The integration of Root progressed smoothly, even more so than Hyuga Satoru had anticipated. Initially, he thought killing the previous leader, Danzo, would incite resistance among the Root members. However, after a few inspiring words, he found the kneeling Root members moved to tears.
Hyuga Satoru couldn't help but feel amused. At any time, a passionate and fervent speech is the best way to win people over, especially for those entrenched in darkness. His actions undoubtedly boosted their confidence, showing that he was different from Danzo in both methods and goals.
Capturing these ninjas would be very useful. However, Hyuga members had other roles, and transferring them all to Root wouldn't be practical. Therefore, he issued several orders to begin transforming Root.
First, a group of Hyuga clan members with research qualifications was transferred to Root. Root's experimental resources were the most advanced in Konoha, and the Hyuga clan's Byakugan was one of the most valuable Kekkei Genkai for research. The combination of these two would yield results greater than the sum of their parts.
Next, many Root members began training with firearms. The electromagnetic guns developed by Satoru were far more powerful and portable than kunai and shuriken. Even without the Byakugan, Root members could use them efficiently after professional training. Using these weapons in missions was much more effective than throwing shuriken and would surely impress enemies.
Root's strong execution made it easy for Satoru to see immediate results. As his orders were swiftly carried out, Root quickly became a different place, no longer filled with the same dead atmosphere. The walls of the hall were adorned with symbols of hammers and sickles.
One day, while Satoru was researching special metals, a Root member respectfully reported that someone was seeking him.
Satoru put down his work and asked, "Who is it?"
"He said his name is Kakashi..."
Satoru smiled. It seemed the seed he had planted was about to bear fruit. Kakashi had come to him for one reason only.
"Let him in."
At Root, Kakashi was being led by a Root member, curiously glancing around. Having worked in the Anbu, he knew about Root, but he had never imagined that Satoru's leadership would bring such a transformation in such a short time.
Every step he took filled him with amazement.
"Go ahead. Lord Satoru is waiting for you inside," the Root member said, opening the door to the laboratory.
Kakashi walked in without hesitation. Inside, he saw a large lab with a tank at the centre holding a strange device connected by many pipes. Satoru stood beside the device, making some adjustments.
"Oh, you're here," Satoru said calmly, stopping his work and clapping his hands to remove the dust.
Kakashi's expression turned complex. They had been peers in the academy. Kakashi had always been the top student, even graduating early as the number one prodigy. But everything changed the day Satoru defeated him in front of everyone.
Since then, Satoru had risen meteorically, becoming a figure Kakashi had to look up to. Then, he discovered the truth about his father's death, which altered his life forever.
"You killed Danzo. My father's spirit will finally rest in peace," Kakashi said with a sigh, looking at Satoru with a complicated expression.
He had learned that his father's death was a tragic result of a conspiracy among the village's high-ranking officials, a political struggle that ended with Sakumo Hatake's sacrifice.
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi met Satoru's gaze seriously. "Satoru, I want to become stronger! I don't want to rely on others for my revenge. At the very least..."
His voice trailed off, eyes darkening.
"At the very least what?" Satoru asked calmly.
"Danzo is dead, but the ones who caused my father's tragedy are still out there. Only the likes of Hiruzen Sarutobi remain. Do you want to seek revenge on them personally?" Satoru's voice was steady, his eyes locked on Kakashi's.
Kakashi remained silent, but his clenched fists revealed his inner turmoil.
With the timeline altered, Kakashi hadn't received Obito's Sharingan, and the flaw in his Chidori technique remained unaddressed. In many ways, he was weaker than in the original timeline.
Satoru couldn't help but shake his head. Killing Danzo had clearly had a significant impact on Kakashi. The younger ninja had been overshadowed by Satoru and Uchiha Rin's rise. The truth about his father's death had further damaged his self-esteem.
Power... It was a simple yet profound pursuit.
Satoru clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "I understand. But be warned, if you want to gain power from me, you must be prepared to face the consequences, even death."
Kakashi's eyes lit up with determination. "I'm ready. I'm willing to join Root if needed, and I'll accept any curse mark..."
"I don't need that," Satoru interrupted, rolling his eyes. He turned to the machine he had been working on. "You're just in time. I've developed something new. If you can endure it, you might gain unparalleled power."
Kakashi frowned, eyeing the water-filled device. He had done extensive research and consulted seasoned ninjas. Generally, there were limited ways for a ninja to gain sudden power boosts.
The first was awakening a Kekkei Genkai, which Kakashi had ruled out. The Hatake clan was known for their kenjutsu but had no history of bloodline limits. Even his father, Sakumo, had only become famous through his blade skills.
Becoming a jinchuriki was another option, but Konoha's only bijuu was the Nine-Tails, which was out of his reach. As for capturing another village's bijuu, that was beyond his current abilities.
Then there were other methods like senjutsu, stealing bloodlines, and forbidden techniques, but he had no leads on those.
That was why he had come to Satoru. Rumours of Danzo's forbidden experiments had spread, and as the new head of Root, Satoru might have similar methods.
But this contraption before him... it didn't look like something that could grant power.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
Satoru smiled. "This is the Adamantium Metal Injection Device."