Purple Cat rarely pleaded for anything. Seeing her current state of frantic desperation, Yagami spoke calmly. "I will head over to investigate first and get a handle on the situation."
Yagami left the office and made his way toward the Root headquarters. Since Root was down to only two functional ninjas, Yellow Dog had ordered Yagami to lead three ANBU operatives to assist in training the new recruits. This cover provided him with the perfect excuse to infiltrate the heart of the organization.
'I killed so many Root agents that I've backed Danzo into a corner,' Yagami thought.
'Now he's forcibly conscripting ninjas to fill the void.' He wondered if dragging people from the prestigious clans by force would ignite a backlash, but he felt more pity for the civilian ninjas. They had no powerful clan heads to speak for them; when faced with a forced draft, they had no choice but to obey.
Yagami thought he understood the depth of Danzo's desperation, but he was still shocked when he laid eyes on the twenty children gathered in the training hall.
'20 four-year-old children?' It was true that ninjas matured early in this world, but four years old was pushing the limits of sanity.
C approached him. "I didn't expect the ANBU to send a Squad Leader like Fox to personally serve as an instructor for the recruits."
"Commander Yellow Dog places a high premium on the quality of new recruits," Yagami replied smoothly. "He sent me to ensure the standards are met."
C nodded. "Captain Fox, this training cycle is divided into the 'Ninja Group' and the 'Junior Group.' You will be in charge of the Ninja Group. These twenty children will be trained by J and myself. The Ninja Group is expected to develop combat readiness within three to five months, after which they will be integrated into either the ANBU or Root."
The members of the Ninja Group already possessed at least the strength of a Chunin. Yagami surveyed them, but they all wore featureless white masks, making it impossible to distinguish which one was Yamanaka Ryu.
C handed over a scroll containing the training curriculum and announced to the recruits that Fox would be their lead instructor for the next three months. The recruits turned their eyes toward him. Unlike the standard black hooded cloaks of the regular ANBU, a Squad Leader wore a distinctive white cloak.
In this world, the weak required camouflage; the strong were always at odds with their environment.
Yagami ordered the three ANBU assistants to divide the twenty recruits into three squads for a physical assessment. After a series of speed drills, endurance tests, and kunai-throwing evaluations, he split them into an Advanced Class and a Basic Class.
The Advanced Class began sparring in pairs to refine their taijutsu techniques. The Basic Class was subjected to extreme endurance training, forcing them through muscle-tearing repetitions to break past their physical limits and shore up their foundational weaknesses.
Taijutsu was the bedrock of an ANBU ninja. Infiltration ninjutsu, physical combat, and explosive tags were their most common tools of assassination. Using the height and hair color descriptions provided by Purple Cat, Yagami eventually identified Yamanaka Ryu.
Her physical foundation was lacking, placing her in the Basic Class. This meant she would likely undergo five months of training before being assigned.
'Five months. That takes us nearly to the end of the year,' Yagami mused. 'Plenty of time to figure out a way to extract her.'
He turned his attention to the other side of the training grounds. He was far more interested in what was happening there. 20 four-year-old children, wearing masks that were slightly too large for their small faces, stood silently before C.
In his previous world, four-year-olds would be in the middle of a tantrum-throwing phase. Here, they stood in eerie silence, sensing intuitively that crying would bring only a dark end.
Under J's direction, they picked up kunai and shuriken to familiarize themselves with the tools of death. To an adult ninja, a kunai was a dagger; to these toddlers, it was the size of a short sword.
By noon, Yagami left the Root base and returned to the ANBU to find Purple Cat. "Don't worry for now. Your sister's physical strength is average, so she'll be in training for at least five months. She's safe for the time being."
Purple Cat exhaled a long breath of relief. With months of time, they would have opportunities to act.
...
Yagami was resting in the ANBU lounge when he suddenly snapped his eyes open. Someone—someone incredibly powerful—was approaching the Forest of Death at high speed!
He rushed out, leaping from the ANBU lightwell to the surface.
'Tsunade?'
Dressed in her signature green robe, Tsunade blurred past, heading straight into the heart of the forest. Golden Eagle was about to give the order to intercept, but Yagami raised a hand. "Wait! Look at her trajectory. She's heading for the Root base, not us."
Golden Eagle signaled his subordinates to stand down. Sure enough, the Princess of the Senju headed straight for the Root entrance. Upon arrival, she didn't bother with the door—she slammed a fist into the ground with bone-shattering force.
Yagami and Golden Eagle exchanged a glance. A strike like that could cause a total structural collapse of the underground facility. In all of the Hidden Leaf Village, only Tsunade had the audacity to do such a thing. Yagami was genuinely curious.
'What set her off?' No matter the grudge, smashing into Root so openly was incredibly messy work. He wished she could learn from him—his hands were drenched in Root blood, yet here he was, serving as their guest instructor.
...
In the underground training hall, a massive hole suddenly yawned in the ceiling. A figure in a pale green dress crashed through the opening, accompanied by a sudden, blinding pillar of sunlight.
C watched in horror as a fist grew rapidly in his field of vision.
"Stop!"
The voice of Advisor Danzo rang out, halting Tsunade's momentum. As the dust settled, C realized how close he had come to death. Tsunade had smashed through the roof and nearly pulverized him in the process.
"Princess Tsunade, what is the meaning of this?" C gasped, glancing at Danzo who stood nearby.
"Hand over Shizune Kato!" Tsunade roared.
The Kato surname was rare. After the death of Dan Kato, the most important person left in his lineage was his young niece, Shizune.
Hearing the demand, C replied with a tone that was neither humble nor overbearing. "Princess Tsunade! Everyone must be prepared to sacrifice for the Hidden Leaf Village! These children were meticulously selected by Root. They must undergo rigorous training to become the 'roots' that protect the village from the shadows!"
Tsunade's rage reached a boiling point. The very sound of "Will of Fire" rhetoric made her nauseous. "The Hidden Leaf Village was founded to give children a chance to grow up!"
she screamed. "Root snatches twenty toddlers for training and you talk about sacrifice? Why don't *you* sacrifice yourself for the village?"
"I have long been prepared to die for the village," C replied coldly. "As for their chance to grow up, rest assured, Princess. We will mold them into competent ninjas."
Tsunade raised her fist again, done with talking. Suddenly, a violent gale erupted from the side. The wind pressure blew C backward, preventing the punch from landing squarely.
Even without the full force of the blow, C's sternum cracked under the glancing impact, though he survived. He knew that even without Danzo's intervention, Tsunade wouldn't actually kill a fellow villager. Her outburst was more about venting her fury.
Tsunade retracted her fist and turned to look at Danzo as he stepped slowly into the light. His face was split by the shadow—half in the darkness of the hall, half in the sunlight from the hole—making his features look particularly sinister.
"Tsunade," Danzo said calmly. "Do not disturb the training of our new recruits. Come with me. Let us speak."
"I have nothing to say to you! I am taking Shizune!"
Tsunade began walking toward the nearest group of children, intent on unmasking them to find Shizune. J moved first, scooping up a small girl from the back of the line. He had quietly positioned himself near Shizune the moment the roof collapsed.
As Tsunade moved to intercept him, Danzo flickered into her path, blocking her way.
"Let us negotiate, Tsunade," Danzo said, his voice dropping to a low, transactional hum. "Trade me one technique, and you can take Shizune home tonight."