The Root.
The base of this large organization was shrouded in a deliberate darkness, as if to reflect its nature.
It was Ren's first time reporting to the Root, and he had been summoned by Danzō.
Danzō, by now, leaned on a cane. His entire right arm was hidden beneath his cloak, and his right eye was covered with a white bandage.
"Ren, is it?"
"Yes, Danzō-sama," Ren replied, kneeling on one knee. He was already dressed in his newly issued uniform, his face concealed by a black mask with flame patterns.
Danzō studied the young ninja in front of him. He had already gone over Ren's records. Given Shisui's special status, Danzō was naturally intrigued by someone recommended by him.
Ren, 15 years old, Chunin. A ninja with balanced abilities, though more proficient in Taijutsu. In the academy, he was a peer of Shisui's, ranking just behind him. During the war, Ren had shown great promise, but after a certain scandal, he faded into obscurity.
Because of that incident, Ren had worked alone ever since, without a permanent team. He rarely collaborated with others on joint missions.
Now, Ren was seen as only slightly above the average ninja in terms of skill.
"You seem to have a good relationship with Shisui."
"We were in the same class," Ren responded.
"You're somewhat of an exception in the Root. For Shisui to recommend you, there must be something special about you," Danzō said, his eyes calmly assessing Ren.
"The Root is a place for those whose hearts harbor darkness. Such people understand how to wield power."
"Are you one of them?"
"I don't know, Danzō-sama. I only strive to fulfill my duties," Ren responded evenly. Behind the mask, his face was completely unreadable.
"Strive to fulfill your duties?" Danzō narrowed his one visible eye, his interest in Ren growing.
With Shisui's sudden decision to bring someone into the Root at such a delicate time, Danzō had every reason to be cautious.
This kid… he has some thoughts of his own.
Danzō's expression remained unreadable as he gazed at Ren for a long moment before speaking: "Kaku."
Shing!
A man in black, wearing a hood but no mask, suddenly appeared at Ren's side. His face bore a tattoo along his jawline, and he wore dark sunglasses.
"Shisui is on a mission. From now on, Kaku will be your guide," Danzō instructed.
"Yes, Danzō-sama," Ren responded.
As they left Danzō's office, the hooded man, Kaku, followed closely behind Ren.
"There are frequent missions in the Root. Be prepared," Kaku said, his voice deep and heavy, betraying the maturity of a middle-aged man.
"I won't stay with you for long. Once you become a proper member of the Root, I will leave."
"Kaku, is it?" Ren asked.
"Kaku is my codename. I won't call you by your real name during missions either," Kaku said.
"Then call me Kei," Ren replied casually.
Kaku paused for a moment, then resumed his stern expression. "A member of the Root has no name, no emotions, no past, no future. They live only for the mission."
"Make sure to report in tomorrow."
With that, Kaku disappeared, vanishing in an instant.
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[Name]: Aburame Ryoma (Kaku)
[Gender]: Male
[Age]: 45
[Affection Level]: 51
[Relationship]: Colleague
[Bond Path]: Not selected
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Aburame… Ryoma?
Aburame clan, huh? His clothing style did seem to match, Ren thought, though he had no recollection of this person.
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When Ren returned home and pushed open the door, he saw a familiar figure sitting in his room.
"Welcome home," Shisui said with a cheerful smile.
Ren's face darkened slightly. He silently closed the door behind him and walked over to shut the open window.
"You've broken into my house again."
"What's the big deal? It's your house anyway," Shisui shrugged, clearly unconcerned.
"Does that give you the right to barge in whenever you want?" Ren replied, exasperated.
"We've known each other for so long, and you're still bothered by such a trivial thing?" Shisui grumbled.
Ren ignored him, placing his mask and sword on the desk and hanging up his uniform.
"Did you report to the Root today?" Shisui asked, glancing at the black flame-patterned mask.
"Yeah."
"Did you meet with Danzō?"
"Yeah."
"What did you think of him?"
"He's wary," Ren said.
Shisui nodded, not surprised by the answer.
"Danzō is an extremely suspicious man. Right now, he's probably questioning why I brought you into the Root. Gaining his trust will be difficult. Even I never managed to earn it fully," Shisui said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Ren responded calmly, "Trying to earn the trust of someone like him isn't worth the effort. It's like playing a game on hard mode."
"As long as you show enough value, even if he knows you could be a double-edged sword, he won't be able to resist using you," Ren added.
Shisui blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "Alright, let's go with your approach. I trust you."
Ren gave him a brief glance but said nothing more.
"I'll be returning to the regular ninja ranks soon, so I'm counting on you to handle things within the Root," Shisui said with a smile, leaning back in his chair and swinging his legs like a carefree child.
"Even though we're not technically working together, it feels like we're still plotting things side by side. It's been a while since I've felt this kind of synergy."
"I can work well with anyone," Ren said indifferently.
"Nobody compares to me!" Shisui declared righteously. "We've known each other for so long."
"Besides, I'm the only one who truly knows your full potential, right?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Of course," Shisui said, looking proud. Then, grinning mischievously, he added, "But you still wouldn't be able to beat me."
"You're a Jōnin, and I'm a Chunin. What's the point of comparing?" Ren rolled his eyes.
"Chunin?" Shisui laughed.
"Do you see me as anything else?" Ren asked, maintaining his calm expression.
"Alright, alright," Shisui said with a stretch, standing up from the chair. "I just finished a mission, so I thought I'd swing by and check on how things are going for you."
"What mission?" Ren asked.
"Just some standard Root assignments. Not much different from ANBU missions. You'll see for yourself soon," Shisui said with a sigh.
"Danzō has already pushed me out of his inner circle, so it's up to you now."
"One person isn't enough," Ren said.
Shisui blinked, surprised.
"You'll need someone to act as an informant on the Hokage's side as well," Ren said calmly.
"Ren… you…" Shisui stared at him, stunned, but his friend's expression remained as calm as still water.
"What, did you always think of yourself as part of the Hokage's faction?" Ren asked, standing by the window, his gaze cold and distant, unsettling Shisui.
He couldn't tell what was going through his friend's mind to make him speak like this.
"Isn't that the case?" Shisui asked, trying to calm his nerves, looking back at Ren.
"Shisui, you haven't forgotten your surname, have you?"
"…Hokage-sama trusts me," Shisui said solemnly. "He's entrusted the entire situation to me."
"Trust?" Ren scoffed. "That's just because you've laid yourself bare before him, making it easier for him to manipulate you."
Shisui stood frozen in place, unable to respond.
"Impossible… Hokage-sama wouldn't do that," he muttered, almost to himself.
Ren watched him silently. He had already decided when he agreed to get involved that he wouldn't let history repeat itself.
The Uchiha didn't matter. Danzō didn't matter. Even the Hokage didn't matter. As long as the person who called him a friend survived, that was all that mattered.
"By revealing all your cards so quickly, you'll only be discarded as a pawn," Ren said slowly.
"This situation is no longer something one person can control."
"But with the two of us, we can change the outcome."
"Shisui… if you're willing."
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