A week and a half passed before Raven made her move. Night pressed heavy over Konoha, silence cloaking the sleeping district. Inside a modest apartment, Riko lay curled under thin blankets, her breathing steady and even. Without a sound, Raven materialized from the shadows, masked and precise, and in the next instant Riko was gone.
When she opened her eyes, she was back underground. The familiar stone walls of Raven's chamber pressed close, the air faintly metallic from the seals etched into the walls. She groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Do you seriously have to keep abducting me down here? I mean, this place is depressing."
Raven scoffed, folding her arms. "So, how did the plan go? It's been a week and a half. The poison's taken effect. You should have been promoted, right?"
Riko gave a disbelieving shake of her head. "I don't know who's weirder, you or Danzō. I'd have to say Danzō, because he's so stupid. He actually did exactly what you said and promoted me to the official ninja rank of Genin."
Raven's brows lifted. "Are you serious? He actually promoted you?"
Riko narrowed her eyes. "Of course he promoted me. That's what you predicted would happen, isn't it?"
Raven let the silence hang before replying, voice smooth. "Of course. Yeah, that's exactly what I thought would happen."
Yumi, lounging nearby with tails flicking lazily, rolled her eyes. "Right. Nothing. Your plan actually went off without a hitch, which is not surprising. Luck seems to always be on your side, Raven."
Raven's head turned sharply. "Shut up."
Yumi only smirked, but Raven ignored her and focused on Riko again. "Now that you're officially a ninja within Root, I can begin your training in earnest. What I'm going to teach you is the foundation of sealing."
Riko tilted her head, skeptical. "Sealing? Why?"
Raven's voice dropped into deliberate cadence. "Because with it, you can slowly convert other female members of Root into loyal subordinates. I'll teach you to create a Seal of Obedience—your own version. Those you bind will obey you. Later, if their loyalty proves strong, you can be taught to undo Danzō's seal entirely and free them."
Riko's eyes sharpened. "So you want me to slowly convert other female ninja within Root?"
"Exactly." Raven's tone was absolute. "You'll lure them with promises—visits with family, freedom from Danzō's leash, recognition as proper ninja. You'll give them what he never could."
Riko crossed her arms and eyed her with suspicion. "This isn't because a bunch of the female ninja in Root are super attractive, right? Danzō has a habit of abducting the most beautiful girls in the village without family backing. Are you asking me this for… questionable reasons?"
Raven's cheeks warmed beneath her mask. "Of course not. My motivations are completely, one hundred percent pure."
Riko's lips twitched, but she nodded. "Fine, fine. Let's begin that foundational sealing knowledge you want to teach me."
Raven inclined her head, shifting smoothly into instruction. "Secondary training will focus on chakra control and fire jutsu. First, tell me—what is your primary chakra attribute?"
"Fire," Riko answered without hesitation.
"Good," Raven said. "We'll focus on fire jutsu for you. I have a friend in the Uzumaki clan who passed me vast knowledge of their fire techniques. I can give you foundational skills easily. Once you master them, we'll move into advanced jutsu."
Riko's stare hardened. "Are you seriously teaching me Uzumaki clan knowledge? Won't you get in trouble for that?"
Raven shook her head. "No. Nobody will trace it back to me."
From the side, Yumi's voice carried a mocking edge. "Right. And Mikoto won't have anything to say about this if she finds out you're still alive."
Raven shot her a glare sharp enough to cut. "Shut up."
Yumi's tails twitched with satisfaction, but she said nothing more.
Raven turned her attention back to Riko, letting the chamber's tension settle into purpose. She unrolled a sealing scroll and spread it across the table, the ink shimmering faintly under the glow of chakra. "We begin now. Learn this foundation, and you'll control your own path within Root. Fail, and Danzō will eat you alive."
Riko leaned forward, eyes narrowed but intent. "Then I won't fail."
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