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American Horror: Grind Edition
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American Horror: Grind Edition
Byakuya stared at the grotesque right arm with his own eyes. The strongest feeling it gave him wasn't the crushing pressure rolling off it, but raw, skin-crawling terror—like standing in front of a living human monster.
Danzo Shimura caught the shock on his face and let his voice sharpen just a fraction. "This is the true power of Root—the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, fused with the Three Tomoe Sharingan of the cursed Uchiha clan."
"Subordinate… even when I faced Pakura, I never sensed anything this overwhelmingly terrifying."
"Other villages lean on their Tailed Beast Jinchuriki as their ultimate foundation. Konoha's reserves go far beyond what anyone can imagine. Senkaku Byakuya, would you like to know the rest?"
Danzo had dropped the code name Shuten-doji and used his real name. That one sentence alone sent Byakuya's thoughts spinning. At this point, only a fool wouldn't see exactly what the old goat was fishing for.
"This subordinate would be deeply honored."
Danzo rewrapped the bandages around his arm, walked back behind the desk, and pulled out a thick stack of documents. He dropped them onto the tabletop with a heavy thud.
Byakuya stepped forward, opened the folder under Danzo's calm gaze, and began reading.
The contents weren't spelled out in graphic detail, but they didn't need to be. These were Root and ANBU's secret research projects: Hashirama cells, Tailed Beast chakra analysis, artificial Tailed Beast experiments, immortality research, Edo Tensei—
Byakuya's scalp went numb. Every major forbidden project from the original timeline was already in motion inside Konoha.
"Edo Tensei?"
"Developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—my teacher. The Impure World Reincarnation Technique."
"May I ask who is currently overseeing the research on this forbidden jutsu?"
"I am. Why? Interested?"
Byakuya had assumed it would be Orochimaru. The notes in these files laid out every project's progress, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations with brutal clarity—especially the pros and cons of Edo Tensei.
"This technique could change the entire direction of a war."
Danzo tightened the bandages on his right arm. His face twitched with discomfort, a flash of pain crossing his features before he snorted coldly. "Our Third Hokage, in all his compassion, forbade it. But for Konoha's sake, I had no choice but to continue the research in secret. The preparations are still incomplete; we couldn't deploy Edo Tensei in the coming war even if we wanted to."
Byakuya immediately sided with him. "I never realized the Hokage's vision was so narrow. If Konoha falls, nothing else matters."
"This mission really has sharpened you. The fact that you can see that far pleases me greatly."
"These are obvious truths. Your subordinate possesses no special insight. However… why has the artificial Tailed Beast project stalled?"
"I need Nine-Tails chakra, but the current Jinchuriki is Kushina Uzumaki. She is under constant ANBU surveillance. Root cannot move against her."
"Does the Hokage also oppose it?"
Danzo answered flatly, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and even Akimichi Torifu—all of them are against it. They claim the risk of a Nine-Tails rampage is too high."
"Making mountains out of molehills," Byakuya scoffed. "If the village can seal the Nine-Tails once, why fear it breaking loose again?"
He said it deliberately. Everyone knew that if not for Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails rampage would have wiped Konoha off the map.
Danzo didn't want to dwell on the topic. "What are your thoughts?"
"My thoughts?"
"Tell me the honest truth in your heart."
Byakuya carefully closed the thick folder and spoke softly. "If even one of these projects had succeeded, Konoha would never have found itself surrounded on all sides, and our shinobi wouldn't be dying one after another."
Danzo finally lost his perfect composure. Whether it was satisfaction at the answer or simple relief that someone in Root finally saw the world the same way he did, he let out a long, heavy breath.
"Everything I do is for Konoha. As long as the village stands tall in the ninja world, I am willing to pay any price."
Byakuya seized the opening. "That is exactly why Lord Danzo is the one most suited to become Hokage—not Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"…"
Danzo looked at him seriously. "Do you truly mean that?"
"This subordinate came to that realization while carrying out the mission."
"Excellent. The fact that you understand my苦心 means the resources I've given you were not wasted."
"Thank you for your guidance, Lord Danzo."
Danzo pointed to a chair against the wall.
"Sit."
"This subordinate would not dare."
"I ordered you to sit. That is a command!"
"Yes, sir."
Byakuya pulled the chair over and sat across from Danzo. The older man continued, "You performed this mission to contact Pakura very well. You completed it flawlessly, yet you fell just short of the ideal outcome I had hoped for."
"This subordinate is incompetent."
"The fault is not yours. The situation inside Sunagakure changes by the hour. You did everything you could. The rest is up to heaven."
Byakuya stayed silent. Danzo wanted to build his own legend; all he had to do was listen quietly.
Sure enough—
"But I refuse to leave anything to heaven. Sunagakure wants to shift their internal conflicts outward? Fine. I will give them the chance!"
Now was the moment to speak, but only to praise Danzo's flawless strategy.
Byakuya stood and bowed deeply, speaking from the heart. "It is precisely because Konoha has a man like Lord Danzo that we can keep moving forward under heavy burdens while everyone else drags us back—until we defeat every last enemy."
"Oh? You really think so?"
"This subordinate feels nothing but loyalty and sincerity toward Lord Danzo!"
A satisfied smile curved Danzo's lips. In his heart he thought: Senkaku Byakuya—this chess piece was the right one to choose!
"Sit."
"Yes, sir."
"Shuten-doji?"
"Subordinate is here." Byakuya rose again.
"Root does not reward perfect mission completion the way the Third Hokage does—with stingy scraps. What do you want?"
Byakuya answered instantly. "Anything at all?"
"Correct."
This was no time for modesty or flattery. That would only make Danzo suspicious that he was after something bigger.
"Iwagakure's Earth Style ninjutsu, and Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Technique. A few more Lightning and Water Style techniques would also be excellent."
"You're quite greedy. Careful you don't bite off more than you can chew."
"This subordinate knows his limits."
Danzo spoke slowly. "You possess Lightning and Water chakra natures, yet now you want to master Earth Style?"
"During the mission, your subordinate discovered that Earth Style techniques would greatly assist in completing future tasks."
"Indeed. Standing on the earth makes it the home field of Earth Style users. Compared to Lightning, Fire, Water, or Wind, Earth holds far more advantages.
Root possesses few Lightning techniques. You have already learned Tobirama Senju's Water Formation Wall and requested the S-rank Water Severing Wave, so Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Technique is perfect for you.
During battles with Iwagakure shinobi, Root obtained two Earth Style techniques: Earth Style: Rock Fist and Earth Style: Rock Lodging Collapse.
Your request—I grant it."
"Thank you, Lord Danzo!"
"Anything else you desire?"
"This subordinate dares not ask for more."
"Mm. You have stated what you want. Now I will tell you what I am giving you."
Byakuya's heart tightened. What was the old goat planning?
"Hayabusa, Yukitaka, and Mi—three Root shinobi—are now under your command."
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