Before stepping into the entrance of Root, Naruto was deeply puzzled by how Danzo Shimura had so straightforwardly and decisively revealed the location and method of entering the Root headquarters right to his face.
It was so strange that Naruto nearly mistook it as Danzo seeing through his disguise and preemptively setting a trap for him. Although he acted all carefree and relaxed on the surface, he silently raised his guard.
Pretending to be curious, he exclaimed in awe while casually glancing around. It wasn't until he passed the first fork in the path, continuing down the long and dim underground corridor, that he realized it had been a false alarm.
After that corner, what awaited Naruto was a junction splitting into thirteen narrow passageways—each only wide enough for two people to pass through side by side. No need to think too hard—there was definitely only one correct path.
And if Naruto guessed right, knowing how paranoid and suspicious Danzo was, this thirteen-way fork was probably just the beginning. Even if twenty-six-way or thirty-nine-way splits followed later, Naruto wouldn't be the least bit surprised.
'No wonder that old fossil suddenly became so cooperative after circling around for ages. Turns out, he just wanted to make sure he wasn't being followed and never really considered me a threat. So I was just playing mental chess with thin air, huh...'
Looking at the maze-like complexity of the underground passage that mirrored a wartime tunnel network, Naruto had to admit that Root truly lived up to its name. The intricate layout alone was enough to prevent intruders from stumbling upon the correct path by dumb luck—no need to even assign guards.
As he scanned the thirteen nearly identical passageways in front of him, Naruto couldn't help but understand why the Third Hokage, even after years of working alongside Danzo, had failed to obtain detailed intel about the Root headquarters.
He didn't even know its actual location. That was why he had to seal away part of Kakashi Hatake's memory using a secret jutsu and send him into Root as a deep-cover spy, starting from the very bottom and working his way up.
If Danzo hadn't gone off the rails and tried to assassinate the Third Hokage, forcing Kakashi to blow his cover and warn the Hokage, then maybe Kakashi would've already risen high enough to become one of Danzo's trusted inner circle and gather the intel they needed.
Although Danzo's failed assassination attempt had exposed his ambitions and pushed him into a disadvantageous position, it had also come at a steep cost. He lost Yamato, one of his most powerful and unique Wood Style users.
And worse still, it eliminated Kakashi—the Root spy and crucial source of intel—leaving the Third Hokage in the dark. This turn of events had forced the Hokage to agree to Naruto's reckless plan of infiltrating Root himself… In hindsight, it was a trade-off—gains and losses on both sides.
'But wait a minute... wasn't the original timeline supposed to have Danzo try to assassinate the Third Hokage much earlier, back when the Hokage had just resumed office and his footing was still shaky? And Kakashi should've blown his cover ages ago. The timeline's been shifted by at least three years now, hasn't it?
Why does it feel more like Danzo was forced to enact that plan because the Hokage kept pushing him? That doesn't fit his character... When did this old bastard grow a conscience or a moral line? Could this be the butterfly effect caused by my transmigration?'
If that were the case, then Naruto had better be careful—Danzo's most disgusting secret weapon, the one just thinking about made his skin crawl, might appear earlier than expected.
His mind was spinning, but Naruto's expression remained one of genuine surprise and delight. He casually shot a glance at Danzo's right hand—tucked deep within his long sleeve—and then grinned broadly, stretching out his arms.
With a face full of excitement, he skipped from the first passage on the left all the way to the last one on the right. Acting like he'd discovered a brand-new world, he hopped along on his short legs and waved at the slow-moving Danzo.
"Grandpa Danzo! Grandpa Danzo! Come look! There are so many paths here! In the comics I've read, this kind of thing usually means... Ooh! Could there be treasure hidden down here? Let's go treasure hunting, Grandpa Danzo! Please~?"
"Ai, ai, slow down! Slow down, little rascal!" Danzo chuckled as he watched Naruto run around. "Wait for Grandpa! These old bones can't keep up with you."
For some reason, under Naruto's gaze, Danzo felt as though he were being completely seen through, as if he had no secrets left. Instinctively, he covered his right arm with his left hand and pinched his sleeve slightly, all while pretending to humor Naruto.
At the same time, his eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing the boy in front of him. But thanks to Naruto's impeccable acting, Danzo reached the same conclusion as always: the kid was just a harmless, gullible, easily-fooled brat.
'Strange... Why do I keep getting suspicious of this little punk? With a tiny body like that, panting from just a bit of walking, what threat could he possibly pose? Crying? Throwing a tantrum? Faking a suicide attempt?'
After multiple tests yielded nothing unusual, Danzo could only quiet the inexplicable sense of unease in his heart.
He paused for a moment, pretended to observe the maze-like junction with Naruto, and then walked over slowly, afraid that Naruto might run off and get lost, taking with him Danzo's most important bargaining chip.
Bending down, he gently picked up Naruto and cradled him in his arms, his lips curling into a doting smile.
"Hmm? There might be treasure hidden in here? That sounds like a great idea, Naruto. Why didn't Grandpa think of that... But it's already pretty late, Naruto. We've been walking for so long—aren't you hungry? Why don't we go home first and have a big, delicious dinner, and then come back to play the treasure hunt game?"
"Really!? That's awesome! I knew Grandpa Danzo was the best!"
Seeing Danzo open his arms and approach, Naruto suppressed the instinctive twitch at the corner of his mouth and reached out with his chubby little hands.
Once close enough, he raised his little face, eyes sparkling as he dove into Danzo's arms.
"Deal, Grandpa Danzo! You have to play treasure hunt with me later, okay!"
Naruto wanted nothing more than to shove a Rasengan into Danzo's disgusting face and erase this stain from history. But first, he needed to be sure Danzo didn't already have that infamous, nearly invincible trump card of his.
Second, the goal of this mission wasn't just to kill Danzo—it was also to uncover and eradicate Root's headquarters completely. Otherwise, if Danzo died, the brainwashed Root elites he left behind might scatter into the shadows of the village and become venomous snakes, waiting for a chance to strike back.
'Left one, right three, right two… Hmph. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Take your time basking in your little victory, old man.'
Naruto's hands, hidden around Danzo's neck and in his blind spot, clenched tightly as he resisted the urge to form a Rasengan.
He tilted his head, feigning innocence and affection, all while carefully watching Danzo's every step. Every now and then, like a sheltered kid seeing the world for the first time, he let out amazed gasps to mask the uncontrollable smirk tugging at his lips.
'Yes… just like that, old man. Take me straight to your precious Root hideout.'
The real treasure hunt—
has already begun.