The Will of Root Inheritance
A few days later, Naruto and Shisui arrived in the Land of Rivers by ship.
As a buffer zone between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers is characterized by numerous mountains and waterways. While its rainfall does not compare to the abundant precipitation of the Land of Fire, it is far more hospitable than the arid Land of Wind, making it a strategic and desirable region.
During previous ninja wars, Sunagakure repeatedly attempted to seize control of the Land of Rivers but failed each time.
For Konohagakure, which is firmly established in the Land of Fire, the strategic importance of the Land of Rivers is not critical. However, allowing Sunagakure to gain control would be unacceptable, as it would provide them with valuable resources and a stronger foothold. Thus, Konoha ensured that Suna never succeeded, keeping their expansion in check.
Due to its role as a buffer zone and the weakness of smaller villages within its borders, the Land of Rivers has also become a breeding ground for chaos and lawlessness.
For now, Naruto had no particular interest in the Land of Rivers. A country where governance costs outweigh potential gains would only be a burden on the rapidly developing Uzushiogakure. Unless he possessed the military strength and resources of the Land of Fire, expansion was out of the question.
Their reason for coming to the Land of Rivers was simple: to retrieve Danzo's stolen Mangekyō Sharingan and complete a matching pair.
Originally, Naruto had intended to assign this mission to Shisui and the Uchiha forces, but considering Shisui's past, where he had once been manipulated into providing Danzo with a Sharingan, Naruto decided to handle it personally—bringing Shisui along to ensure Danzo was eliminated.
As soon as they stepped off the ship at the port, Naruto immediately sensed multiple hostile chakras lurking nearby.
Exchanging a glance with Shisui, Naruto watched as Shisui vanished with the Body Flicker Technique. Moments later, he returned, dragging several individuals dressed as ordinary citizens of the Land of Rivers.
"Lord Mianma," Shisui reported, "I have interrogated them. These men are low-ranking Root operatives, barely trained for a month. Their base is nearby, housing approximately ten operatives."
Naruto nodded and swiftly moved toward the nearest Root stronghold.
Before the stationed Root operatives could react, Naruto incapacitated them with precise strikes to their chakra points. Using a sealing technique, he bound them to the ground and left the interrogation to Shisui.
As Naruto glanced around the stronghold, his eyes fell upon a roster on the table. Flipping through a few pages, he found dozens of names.
Danzo's Root members were like cockroaches—if one was visible, there were dozens more hidden in the shadows. If given enough time, Danzo and his Root operatives might even establish their own rogue ninja village… Would he name it Nabemura?
The interrogation of the low-ranking members proceeded smoothly, but questioning the higher-ranked operatives proved more difficult.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal prevented Root members from revealing information about Danzo. Even under genjutsu, they remained unable to speak. Attempting to forcibly extract information would likely yield little success.
Naruto set the roster aside and approached Shisui, forming hand seals to disable the cursed seal. The moment the restriction was lifted, before the Root member could take his own life, Naruto pried the information he needed—Danzo's location.
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Lord Mianma, did you get the information you were looking for?" Shisui asked.
Naruto nodded. He had learned Danzo's whereabouts. Unexpectedly, Orochimaru had not deceived him—he had genuinely betrayed Danzo. It seemed Orochimaru valued Naruto more than the former Root leader.
---
In a dark underground chamber, Danzo sat with his eyes closed, appearing deep in thought.
After transplanting Hashirama Senju's cells and multiple Sharingan, his body had become significantly younger than Hiruzen Sarutobi's. However, maintaining the balance between Yin and Yang Release required constant vigilance, forcing him to wear a sealing limiter on his right arm.
A single misstep in chakra regulation, and he would meet the same fate as his failed test subjects—reduced to nothing more than a lifeless tree.
In his pursuit of mastering both Senju and Uchiha abilities, he had continuously dispatched operatives to conduct research. Yet, without proper funding, retaining capable scientists proved difficult, and his dream of creating a Wood Release Legion had been repeatedly delayed.
However, once he secured control over the nobles of the Land of Rivers, funding would no longer be an issue.
His primary concern now was manpower. Root had suffered significant losses and required fresh recruits. Additionally, he needed more test subjects. If he could obtain another exceptional candidate like Tenzo (Yamato), his investment would be well worth it.
Now, Danzo understood why Orochimaru had targeted civilians near Konoha.
It wasn't due to a lack of available criminals or bandits—it was the restrictions within the village. The moral constraints imposed by Konoha's leadership prevented progress. Those naïve fools—Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and especially Tsunade—refused to acknowledge that sacrificing a few for the greater good was necessary.
They preached the Will of Fire, yet when the time came to make sacrifices, they all turned away in cowardice.
Tsunade and Jiraiya, who had no experience governing a village, had dared to oppose Hiruzen's rule. If left to their devices, they would only lead Konoha to ruin.
But once his Wood Release army was completed, he would return to Konoha and assume his rightful position as the Sixth Hokage.
At that moment, a sharp knock echoed through the chamber, interrupting his thoughts. Danzo opened his eyes and frowned as one of his elite Root operatives, Torune Aburame, entered the room.
"Lord Danzo, Ryoma has returned. The infiltration of the Land of Rivers… has failed."
Danzo's expression darkened. "Failed? Explain."
Torune hesitated. "We have lost contact with all northern and southern strongholds in the Land of Rivers."
Danzo's jaw tightened. He rose from his seat and began pacing.
"Do we know the identity of the enemy? Only Anbu would be capable of tracking our movements so easily."
Torune shook his head. "It does not appear to be Anbu. The attacks came from two directions—the sea and the Land of Rain. Based on intelligence, the forces involved belong to Uzushiogakure and Amegakure."
Danzo's face twisted in frustration.
The Land of Uzushiogakure… Naruto Uzumaki's domain. The rogue Jinchūriki, accompanied by Uchiha, had come to settle the score.
And Amegakure—now ruled by the Akatsuki—was clearly seeking revenge for the past, when Danzo and Hanzo of the Salamander had conspired to wipe them out.
Both forces had come for his life. There was no chance they would let him escape unscathed.
After a long pause, Danzo turned to Torune. "Gather our remaining forces and disperse. Hide among the nearby towns. Wait until the shinobi from Amegakure and Uzushiogakure withdraw before reemerging."
Torune frowned. "And what about you, Lord Danzo?"
Danzo put on an air of self-righteousness. "I will lead a small elite unit to divert their attention. If we do nothing, we are all doomed."
Torune's eyes welled up with emotion. "Lord Danzo… Please be careful."
Danzo gave a firm nod. As he gathered his most trusted operatives and entered a hidden escape passage, he left Torune with a final command:
"Where there is light, there is also darkness. Even in darkness, we must protect the fire of Konoha. If I perish, the Will of Root must live on."
Torune wiped his eyes.
He knew Danzo had abandoned them to save himself.
But as long as Danzo survived, Root would never truly die. One day, they would rise again.
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