"Tsunade-sama."
Haru bowed slightly. "We've located Aburame Torune. He's inside a Root training base in the Forest of Death."
Everyone who joins Root has to undergo Root's training and brainwashing—especially someone as young as Torune. He's only seven, same age as Aburame Shino.
"Get an Anbu squad together and come with me," Tsunade said, rising to her feet.
"The same squad as last time?" Haru asked after a brief pause.
"Kakashi and Itachi? They're solid. Them," Tsunade nodded.
"Understood."
Haru turned and left the Anbu office.
She moved fast. In under three minutes, four Anbu appeared before Tsunade and Kitazawa. The squad was led by Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. Both of them were a little surprised to see Kitazawa there. Haru had told them they'd be accompanying Tsunade to Root. Kitazawa's presence was… unexpected. But after their last operation in Kusagakure, they quickly calmed.
"Move out," Tsunade said, heading straight for the door.
Danzo and his Root were always well-informed; she had to hurry. If they got wind of this, who knew what might happen.
They sprinted into the Forest of Death.
"This way," Kakashi called, taking point.
With him leading, they reached the Root base, built in a valley with two masked Root shinobi guarding the entrance.
Tsunade walked straight up to them.
"T-Tsunade-sama?" The two guards couldn't help looking surprised. Even so, they did their duty and stepped in her way.
"Without Danzō-sama's authorization, you can't enter," one of the masked Root shinobi said flatly.
"I have the Third's writ," Tsunade replied, producing the Hokage's seal.
"We require Danzō-sama's order," the guard repeated.
"You Root really are getting bold," Tsunade's face darkened. "Are you Konoha shinobi or not? You dare ignore the Hokage's writ?"
"We are Konoha shinobi," the Root guard said without a hint of emotion. "We are also Root."
"Itachi," Tsunade said, done arguing with brainwashed drones.
Sharingan: Genjutsu.
Itachi flashed in front of the two. His Sharingan opened; the three tomoe turned slowly, an unseen pressure spilling out. The two Root guards reflexively met his eyes—and went blank on the spot.
Kitazawa felt a subtle shift and an idea struck him. In his previous life, the Uchiha massacre started with Danzo and Itachi's talk—a deal born of uneven intel. But with Tsunade stepping in like this and Itachi crossing Root head-on, would that "deal" still happen?
He wasn't sure, but the odds seemed slim.
After locking the two guards in genjutsu, Itachi stepped up and chopped both of them at the neck. They slumped, unconscious.
Tsunade stepped over them and entered the valley.
Inside stood numerous buildings and training facilities. It was late morning; a batch of Root recruits were drilling.
"Recruiting a bunch of kids into Root… Shimura Danzo really has no shame," Tsunade said with open disgust after a sweep of the field.
These were clearly new intakes—preparatory Root members. Most of them were very young; none looked older than twenty. That might have been "normal" during the wars when manpower was stretched thin. But Root wasn't doing this because of manpower; it made brainwashing and raising "gu" easier.
A rush of wind split the air.
Eight masked Root shinobi surrounded them—this base's guards.
"Tsunade-sama, please stop," the leader said, tone as cold as the gate guards'.
Monstrous Strength.
Tsunade didn't waste breath. She stepped in and threw a punch.
The sheer force kicked up visible shockwaves.
Boom!
The Root ninja in front of her didn't even have time to react; he turned into a human cannonball and blasted backward. The remaining seven instinctively lunged to catch him, but even the leftover force drove them several steps back.
"Talking with my fists is faster," Tsunade said with a small, dangerous smile.
Kakashi's heart thumped. Last time Tsunade flattened Kusagakure shinobi—that had some justification. But to be this ruthless with Root, who were also Konoha… the rumors about her weren't exaggerations.
A flicker of envy crossed Itachi's eyes. He too wished he could end everything with pure strength—especially the conflict between the Uchiha and the village.
The leader was out cold, but the rest tightened the ring.
"You—assist!" one of them barked at the recruits drilling nearby.
At the order, they rushed over by reflex. In seconds, Tsunade's group was surrounded by a force more than five times their number.
"I am Tsunade, here under the Hokage's orders. Who among you dares to make a move?" Tsunade asked, fists clenched, killing intent rolling off her. The effect was immediate: several Root wavered. Some hadn't been in Root long and weren't fully brainwashed yet. Hearing Tsunade's name, fear came naturally.
"Don't forget what happens to those who defy Danzō-sama," a Root shinobi snarled.
"Pathetic," Tsunade laughed angrily. "Root shinobi who defy the Hokage's orders—arrest them!"
Outnumbered or not, Anbu moved the instant Tsunade gave the word. Kakashi and Itachi were veterans; fear wasn't in the equation. And while Root had numbers, only those seven guards were true elites; the rest lacked both strength and experience.
The melee exploded.
Kitazawa flashed in front of Tsunade. In a fight this intense, someone was bound to get hurt. If blood started flying, it could trigger her hemophobia.
Tsunade blinked, then realized what he was doing. Warmth bloomed in her chest. She didn't join the fray, instead keeping her eyes on Kitazawa's back—keeping blood out of her line of sight.
Wind Release: Gale Palm.
Kitazawa clapped his hands. Chakra surged out, becoming a roaring wind that blasted the Root shinobi in front of him. The Anbu were all elite, but Root's numbers had them on the back foot—and they assumed Tsunade was stronger than all of them, so she didn't need protecting.
The Root ninja used the Body Flicker and vanished from in front of the gale.
Rasengan.
Unhurried, Kitazawa formed a Rasengan in his right hand and smashed it left. The Root ninja reappeared right into it and went down, skin torn open, unconscious.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Another Root shinobi spat a huge fireball. Heat rolled off it; the air temperature spiked. Everything it touched charred black.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
The instant the fireball formed, streams of water erupted around Kitazawa, spiraling outward and coalescing into a roaring water dragon.
"That's Grandpa Tobirama's Water Dragon Bullet?" Tsunade recognized it at a glance. Normally, Water Dragon Bullet didn't form that fast. When had Kitazawa picked up Water Release? Was that what he chose after the Kusagakure mission? And in such a short time, his Water Dragon was already at this level?
Had he been holding back all along?
At this point, whether it was medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, or Water, Fire, and Wind Release, he showed ridiculous talent. Another possibility: he never had the chance to learn these in the Academy, so he simply hadn't had a stage to show his aptitude. Either way, by now the reason didn't matter. A new elite jōnin was a boon to Konoha.
The water dragon swallowed the fireball and kept going, crashing toward the Root shinobi. Among the five basic natures, there are counters: Fire beats Wind, Wind beats Lightning, Lightning beats Earth, Earth beats Water, Water beats Fire. Kitazawa was using Water Dragon against Great Fireball. It wasn't close.
But this Root was a jōnin. He backpedaled and flashed through seals.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!
The ground bulged and a wall rose up, blocking the dragon.
Kitazawa glanced at it. As expected, there were no three dog heads carved into this wall.
Wind Release: Vacuum Shuriken!
He drew a shuriken, laced it with wind chakra, and hurled it. With a crack, the spinning blade shredded the earth wall to chunks.
Kitazawa tucked one hand behind his back and lunged, cutting off the Root ninja who was trying to retreat. The man froze for a beat, then thrust a kunai without hesitation.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
Kitazawa formed a one-handed seal, met the man's eyes, and unleashed the genjutsu. The Root shinobi jolted; terror flooded his face and his kunai clattered to the ground. What he saw was the thing he feared most—Shimura Danzo.
Kitazawa stepped in and knocked him out. Whatever the circumstances, Root were still Konoha shinobi. Killing them would change the nature of this entirely. Even Tsunade had said to take them down, not kill.
A thunderous crash erupted. Kitazawa turned on instinct—Tsunade had stomped, the ground spider-webbed, rubble exploding upward. The Root shinobi who'd rushed her screamed and hit the dirt. Blood sprayed.
Leaf-Style Body Flicker!
Bad, Kitazawa thought, and flashed in front of Tsunade.
Wind Release: Gale Palm!
He blasted out a gale, sweeping the stench of blood away. Tsunade grabbed his shoulder reflexively. She trembled, fighting to stay upright.
"Tsunade-sama, are you okay?" Kitazawa checked her face—pale, pupils unfocused.
"I… I'm fine," she said, shaking her head. She hadn't seen blood, only smelled it, so the reaction wasn't as severe.
Kitazawa let out a quiet breath and didn't leave her side. He stood his ground like a turret, rotating Wind, Fire, and Water Release to cover the team.
Before long, the seven elite guards were all subdued. The remaining trainees were surrounded by Anbu—more than half of them were down, or more accurately, knocked out.
"Which one of you is Aburame Torune?" Kitazawa asked in Tsunade's stead.
After a few seconds, a boy slowly raised his hand. His expression was as blank as the others, but the unease in his eyes gave him away. He wasn't fully brainwashed.
"Come here," Kitazawa said, explaining as he gestured. "I'm Shino's teacher. We're here at the Aburame clan's request to take you home."
"Shino?" Torune's face changed—like a puppet turning back into a living child.
"That's right," Kitazawa nodded. "Aburame Shino. Your good friend."
Hearing the familiar name stirred memories. His expression grew richer, more complicated. A moment later, he made up his mind and walked over to Kitazawa.
Torune had heard of Tsunade, even at his age. If Kitazawa had come alone, he wouldn't have dared leave Root—he feared Root would take it out on his clan. But with Tsunade here and Kitazawa citing the Aburame's request, there was no reason to stay.
"Tsunade!"
A twisted, furious voice rolled in from the distance. Tsunade drew a deep breath; the last shreds of her hemophobia ebbed. She turned to the newcomer: the one-eyed Shimura Danzo, leaning on his cane.
"Tsunade, what do you think you're doing?" Danzo asked coldly. "Assaulting fellow villagers—are you planning to defect?"
"I should be asking you that," Tsunade shot back, raising the Hokage's writ. "Do your Root remember they're Konoha shinobi, or not?"
"You—" Danzo's chest locked up with rage. He'd rushed over the moment he heard the base was under attack, but hadn't expected Tsunade to be acting under Hiruzen's orders.
Damn it. What are you playing at, old friend? Does our decades of camaraderie mean nothing to you now?
"How do I know that writ isn't fake?" Danzo gripped his cane tighter. "Even if it's real, does it say you can force your way into Root's base?"
"It doesn't," Tsunade admitted, tucking the writ away. "But your Root broke regulations first. I'm just following procedure."
"What procedure says you can storm Root?" Danzo snapped.
"I just did. What are you going to do about it?" Tsunade said, utterly unapologetic. When it came to being unreasonable, she could out-Danzo Danzo.
"You… Didn't you say you were following procedure?" Danzo was so angry he almost used Kotoamatsukami—until he noticed Itachi standing there and thought better of it.
Kotoamatsukami had come from Shisui Uchiha. Danzo didn't know that Itachi already knew the truth from Shisui. He was afraid Itachi would report him to Hiruzen. If that happened, there would be no talking his way out of ambushing Shisui. And if he tried to use Kotoamatsukami on Tsunade on top of that, not even Hiruzen's tolerance could save him.
"Rules are dead; people are alive," Tsunade said lightly. "I'm taking Aburame Torune. If you have a problem, take it up with the old man."
"Aburame Torune?" Danzo finally understood her objective. Damn the Aburame! He put it together instantly—the clan had defected to Tsunade's camp. Panic pricked his gut. So Tsunade really was going for the Hokage's seat. How was he supposed to compete with that?
"We're leaving," Tsunade said with a snort, brushing past him.
Kitazawa hustled Torune along. Kakashi, Itachi, and the Anbu vanished in puffs of smoke.
Danzo stood rigid. He wanted to order Root to cut them down, but he knew he couldn't stomach the fallout. He wouldn't need Hiruzen to punish him—Jiraiya and the others would tear him apart.
"Argh!" Danzo finally lost it after they were gone. "Damn it! You'll all pay for this!"
For the first time, the nearby Root shinobi saw their leader this unhinged. They dropped to their knees, trembling.
[Current Mission: Take Aburame Torune back from Root.]
[Mission Reward: Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
The moment Kitazawa left the base, a system prompt floated across his vision. Information flooded his mind. The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal—the Root-exclusive curse seal from the original series. Everyone who joined Root had Danzo's seal placed on their tongue. Its effect was simple: if the victim tried to speak about certain topics, their whole body would go numb—they couldn't speak or move.
There were two ways to lift it: the caster released it, or the caster died.
Back when he watched the anime in his previous life, Kitazawa had wondered, If you can't talk, can't you just write it down? Now that he had the technique, he understood how vicious it was. It triggers at the very thought. Speak or write—it doesn't matter.
"Kitazawa, take him straight back to the Aburame compound," Tsunade said once they were in the village again. "I'm heading to the Hokage's office to brief the old man."
Just taking Torune wasn't enough. She needed Hiruzen to formally clamp down on Root's recruitment pipeline.
"Got it," Kitazawa said with a nod.
"One more thing." Tsunade walked a few steps, then glanced back. "Starting tomorrow, you're training under me in Monster Strength."
"Huh?" Kitazawa was stunned. He hadn't seen that coming.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Tsunade sniffed. "Watching you fight today—too wishy-washy. Not decisive enough."
A ninjutsu-type fighting like a ninjutsu-type, Kitazawa grumbled inwardly. Still, he was thrilled. Monster Strength is the real deal among taijutsu—insane ceiling. With it, you can even crack Susanoo with a single punch.
~~~
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