"His power was very peculiar, not like a ninja's power at all," Naruto explained. "Guiche could merge into shadows and attack from them—a ninjutsu never recorded before. Also, when injured, he didn't bleed; instead, a white substance flowed from his wounds."
Naruto didn't hide information about Shinigami. In his view, although Root's research capabilities were somewhat lacking, they were at least something to work with. Getting Root to notice Hollows and Shinigami earlier would allow him to obtain some desired information and resources from their efforts.
Besides, Danzo had always collaborated with Orochimaru. After this incident, it would surely strengthen Danzo's resolve to gather intelligence from Orochimaru. Knowing Orochimaru's personality, he would definitely extort a hefty price in experimental materials. This could even be considered a small benefit for Orochimaru.
Hearing Naruto's answer, Danzo fell into deep thought. He recalled Orochimaru's descriptions of "Hollows," beings also transformed from souls. The difference, however, was that Hollows were typically mindless monsters, whereas Guiche had retained his human form and memories from his previous life.
It seems it's time to contact Orochimaru again, Danzo mused with a frown. He had made a deal with Orochimaru before, and Orochimaru had agreed to send him a Hollow. However, because Hollows were too violent and difficult to control, it hadn't yet arrived in Konoha.
Thinking of this, Danzo looked at Naruto and asked, "Guiche was likely a monster created through human experimentation. What are your views on human experimentation?"
Danzo naturally had his own reasons for asking this. He had learned from his informant, Aburame Neri, that Naruto wasn't opposed to human experimentation; in fact, many of Naruto's ideas aligned closely with Root's own philosophies.
Faced with the question, Naruto answered decisively, "I believe human experimentation is an essential means for a ninja village to achieve true strength. Although it may be inhumane and go against natural law, human experimentation allows us to better understand the Kekkei Genkai within our bodies and can even lead to the artificial creation of powerful individuals. This is how we can ultimately protect Konoha. Moreover, as far as I know, the Second Hokage developed various Kinjutsu precisely through human experimentation, and these powerful forbidden techniques have benefited Konoha to this day."
"Excellent. You are absolutely right." Unconcealed admiration filled Danzo's eyes. Ninjas from the Third Hokage's lineage always shared a common flaw: naivety. But Naruto possessed none of this trait. Towards his own, he was like a gentle spring breeze, polite and courteous. Towards enemies, he was merciless, his methods ruthless. He understood the price of strength and fully embraced the darkness. This was the only true candidate to inherit both the Will of Fire and the will of Root.
"Naruto, now, do you understand Root?" Danzo asked in a low voice.
"Of course," Naruto said softly, his gaze firm. "Where there is light, there will inevitably be darkness. A ninja village's strength isn't built on benevolence and prosperity alone; it also requires a darkness, like a reflection in the water. This is also why I joined Root. If Konoha is a great tree, then Root is the network of roots anchored deep in the soil, providing nourishment to that tree."
"Excellent. You are absolutely right." Hearing Naruto's earnest words, Danzo's eyes suddenly blurred. This was the original intention behind his founding of Root; he had already sacrificed so, so much for Konoha. Although he had used fellow villagers for human experiments, collaborated with Orochimaru on the Konoha Crush plan, and even hidden in the shadows when Konoha faced grave crises… ultimately, it was all so he could become Hokage! Only by becoming Hokage himself could he truly bring prosperity and order to Konoha.
"You… what are your thoughts on Orochimaru?" Danzo hesitated for a moment before asking.
The darkness within Root was deeper than most could imagine. Originally, Danzo had planned to let Naruto gradually understand and accept Root through subtle, long-term influence. But given the current situation, this process could be accelerated.
"Orochimaru is a very capable researcher. I believe he's a talented individual," Naruto said after a moment of contemplation.
"But he carried out the Konoha Crush plan," Danzo added, his expression almost benign.
"Yes. My understanding of him isn't deep enough, so I can't offer much of an evaluation on that matter."
"Then what if," Danzo changed tack, "we were to collaborate with Orochimaru for the sake of research?"
Naruto paused for a second, then smiled gently. "I see no problem with that at all. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. The Konoha Crush is a past event; regret and bitterness are useless now. If collaborating with Orochimaru can bring about greater development for Konoha, then I believe it's entirely feasible."
Admiration, shock—a myriad of emotions swirled in Danzo's eyes. Naruto was indeed, just as he had anticipated, the perfect candidate for Root. Perhaps soon, Naruto could be entrusted with the most critical Root missions.
But for now, Naruto's sense of belonging and loyalty to Root wasn't fully established. If he were exposed to the most central secrets directly, unforeseen complications might arise. Danzo didn't truly doubt Naruto. It was just that, to properly cultivate a future leader for Root, building the psychological fortitude to accept and navigate the darkness was extremely important. Therefore, Danzo decided to assign Naruto a few more missions first, to lay a solid foundation.
"I have a new assignment for you," Danzo said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"The Land of Snow is currently in a state of civil war. The faction supporting the Land of Snow's princess has requested Konoha's aid. If all goes as planned, Kakashi and Guy will lead Uchiha Sasuke, Tenten, and Hyuga Neji to assist the princess in restoring her country."
"Your mission is simple: secretly collect all Snow Ninja corpses. Capturing them alive would be even better. Konoha's prosperity has never been built on the success of individual missions alone."
"What we must do is strengthen Konoha from its very foundations. Ice Release is an excellent ninjutsu. Through extensive research, perhaps in the future, we in Root can even create an Ice Release Kekkei Genkai," Danzo said, his eyes crinkling in what might pass for a smile.
Finally, he added, "This mission is of high difficulty. If special circumstances arise, you may reveal your presence, but you absolutely must not reveal your identity."
"If Konoha ninja obstruct you, you have permission to act," Danzo finished, giving Naruto a meaningful look.
"I understand. This assignment is very interesting," Naruto replied with his usual gentle smile. "I will complete the mission perfectly."
Watching Naruto's figure disappear, Danzo fell back into contemplation. After a long while, he spoke into the shadows, "Take some men. Go to Orochimaru and discuss the possibility of further collaboration with him."
"Yes, Lord Danzo." Several ninja voices responded from the darkness, followed by the sound of rushing air as they departed.
The room fell silent once more. After a long time, Danzo's muttered words drifted through the stillness.
"Hollows… Reiatsu."