As time passed, Kagura continued his grueling training and relentless experimentation.
Three months later—
He finally awakened Wood Release.
The discovery changed his fate and marked the true beginning of his path as a shinobi.
At first, all he could do was cause tiny sprouts to emerge from the ground—fragile shoots barely worth noticing.
But Kagura did not grow discouraged.
Day and night, he trained without pause, constantly pushing his limits.
Gradually, those insignificant sprouts began to change.
They grew sturdier, extending into thin branches.
Though the progress seemed minor, to Kagura it was a crucial milestone.
He saw a glimmer of hope.
And with it, a deepening conviction that he could truly master Wood Release.
He began using the branches to construct simple barriers, refining his control. Under his command, the wood moved with increasing precision—almost like extensions of his own limbs.
Still, he was not satisfied.
After countless failures and renewed attempts, those thin branches thickened into solid trunks.
The transformation filled him with exhilaration.
Now he attempted to construct more complex structures, sharpening not only his control but also his creativity and adaptability in combat.
Through endless days and nights of training, he not only grasped the fundamentals of Wood Release—
He began to comprehend its essence.
Kagura reported his successful awakening of Wood Release to Danzō.
Upon hearing the news, Danzō revealed little on the surface. However, he arranged for additional training equipment and rare medicinal supplements to be provided to Kagura, accelerating his development.
A few days later, Danzō informed him:
He would be assigned a mission outside the village.
It would be Kagura's first mission.
And his first test.
After returning to his quarters, Kagura prioritized rest. He needed to adjust himself to peak condition.
He knew the upcoming mission would not be simple.
To prepare, he sought advice from several experienced Root operatives.
Root shinobi were forbidden from harboring emotion—but they were not fools.
It was obvious that Danzō showed Kagura a degree of special attention.
So they offered him practical guidance: intelligence gathering, situational awareness, assassination protocol, combat positioning, contingency planning.
Every detail was explained carefully.
Kagura listened with full concentration, engraving their experience into his memory.
Since birth, he had never left Konoha.
Truthfully, he had barely even explored the village itself.
His movements had always been confined within boundaries set by Danzō.
Most likely, Danzō had wished to prevent his existence from drawing the Third Hokage's attention.
That old fox kept him under extremely tight control.
Kagura even suspected Danzō might send someone to secretly monitor this mission.
Determined to succeed, Kagura began meticulous preparations.
He organized and inspected every piece of equipment.
He tightened his straps to secure his gear and carefully checked his ninja tools:
A short ninja sword
Shuriken
Kunai
Soldier pills (military ration pills) for stamina recovery
Explosive tags
Smoke bombs
Several scrolls containing supplies and possibly jutsu formulas
As a member of Root, he would not wear a forehead protector like ordinary shinobi.
Instead, he would wear a mask to conceal his identity—a defining trait of Root operatives.
Kagura, admittedly, was terrified of dying.
He packed everything he possibly could.
Originally, he even considered bringing a tent, assuming the mission would require several days outside.
Unfortunately for him—
While searching Root's storage area for a tent, he ran directly into Danzō.
Upon learning what Kagura intended, Danzō reprimanded him sharply.
"This is a mission outside the village," Danzō snapped.
"Not a leisure excursion."
Kagura dared not argue and hurried back to his quarters, awaiting deployment.
Before dawn.
Fully equipped, Kagura departed Root's underground base.
For a veteran, it would have been routine.
For him, it felt like standing before an invisible chasm.
Before leaving, Danzō's final words pressed heavily upon his chest:
"Remember. Failure is not permitted."
The low, cold tone echoed repeatedly in Kagura's mind, suffocating him.
He inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself—
But his legs still trembled slightly.
Night blanketed the land in darkness.
Dressed in Root's black stealth uniform, his face wrapped in cloth beneath a white mask, only his eyes were visible.
Within them flickered tension and resolve—emotions far too complex for a ten-year-old child.
He had studied the mission map so many times that its edges had curled, worn by anxious fingers.
Now he stood at the outskirts of Konoha.
His heart was a tangle of conflicting emotions.
Earlier, he had tried to carry far too much.
When he hoisted his overstuffed pack and noticed Danzō's near-lethal glare, he quickly discarded half of it.
He looked back.
Danzō's expression remained icy.
So he threw away another half.
Still that same cold stare.
"Lord Danzō… the rest are absolute necessities," Kagura said carefully.
Danzō merely snorted and turned away without another word.
Recalling that frigid expression, Kagura sighed inwardly and began moving toward his mission destination.
After Kagura departed, Danzō summoned a Root operative.
"Follow him," Danzō ordered.
"Observe the entire mission. Intervene only if necessary. Clean up any complications."
Clearly—
Danzō valued Kagura highly.
After all—
He would have use for him in the future.
And for that reason alone,
Kagura could not be allowed to die.