Smoke billowed in the Hokage Office, and the air was heavy. Hiruzen Sarutobi was planning a vacation trip with Konohamaru, while the two Advisors were too worried to eat.
Utatane Koharu's fingers gripped the edge of a report, her knuckles slightly white from the force. The report's title was "Konoha Security Threat Elimination Report."
Twelve senior spies, affiliated with different Ninja Villages, had all vanished overnight.
Beside her, Homura Mitokado's face was so grim it looked like water could be wrung from it. He couldn't imagine how it was done.
No Anbu were alerted, not a ripple of disturbance was caused, and not even a single body was left behind. It was terrifyingly efficient.
"This isn't according to regulations."
Homura Mitokado's voice was hoarse as he slapped the report onto the table with a thud.
"No interrogation, no Hokage approval—this is a complete overreach of authority."
"But they were indeed threats." Utatane Koharu's voice was soft, yet carried a sense of helpless realism. "The report makes it very clear that every one of these individuals had irrefutable evidence against them. Besides, when has Danzo ever bothered to inform us when he acted?"
As she spoke, she fell silent herself. Yes, when Danzo was in charge, they couldn't control him. Now, with someone younger, more efficient, and even more terrifying, they still couldn't control him.
Zero stood silently before the desk, oblivious to the heated debate between the two Advisors, merely stating the contents he was meant to report.
"The report indicates that with the removal of key intelligence nodes, the intelligence threat level of the Four Great Ninja Villages within Konoha has decreased by two ranks."
Zero's voice was steady.
"According to strategic simulations within 'Root,' for at least the next three months, the major Ninja Villages will significantly scale back their infiltration activities against Konoha to avoid triggering unknown and incomprehensible counter-mechanisms."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had remained silent in the main seat, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table. He finally finished the last page of the report and slowly raised his head.
A faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face.
There wasn't much joy in that smile, only the weariness and self-mockery of having a heavy burden lifted.
"Didn't I tell you?" He looked at his two grim-faced old friends. "We just need to quietly watch, and it will be fine."
"Hiruzen!" Utatane Koharu's voice suddenly rose, filled with incredulous fear. "You are being permissive! You are handing a sheathed sword to a child whose actions we cannot predict! What if this sword's next target is within the Village itself?"
Utatane Koharu's sharp gaze turned to Zero, with a hint of probing: "What if... Naruto believes there are threats within Konoha that need to be 'eliminated'?"
Zero's gaze flickered, and after a moment's thought, he spoke: "The Political Commissar only eliminates threats." He responded calmly. "He will not harm any loyalty."
That single sentence plunged the two Advisors back into silence.
Was this a promise, or a deeper threat? Who would define "loyalty"? And who would judge who was a "threat"? The answer was self-evident.
Zero ignored their internal struggles and instead took another scroll from his robes, presenting it with both hands to the Third Hokage.
"This is the Political Commissar's latest research project application."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took it, unrolled it, and saw the title boldly written: "Chakra-Conducting Bolter Structure Optimization and Mass Production Plan."
He didn't even read the contents carefully, directly took a pen from his drawer, and signed his name.
"Approved."
Zero bowed, then his figure vanished like a ghost.
"Hiruzen! Are you out of your mind!" Homura Mitokado finally couldn't hold back. "You approved it without even looking? You're giving him unlimited power! 'Root' will develop into a monster that none of us can control!"
"Heh heh..." Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled and shook his head, taking two leisurely puffs from his pipe and exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
"I'm a man close to retirement. I'll approve this project, but the actual budget allocation and material deployment—the one who signs off on that will be Tsunade."
A sly, old-fox-like glint flashed in his eyes. "By then, it will be a contest between our new Fifth Generation and our new 'Root' leader."
Homura Mitokado's brow furrowed into a knot: "What if... what if even Tsunade can't control him?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe against the corner of the table and slowly said: "Then I'll go fishing with you all at Lake Biwa."
...Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in Iwagakure.
In the Tsuchikage Office, the diminutive Ōnoki floated in mid-air, agitated by recent border skirmishes with Hidden Cloud Village.
An intelligence Ninja stumbled in, his face ashen.
"Lord Tsuchikage! This is bad! Our... our 'Litmus' squad embedded in Konoha, all three members, have gone missing!"
"What?" Ōnoki frowned. "A bunch of incompetents! How did they go missing?"
"I... I don't know!" The Ninja's voice trembled. "Just last night, all their life signals disappeared at the same time. And... and according to urgent intelligence we just intercepted, at the same time, Sunagakure, Hidden Mist, and Kumogakure—their spy networks embedded in Konoha also suffered the same fate... completely wiped out!"
"Buzz—"
Ōnoki's brain buzzed, and his aged body suddenly sagged, almost falling from mid-air.
This was not an accident, not a coincidence.
This was a premeditated, planned, Village-wide... purge!
"Kitsuchi!" Ōnoki roared.
The tall Kitsuchi immediately appeared beside him.
"Bring me all the latest intelligence regarding Konoha, regarding that Uzumaki Naruto!"
Soon, a top-secret file compiling information from the Chunin Exams, the Konoha Crush Plan, and various rumors after Danzo's downfall was placed before Ōnoki.
Kitsuchi analyzed in a low voice: "Father, this level of operational efficiency and secrecy far surpasses Danzo's era. Danzo's 'Root' was like a blunt knife, relying on sheer numbers and unscrupulous methods. But this new 'Root'... it's like an invisible scalpel, precise, lethal, leaving no trace."
The intelligence—Naruto's inconceivable summons, his unheard-of weapons, and his cold, efficient tactical thinking—sent shivers down the spine of Ōnoki, a Kage who had experienced three Great Ninja Wars.
"Stop..." Ōnoki's voice was dry and solemn. "Immediately issue orders to cease all espionage activities and infiltration plans against Konoha. All deployed personnel are to enter a silent state and are not to make any moves until they receive my command!"
"Yes!"
"Father, should we..." Kitsuchi suggested, "send an official diplomatic delegation to Konoha for a probing contact? We need to find out what this Uzumaki Naruto truly wants."
Ōnoki remained silent for a long time, finally nodding slowly.
After the meeting, Ōnoki was left alone in the office. He laboriously walked to the giant map, his gaze fixed on the Konoha marker in the center of the Land of Fire.
That marker seemed to emit an unprecedented, dangerous, and fervent glow.
The last time he felt this strange sensation was when he faced Uchiha Madara.
But that was decades ago.
The old era might truly be ending...
"Root" Headquarters, underground command center.
On the cold metal walls, countless light screens displayed a vast stream of data. Konoha's economic indicators, the emotional fluctuations of its civilians, the military movements of the major Ninja Villages... everything was converted into cold numbers, presented before Naruto's eyes.
He was reviewing the follow-up impact assessment report of the spy elimination operation.
Zero's figure appeared silently.
"Lord Political Commissar."
Naruto didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on the light screen.
"Speak."
"The guards of the Daimyos Mansion in the Land of Fire conveyed a request to us."
Zero's tone had a subtle pause.
"Princess Yui... wishes to thank you in person for saving her life. She specifically asked to see you."
×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×
Read Extra Chapter Visit My Patreon
I have only 1 tier
19$ Tier – Access to 40 advance chapters
patreon.com/Lempil
patreon.com/Lempil