"So, it's you—the kid from that orphanage who was taken into Root?"
Orochimaru paused mid-step, golden eyes narrowing as his gaze locked onto Hidezawa's face. A slow, sly smile slithered across his pale lips.
"If I remember correctly… your name is Shigen Hidezawa, correct?"
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. Danzo-sama sent me to deliver this."
Hidezawa bowed slightly, his tone respectful but calm. Despite the looming figure of Orochimaru in front of him and the presence of multiple Anbu operatives nearby, he didn't flinch. That was the absurdity of the situation—not just the danger, but the casual way Orochimaru revealed his affiliation in front of others.
But Hidezawa had a secret far more outrageous than any Root identity.
He was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, he had been nothing special. Just an overworked office drone who avoided unnecessary conflict, loved convenience store beer, and had perfected the art of pretending to look busy while doing absolutely nothing.
He could still remember the night everything changed. He'd met a college girl in a smoky bar—one of those encounters that felt half chance and half scripted drama. She spoke with big, teary eyes about her dying father, a jobless mother, a younger brother still in school, and tuition debts that crushed her dreams.
Hidezawa, tipsy and soft-hearted, offered to help. Perhaps he wanted to be her savior… or perhaps he was just lonely.
She had excused herself to shower.
He had fallen asleep waiting.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in this world.
A second life, but not a peaceful one.
He had landed somewhere around the Third Great Ninja War. At first, he thought he could lay low and ride things out—maybe be a humble villager who sold dango.
But that dream evaporated the moment Konoha's "iron-fisted love" hit him in the face.
Literally.
Orphaned and taken in by Yakushi Nono, Hidezawa had a front-row seat to the insanity of this world. He saw Obito—the most affectionate and loyal "disciple" in history—send the Fourth Hokage and his wife to their graves. He also saw, with chilling clarity, how Danzo recruited orphans into Root, one by one.
Originally, Hidezawa had resolved to stay out of it. Let the canon characters destroy each other. He'd just make some tea, maybe open a bookshop.
But then Kabuto volunteered.
And Danzo's cold, hawk-like eyes fell on him next.
He wasn't even assigned infiltration missions like Kabuto. No, Danzo kept him close—for monitoring, for testing, for conditioning. Root was less an organization and more a meat grinder.
Training was relentless. There were no classrooms, no lectures, no mentoring. Just fists, blood, pain, and silence.
Danzo didn't teach. He beat lessons into you.
In such an environment, even someone like Hidezawa, who wanted peace, began to change.
"If I don't kill that old bastard first." he thought grimly one night, "I'm not making it out alive."
And that was when it happened.
His transmigrator cheat finally activated.
…
"Since you're from Root." Orochimaru-sama drawled, peering at the young shinobi with amusement, "I assume you brought what I asked for?"
"I wouldn't dare neglect Danzo-sama's orders." Hidezawa replied, retrieving a scroll from his pouch and tossing it forward with a flick of his wrist.
The scroll landed softly in Orochimaru-sama's pale hand.
As the Sannin turned to inspect the contents, Hidezawa took a deep breath and internally summoned his status panel.
…
[Shigen Hidezawa]
[Overall Physical Attributes: Lv6]
[Chakra: Lv6]
[Abilities: Water-style (Lv5), Earth-style (Lv6), Taijutsu (Lv5), Fūinjutsu (Lv5), Unclaimed Cursed Seal… (More)]
[Free Attribute Points: 5]
…
There was no AI assistant, no fancy voice, no tutorial. Just a simple panel and a mission-based growth system. He completed objectives—he received random rewards.
The missions didn't care how he completed them.
The rewards could be anything—jutsu, tools, even money.
But the most important ones were the Free Attribute Points.
The catch? Each upgrade cost more than the last. For example, raising an Lv6 stat to Lv7 required 6 points.
This particular mission—delivering Orochimaru's scroll—had rewarded him handsomely.
Not just the points.
He had received a mysterious [Unclaimed Cursed Seal].
'If I recall correctly…' Hidezawa mused, 'Orochimaru developed his cursed seal from studying Jūgo, who could naturally absorb senjutsu…'
It wasn't true Sage Mode, but a flawed version. Still, it was powerful.
And it made Hidezawa excited.
His system didn't offer Kekkei Genkai. No Sharingan. No Byakugan. Not even a whiff of bloodline limit.
At first, he had been disappointed. Confused.
Then he realized the truth.
His lineage was dirt poor. No noble ancestors, no special genes. Just a background that screamed commoner trash.
Bloodlines weren't part of the system's equation.
So, he would have to rely on something else: pure stats.
His Overall Physical Attributes covered strength, agility, perception, endurance, and even mental fortitude.
Every 2 levels roughly corresponded to a rank in shinobi classification.
At Lv6, he was already on par with an average jōnin—and far more balanced than most.
His Chakra stat governed his total reserves and was intrinsically tied to physical and spiritual energy.
Elemental nature stats like Water-style and Earth-style showed how well he could perform those techniques.
And there didn't seem to be a limit to how far he could go.
But long-term goals could wait.
Right now, he had to escape Danzo's leash.
Because walking that path only led to death.
…
"Not bad." Orochimaru-sama murmured, eyes still on the scroll.
Then his gaze flicked up to Hidezawa again, sharp and probing.
"But I'm curious—how did you get into Anbu? Was it because of Uchiha Shisui?"
"And why barge into my lab in such dramatic fashion? Not very polite, is it?"
Even outside Konoha, Orochimaru kept informed. He knew Shisui had joined Anbu. He must have known Hidezawa was now part of the same squad.
Hidezawa offered a half-bow. "It was Jiraiya-sama."
Orochimaru-sama's expression shifted.
"Ah… then it all makes sense."
"As for me… well, it's as you said, Orochimaru-sama."
"Humph."
Disdain crept into the Sannin's voice. His pale lips curled in a sneer.
"Danzo would never risk his clan-aligned subordinates. But a no-name orphan? Perfect."
"Placing a Root spy into Anbu to watch over Uchiha Shisui… that's very Danzo."
Hidezawa remained silent, lips tightly pressed. He couldn't admit how desperately he wanted to leave Root.
Orochimaru-sama continued with venomous grace.
"Danzo is as ruthless as ever. And Sarutobi-sensei… still the same coward."
"Danzo is just a glove he uses to keep his hands clean. Do you really think the Hokage doesn't know what Danzo does?"
"He allows it."
Orochimaru-sama's voice dripped with contempt.
"My old sensei… he's grown pathetic. Too afraid to sully his name with necessary darkness…"
Hidezawa sighed internally.
If you're trying to manipulate me, at least be more subtle.
He had read enough isekai and political thrillers in his past life to recognize classic psychological warfare.
Still, he had no time to entertain Orochimaru's monologues. If Yugao returned with reinforcements and saw him casually chatting with Konoha's most notorious rogue, he'd have more explaining to do than any Root training could prepare him for.
…
"Well then, you may go."
Orochimaru-sama waved lazily.
"But a word of advice—if you want to be convincing, you should leave a little… evidence on yourself. Shall I lend a hand?"
"Thank you for your concern, Orochimaru-sama, but I can manage."
Hidezawa immediately declined. Letting Orochimaru leave "evidence" on him? That was asking for a future curse mark, a parasite, or something worse.
The Sannin chuckled and turned away.
Just before exiting the lab, he paused.
"You should hurry." he said over his shoulder with a low chuckle. "Your teammates won't last much longer."
*****
Support me on my pat reon and gain early access to my creations.
https://www.pat reon.com/RroY28 (remove the space)
You can access up to 30 advanced chapters.