Naruto: Mikoto and Tsunade, don't let either of them go.

The two immediately tensed up, knowing that this was Root's base, and if Danzo wanted to execute them, they wouldn't even have a chance to struggle.

However, Danzo did not give them time to react and continued, "The task I give you is that from now on, you will follow Lord Uchiha Kakuzan beside me and obey his orders. From now on, you will be separated from Root and will have no further connection with Root."

When Yakushi Nonou and Yakushi Kabuto heard Danzo's words, they both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, it was just a change of leader, not being silenced. If they were lucky, the new leader would treat his subordinates well, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.

At the same time, Yakushi Nonou also became curious about the newly appointed leader next to her.

As a renowned walking shrine maiden, Yakushi Nonou is naturally quite intelligent. Moreover, constantly walking on the edge of danger has made her more sensitive to these seemingly insignificant little things.

As Danzo's former subordinate, Yakushi Nonou knew very well what kind of person Danzo was—the kind of person who would rather destroy himself than let others benefit from him.

This Uchiha Kakuzan was able to get himself and Kabuto from Danzo, either because he had something Danzo desperately needed, or because he had leverage over Danzo that Danzo couldn't do anything about.

In any case, this new leader, Uchiha Kakuyama, is definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Just as Yakushi Nonou was lost in thought, and Uchiha Kakuyama was about to speak, Danzo suddenly spoke again.

"Yakushi Nonou, didn't you come back with something to offer me? Why don't you take it out? What you brought back this time is exactly what your new leader needs."

Uchiha Kakuzan was also curious when he heard Danzo's words. He wondered what Nono had brought and whether it could give him a surprise.

Upon hearing Danzo's words, Yakushi Nonou glanced at Uchiha Kakuzan sitting there in surprise. She hadn't expected that Danzo and Uchiha Kakuzan had such a good relationship. The task Danzo had given her was to help Uchiha Kakuzan get that thing over there.

After glancing at Uchiha Kakuyama, Yakushi Nonou quickly took out two small scrolls from her ninja tool bag.

After Yakushi Nonou took out the scroll, she presented it with both hands to Uchiha Kakuzan, who was sitting there, saying, "Lord Kakuzan, these are the first two parts of the 'Lightning Release Armor' that I obtained from Kumogakure. I present them to you. However, I have inquired about the third part. The third and final part of the Lightning Release Armor is passed down orally by the Raikage lineage and is never allowed to be recorded on paper. Please forgive me, Lord Kakuzan."

Upon hearing Yakushi Nonou's words, Uchiha Kakuzan was quite surprised and took the scroll, immediately opening it.

Uchiha Kakuzan first opened the scroll with the character '一' on it. It contained the contents of the first stage of his completed 'Lightning Release Armor' training. Moreover, Uchiha Kakuzan discovered that the contents of the scroll presented by Nono were much more detailed than the one he had received before. In fact, the contents were the same, but this scroll contained many more training insights and precautions.

Uchiha Kakuyama looked at it for a while, then compared it with his own cultivation progress, and couldn't help but nod. There were quite a few things in it that he hadn't noticed, which, although harmless, were still somewhat useful.

As Uchiha Kakuyama opened the second scroll and activated his Sharingan to copy it, he asked, "Nonou, this cultivation scroll you obtained must have some history, right?"

Yakushi Nonou was surprised that Uchiha Kakuyama discovered it so quickly, and explained, "To Kakuyama-sama, I obtained this scroll from the family of a disciple of the Third Raikage, so it should be more valuable than an ordinary Lightning Release Armor scroll."

Uchiha Kakuyama nodded. He had already copied the contents of the second scroll. It did indeed contain a lot of cultivation insights, which made it easier for him to cultivate the Lightning Release Armor.

It seems he truly deserves to be called a top-tier spy; not only did he obtain the cultivation manual for the Lightning Release Armor, which others couldn't, but it was also a collector's edition.

Uchiha Kakuyama put the scroll away, feeling quite satisfied. He hadn't expected that when he received Yakushi Nonou from Danzo, he would also receive an unexpected surprise, not to mention that he was also given a Yakushi Kabuto as a bonus.

It's important to know that Kabuto Yakushi was a major villain in the later stages of the story. Having inherited Orochimaru's legacy, he not only learned the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave, but also used a modified version of the Impure World Reincarnation to summon a large number of dead ninjas back from the Pure Land to fight for him. He was later jokingly referred to as the "Dream Master".

It can be said that in the later stages, Kabuto Yakushi, with the help of the Impure World Reincarnation technique, possessed the fighting power of at least one ninja village. Moreover, these impure world reincarnated people were immortal beings, and could only be sealed away using sealing techniques.

Uchiha Kakuyama glanced at Yakushi Nonou, then at the obedient Yakushi Kabuto beside her, and knew he had struck gold this time. He then got up and took his leave directly to Danzo, whose face looked rather grim.

Danzo had no interest in paying attention to them and simply waved them away.

Uchiha Kakuzan, along with Yakushi Nonou and Yakushi Kabuto, swaggered away from the Root base without encountering a single clueless person along the way.

Chapter 187 The Choice of Pharmacist Nonou

Chapter 187 The Choice of Pharmacist Nono

When Yakushi Nonou and Yakushi Kabuto, who were following behind Uchiha Kakuyama, came out of the Root base, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

You must understand that Root and Danzo are a perpetual nightmare for them, and a nightmare they can never escape.

Moreover, Danzo's methods were something that neither Yakushi Nonou nor Yakushi Kabuto could resist.

If it weren't for Uchiha Kagami's intervention, which brought them back from outside, Yakushi Nonou and Yakushi Kabuto would never have known that the people they cared about had been replaced by Danzo without their knowledge.

The cautious Pharmacist Nono and Pharmacist Kabuto gradually came into contact and cautiously tested each other on the road before finally confirming each other's identities.

This gave them both a fright. If even the person in their memories could be replaced, then the sacrifices they made for each other would become a joke. That's why they were so wary and fearful of Danzo.

Uchiha Kakuzan had no idea what Yakushi Nonou and the others were thinking. After all, in his eyes, Shimura Danzo was just someone he could crush at any time and was not worth his attention.

Uchiha Kakuyama didn't lead Yakushi Nonou and the others too far. After leaving the Root base, he found a secluded spot and began his first conversation with them.

Uchiha Kagami sensed that no one was around, so he turned around to face Yakushi Nonou and Yakushi Kabuto, who had already stopped.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Yakushi Nonou is a top-notch spy into thinking she's heartless. On the contrary, Yakushi Nonou is an exceptionally kind person. She even opened an orphanage to take in homeless children, and Yakushi Kabuto is one of the children she took in.

Therefore, when facing the kind-hearted Yakushi Nonou, Uchiha Kakuyama also showed a gentle smile and said, "Yakushi Nonou, I know you, and you don't need to doubt my intentions. The reason I took you from Danzo is simply because I felt that Danzo had gone too far in some ways."

Uchiha Kakuyama paused here, giving Pharmacist Nono a moment to understand, before continuing, "I brought you here today to give you two choices."

"First, starting today, you are free. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. Also, you don't need to worry about the orphanage's funding. I'll take care of it for you. You won't have to live in fear of becoming a spy anymore."

"Second, you will still follow me and become my subordinate. I will not let you do anything dangerous, and I will also introduce you to a teacher so that you can learn medical ninjutsu from her."

Yakushi Nonou never expected that Uchiha Kakuyama would offer her such good terms.

You have to understand, I'm already his subordinate now. I can't just do whatever he says, but it's pretty much the same.

To her surprise, this Uchiha Kakuyama, her new leader, would actually set her free.

After joining Root, Yakushi Nonou had given up on the word "freedom." She knew very well that once she joined Root, she would either die in a mission or be silenced after she was no longer useful. There was no third option for her.

Yakushi Nonou was silent for a moment, then suddenly pulled Yakushi Kabuto, who was standing next to her, closer, looked directly at Uchiha Kakuyama, and said, "Can I give up this opportunity and let Kabuto regain his freedom?"

Kabuto, somewhat bewildered, was pulled in front of Yakushi Nonou. After hearing her words, he said with emotion, "Dean..." He was about to say something when Yakushi Nonou stopped him.

Uchiha Kakuzan didn't expect Yakushi Nonou to react this way. Well, she was a kind person, and Yakushi Kabuto was the child she cared about the most. It was only natural for her to sacrifice herself to ensure a bright future for Yakushi Kabuto.

However, Uchiha Kagami shook his head: "Nonou, this is your opportunity, and it cannot be transferred to someone else. Moreover, Kabuto Yakushi has much more potential than you. I will make arrangements for you later."

Yakushi Nonou didn't have much hope to begin with, after all, she couldn't expect Uchiha Kakuyama to show kindness twice.

Nonou was silent for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Uchiha Kakuyama with a firm gaze: "Then I choose the second condition, to become your subordinate. That way, if Kabuto has any missions, I can also look after him."

Uchiha Kakuzan raised an eyebrow in surprise upon hearing Yakushi Nonou's words. He knew all too well how much these people living in the shadows longed for and yearned for the light.

Unexpectedly, Yakushi Nonou gave up so easily, which shows that her feelings for Yakushi Kabuto have surpassed her own yearning for light.

But it's all good, after all, this pharmacist Nono is a rare talent. If it weren't for her rare kindness, I wouldn't have given her this opportunity.

Since Yakushi Nonou had already made her decision, Uchiha Kakuzan didn't press the matter further. He nodded to her and said, "Since you've made your decision, I'll take you somewhere to further improve your medical ninjutsu."

Now that Tsunade is pregnant, although Shizune takes care of her, Uchiha Kakuzan is still a little worried. He decided to send Yakushi Nonou to Tsunade so that Tsunade can not only receive care, but also improve Yakushi Nonou's medical ninjutsu skills.

Of course, Uchiha Kakuzan was not comfortable sending her to Tsunade's side so easily. He had to take certain precautions, such as using Kotoamatsukami. That way, he could entrust Yakushi Nonou to Tsunade with peace of mind, and she could also enter the dimension later to take care of Uchiha Kakuzan's other women.

After resolving the issues surrounding Yakushi Nonou, the next step is Yakushi Kabuto.

Uchiha Kabuto knew perfectly well that keeping Kabuto by his side would limit his future.

As a scientific research talent and a top-notch spy, Kabuto Yakushi's potential can be described as top-notch. However, Uchiha Kakuzan cannot provide him with the stage he needs. Therefore, he already knows how to arrange things for Kabuto Yakushi in the best way possible.

Uchiha Kabuto called Yakushi Kabuto, whose face still looked somewhat youthful, over. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong with Yakushi Kabuto.

Uchiha Kakuyama frowned, then activated his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and looked at Yakushi Kabuto standing there.

Chapter 188 Kabuto's Choice

Chapter 188 Kabuto's Choice

Just as Uchiha Kakuyama was about to speak, he suddenly sensed something amiss about Yakushi Kabuto in front of him.

Uchiha Kakuyama frowned, activated his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, and looked at Yakushi Kabuto, who had become somewhat fearful and uneasy.

Uchiha Kakuzan scanned Yakushi Kabuto with his Sharingan, pausing slightly as he passed his head, and discovered the problem.

Unexpectedly, Kabuto has already encountered Sasori and even had a seal placed on him.

Uchiha Kakuzan smiled knowingly and said to Yakushi Kabuto, "Kabuto, look up at me."

Upon hearing Uchiha Kabuto's words, Kabuto nervously raised his head and looked at the person who could decide his life or death.

After a slight rotation, Uchiha Kakuzan's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan sent a barely perceptible mental piercing directly into the sealed area of ​​Yakushi Kabuto's head.

Of course, with Uchiha Kakuzan's current abilities, dealing with these hidden small seals was a piece of cake. Under Uchiha Kakuzan's control, this mental piercing precisely avoided those twists and turns, arrived in front of the seal, and directly pierced it, destroying the seal.

The moment the seal was broken, Kabuto felt a throbbing pain in his head, and then a sealed memory surfaced in his mind.

Kabuto's pupils suddenly dilated and then contracted sharply. He couldn't help but cover his head with his hand, staring blankly ahead, breathing heavily.

When Yakushi Nono, who had been worried the whole time, saw Yakushi Kabuto's strange behavior, she couldn't help but walk over. Her eyes showed concern as she raised her hands and used medical ninjutsu to soothe Yakushi Kabuto's flustered emotions and nerves.

Uchiha Kakuzan did not stop them, but stood by calmly watching them, waiting for Yakushi Kabuto to return to normal.

The discomfort he experienced was simply due to the violent breaking of the seal in his mind, but it would not have any negative consequences for him.

As expected of a genius puppeteer from Sunagakure, Sasori must have invented this ingenious memory-sealing ninjutsu, 'Mind-Sealing Sand Technique.' It likely utilizes the pinnacle of puppetry skills and is completely different from ordinary sealing techniques. Therefore, although Uchiha Kakuzan discovered this sealing technique, he could only break it through brute force. While it might cause some discomfort to the person being sealed, it wouldn't have any future impact on them.

At this moment, Kabuto Yakushi also noticed the memories that had suddenly appeared in his mind, and naturally understood the cause and effect. Although he was still feeling some physical discomfort, he struggled to push Nono Yakushi away and knelt down in front of Kakuyama Uchiha. He was afraid of implicating his dean.

Before Uchiha Kabuto could speak, Kabuto lowered his head and began to explain to him. In fact, when Kabuto first encountered Sasori, he had only pretended to be friendly with him. He never expected that Sasori could seal his memories. What he didn't expect was that his new leader would discover the seal that was sealed deep in his mind so easily.

Kabuto Yakushi wasn't particularly loyal to Sasori to begin with, so he had no qualms about selling him out now.

Uchiha Kakuzan already knew that it was Sasori who sealed away Kabuto Yakushi's memories, so he wasn't surprised at all by Kabuto's report.

After Kabuto Yakushi finished his report, Uchiha Kakuzan pondered for a moment before speaking amidst Kabuto's trepidation.

In fact, Kabuto only cares about his dean. He is worried that his performance might have a negative impact on the dean. As for himself, he just wants to avoid upsetting the dean.

"Kabuto, I won't blame you for having your memories sealed, because Sasori is still an opponent you can't resist. Now, I'll give you two choices."

Then, Uchiha Kabuto stared at Yakushi Kabuto and said, "You are very talented. Although you don't have any special bloodline or bloodline limit, you are very talented in espionage and scientific research. You remind me of someone, someone like you who didn't have any special bloodline but reached the peak of Kage level strength by relying on his own intelligence."

"Now, I'm giving you two choices. One is to become an ordinary ninja in Konoha and live a normal life. Although it will bury your talent, it's still a good choice. However, as you know, in the current ninja world, without strength, you can't control your own future. If you choose to become an ordinary person, I hope you won't regret it when you encounter a strong opponent or situation that you can't resist."

"If you are not content to be an ordinary person, then accept one of my tasks. When you complete this task, you will have the capital to become a strong person, or you will already be a strong person."

Upon hearing Uchiha Kabuto's words, he fell into deep thought. A person who could become a top spy could not possibly be unshrewd, so he needed to know that what Uchiha Kabuto said was true. Being an ordinary person could indeed make life very easy, but that always came at a price. When faced with things beyond one's control, one could only rely on fate.

Yakushi Nonou, who was standing nearby, wanted to persuade Yakushi Kabuto to choose the first option. However, after opening her mouth, she didn't say anything because she knew that she couldn't take care of him forever, and that some things still needed to be decided by him.

When she received Danzo's notice to return to the village and met the child she loved most, Yakushi Nonou knew that Yakushi Kabuto was exceptional and had grown up. She could no longer treat Kabuto as a child. As a proper elder, she would only provide nourishment for her child's growth, not use her position in his heart to hinder his future.

Kabuto thought for a moment, then turned to look at the director beside him and asked Uchiha Kakuzan, "Boss, if I complete that mission and come back, can I still become an ordinary person and return to the orphanage as the director's assistant?"

Uchiha Kabuto was not surprised by Kabuto's choice. He had the deepest feelings for the orphanage where he grew up, and his director, Nono Yakushi, was his support in life. Therefore, Uchiha Kabuto had long been aware of Kabuto's choice.

Uchiha Kakuyama nodded: "Of course, I can guarantee that once you return from your mission, you can do whatever you want."

Chapter 189 Tsunade, Do You Want to Cultivate Sage Mode?

Chapter 189 Tsunade, Do You Want to Cultivate Immortal Arts?

Upon hearing Uchiha Kabuto's reply, Kabuto knelt down before him, bowing his head and saying, "Boss, Kabuto is willing to follow your orders and accept your mission."

Kabuto's behavior shows that he has completely submitted to Uchiha Kakuzan's leadership. Regardless of whether he did it willingly or not, even if he has a lot of ulterior motives, as long as his dean, Nono Yakushi, is in his hands and he treats her well, Kabuto cannot turn against him. Therefore, Uchiha Kakuzan is quite at ease with Kabuto.

Uchiha Kabuto didn't wake him up, but went straight to his mission: "Kabuto, the mission I'm giving you is to infiltrate the ranks of a rogue ninja named Orochimaru and learn his ninjutsu—the Impure World Reincarnation and the Soul Reincarnation. However, he's probably still perfecting these two techniques."

Therefore, your task is to stay by Orochimaru's side, help him perfect these two ninjutsu, and in the meantime, keep me informed about the versions and progress of these two ninjutsu.

Once he has completed the development and refinement of these two ninjutsu techniques, bring them back, and your mission will be complete.

Upon hearing Uchiha Kabuto's words, Kabuto couldn't help but confirm, "Orochimaru, is that the person you just mentioned who looks a lot like me? He's a big shot who became one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha."

Uchiha Kakuzan nodded: "Orochimaru is a research-oriented talent, and you're very similar to him. Moreover, Orochimaru has a very unique personal charisma, and I estimate you'll be captivated by it. I sent you to his side hoping you could learn something from him. And I'm not asking you to betray him; I'm just letting you acquire those two ninjutsu techniques, which might become your capital to become a strong person in the future."

In fact, with Uchiha Kakuzan's current strength, he could completely overwhelm Orochimaru and force him to hand over those two ninjutsu. However, the reason he wanted to use the Impure World Reincarnation technique was to wait two years until his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan became the Rinnegan. At that time, he could use the Impure World Reincarnation technique to revive some people he wanted to revive.

Uchiha Kakuzan believed that once he possessed the Rinnegan, the side effects of using its abilities—Outer Path—Rinne Rebirth Technique—would not be losing his life. If all else failed, he would capture a few White Zetsu and use genjutsu to make them use it.

Therefore, Uchiha Kakuzan is not in a hurry to possess the Impure World Reincarnation technique, because he already obtained the original version of Impure World Reincarnation from the Third Hokage's Book of Seals.

However, since Orochimaru was able to make improvements, he naturally wanted to obtain the improved version.

Moreover, Danzo is currently in secret contact with Orochimaru. Uchiha Kakuzan plans to have Danzo deliver Kabuto Yakushi to Orochimaru, after which he won't need to worry about anything else.

After Uchiha Kabuto finished issuing his mission, he gave Kabuto and Kabuto a three-day vacation to take care of their own affairs. Kabuto would then be sent to Danzo, while Kabuto would be sent to Tsunade after Kotoamatsukami was used to take care of the pregnant Tsunade.

After sending them away, Uchiha Kakuzan did not go to find Kurenai Yuhi. Instead, he went directly to the Hokage Building and found Tsunade, who was studying with the Third Hokage.

Since only the Third Hokage and Tsunade were in the Hokage's office, Tsunade was initially pleased to see Uchiha Kakuyama come to see her. Then, she said with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh, isn't this our Uchiha clan's vice-head, Lord Uchiha Kakuyama? Why don't you go see your confidantes instead of having time to come to the Hokage's office?"

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Uchiha Kakuzan knew that Tsunade had learned of his romantic affairs in Konoha and that she knew about Uzuki Yugao's affair. He just didn't know if Tsunade knew about his affair with Yuhi Kurenai.

Uchiha Kakuzan knew that Tsunade was being petulant, so he quickly took out the two scrolls he had just obtained and proudly presented them, saying, "Tsunade, look what I found!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Kakuzan's words, Tsunade took the two scrolls from him, read them, and then tossed them back to him: "Isn't this the Raikage's Lightning Release Armor? Although it's quite rare, it's not very useful without the third stage, so there's no need to treasure it."

Tsunade actually knew that Uchiha Kakuzan was training in the first stage of Lightning Release Armor. After all, when she and Uchiha Kakuzan were playing games in the space, Uchiha Kakuzan had used it on her to increase the excitement and attack speed, so how could she not have a deep impression of this Lightning Release Armor?

As soon as Tsunade thought of this, her mind immediately wandered to something else. A charming blush rose on her already beautiful face, and she rolled her eyes at Uchiha Kakuyama with a flirtatious look in her eyes: "You're always thinking about such nonsense. Don't you even think about whether I can accept it?"

Seeing Tsunade's expression and hearing her words, Uchiha Kakuyama knew that she had misunderstood and thought that he had trained in the second stage of the Lightning Release Armor just to do some lewd things.

Uchiha Kakuzan explained to Tsunade with a hint of helplessness, "I found this for you to train with. I remember your chakra also has the innate lightning attribute, right?"