"Why do I feel he's that weak…?"
Orochimaru stared at the spot where Haruya had vanished, questions knotting in his mind.Those two wooden clones—there wasn't the slightest threat from them.
They felt like… genin-level.
But could someone with genin-level strength possibly know so many secrets?Obviously not.
The only explanation left was that Haruya was deliberately pretending to be weak, trying to muddy everyone's understanding of his true ability.
"A troublesome boy," Orochimaru muttered.
His wariness toward Haruya rose another notch.This child was dangerous—very dangerous.He couldn't afford to treat him lightly.
Next on his list: Shimura Danzō.
A cold gleam flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.He and Danzō were collaborators, bound together by mutual secrets. If either of them exposed the other, even surviving it would feel like shedding a layer of skin.
They maintained a fragile balance.
But tonight? Orochimaru was furious.
Wood Release—thanks to the legacy of Hashirama—had become the strongest of all bloodline limits, and it was the first one Orochimaru had acquired. He valued it even above the Sharingan now.
Danzō's betrayal was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
Confronting the man openly would do nothing.Unless he captured Danzō outright.
So Orochimaru decided to infiltrate Root personally.With his abilities, no one would detect him—not even Root's elite watchers.
He could have sent subordinates. But that risked alerting someone, and this was too important.Better to handle it himself.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru melted into the night, heading straight for Root.
His stealth was flawless; not a single soul sensed him passing.
Root had multiple hidden bases. Orochimaru knew their layouts well thanks to his previous Wood Release cooperation with Danzō.
And Haruya had already warned him: the surviving operative said the intruder's codename was "A."
Meaning Haruya was now considered a Root member.
That narrowed the search.He only needed to check the training bases.
Orochimaru released a cluster of snakes.Before long, they found his target.
North of Konoha.
Orochimaru slipped into a low, concrete building—one of Root's brutal training facilities.Root was Konoha's coldest institution, molding its members into emotionless tools, bringing the essence of what a "ninja" truly was to its extreme.
People liked to call Naruto's world a "hot-blooded adventure."But except for Uzumaki Naruto himself, most shinobi were quiet, ruthless killers—willing to execute anyone, woman or child, if it served the mission or the village.
If ninjas existed in real life, you'd run the other direction.
Inside the building, several trainees moved in silence.
Orochimaru's attention fixed on a boy.Ten years old.Codename: Yamato.
He stalked him patiently, waiting.
And then—Yamato activated Wood Release.
"…It's real?"
Shock flashed across Orochimaru's face.The masked stranger hadn't lied.And that was only the small secret.
So what was the big one?
What could possibly be more valuable than Wood Release?
For the first time in a while, Orochimaru felt a genuine spike of curiosity.
As for Yamato… Orochimaru simply whisked him away without anyone noticing.
The Next Morning
Haruya woke to the soft pulse of the Ring of Fate on his finger.
[Because of your actions, Yamato's fate has changed. You gain 90 Fate Points.]
Ninety points meant Yamato's future had fully diverged from the original timeline.It would be difficult for him to ever join ANBU now.
Haruya rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Yamato was supposed to become Naruto Uzumaki's squad leader later, since Wood Release could suppress the Nine-Tails inside him.
"…Can I use this to get closer to Naruto?"
The more he considered it, the more feasible it sounded.By that time, Lady Tsunade would already be Hokage—and she knew he had Wood Release.
What Haruya wanted most after gaining Fate Points was the Sage-Body Physique, the "Immortal Body."Perfect synergy with Wood Release.
Unfortunately, ninety points wasn't much.
He'd only been able to buy the Wood Release talent earlier because he'd had a beginner's 10% discount; otherwise it would've cost 900 points.
Buying Wood Release outright normally cost 2,000.And the Immortal Body? A staggering 3,900.
"Step by step," Haruya sighed.He was only seven years old—plenty of time.
For now… he'd enjoy being doted on by Sister Tsunade.
"Haruya, good morning!"
Tsunade was bustling around the kitchen. When she spotted him, she paused, raised her head, and gave him a radiant smile.
Haruya instantly felt lighter.What a wonderful way to start the day.
There's a saying: waking up to a beautiful woman's smile is the first good luck of the morning.
"Haruya, time to take your medicine," Shizune chimed in as she walked in.
Haruya's smile froze.The enemy appeared.
He gulped the medicine down in one go, then bolted to Tsunade and opened his mouth, clearly demanding candy.
"Haruya, grab it yourself. I'm busy," she said, shaping rice balls with both hands.
He blinked.At his current height, he faced her waist directly.
No pockets there.
So… where did she hide the candy?
His eyes landed on the black cloth belt under her apron.
He slipped a hand under it, rummaged around—and found the candy.
And also… a bit of warmth, her body heat through the fabric.
Tsunade glanced down absently but didn't mind.She'd never been shy, and Haruya wasn't exactly a stranger.
He unwrapped the candy, the bitterness fading instantly, and ran to the living room to wait for breakfast.
Shizune sat nearby reading, as usual.
"I'll take you to school today," Tsunade said after breakfast. "Shizune, stay here and keep studying."
She had promised Haruya she would let him attend, and Tsunade never went back on her word.Besides, with him in school… she'd have more time to gamble.
She could always teach him properly at night.
Haruya actually looked forward to school.He wanted to meet more "plot characters" and earn more Fate Points.
Unfortunately, his timing wasn't great.Naruto wouldn't enroll for another six years.Kakashi's generation had graduated years ago.He was stuck in a gap with very few key characters.
Konoha Ninja Academy
The Academy hadn't taken much structural damage during the Nine-Tails attack. After two weeks of repairs, classes were finally resuming.
Haruya was entering as a transfer student into Class A, Year One.
"Tsunade-sama!"Their homeroom teacher, Naoto Yamanaka, greeted her enthusiastically. "I've received the notice. Please don't worry, I'll take good care of Haruya."
Tsunade nodded.Officially, Haruya was her apprentice—few would dare to mess with him.
"Haruya, I'll pick you up after school," she said, patting his head before leaving.
"Alright, Haruya," said Naoto Yamanaka gently. "From now on, just call me 'Teacher.' Come meet your classmates."
As a transfer student, Haruya couldn't escape the classic ritual.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Haruya. I don't have many hobbies—I just want to live a peaceful life."
The line was ordinary, but his looks definitely weren't.Several girls immediately fixed their eyes on him.
"Haruya, you can take the window seat in the back row," Yamanaka said."Your desk partner is Uchiha Itachi, the top student in the grade. You can learn a lot from him."
A privilege arranged for Tsunade's apprentice, no doubt.
But Haruya froze.He hadn't expected that.
His desk partner… was Uchiha Itachi.
Well… that escalated quickly.
He really should've known fate wouldn't let him have a quiet school life.