Back at the ROOT headquarters, Danzo leaned back in his chair, studying the contents of the briefcase Satoru had handed him. Documents, voice recorders, and incriminating evidence lay spread out before him.
The bank account details of an offshore account linked to a Zen'in clan member, a paper outlining all the rumors swirling around the clan, and recordings of confessions from officials admitting to bribes, illegal deals, and even the trade of classified secrets were among the damning material.
He picked up a small note, written in Satoru's neat handwriting:
"I wish to extort resources from the clan, so if it's possible, wait for my signal before doing anything. I will give you all the secret clan techniques as payment."
Danzo let out a rare chuckle. The idea of an 8-year-old orchestrating such an elaborate scheme over the course of a year, manipulating dangerous figures like the Zen'in clan, and having the nerve to strike a bargain with him—someone who could easily end his life—was nothing short of audacious.
'This boy…,' Danzo thought, his respect for Satoru growing in an unexpected way. Most children of Satoru's age were focused on basic ninja training and playing.
Yet here was a child who not only understood power but knew how to wield it for his own gain.
Danzo summoned a ninja. "Bring Satoru to me. I want to speak with him."
The ROOT ninja nodded and vanished in an instant.
Danzo leaned back in his chair once again, reflecting on what he'd just seen. From his perspective, Satoru was more than just an orphan. He was born for this—born to be a shinobi.
There was a darkness, a sharp intelligence, and a willingness to do whatever was necessary, qualities Danzo valued highly in his operatives. He wanted to know why this boy had gone to such lengths and what truly drove him.
And more importantly, how far could Satoru go with the right guidance?
Danzo smirked to himself.
The next day, Satoru stood in the clearing once again, facing Naobito and his son, Naoya. Naobito, face lined with shame and anger, reluctantly handed over a scroll.
"This contains all the books and scrolls with our clan's techniques," he said, his voice barely concealing the bitterness within.
Satoru eyed the scroll with a mocking grin. "How do I know this is all of it?" he asked playfully, his tone mocking Naobito's pride.
Naobito's humiliation deepened, and, swallowing what little remained of his dignity, he knelt on the ground, bowing his head until it touched the dirt. "We are a clan of samurais… there wasn't much to begin with."
Naoya's eyes widened in horror, watching his father abandon his pride and self-respect for the sake of the clan's survival.
His hands clenched into fists as he turned his gaze to Satoru, burning with pure hatred. But Satoru just laughed.
"Hahahaha! Look at you!" Satoru mocked, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "So desperate to protect your clan…"
Satoru then handed them a small voice recorder. "Here," he said, almost lazily. "That's all the proof I have. Destroy it or keep it, your choice."
Naobito snatched the recorder, his mind racing with thoughts of killing the boy where he stood. But even in his rage, fear held him back. Satoru was protected, and he knew that much.
Satoru left after getting what he wanted , thinking about what he would eat today after destroying an entire clan.
Naobito pressed play on the recorder, his hands trembling.
"Hahahaha! You actually felt hope, didn't you? You thought the proof is with you, and your people are safe. Too bad! Hahahahaha!"
Satoru's voice echoed from the recorder, dripping with sadistic glee.
"Oh, by the way, I already told Danzo-sama about all this. Your clan is probably being exterminated right now! Have a nice life. Bye."
Naobito's heart sank, a cold sweat breaking out over his skin. The recorder fell from his hands as the horrifying realization hit him.
Satoru's laughter echoed in his mind, taunting him as his worst fears began to unfold.
When Naobito and Naoya arrived at the Zen'in clan compound, they were met with an eerie calm. Their clan members were going about their business, unaware of the impending doom.
Naobito felt a wave of confusion and then anger, thinking perhaps Satoru had played some cruel, sick joke on him. But that fleeting hope was crushed the moment he and Naoya stepped inside.
Suddenly, a barrier seal activated around the entire compound, trapping them inside. No one could escape, and no one outside could detect what was about to happen.
Naobito froze as a familiar, cold voice filled the air, draining him of any remaining courage.
"Since you're back," the voice said, "I take it your deal with Satoru-kun went well?"
Naobito turned slowly, dread rising within him as he saw Danzo standing there with several ROOT Anbu members. They stood like reapers, unsheathing their blades with calm precision.
The atmosphere grew thick with the promise of violence. Naobito's heart sank as he realized the devastation that was about to unfold. His legs trembled beneath him.
He knelt before his son, placing a shaking hand on Naoya's shoulder. "Close your eyes," he whispered.
Naoya, too horrified to obey, stared at the scene in shock. His father was crumbling before him. Tears streamed down his face as he grasped the gravity of the situation.
Danzo's voice cut through the silence. "I won't harm the children. They will be under the care of the new clan leader, Keiko Zen'in."
Naoya's eyes widened in disbelief. His mind swirled with emotions—betrayal, grief, anger.
He cried out as he watched his clan being destroyed before his eyes. It was chaos; the ROOT Anbu moved swiftly, and soon the clan was massacred.
Danzo approached Naoya, who was shaking uncontrollably. "Satoru-kun made a special request for you," he said in an emotionless tone. "You'll be the last."
Before Naoya could even scream, Danzo shot a wind bullet straight toward him, killing the boy's struggle in an instant. Silence returned to the Zen'in compound, now devoid of its former glory. The deal had been fulfilled.
Satoru and Danzo were sitting in a private room, the tension between them barely noticeable as Satoru asked, "Is the job done?" He handed over the scrolls containing the secret Zen'in clan techniques. Danzo nodded, "It's done," and passed some documents back to Satoru.
"These papers make it official: Keiko will be considered the next clan head, and all assets and properties will belong to her. Until she's ready to manage them, the village heads will handle the administration.
We also brought in Yamanaka clan shinobi to read the minds of the Zen'in members. Over a hundred people were arrested for their involvement, and we shut down some companies that were completely illegal."
Danzo paused before looking at Satoru. "I'm curious, though—how and why did you pull this off?"
Satoru hesitated, then answered, "Naoya hurt my friends. At first, I didn't plan to destroy the clan, only blackmail him." He paused again, feeling the weight of his words, but Danzo interrupted with a knowing look.
"It became personal, didn't it? You fell in love," Danzo said.
Satoru nodded, acknowledging the truth. "Yes, it became personal."
He then explained the details: "I started by gathering information from newspapers to understand the Zen'in clan's activities. Since their goal was to restore their glory, they constantly announced their accomplishments.
That gave me insight into what I was dealing with. I then hired a private investigator to dig deeper."
Danzo said , that investigator must have been good at what he does ."
Satoru continued, "I worked for the non-shinobi members of their companies, doing household work. Over time, I drugged them subtly so they wouldn't suspect anything and bugged their mansions with recording devices—rich people don't check every corner of their huge homes.
Eventually, they trusted me enough to let me cook for them and serve drinks. I would always mix small quantities of alcohol in their food and refill their drinks continuously while distracting them.
During these moments, I would ask them questions, which they answered without any resistance."
Danzo, listening carefully, leaned back and said, "Impressive. You even managed to secure confessions."
Satoru then asked Danzo what he meant by his earlier remark. Danzo smirked and revealed, "The investigator you hired was actually an undercover ROOT ninja. The moment he realized your plan, he told me, I wanted to see how far you'd go and what measures you'd take. In fact, the ANBU member I was speaking to when you brought the briefcase was that investigator."
Satoru was momentarily taken aback. The realization that his plan had been under Danzo's watchful eye all along was both surprising and, in a way, validating.
Satoru arrived at Keiko's house, eager to share the news. When she opened the door, he asked to come in, and she allowed him. They sat on the sofa, and Satoru, with a smile, began to tell her,
"Naoya is finally gone from your life. And you... you're the new head of the Zen'in clan." He handed her the papers Danzo had given him, a sense of accomplishment clear in his voice. "You'll get to stay in a large house now, and you'll have plenty of money."
Keiko, however, didn't respond with the excitement he expected. Instead, she asked calmly, "What happened to my clan?"
Satoru, still smiling, explained, "They were destroyed. They were traitors dealing with enemy nations."
In an instant, Keiko's calm demeanor broke, and she began to cry, tears streaming down her face. Satoru was baffled—why was she crying for people who had abandoned and abused her? He asked, "What's the matter?"
Without warning, she punched him in the shoulder and shouted, "Is this your way of GETTING RID OF HIM?! You're a psychopath! I HATE you!"
Satoru stood there, utterly confused. He thought he'd done something noble, ridding her life of the very people who had caused her so much pain.
"What wrong did I do?" he asked, genuinely hurt by her reaction.
Keiko screamed, "You wouldn't understand because you're an orphan!"
That sentence pierced through Satoru like a blade. His face went cold, his emotions locked away, but that one statement broke through.
His hands moved before he could think—he grabbed her by the neck, his voice shaking with both anger and sorrow. "You shouldn't have said that... YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT!" Tears welled up in his eyes, and for a moment, something violent stirred within him.
But Satoru caught himself. He let go, stepping back, horrified by what he had almost done. Without another word, he turned and ran out of her house, the weight of her words hanging heavily in his heart.
Satoru, heart racing and mind clouded by what had just happened, kept running aimlessly until he crashed into someone. Instinctively, he mumbled an apology before realizing who it was.
Danzo stood before him, a small smile on his face. He crouched slightly to meet Satoru at eye level. "She cried, didn't she?"
Satoru, taken aback, asked, "How did you know?"
Danzo asked him, " do you know whats the biggest problem in our society?"
"What ?"
"this world itself."
Danzo's smile didn't falter. "You and I... we're not so different. We're special, unlike those who cry when faced with challenges. When they complain about their problems, we solve them. The world will always see people like us as monsters, devoid of emotions. But in truth, we are the ones saving them from the real monsters. We protect them from the shadows, solving their problems while they turn around and call us psychopaths, monsters."
Satoru listened, still processing the turmoil in his heart as Danzo continued.
"I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, right? The sacrifices you made to keep her safe from her clan—only to have her spit in your face and call you a monster, But listen closely, Satoru... you're me, and I'm you. We are one and the same."
Satoru stood there, lost in thought, Danzo's words echoing in his mind.
He had indeed made sacrifices. He had rid Keiko of a clan that had caused her pain, yet all he had received was hatred in return.
Danzo, seeing the boy's inner conflict, laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll handle her. You should rest. After all, you're a hero. You saved the entire village by bringing down a traitorous clan."
Satoru remained silent, unsure of what to feel as Danzo's words slowly sank in.