Chapter 7: Do You Want to Join Root?
The Kudo family was enjoying their meal happily when, unfortunately, someone at the neighboring table had a bit too much to drink and accidentally toppled over from behind the screen.
The partition was just made of regular paper, and Akimichi Chōji's "robust" body came crashing down, pinning Takeda Yoshiharu to the ground unexpectedly, leaving him unable to move.
Fortunately, a nearby diner noticed something was off and hurried over, apologizing profusely as he helped lift Chōji off Takeda Yoshiharu.
Takeda Yoshiharu's previously joyful mood was spoiled, but he was not one to make a fuss. Upon seeing the culprit of this incident, he nearly cried out in surprise.
Although he had never seen Akimichi Chōji in his younger years, the resemblance to the Chōji from the anime was uncanny. There was no doubt this chubby guy was the current generation's "Ino-Shika-Chō" combo's Chōji.
The excitement he had felt when first encountering Might Guy and Kakashi in this world had faded. But remnants of his past life's sentiments stirred just a bit when he saw Chōji, bringing about a fleeting rush of excitement. After all, he was the victim here, right?
Being pinned by such a "heavyweight" would make anyone uncomfortable. Luckily, thanks to Takeda Yoshiharu's training in the incomplete version of the "Golden Bell Shield," he could withstand this minor impact with ease.
By the time Chōji woke up from his drunken stupor, he was surprised to check on the boy he had inadvertently flattened, astonished to find that he was unharmed. It wasn't because Chōji had malicious intentions; his signature move relied on the sheer weight of his enlarged body to perform rolling attacks.
Typically, other kids did not want to compete with him for this very reason. However, he was taken aback when the boy simply widened his innocent black eyes and stared blankly at him.
As a form of compensation for the mishap, Chōji and his friends paid for Takeda Yoshiharu's table's bill before leaving the barbecue restaurant.
The three of them exchanged glances of mutual understanding and shook their heads helplessly as they made their way home.
A quiet night passed without incident, and thus three days went by peacefully.
Now back to a routine, the only change was the breakfast prepared lovingly by his mother. Takeda Yoshiharu had a hearty appetite, and with his good mood, everything around him seemed colorful and vibrant.
Humming a little tune, he joyfully skipped into his classroom like any other child his age, found his seat, and turned to see Might Guy napping on the desk behind him.
"Hmm, let's check the fortunes for Might Guy today. Is it good or bad?" Feeling bored, Takeda Yoshiharu recalled his skill, figuring he might as well make use of one of his three daily chances to cast it.
It didn't take long for the divination to reveal: "Water and Fire are not in harmony." According to the system's explanation, it indicated that Might Guy would suffer a slight financial loss soon.
As students gathered around, many were casting glances at Takeda Yoshiharu. After their last encounter, news of his awakening bloodline limit had spread.
Thus, students who were often at the bottom of the class looked at him with envy. After all, for children from civilian families, it was likely they would end up as Genin, and if lucky, perhaps become Chūnin.
Those who could awaken a bloodline limit were generally above the rank of elite Chūnin, which made him an object of admiration among the civilian ninjas.
Before long, their Chūnin teacher arrived.
The usual formalities followed. Naturally, Takeda Yoshiharu wouldn't waste time on it and began communicating with the system.
Unfortunately, sometimes the system had a peculiar malice toward him. It was at this moment that a mandatory task appeared before him on the blue virtual screen.
**Task 1: The Beginning of the Ninja Path**
**Description:** Become a Genin of Konoha Village within seven days.
**Reward for Success:** Li's Kunai (Beginner Level).
**Penalty for Failure:** Withdrawal of the "Golden Bell Shield" (Incomplete) learned by the host.
Takeda Yoshiharu could not accept the penalty for failing the mission. However, to complete the task, he needed to apply in advance. To become a Genin, he would need to defeat a ninja with the title of Genin in a direct confrontation to be awarded the headband symbolizing that rank.
Just as Takeda Yoshiharu was about to take action, he was startled by a sudden appearance of an ANBU in the men's restroom, nearly jumping out of his skin.
Indeed, when you are daydreaming in the restroom and suddenly a masked "stranger" appears before you, it could scare anyone half to death.
There was no time to dwell on such matters, as the ANBU conveyed an order from the Hokage: he was to go to the Hokage's office immediately.
Quickly fixing his appearance, Takeda Yoshiharu was swept up by the ANBU's arm. After experiencing a brief moment of "low-altitude flight," he found himself face to face with the Third Hokage in less than two minutes.
However, upon entering the room, Takeda Yoshiharu belatedly realized something unpleasant: Danzo was also in the office. It suddenly dawned on him.
It seemed that the last mission taken by the ANBU had resulted in a loss of manpower, which explained Danzo's stern, pale expression while staring at him.
The Third Hokage spoke at this point, "Takeda Yoshiharu, was it truly your bloodline limit that revealed the danger of death for those who went on that last mission?"
Takeda Yoshiharu could only nod seriously, "That's right, and that's why I asked you, Hokage-sama, to stop my mother from participating in that mission."
At that moment, Danzo spoke in his deep voice, "Sarutobi, I want this child. Only in ROOT can his future-predicting abilities truly shine."
The Third Hokage did not directly respond to Danzo's request but smiled warmly at Takeda Yoshiharu, "Little Yoshiharu, do you wish to join ROOT?"
It was evident to Takeda Yoshiharu that things were taking a turn toward the unpredictable. In his understanding, ROOT was practically a training camp for terrorists.
One misstep could lead to disastrous consequences. Takeda Yoshiharu wasn't foolish and naturally did not want to agree to this.
Of course, outright refusal might have exceeded the expected reactions of a child. Instead, he tilted his head innocently and asked, "Grandpa, what is ROOT?"