Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Chapter 142 The Hokage and Root, Kurama's Curiosity

The first Root member to shake hands with Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a chill run down his spine.

He reflexively replied, "It's no trouble at all, it's all for Konoha!"

His name is Aburame Ryoma, and he was once the second-in-command of the Root organization.

"No, it's very hard."

Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully examined Ryoma Aburame, recalling his file.

Skilled in infiltration, tracking, reconnaissance, and counter-reconnaissance, the parasites they cultivate possess enhanced sensory abilities.

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted him heavily on the shoulder.

He solemnly took out a medal from his pocket and personally pinned it on Aburame Ryoma.

This is an octagonal matte black medal.

Forged from chakra metal mixed with black iron, it has a cold and heavy texture.

At the top is a miniature leaf emblem, and in the center is a large, leafy tree.

The names of the award recipients are inscribed among the roots of a large tree, as if the roots are being steadily supported.

Below are three-dimensional small characters: "The roots of the leaves, hidden in the sky."

On the back of the medal, in the center, is an inscription in dark gold: "Personally bestowed by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi".

Ryoma Aburame's pupils contracted.

He never expected that summoning these "remnants of Danzo" would be to personally award them medals!

Although Danzo did not incite them to launch an open attack on the Hokage until the Root organization disbanded—

But in the root, in this underground private kingdom.

Everyone in the root group knows this.

Their Lord Danzo returned and immediately began complaining about the Hokage, saying how weak and dove Hiruzen Sarutobi was, and that he would cause trouble for Konoha sooner or later.

Why doesn't he become Hokage?

The so-called "roots" are officially called the "Dark Training Department," which belongs to the Dark Department.

In other words, the Root is also known as the Anbu, and is the Hokage's direct subordinate unit.

Hearing Danzo's words and failing to report them in time was already a grave taboo!

That's incredibly disloyal.

As Ryoma Aburame watched Hiruzen Sarutobi intently pinning the medal to him, he felt a slight warmth spreading through his hands and feet.

I'm so ashamed!

"I thought—"

"I thought the Hokage summoned us to Mito-sama to use her ability to read people's minds to test our feelings for her—"

"It's time to clean house."

Ryoma Aburame felt his face burning and hesitated to speak.

It is said to be the root, devoid of emotion, name, and past.

But people are made of flesh and blood; they can see the changes in the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi approached the next Root member.

He still shook hands with him solemnly, saying, "Thank you for your hard work!"

This member of the Root Clan possessed a more spiritual quality in his emotions compared to Ryoma Aburame.

Instead of being like a cold machine.

His name is "Ida", and he inherits a secret technique called Super Beast Imitation Painting. Danzo took him into the Root several years ago, but he did not quite agree with the philosophy he upheld.

Ida looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with excitement: "Hokage-sama, you're the one who's worked the hardest!"

"It's not hard work, it's all for the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, patted him on the shoulder, and said loudly, "Good lad!"

Ida immediately puffed out his chest: "Thank you for the commendation, Hokage-sama!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled to himself.

"Danzo's control over the Root was not as strong as I thought."

"However, this is also a manifestation of objective laws."

The root region is indeed home to many talented individuals, whose average abilities surpass those of the dark region.

However, the more skilled a ninja is, the less likely they are to be fully disciplined.

Most of them entered the root too early and never saw the outside world.

The time Hiruzen Sarutobi spent disbanding Root and allowing them to recuperate was meant to give them a buffer period.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook hands, patted his shoulder, and presented him with his medals along the way.

And then it came to the last root member.

He was wearing black gloves and looked visibly nervous, glancing awkwardly at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"What, you don't want to shake my hand?" Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself, and said with a smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had read through the Root's files, so he naturally recognized this ninja.

His name is Aburame Shiguro, and he is a rare poison insect master even among the Aburame clan.

Its driving force, the nano-sized poisonous insect "phosphorus rotten insect", can destroy organisms at the cellular level.

Without special countermeasures, a ninja is practically a death sentence if touched; they are veritable walking biological weapons!

As a result, Shiguro had no friends or companions since childhood, and even the members of the Aburame clan kept their distance from him.

Because even common parasites can be infested by "phosphorus parasites".

This is not because the Aburame clan is inherently ruthless.

"But when Aburame Shiro was a child, he was indeed unable to completely control the Phosphorous Waste Insects," which was extremely dangerous.

Therefore, Danzo saw the darkness in his heart and took it into the Root.

Aburame Shiro sometimes thinks about it.

If he has descendants, their experiences from birth to adulthood will probably be the same as his own.

"No—that's not true, Hokage-sama!"

"A very dangerous poisonous insect resides inside me—" Shiro Aburame said, lowering her head.

"So, can you control them now? At least prevent the poisonous insects from gathering on your hands."

Hiruzen Sarutobi held up one finger: "Just the time it takes to shake hands will suffice—"

Shiro Aburame was stunned, staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi in disbelief.

He does indeed have the ability to control the poisonous insects from leaking out.

I won't say how long, a few hours is no problem.

However, the terror of nano-poisonous insects is so deeply ingrained in people's minds.

So much so that even during daily practice and meals...

If Shiguro Aburame isn't wearing gloves and a protective suit, even his Root comrades will instantly feel a sense of impending doom if they see him—

Even if Shiro Aburame can recycle the poisonous insects, who would want to experience that excruciating, bone-chilling pain?

Root ninjas can feel pain too!

But the Hokage, standing before Shiguro Aburame, chose to believe him!

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shiguro Aburame with encouraging eyes and waved his hand to signal him.

Aburame Shiguro took a deep breath, channeling all her chakra to compress the poisonous insects into her body as much as possible—

The force was so great that it felt like they were trying to drain all the blood from the hand.

He shakily took off his gloves.

Without hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi grasped it.

And it is slightly different from other root members.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook hands with Shiguro Aburame while patting his shoulder, not in a hurry to remove his hand, as if there were no poisonous insects inside him at all.

"I knew it! Shiguro, you're great at controlling poisonous insects!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said loudly, pinned the medal on him, and nodded in satisfaction.

Shiki Aburame stared blankly at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This is the Hokage!

Everyone else avoided him like the plague, whether they were his own clansmen or Root ninjas, but the Hokage believed in him!

An indescribable feeling ignited in Aburame Shiro's heart—

He suddenly thought of a scene.

On one occasion, Danzo asked him to report on his work. Shiro Aburame, who was practicing controlling poisonous insects, was not wearing gloves.

When Danzo discovered this, he immediately reprimanded him sternly, without listening to Aburame Shiguro's explanation.

From a systemic and security perspective, Danzo was not wrong to do so.

But with Hiruzen Sarutobi as a comparison, things are different—

"Gentlemen."

"The medals pinned to your chests are to recognize your silent contributions to Konoha over the years, and are called the 'Konoha Root Guardian Medal'."

"With this medal."

"The village where you carry out the mission will no longer take a cut, you will continue to receive a medical allowance of one million taels per year, all personal medical care will be free, and you will receive expert consultations from the research department and medical department led by Tsunade for serious illnesses."

"Your next generation will also receive special attention from the village. The village will assess the children's abilities and assign suitable teachers to provide one-on-one guidance."

"If anyone is interested in the Five Elements, I can be their tutor," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile. "If they're not suited to be ninjas, I'll find them a suitable position in the Land of Fire."

"Great wealth and high status cannot be guaranteed, but solving the problems of food, clothing, shelter, and a stable life is not a problem."

The Root's combat ninjas, totaling seventeen, are organized in the same way as a squad of the Anbu.

Giving them these preferential treatments will not have any impact on the village's finances.

This is why Hiruzen Sarutobi sets up redundancy when establishing various subsidies.

For example, the number of people who meet the requirements for subsidies for the hidden departments is 349.

However, the number was calculated based on 500 people, precisely to prevent such emergencies.

You should keep working capital in the account.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi's words fell to the ground.

The eyes of the Root ninjas widened in shock; none of them could have predicted this.

It turns out it wasn't a purge after all, but rather a huge reward!

In the minds of the Root ninjas, these were Danzo's private soldiers—

After being completely suppressed by the Hokage, there is almost no possibility that he will not be eliminated!

That's how cruel ninjas are.

Even if they did contribute to Konoha, they didn't cause any real harm to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But as long as there is even the slightest hint of disloyalty.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi's execution of them was acceptable from a ninja ethics standpoint.

Because in Konoha, there will always only be one Grand Commander, one Hokage!

No one will speak up for them, even those who might feel sorry for them, but then they realize that "Root" is now associated with "Danzo" again—

It's highly likely that they'll give up on that idea.

You could say they were like pieces of meat that could be chopped up at any time on Hiruzen Sarutobi's chopping board!

However, the Hokage didn't make an example of them; instead, he actually gave them a hand—

"I have seen all the contributions you have made to Konoha over the years."

"I'm relieved that you haven't done anything to put me in a difficult position."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone suddenly turned serious.

The air in the Senju ancestral home seemed to freeze at that moment.

The Root ninjas felt a chill run down their spines.

They understood it more deeply.

It wasn't that the Hokage lacked the ability to deal with them, but rather that he was kind and benevolent, so he treated them well.

"Although this is a problem stemming from my failure to properly oversee the root causes—"

"I bear an unshirkable responsibility for Danzo's loss of control—" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and bowed slightly to the Root ninjas.

This greatly shocked the Root ninjas.

The Hokage bowed in apology?

They had only ever seen Danzo physically punish and scold them; they had never seen anything like this before.

Aburame Ryoma's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed deeply, while tugging at his companion's sleeve.

Only then did his companion realize what was happening, and he quickly bent down to pull his companion on the other side—

Like dominoes, a row of Root ninjas bowed deeply in unison.

However, it is worth mentioning that...

Before being reminded, both "Ida" and "Aburame Shiguro" had already bowed deeply to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Watching this scene, Mito Uzumaki silently thought to herself, "The decisiveness of this apology... truly a child trained by Hashirama."

In the past, when Hashirama negotiated with others, he always started with a sincere apology.

Forget bowing, they've even banged their heads on the table—

Of course, sometimes they will unintentionally show off their strength.

However, after Hashirama's reputation resounded throughout the ninja world, there were no more instances of him not controlling his power.

It's probably just a coincidence.

"Gentlemen, in your eyes, being asked by Danzo to take the Root is a small matter—"

"But in my opinion, this is a big deal!"

"This concerns the village's institutional framework, and also the purity of the Will of Fire!"

"So, please stand tall and think seriously about what else you need me, the Hokage, to do for you?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, "You have devoted yourselves to the village, enduring hardship and sleeping in the open, immersing yourselves in darkness—"

"If the village doesn't give back to you, doesn't that mean it's one-sided exploitation? Everyone who contributes to the village deserves a reward—"

"This is an order!!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted.

But actually, that's because the Hokage is a bit out of ideas.

Because he discovered that the Root ninjas seemed not to understand the concept of "commensurate rewards and punishments"—

"Hokage-sama, this is already very good—"

Aburame Shiguro silently raised his hand, and after receiving a nod from Sarutobi Hiruzen, he said softly, "Danzo-sama—no, he assisted and taught us, and to dedicate ourselves to the village and the Will of Fire is the highest honor and reward for us dark people."

The other root members nodded in agreement.

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled; he had figured out Danzo's tactics.

"Completely subordinating personal value to the village, denying the ninja's personal desires and interests, and shaping them into selfless 'tools of the village'—"

"To fill the material void at the root of the problem, where there is no public recognition and no real reward, by claiming that dedicating oneself to the darkness is the highest honor."

"By forcibly linking 'absolute obedience to orders' with 'the survival of Konoha,' equating Danzo's personal commands with Muramasa's, ninjas lose their independent judgment and can only blindly obey him—"

If we keep playing like this...

Hiruzen Sarutobi was certain that in a few years, if Danzo ordered these Root members to assassinate him, these ninjas would simply carry out the order.

"It is an immense honor to contribute to the village."

"The Will of Fire means that everyone belongs to Konoha, and Konoha will protect everyone—"

"You have sheltered Konoha from the wind and rain, and suffered injustices. The village and I, as the Hokage, remember it all."

"If even those at the very bottom don't receive anything in return, then who deserves this honor?"

"The Will of Fire has become nothing but empty talk!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with utmost seriousness.

The Root ninjas silently watched Hiruzen Sarutobi.

In their eyes, under the sun's rays, the Hokage seemed to be engulfed in a thin layer of flame—

It was so warm.

"Lord Hokage, this is good enough." Aburame Ryoma said softly.

One after another, the Root ninjas echoed, their expressions and tones extremely sincere.

Some of them already had an uncontrollable look of joy on their faces.

But seeing this joyful expression made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel a little sour.

Ninjas are so easy to fool—

They were only given some compensation and a little comfort, and advised to make more demands, but these people kept saying they had enough.

It felt as if being accepted by the village and given some tangible security was a great bargain, and they dared not ask for anything more.

It seems they were afraid that he, as the Hokage, would think they were greedy and taking advantage of him, thus losing the kindness he had finally received.

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh.

Ninjas are the most cunning and cruel, yet sometimes they are also the most simple and content.

Mito Uzumaki also sighed softly.

Her Kagura Mind's Eye combined with Kurama's sensory abilities, though not quite at the level of eavesdropping on thoughts.

But at this distance, he could accurately sense Hiruzen Sarutobi's emotions.

Mito Uzumaki was moved.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's capacity for compassion and love for the Konoha ninja was on par with Hashirama's.

Pure goodwill.

Mito Uzumaki couldn't help but think of Danzo, who had come to her place to hoe the ground.

My mind was filled with a chaotic jumble of thoughts—

Mito Uzumaki shook her head, saying it was unnecessary to compare herself to Danzo.

There's simply no comparison—

At this moment, even the Nine-Tailed Fox inside her body perked up its two long ears in confusion, muttering to itself, "This feeling reminds me of Asura—"

"There's such a ninja? I'll have Mito tell me his story sometime. His name is Hiruzen Sarutobi, right? —"

It's worth mentioning that Kurama and Mito get along much better now than before.

At the very beginning, when they noticed Mito Uzumaki beginning to recover and started extracting her chakra—

The Nine-Tails is extremely irritable and dissatisfied.

However, Mito explained a principle to Kurama, and the two reached a further cooperation agreement.

Inside the water corpse, the Nine-Tails still had some freedom.

Since Mito was confident she couldn't let Kurama escape her control, there was no need to treat it too harshly; she wasn't one to mistreat tailed beasts anyway.

But if you change the container, its capabilities will be far inferior to Hito's.

To prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from escaping, we'll have to resort to some methods; tying it up tightly and hanging it up would be too lenient!

At first, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) argued back, believing that it wouldn't be sealed away—

But the thought of that Wood Release brat and a bunch of Uchiha from the Konoha Police Department right next to him—

When Mito dies, these two doses will be enough to give him a hard time.

Now Kushina is here too—

In terms of suppressing tailed beasts, Konoha is practically overflowing with them, making it a village that's really unfriendly to tailed beasts!

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's chakra felt like it belonged to one of its own kind—

So, after thinking it over, Kurama, despite her reluctance, still reached a cooperation agreement with Mito.

Let's enjoy this comfortable year for as long as possible!

"Mito, tell me about this guy named Hiruzen Sarutobi sometime—"

Nine-Tailed Fox snorted coldly: "It's not that disgusting."

"What, you want him to be your jinchūriki after I die?" Mito thought to herself with a smile.

"How is that possible? I, the great one, have always yearned for freedom!" Kurama roared angrily, like a cat with its fur standing on end. "With his bloodline, if he's not from the Senju, Uzumaki, or Uchiha clans, how could he possibly bear my chakra!"

Even so, there was no unusual activity within the mental space, and Mito paid no attention to this little disturbance.

If the big cat wants to roll around, let it play by itself.

"Tch—" Nine-Tails lay down again and rolled over.

Emotional abuse is also a form of violence!

Hiruzen Sarutobi observed the expressions of the Root ninjas and shook his head.

"Then let me add one more thing—"

"I will publicly announce and commend the parts of your deeds and achievements that can be declassified in the village. Your stories and names will also be included in the Konoha Ninja Academy's teaching materials for children to learn and pass on!"

"Of course, if you have any concerns, the village can also use pseudonyms."

Normally, anonymity is used to prevent family members from being retaliated against and having no power to fight back.

But with the ninja world possessing extraordinary martial prowess and the fortifications of villages, revenge won't be so easy—

Hiding one's name is not very meaningful; concealing mission details and not revealing intelligence is sufficient.

Moreover, his sons, Shinnosuke and Asuma, never went into hiding—

Any ninja with even a modicum of talent who has clashed with a hidden village of an enemy nation would have already been on the roster.

The Root ninjas stared in shock at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Once upon a time, they were people without names, without pasts, and without feelings—

Now their names and their dedication seem to be becoming one with Konoha, forever inseparable from it.

This is a world of difference!

No matter how deeply ingrained Danzo's mind control had been in the past, it couldn't compare to Hiruzen Sarutobi's sincerity, who meticulously explained the respect and treatment he showed them—

Ida and Shiro looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, their knees about to bend down.

The same applies to other Root ninjas—

A powerful gust of air suddenly rose up, creating a wall of wind in front of them, causing them to unconsciously straighten their bodies.

Aburame Ryoma was taken aback. Did the Hokage not need to form hand seals to release such exquisite Wind Release form changes?

He saw the Hokage swing his arm, seemingly making a perfunctory hand seal as he did so—

Hiruzen Sarutobi crossed his arms: "You've only gotten what you deserved!"

"Reward those who have made contributions and punish those who have made mistakes! If you make mistakes in the future, I will still punish you strictly. I have not given you any special treatment."

At this moment, the Root ninjas looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with almost fanatical eyes!

After so many years of influence, they still respond well to a tough leader.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words struck a chord with them.

This is not a spur-of-the-moment act of kindness, but a well-established and systematic institutional guarantee.

Steadfast!

"Lord Hokage, I have a request—" Ryoma Aburame raised his hand.

"Speak." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

"Could we establish another root organization to take us back?"

"We all carry darkness in our hearts, and we can't fit into the ranks of ordinary ninjas—"

"We only feel at home when we're together. We're familiar with dirty work and clandestine operations; we just want to continue contributing to Konoha!"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into deep thought.

This is indeed a problem, and he had considered it before.

In the grand stage of the ninja world, there truly exist ninjas who are naturally drawn to immersing themselves in darkness.

Forcing them to integrate into the group could actually create instability.

One of Danzo's major criteria for selecting people was the darkness in their hearts.

To be honest, it's not about blindly kidnapping a genius just because you see one—

His old friend still has some insight.

After all, he could see the darkness in Uchiha Aokiji's heart at a glance.

"Raise your hand if you want to quit. No hiding anything is allowed. This is an order!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted.

No one raised their hand.

Some Root ninjas even cast questioning glances at the Hokage.

Back then, they were all quite happy with their jobs.

With such good treatment now, even if they die, they might become a teaching example. Who would be crazy enough to quit?

"it is good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi gained a new understanding of the resilience of ninjas once again.

A person who can endure everything can truly be called a ninja.

"Being unsociable is not a disease, but a mental mark unique to those who are used to bloodshed and carry obsessions."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said, "From now on, a new Root organization is established, and each of you will belong directly to me."

"If one day you can no longer suppress the darkness in your heart, and cannot resolve it, then come to me." Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept across each of their faces: "Whether it is killing intent or malice, I will help you eliminate it and rediscover the Will of Fire."

The Root ninjas were taken aback.

Even the Nine-Tails, who was listening in, was stunned.

It sounds like Hashirama is telling it that if it wants to cause a ruckus and vent its anger, it should go find him—

Is that correct?

"Lord Mito, thank you for your help—" Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to the side and said respectfully to Mito Uzumaki.

Mito Uzumaki nodded, her back slightly straightened, and more than ten Vajra Seals suddenly bloomed from behind her, reaching out like serpents towards the arms of the Root ninja beside her.

The seal on the tip of a Root Ninja's tongue, which is said to sever the root of all evil, will vanish like melting snow upon contact, leaving no trace in an instant.

Not only that, the chains also injected some luminous green chakra into their bodies.

The burning pain from the removal of the curse seal completely subsided, and my body felt much lighter.

"On behalf of Hashirama, I thank everyone for their contributions to Konoha."

Mito Uzumaki said softly, "From now on, work hard with Hiruzen. He is Hashirama's successor. If you want to contribute to the village, only by following him can you be shown the right direction—"

The Root ninjas all knelt on one knee: "Thank you, Lady Mito!"

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not stop them.

"No, thank you, Hokage—" Mito said with a smile.

The fleeting emotion that Sarutobi Hiruzen had just experienced made Uzumaki Mito absolutely certain.

"The monkey is the successor Hashirama desired!"

In that case, as Hashirama's widow, Mito would naturally support Hiruzen wholeheartedly.

At that moment, the members of Root all raised their hands to their left chests, their backs ramrod straight, and their hoarse roars were unified: "We are willing to die for Konoha! We will obey the Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi solemnly placed his hand on his heart as well: "I stand with you all!"

At this moment, he had completely seized control of the Root and Danzo incident.

He is both the referee and the player.

No matter what unexpected events occur, Hiruzen Sarutobi is confident that he can easily resolve them within a controllable range!

After the Root ninjas left.

"Lady Mito, you've worked hard—"

"What's so hard about working for the village?"

Mito smiled and shook his head: "But you, you were in such a hurry to clean up Danzo's mess, what a brotherly bond!"

"Danzo is lucky to have a companion like you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.

"On one hand, but mainly it's for the village."

"Lord Mito, in your perception, is there anyone acting strangely?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked frankly.

Actually, Ryoma Aburame's guess was half right—

The reason for summoning these Root ninjas to the Senju ancestral home was to sense whether the malice within them was out of control.

While methods to win someone's heart are certainly useful, Kagura's keen insight combined with her ability to sense malice is the safest approach.

"You, you—"

Mito Uzumaki was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "You really are Tobirama's apprentice."

Back in the day, Tobirama Senju would also ask her to help him probe people's hearts in order to get a relatively safe result.

"They're all good kids, don't worry—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and smiled with relief.

That makes me feel much more at ease.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi took his leave.

Yamato ran out of the house, shouting excitedly, "Grandma, I want to be a Root ninja when I grow up!"

Mito smiled kindly, stroking his little face: "Then you'd better eat well and train hard to become a powerful ninja!"

"Grandma won't pull any strings for you!"

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