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**Chapter 23: A Request from the Third**
Rubik felt like his brain had been blasted by an explosive tag, buzzing incessantly.
Senju Momoki—the girl manipulated by Danzo with her hollow eyes—carried such a heavy past on her shoulders.
Konoha's "Root," that dark organization loyal only to Danzo's commands, had originated from a group of Senju clansmen burdened with grave sins, seeking redemption in their own twisted way?
Rubik opened his mouth, his throat dry. His conscience made it hard to accept this cruel reality.
"It's simply unbelievable. Root came from *that*? A group of Senju ninjas stripped of their names and identities, who voluntarily sank into the darkness? And Danzo... he took over this force?"
Jiraiya nodded gravely, his expression complex. "Yes. The old man was young back then, newly appointed as Hokage, with the village in turmoil. Danzo was Tobirama's disciple, skilled in both strength and cunning. Handing this combat force to him seemed like a reasonable choice at the time—and it did play a huge role in the wars.
"But... the old man never imagined Danzo would twist this group into something completely beyond the Hokage's control—a monster loyal only to his personal will."
He paused, his tone laced with barely concealed anger. "Even more unforeseen was what the old man thought... those original 'Root' members, the Senju clansmen who willingly bore the darkness, had all... perished in countless perilous secret missions."
Rubik said in surprise, "Perished entirely? How is that possible? You don't mean..."
Jiraiya sighed, gazing out at the heavy night sky as if recalling a deliberately forgotten history. "The old man told me that after Danzo took over, the mission reports were always brutally grim. Nearly every high-risk, top-secret operation listed Senju code names among the 'KIA.' The reports were detailed: treacherous missions, cunning and powerful enemies—casualties were inevitable. They gave their last drop of blood for Konoha... The old man was overwhelmed with village politics and diplomacy back then. Though heartbroken over these 'nameless heroes,' he had no choice but to trust Danzo's reports.
"He believed those Senju bloodlines, carrying their sins and redemption, had burned out in the darkness, fulfilling their mission. He'd even mourned them silently in his heart. But that girl Momoki shattered it all..."
"Fake?"
Rubik instantly understood. A chill ran up his spine thinking of Danzo's deeds. "Those reports... were fabricated?"
"Most likely!" Jiraiya's voice rose sharply, laced with suppressed fury. "The moment the old man saw Momoki, he knew! Danzo could never tolerate a force with independent will, loyal only to Konoha. He needed tools—absolute obedience, no thoughts, no past!"
"So..." Rubik swallowed hard.
"He deliberately sent them on the most dangerous, near-suicidal missions, then... reported them as 'sacrificed'?" Jiraiya's eyes sharpened like blades. "In reality, he broke the survivors with even crueler methods, turning them into Root's fodder? Or even... directly eliminating those he couldn't fully control."
"The old man suspects that the core members of that original 'Root' batch, including Momoki's grandmother Senju Momoha, were probably... long gone.
"Danzo used this method to sever Root's last ties to the rebel Senju, transforming it into his pure private army and tool factory. Children like Momoki, inheriting Senju blood, became his new, high-potential 'material'—raised, twisted, and controlled in Root's devouring darkness!"
Rubik felt suffocated. He'd thought Danzo's actions in the original timeline were disgusting enough, but this took inhumanity to new heights—utterly invincible.
Danzo's ruthlessness exceeded imagination. This wasn't just persecution of redemption-seeking ninjas; it was a trampling of history and the final dignity of the sacrificed.
"After realizing this, the old man pored over the sealed classified scrolls and spotted inconsistencies in the reports. He sent Anbu to investigate sites firsthand. Connecting it to Momoki's existence... he saw how his trust in Danzo back then led to a terrible mistake.
"What he thought were 'sacrifices' were Danzo's woven lies—to devour that power and exploit their descendants!"
Jiraiya clenched his fist. "The old man feels deep guilt toward Momoki and those deceived, sacrificed Senju clansmen. But as Hokage, directly meddling in Root—especially against Danzo—would face obstruction from the two elders.
"Root is deeply entrenched. The old man's too weary now, lacking the drive and vigor to confront his old friend. All he can do while alive is rein in Danzo, preventing harm to innocent villagers."
Recalling the once-vibrant ninja hero now exhausted on the Hokage throne, Jiraiya felt heartache for his teacher, mingled with sorrow at a hero's twilight.
Jiraiya turned, his usually playful, lazy eyes now filled with seriousness and plea as they fixed on Rubik. "So, Rubik! The old man hopes *you* can try to save that child."
His voice was low and resolute. "Pull her—Senju Momoki—out of Danzo's grasp, out of Root's all-consuming darkness! Don't let her repeat her grandmother's and those Senju clansmen's fate! She doesn't deserve this destiny!"
Jiraiya had ultimately chosen to ask Rubik. When the Third hoped he'd relay the request, Jiraiya refused outright—he didn't want Rubik bearing a burden tied to him as teacher. Rubik should be free; his choices from the heart.
But learning this hidden history changed things. Beyond his bond with Tsunade, as a Konoha ninja, he couldn't ignore Danzo's atrocities.
"The old man said: save the girl, and you can name any conditions."
Rubik listened quietly. Honestly, the benefits of wading into this mess seemed limited.
Senju Momoki was a pitiful child, and Danzo a damned bastard. If possible, he'd execute Danzo on the spot—but he lacked the power to eradicate Danzo and Root now.
For his own plans—refuse?
Truth be told, he didn't want to. Not for anything else, but this history made Danzo sit wrong with him. His dream was world peace, improving this trash ninja world. Danzo's actions clashed with his dreams and principles.
If Danzo soured his mood, that old dog had no reason to exist.
He took a deep breath, met Jiraiya's gaze. His eyes shed their usual flippancy, turning serious and sharp.
"Master, tell the Third: access to Uzumaki Mito's sealing techniques and the Book of Seals. Meet those demands, and I'll... take care of Danzo."
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