Morning.
The alarm buzzed loudly, breaking the stillness of sleep.
From beneath the blanket, Oboro's hand fumbled around for a while before finally shutting it off.
Another day…
He rested his wrist across his forehead and squinted toward the window, where pale morning light streamed in.
Raising his leg, he flexibly nudged the window open. A chill breeze rushed in along with the light, slowly sweeping away the lingering drowsiness.
This was a single-person bedroom. The space was small, filled with essentials, fridge, wardrobe, table, chairs, and a compact kitchen counter.
On the wall hung a green flak jacket. The table held a few daily items: a kunai, a forehead protector, and a photo frame.
Inside the frame was a picture of a young man and three children posing together.
The smiling boy in the center was none other than a younger Oboro Mitsuki.
Wake up. Get dressed. Wash up.
No special breakfast, just a couple slices of bread and a carton of milk pulled from the fridge. With that, he stepped out of the house.
The sun had barely risen. The streets were still quiet. A few villagers were sweeping outside their homes.
"Yo, up early again, Oboro."
"Hardworking as ever."
"Well, he's a ninja."
"Haha!"
Oboro ignored the neighbors' banter. At the end of the road stood a red building, Konoha's Hokage Tower. Beyond it rose the stone cliff wall, carved with the faces of four previous Hokage.
As he walked, a figure suddenly darted past him.
"Sorry, Big Bro Oboro! I'm running late!" the girl shouted over her shoulder as she sprinted by.
Oboro glanced after her. She wore a pink cheongsam with an off-center collar, her hair styled into double buns.
"This girl…" he muttered, catching sight of the "75" that flashed across her headband.
[Name: Tenten]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 8]
[Affection: 75]
[Relationship: Neighborhood Acquaintance]
[Non-Romanceable]
…
Hokage Tower.
Outside the window, the tree branches swayed gently in the breeze. From this high vantage point, they seemed especially lush and full.
Oboro pulled his gaze back and turned to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated behind his desk.
"Have you made your decision?" Sarutobi asked calmly, his tone unreadable.
"Yes."
Sarutobi took another drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly.
"Do you know where you're being reassigned?"
"Root."
Sarutobi's eyes locked onto Oboro, sharp and probing. But Oboro never met his gaze, instead staring quietly at the table in front of him, his posture disciplined and proper.
"Anko and Ebisu both spoke highly of you yesterday," Sarutobi said. "Seems your performance on that mission was excellent."
"I only did my duty."
This kid…
Sarutobi, who hadn't thought much of it at first, now found himself uncertain.
"What do you think of the two of them?" he asked after a stop.
"I already gave Shisui my word," Oboro replied.
"I see." Sarutobi exhaled another puff of smoke. "And what exactly did Shisui say to you?"
"He said Root might suit me better. That it would offer more rigorous training."
"Oboro," Sarutobi's voice grew softer.
"Darkness is a mire, easy to sink into, hard to escape."
He tapped his pipe against the edge of the desk. "Let the past be the past."
"Understood, Lord Hokage."
"Osamu and Haruka wouldn't want you to end up like this. You used to be a lot more cheerful."
"..."
So it is about that…
Sarutobi caught the faint flicker of emotion that passed through Oboro's expression.
Shingōji Osamu, Sakuramiya Haruka, Oboro's former teammates.
Normally, a reassignment like this wouldn't warrant special attention. But the person who made the request had caught Sarutobi off guard.
Oboro Mitsuki, in Sarutobi's eyes, still had potential worth nurturing. He felt reluctant to send him to that place.
"I appreciate your concern, Lord Hokage," Oboro said evenly. "But I know what I'm doing."
Watching Oboro's impassive face, Sarutobi wasn't sure whether his words had sunk in at all.
[Name: Hiruzen Sarutobi]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 64]
[Affection: 61]
[Relationship: Superior]
[Bond Path: Unchosen]
Knock knock knock.
A knock came at the door.
"Come in," Sarutobi said.
The one who entered was a clean-cut young man, about three years older than Oboro, dressed in the standard ANBU vest and carrying a short sword across his back.
"Yamato."
"Lord Hokage." Yamato gave a brief glance at Oboro, then saluted formally.
"Itachi Uchiha reported to Team Six this morning."
"Good," Sarutobi nodded.
"I'll take my leave then." Oboro took the opportunity to bow and turn to go.
"I said I would respect your choice, and I meant it," Sarutobi added. "When the transfer is finalized, the ANBU will inform you."
Once outside the Hokage Tower, Oboro let out a long breath.
Root…
Officially part of ANBU's training division. In truth, it was a hidden dagger in the hands of Konoha's leadership.
In the original timeline, Root was disbanded after the Uchiha massacre. Its members were folded into ANBU, only to be rebuilt later as Danzo's personal army.
Root's leader, Shimura Danzo, was one of the few characters in the Naruto world who embodied darkness, inside and out. In his later years, his obsession with Konoha became downright pathological.
"Excuse me."
Just as he was about to head home, a voice called out behind him. Turning, he saw it was Yamato.
"Hello, I'm Yamato," he said with a friendly smile.
"Oboro Mitsuki."
"I'm part of ANBU. Lord Hokage mentioned you're being transferred to Root?"
Oboro studied him. If he remembered right, Yamato had once been under Danzo's command as well, though clearly, by now, he'd been brought into ANBU by Kakashi.
"I used to be in Root myself," Yamato offered.
"…I see."
"Lord Hokage told me a bit about you just now. I grew up in Root, so I was surprised to hear someone was joining voluntarily."
"…Not exactly voluntarily," Oboro said after a pause. "It was a favor. For a friend."
Yamato blinked in surprise. "You must really value that friend."
"…Something like that."
"I know this might sound abrupt, but I feel I should warn you," Yamato said, face turning serious.
"Root doesn't operate like the rest of Konoha. It's… different."
"And Danzo is not an easy man to deal with."
Barbecue Restaurant.
Anko was poring over the menu.
"You bringing me to a place like this? That's rare."
The voice came from the girl sitting across from her. Around the same age as Anko, she wore a white wrap-style dress over a red short-sleeved shirt and fishnet undershirt. Her long black hair had a gentle curl. Unlike Anko's wild vibe, she exuded calm femininity despite her youth.
"Oh, I wasn't just bringing you," Anko replied with a grin. "I'm treating someone else, and dragging you along."
"You? Treating someone?" Kurenai Yuhi looked genuinely surprised.
"Yep. You probably know the guy too."
Kurenai raised an eyebrow. When Anko had invited her to eat, she'd expected the usual sweet shop, not a barbecue joint.
"You and Ebisu went on a mission a few days ago, right? Are you treating him?" she asked.
"Him?" Anko scoffed. "He was useless. Deadweight from start to finish."
"Don't say that. He's still a capable Chūnin," Kurenai defended.
"Yeah? He talks a big game about being 'elite' and can't even back it up," Anko snorted.
"It's someone else from the mission. A kid."
"A junior, then."
"Must be quite the kid, if he got you to come to this kind of place," Kurenai teased.
Anko just shrugged. "When I said I'd treat him yesterday, he specifically told me he doesn't like sweets."
"But I'll admit, he's special. One of the top of his generation, I'd say."
"Don't tell me it's Shunshin no Shisui?" Kurenai raised an eyebrow.
"Pfft, like I could invite someone that important," Anko rolled her eyes.
"You're making me curious now. Who is it?" Kurenai asked eagerly.
"Oboro Mitsuki."
Kurenai stopped. That was a name she hadn't heard in a while, though it rang familiar.
"Yeah, that Oboro Mitsuki," Anko confirmed, reading her face.
"He's… the one who was with you on that mission?"
"Yeah. If not for him, me and Ebisu would've died back there," Anko said lightly, like it was no big deal.
She glanced at the menu again, then flagged down the waiter and ordered a stack of desserts.
Though they'd never interacted directly, Kurenai did know who he was.
Back then, his incident had stirred quite the commotion. After the war ended, he vanished from headlines. Rumor had it no one wanted to team with him, so he always operated solo.
Watching her friend now chatting with the waiter, Kurenai couldn't help but feel a little concerned.
Getting involved with someone whose reputation was so poor… couldn't be a good idea.
Noticing Kurenai's hesitation, Anko grinned. "Relax. He's not what the rumors make him out to be."
"Is that so?" Kurenai replied noncommittally.
"You'll see. But he is kind of a jerk. Real tough to get along with."
"He's here," Anko added, nodding toward the entrance.
Kurenai looked up and saw a handsome teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen, walking in wearing the standard Chūnin uniform. He was tall and lean. As Anko had said, the expression on his face was cold and detached, clearly not someone easy to talk to.
But… undeniably good-looking.
"Over here," Anko waved.
Oboro's gaze swept the room, stopping briefly on Kurenai. His eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, just enough for Kurenai to notice.
[Name: Kurenai Yuhi]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 21]
[Affection: 51]
[Relationship: Fellow Villager]
[Romance Difficulty: A]
[First Kiss Reward: Genjutsu Mastery]
[Home Run Reward: Genjutsu Immunity]
Genjutsu… Immunity?
<><>---------------------------------------
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
Add to Collection!
• TL/N •
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
> Naruto: Mind Control
If you like smart and strong MC, this fanfic is for you.
It's Peak.
Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed