Chapter 97

Walking down the dark and damp wooden corridor, both ends were swallowed by thick darkness.

This corridor floated above an endless abyss, with bottomless darkness below.

And this corridor was just one of countless intersecting and crisscrossing corridors.

Orochimaru walked steadily into the darkness of the corridor, until he reached the end, where he pushed open a door and walked inside.

In the room, someone was already waiting for his arrival.

"Danzo, what do you want from me at this time?"

Orochimaru asked the person sitting in the room.

Officially, he was a new member of the Root, and served as Danzo's deputy, but in reality, he was a spy planted by his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to monitor and restrict Danzo's more extreme actions.

Therefore, his joining the Root came with no restrictions on his freedom, no cursed seals, and his name was retained, unlike the Root members who lived like machines.

"Take a look at this first."

Danzo did not mind Orochimaru addressing him as an equal; in fact, he had no power to force Orochimaru to do anything he did not like.

Danzo, sitting there, threw a document onto the table in front of Orochimaru.

Orochimaru sat down, glanced at Danzo with a puzzled look, unable to discern what the other man was up to, then withdrew his gaze and picked up the document on the table, opening it to read.

Just seeing the name of the plan on the paper, Orochimaru's expression changed slightly.

—Wood Release Cultivation Plan.

"This is a new research project recently established by the village, aimed at cultivating ninja who can wield Wood Release like the First Hokage. I hope to have your assistance."

Danzo's voice was low as he carefully observed Orochimaru's changing expression.

"Is it to counter the tailed beasts?"

Orochimaru regained his composure and quickly understood the intention.

Wood Release, like the Sharingan, has the ability to control tailed beasts.

However, since the First Hokage's death, Wood Release has disappeared from the ninja world, and no second Wood Release user has appeared.

The Sharingan, on the other hand, has been well-preserved, but it is a unique ability of the Uchiha clan.

And Danzo, as the leader of the Root, is the most hostile to the Uchiha clan among the higher-ups.

Without the ability to control the Sharingan, cultivating Wood Release users is another path, and one that is easier to control.

"It's not just for the tailed beasts, but also to intimidate some rogue ninja within the village. For this, we must rely on the power of Wood Release."

Danzo also indicated that he had not relaxed his vigilance against the Uchiha clan and would take extreme measures if necessary to limit the growth of this clan.

"Is that so? What an interesting plan."

Orochimaru's face broke into a smile, his voice deep and raspy.

"Many excellent ninja were lost in the last great ninja war. We don't know when the next one will come, so this is also for the future of the village. The power of Wood Release, which can pacify the world, will become a sharper blade than the White Fang."

"I see."

The death of Shisui indeed left Konoha weakened. The Konoha White Fang, who was responsible for sabotage behind enemy lines during the war, was a significant threat to all nations.

Now, a sharp weapon was needed to replace the Konoha White Fang, to intimidate other nations and stabilize Konoha's defensive forces.

"Does Tsunade know about this?"

To cultivate Wood Release users, the body of the First Hokage would be needed, from which the necessary cellular energy would be extracted.

Such desecration of a revered ancestor's body would be absolutely unacceptable to Tsunade, who would likely cause a commotion at a high-level meeting.

Especially since it was her grandfather's body.

"Of course, she can't know. If she finds out, things will get very complicated."

Danzo's expression remained unchanged, his thoughts unknown.

"Does that mean that Sensei Sarutobi has already tacitly approved this plan?"

Orochimaru pondered for a moment.

Without Sarutobi's tacit approval, he did not believe Danzo would have the nerve to touch Wood Release.

Moreover, the Root alone did not have the resources to study Wood Release.

"You understand so quickly, truly befitting the most talented of the Three Great Ninja. Your intellect and knowledge, as well as your understanding of jutsu, will be a significant driving force for this project."

Danzo did not hesitate to express his admiration for Orochimaru's talents.

"It seems that Sensei Sarutobi assigned me to the Root for more than just to monitor you. I understand. Since it benefits the village, I will do it."

His most revered second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had developed numerous forbidden jutsu through human experimentation, opening up many jutsu schools that continue to benefit many Konoha ninja.

In this village, there are indeed many things that cannot be exposed to the light.

And most of these secrets are manipulated behind the scenes by the Root.

The dark enforcer of Konoha.

"Where will the 'materials' come from?"

"Don't worry about that. We have already screened volunteers from the village who will cooperate with the experiments."

"Then I have no concerns."

Orochimaru nodded in understanding.

"The experiments will start next week. I need to review some materials and prepare thoroughly."

Orochimaru finished speaking, took the plan, and left the Root meeting room.

Walking out of the meeting room, Orochimaru looked at the road ahead, darkened by the encroaching darkness, then glanced at the Wood Release plan he had brought out, muttering to himself:

"Wood Release... I wonder how many people will be sacrificed this time..."

Life is truly fragile and cheap.

After reflecting, he looked ahead and stepped forward into the darkness without hesitation.

◎

October.

The weather gradually turned cold.

In the forest, a group of four people ran through it.

"Hey, Kakashi, slow down!"

A Konoha ninja in a chunin uniform shouted at Kakashi, who was running at the front.

He hoped Kakashi would listen to him.

Kakashi just turned his head to look at the chunin teammate who was shouting at him. The chunin was carrying an injured ninja, clearly struggling and being slowed down by the burden.

Kakashi stopped and said coldly, "Just leave him behind. The three of us will continue the mission."

"What, what did you say?"

The chunin looked at the young-faced Kakashi in disbelief.

He never expected to hear such words from Kakashi.

Although his previous remarks were harsh, this time it really crossed the line.

"Completing the mission is a ninja's rule. A ninja is just a tool to complete the mission. If he's a burden and can't fight, he'll only hold us back. Just leave him here, or... kill him."

Kakashi took out a kunai and threw it at the chunin's feet, giving him a decision to make.

His father, Shisui, chose his comrades during a mission and was later defamed by rumors, leading to his suicide, which proved his father's weakness and vulnerability.

So, he was now choosing the path of the mission.

A comrade who was already severely injured, unable to fight, and would only hold back his teammates, should be abandoned to complete the mission. This was the correct path Kakashi now believed in.

"Are you serious? You're a Konoha ninja, how can you say such things?"

The chunin reacted, shouting angrily.

"Are you really a ninja? Your naive thoughts should be sent back to the academy for a refresher. Don't forget, completing the mission is the true path a ninja should choose."

Kakashi stared at the chunin coldly.

"You brat!"

The chunin gritted his teeth.

Kakashi just glanced at him coldly, said nothing, and turned around, carrying the White Fang short sword, walking forward alone.

"Captain, look at that guy, saying such things! It's really infuriating! What a genius!"

The chunin complained.

"Alright, Kakashi didn't mean it. Completing the mission is important."

The jounin captain sighed, shaking his head. In theory, Kakashi's suggestion was indeed the best choice.

But abandoning a comrade's life so easily was something he couldn't bring himself to do.

"Captain, after we return, replace Kakashi. This guy is a bad influence on our team."

The chunin was still angry.

"I'll talk to the Hokage."

"Captain, you've already talked to the Hokage many times, but Kakashi hasn't changed. He's not suitable for our team. Give up on him, this kind of person is not fit to be a comrade."

The chunin said helplessly.

The jounin captain was silent, and under the chunin's pleading gaze, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, after we return, I'll apply to the Hokage to transfer Kakashi to another team."

"Hurry up. Being on the same team as this guy, I have no sense of security at all."

The chunin carrying the injured ninja was at his wits' end with Kakashi's cold and ruthless attitude.

Even a regular genin would be better than this heartless genius chunin.

◎

Transfer request.

Sarutobi, sitting in his office, looked at the transfer request from a jounin, feeling a headache coming on.

The request was to transfer Kakashi to another team because he couldn't coordinate with his teammates and didn't understand teamwork, causing conflicts among colleagues.

After reading the transfer request, Sarutobi took out similar requests from the drawer, all of which were from teams Kakashi had previously been on.

But each time, he didn't stay long. One team, Kakashi only stayed for a few days before being removed by the team leader, who believed his team would hold back such a genius chunin and suggested Kakashi develop in another jounin team.

This was the fourth... or fifth time?

At that moment, there was a knock on the office door.

Sarutobi called out, "Come in."

A Konoha jounin entered, bowed respectfully to Sarutobi, and said, "Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi placed Kakashi's file in front of him, and the jounin stepped forward to read it.

"What do you think of Kakashi?"

"Genius."

That was the jounin's only evaluation.

"I remember a teammate in your team died. I want to assign Kakashi to your team. What do you think?"

After Sarutobi finished speaking, the jounin's expression changed, then he calmed down and said, "Hokage-sama, my skills are not enough to teach such a genius. Assigning him to my team would only bury such a genius. Please let him develop in another jounin team."

He knew Kakashi's reputation.

Especially recently, among the jounin leaders, there were some unfavorable rumors about Kakashi.

He had heard about these things.

Although his team indeed needed personnel, if Kakashi joined, it might cause the team to fall apart, let alone work together.

Sarutobi did not insist and let the jounin leave.

Then another jounin came in, and Sarutobi asked the same question. This jounin also politely declined, saying he was not capable of teaching such a talented chunin and suggested Sarutobi find someone more suitable.

The next jounin Sarutobi summoned all gave similar polite refusals.

Their opinions were very consistent, saying they had no connection with a genius chunin like Kakashi and were not capable of teaching such a ninja who graduated and became a chunin at the youngest age in Konoha's history.

Clearly, they had already discussed among themselves and were unwilling to accept someone who disrupted teamwork, even if he was a genius.

"Hokage-sama, I am willing to accept Kakashi, but if he disobeys orders and disrupts teamwork, I will remove him from the team."

It was not until the twenty-first jounin came that Sarutobi found a Konoha jounin willing to accept Kakashi.

But the jounin set this condition.

If Kakashi obeyed orders and did not disrupt teamwork, he was willing to accept this genius chunin into his team to carry out missions together.

Sarutobi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Kakashi will follow your orders as a jounin."

The Konoha jounin smiled bitterly.

He knew Kakashi would follow his orders as a jounin.

In fact, the other jounins did not remove Kakashi because he disobeyed orders, but because he always disrupted teamwork, causing poor relations among colleagues. This was the main reason many jounins were unwilling to accept such a genius.

For a jounin, maintaining good teamwork is a crucial aspect.

Kakashi's disruption of this agreement naturally made him unpopular.

"I hope he behaves in my team."

He did not expect Kakashi to make any significant contributions to the team, just that he would not disrupt teamwork, which would be a relief.

Sarutobi, hearing this, could only nod helplessly, agreeing to the jounin's request.

"To be honest, Hokage-sama, I think Kakashi is not suitable for regular teams. He is more suited for the Anbu or Root."

Before leaving, the jounin offered his honest opinion.

Sarutobi considered the jounin's suggestion. The Anbu aside, the Root's power had been growing in recent years.

If Kakashi were assigned to the Root, it would be like giving Danzo a sharp weapon.

Sarutobi was clear on this matter.

He could rely on Danzo's Root, but on the condition that the Root's power did not exceed his expectations.

Kakashi's talent was truly outstanding.

Entering school at four, graduating at five, becoming a chunin at six, and even becoming a jounin at ten would not surprise Sarutobi.

Such a sharp weapon must not fall into Danzo's hands and strengthen the Root.

As for joining the Anbu... although Kakashi's talent was indeed impressive, he was not yet at the minimum level required for the Anbu.

Moreover, the Anbu was not a training ground, and no one would hand-hold Kakashi in combat and jutsu training, which would not be beneficial for his current development.

But... regular jounin teams were all rejecting Kakashi, unwilling to accept him.

This was what troubled Sarutobi.

Regular teams did not accept him.

He was not qualified for the Anbu.

He could not be given to the Root.

Should he make him a team leader? His teammates would likely die on missions soon.

Kakashi, who prioritized missions, would definitely do such a thing.

No chunin had ever given Sarutobi such a headache, not knowing where to place him, so he could only let it be for now and observe for a while.

◎

In Konoha, at a dango shop.

Shiraishi invited Kakashi to eat dango here.

"Kakashi, it's rare to see you these days. How have you been? I heard you've had conflicts with your teammates recently."

Shiraishi, holding a skewer of dango, took a light bite and smiled at Kakashi sitting across from him.

In Kakashi, Shiraishi sensed a very cold and numb aura, and his eyes had lost their usual brightness.

How to put it, this kind of gaze, Shiraishi had only seen in the eyes of Root ninjas before.

No name, no future, no life, in their eyes, it seemed there was only the mission.

Like a machine, operating according to a predetermined program.

"Alright, just a few burdens in the mission."

Kakashi did not touch the dango in front of him, but spoke in a cold tone.

"They are your teammates, don't talk about them like that. In missions, teamwork is very important."

Shiraishi sighed.

As expected, the impact of Shisui's death on his heart was too heavy.

He was still struggling with the question of whether the mission or comrades were more important.

This question had no standard answer.

Kakashi in this state was indeed very worrying for Shiraishi.

"They can't work together at all. They care too much about trivial things and are often distracted by external information. A ninja only needs to complete the mission."

Kakashi said.

"Have you heard of the bucket theory?"

"I don't want to listen to your long-winded lectures, and you, who just became a chunin, have no right to lecture me. If you want to lecture me, become a jounin first."

"..."

This hit a sore spot for Shiraishi.

"Moreover, if they can continue fighting, I will naturally help them. But if they can't form a fighting force, it's only natural to abandon them. As a ninja, completing the mission is the priority. When necessary, abandoning comrades is no one's business to question."

Kakashi continued in a cold and ruthless tone.

"Do you really think so?"

"The person who chose comrades is dead. I don't want to follow in his footsteps."

"..."

Reasonable and justified, leaving Shiraishi speechless.

"But your teammates really hate you, don't they?"

"That's none of your business. I'm just following the rules a ninja should follow."

Kakashi said.

"Is that so?"

Shiraishi knew he couldn't persuade Kakashi, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Taking out a bag from his equipment pouch, he placed it in front of Kakashi and said, "These are my special soldier pills and some antidotes. Take them. Since you prioritize the mission, you need to protect yourself. If you get injured in a mission and lose your fighting and mobility, your comrades will abandon you."

Kakashi was slightly taken aback, looked up at Shiraishi, and did not take the bag of soldier pills and antidotes on the table.

"What? Isn't this the path you chose? A completely different path from Shisui-sensei. Now is not the time to hesitate."

Shiraishi looked at Kakashi calmly and