natsume, I'm Naoto Yamanaka. Just call me sensei," the teacher smiled. "Come, meet your classmates."
As a transfer, Natsume couldn't avoid the classic self-introduction.
"Hello, I'm Natsume. I don't have any particular hobbies, just want a peaceful life."
A simple sentence, but it got plenty of attention.
Because he was good-looking.
Lots of girls stared at him.
"Natsume, you'll sit in the last row by the window,"
Naoto Yamanaka patted his shoulder. "Your deskmate is Itachi Uchiha, our top student. You'll learn a lot from him."
That was clearly a special arrangement for Tsunade's student.
But Natsume froze.
He never expected his deskmate to be Itachi Uchiha.