In Root, the truth of power was simple—everything belonged to the shadows.
Sarutobi Atsushi's eyelids twitched as he stared at the severed arm and the spreading pool of blood.
"Your crime might not necessarily deserve death," Hoshishita Shu said gently.
His voice sounded almost kind.
"What's the point of being stubborn?"
"As my subordinate just mentioned—what if you're innocent?"
"If you don't talk, how would I know whether you're innocent or not?"
"If you don't talk…"
"I'll simply kill you."
"The Third Hokage has granted Root the privilege to execute first and report later."
As he spoke, Shu slowly lowered his blade between Tsuchiya Naoya's legs.
Tsuchiya's body trembled violently.
Then he shut his eyes in despair.
"I… I'll talk."
"That's more like it."
Shu patted him lightly, then released his grip.
But the instant he was released—
Tsuchiya suddenly spat something out.
A senbon shot toward Shu's face like lightning.
Sarutobi Atsushi and the others flinched.
But it was too late to intervene.
Fortunately, Shu reacted instantly.
He raised his arm and blocked the senbon.
"Looking for death."
Shu's blade flashed again.
The sword pierced through Tsuchiya's shoulder and nailed him to the wall.
Shu's voice turned cold.
"Flying Insect."
"Let your bugs eat him."
"Start with his ears."
"Let him listen to the sound of himself being devoured."
Behind his mask, Aburame Hiiichi's eyelid twitched.
He nodded anyway.
"Yes, Captain."
It was cruel.
But Tsuchiya clearly had something to hide.
There was no reason to show mercy.
Hiiichi stepped forward and released his parasitic insects into Tsuchiya's body.
They began gnawing at his ears.
The physical pain alone was unbearable.
But even worse—
Was the sound.
The quiet, horrifying chewing.
Tsuchiya's eyes widened with terror and agony.
His remaining hand reached desperately for his ears.
Shu casually pinned that hand to the wall with a kunai.
Only then did Shu calmly pull the senbon from his own arm.
The needle wasn't poisoned.
And as soon as it was removed, the wound began to heal.
"Leave this to you three."
"If he talks, Ape will record everything."
"If he doesn't…"
"Let the insects eat him hollow."
"After the ears, move on to the nose."
"Then the eyes."
"Leave the mouth."
Dropping the senbon onto the floor, Shu turned and walked outside.
He was a kind person.
He couldn't bear watching something so cruel happen before his eyes.
Naturally, he had to step away.
A moment later—
Inuzuka Ryo approached and handed over a small notebook.
"Captain."
"He confessed."
Shu accepted the notebook and flipped through it.
Then he smiled faintly.
"What a tragic love story."
Old-fashioned.
And ridiculously melodramatic.
Years ago, Tsuchiya Naoya had been saved by a beautiful kunoichi from the Sky Ninja.
Over time, he fell in love with her.
And as the guard responsible for Konoha's ninjutsu archives, Tsuchiya began secretly stealing sealing technique scrolls and passing them to that woman.
"Hayami Mari…"
"Not a bad name."
After praising it casually, Shu returned inside.
Tsuchiya's nose was already nearly gone.
Looking down at the miserable man, Shu spoke calmly.
"At this point… do you really think you can still protect Hayami Mari?"
"The only thing you can do now is redeem yourself."
"So tell me."
"Where is your next meeting place?"
"And the secret technique documents you've already delivered…"
"Do copies still exist?"
Shu understood human psychology well.
Once a person's bottom line was broken—
Everything they had once insisted on would collapse.
Tsuchiya's final mental defenses shattered.
Lowering his head weakly, he revealed everything he had been hiding.
Yes.
There were copies.
They were hidden beneath the bedroom floor.
And the next meeting—
Was scheduled for two days later.
The location was a lake outside Konoha.
The scenery there was beautiful, and villagers often visited it for leisure.
Whenever Tsuchiya had time off, he would meet Hayami Mari there.
Not only to pass along stolen secrets—
But also for far more personal exchanges.
Inuzuka Ryo quickly retrieved the copied scrolls.
Shu flipped through them briefly before handing them back.
"Make four copies."
Ryo froze.
Sarutobi Atsushi and Aburame Hiiichi both stared at Shu.
Shu raised an eyebrow.
"Can you memorize everything inside?"
Ryo swallowed.
"Captain… taking the village's secret techniques like this doesn't seem very appropriate…"
Shu patted his shoulder with a smile.
"If you don't take them…"
"How can I take them?"
"If you don't take them, and I don't take them…"
"How will Lord Danzo take them?"
Ryo almost asked—
Did Lord Danzo really need to obtain documents this way?
But after thinking about it carefully…
Shu's words somehow made sense.
He nodded slowly.
A teachable subordinate.
Shu was satisfied.
Turning to Hiiichi, Shu said calmly,
"Flying Insect."
"He's confessed."
"Give him a quick death."
"Wait!"
Sarutobi Atsushi suddenly spoke, then turned toward Shu.
"Captain… since he has confessed…"
"Shouldn't we hand him over to the ANBU for processing and report everything to the Third Hokage?"
Shu's gaze sharpened.
It cut like a blade.
"Looks like I need to repeat myself."
"Lord Danzo's will is my will."
"My will is Lord Danzo's will."
"My orders are Lord Danzo's orders."
"You may have opinions."
"But you keep them to yourself."
"This is a military order."
"However…"
"Since this is your first offense, I'll explain."
"Whether or not there is solid evidence, attacking a fellow villager is not something worth publicizing."
"You want to hand him over to the ANBU?"
"You want more people to know that we tortured one of our own comrades without confirmed evidence—under the authority of the Third Hokage?"
"Do you want the Third Hokage to bear that darkness for us?"
Sarutobi Atsushi broke out in cold sweat.
He bowed immediately.
"Captain—I was wrong."
Shu said calmly,
"We protect the village from the darkness."
"That means we must have the courage to carry that darkness ourselves."
"Make it clean."
With that, Shu turned and walked outside.
He was far too merciful.
He simply couldn't bear witnessing killing firsthand.
Less than five minutes later, the three emerged.
Aburame Hiiichi reported first.
"The body has been disposed of."
Inuzuka Ryo added,
"All other traces have been cleaned up."
Shu nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"Return to the base."
…
Back at Root headquarters, Shu first had the sealing technique documents copied.
Only then did he bring the original materials from Tsuchiya Naoya's home to Danzo's office to report.
He described everything in detail.
The operation.
The interrogation.
The intelligence gathered.
The sealing technique scrolls.
Even the decision to make four copies.
Danzo casually flipped through the materials, then raised his head.
"You're interested in sealing techniques?"
Shu bowed respectfully.
"Because of you, Lord Danzo, I was able to obtain the First Hokage's power."
"If learning sealing techniques can help you…"
"I will spare no effort."
In other words—
Everything I do is for you, Lord Danzo.
Danzo showed no reaction.
Nor did he question the fact that Shu's squad had copied the documents.
Instead, he said calmly,
"Bring me Hayami Mari."
"Alive."
Shu accepted the order immediately.
"Understood."
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