Great!
Even if I can't beat Shin, I still have a real shot at taking the title of 'Second.'
"Yeah, this is our best chance!"
Although Danzō had made it clear he didn't think much of their chances, the surrounding children were still buzzing with excitement.
Seeing this, Aburame Torigen, who had been standing a little farther from Danzō, was the first to act.
He removed his gloves, placed both hands on the trunk of a large tree nearby, and in an instant, a torrent of purple, nano-sized poisonous insects poured out from his arms and into the wood. Moments later, the towering tree simply vanished without a trace.
"It's gone…?!"
"What did he do?"
"That's terrifying!"
The scene sent a chill down everyone watching.
Even Shin and Sai — the strongest among the children here — couldn't help but give Torigen a few more cautious glances.
"He's always been so unnoticeable… but he's this strong?"
"He's probably the 'First' among us!"
"Could be!"
While they murmured among themselves, Torigen calmly put his gloves back on and returned to stand behind Danzō, his demeanor completely unchanged, as if the destruction of the tree had nothing to do with him.
"If we can't beat this guy…"
Noticing that Torigen had no intention of attacking them, the others breathed a sigh of relief and shifted their focus to the remaining two newcomers.
For these orphans taken in by Danzō, survival was their priority. And among the two, most eyes settled on the girl standing to Danzō's right, wearing her hair in a single ponytail.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, fighting a girl had to be easier than going against a boy.
They wanted to win — being underhanded didn't matter one bit.
"So they think I'm the easy target, huh…"
"Old man, I'll be borrowing your body for a bit. Thanks!"
Yamanaka Kaze, completely unaware that everyone had mistaken him for a girl, noticed their restless gazes and promptly used his Mind Body Switch Technique to swap consciousness with a nearby Root operative.
And of course, anyone tasked with protecting Danzō was far from weak. Even though Kaze couldn't bring out the full strength of that operative's body, it was still more than enough to defeat a bunch of kids who weren't even genin.
In no time at all, the "battle" ended with more than half of them sprawled on the ground.
"These two are both insanely strong!"
Hearing the groans and cries all around, Sai felt a wave of relief. Fortunately, he had held Shin back earlier — otherwise, Shin would be lying here alongside the others.
"Yeah, like monsters…"
Shin himself was shaken, but he didn't lose hope. He still saw a chance:
"Those two that Danzō-sama named as 'First' and 'Second' are indeed powerful… but there's still the 'Third.' What if that one's a pushover?"
Exactly.
Shin pinned all his hopes on Uchiha Jiyue. If it meant protecting his little brother and his brother's dreams, he was willing to give everything.
"Hey!"
"You, the black-haired one— I—"
Shin stepped forward, about to issue his challenge, when Jiyue's figure suddenly blurred like a flash of lightning, covering over ten meters in an instant to appear right in front of him.
"So fast!"
Before Shin could even prepare a counter, Jiyue had already trapped him in a genjutsu. A moment later, there was a dull thud as Shin collapsed unconscious.
It was as effortless as a university student solving a grade-school math problem.
"They're all monsters!"
"Too… too strong!"
Seeing their strongest peer fall instantly, the few kids closest to Jiyue stumbled backward in panic, muttering to themselves.
"That's enough, Danzō-sama."
Jiyue had no interest in wasting time on background extras. Turning back, he said, "I'm already impatient to go inside and have a look."
"Hm. Very well."
Danzō glanced briefly at Shin's unconscious body before leading Jiyue, Torigen, and Kaze further in.
After they were gone, Shin slowly came to.
"I… I lost to him…"
Remembering what had just happened, his expression fell.
Sai patted him on the shoulder in comfort. "He's a genius personally recognized by Danzō-sama. Naturally, he'd be stronger. But… that doesn't mean you can't surpass him someday."
"You're right!"
Revived in spirit, Shin dragged Sai off to the training grounds outside to work on their physical conditioning.
Meanwhile—
Jiyue and the other two followed Danzō into a dimly lit corridor.
Clap clap!
Danzō clapped his hands, and the wall lamps lining both sides flickered on one after another.
Ten minutes later, the four of them emerged into a large hall.
"This is the Root mission hall. Occasionally, I also receive guests here… but only a select few have the privilege. You'll meet them in time."
Smiling faintly, Danzō introduced the place to the three newcomers. He then took them on a tour of the medical ward, the dormitories, and the meeting room, before finally bringing them to the archive room.
"This is the Archive Room. It holds… hmm… how many techniques was it again?"
He glanced around at the shelves crammed full of scrolls, patted his head as if trying to recall, and then gave up. "Anyway, it's a lot of jutsu. You three can pick whatever you like."
"Danzō-sama, I think I'll pass."
As a member of the Yamanaka clan, Kaze rarely studied anything outside of their clan's secret arts, so he declined politely.
Torigen was much the same and shook his head, too.
From the first moment Jiyue had met Kaze and Torigen, he had been considering how to win them over. Naturally, he wouldn't let this chance to impress them slip by. In a warm tone, he said, "Even if you don't intend to learn, seeing what others have can still be useful."
"Jiyue is right!"
Danzō's eyes lit with approval. "Information is a kind of strength as well. You two should do as Jiyue suggests and take a good look around here."
After a brief thought, both nodded. "Understood, we'll take it seriously."
"Good."
Danzō looked pleased.
He saw these three as the pillars and safeguards of his ambitions — the stronger they were, the better.
After a moment of silence, he turned to Jiyue.
So, Jiyue… what do you want to learn?
Medical ninjutsu, Jiyue replied without hesitation.
Medical ninjutsu?
Danzō was surprised. He had expected Jiyue to choose some high-level Fire Release or Lightning Release technique, not this.
May I ask why?
If, that night, I'd known medical ninjutsu… maybe I could have changed something. Maybe I wouldn't have to wake in the middle of the night, cursing the powerless version of myself back then…
As Jiyue spoke, his expression darkened, his tone growing heavy.
Just don't waste your talent. You three may come here whenever you like, but don't take any scrolls out — and don't spread what you learn.
Avoiding Jiyue's gaze, Danzō handed him the key to the Archive Room before leaving.