Chapter 49 — A Twist—Do You Understand?
In the silent forest, figures would occasionally appear—masked, moving swiftly in and out.
This was Root, known as the most mysterious place in Konoha. Aside from its members, no one knew its exact location.
Even if someone stumbled into it by accident, they wouldn't discover anything. A barrier concealed everything—at most, they would only see a stretch of ordinary trees.
To enter, one had to open a single hidden entrance, dive thirty meters underground, and pass through a long tunnel before truly reaching Root.
The narrow passageway was not only well-hidden but also designed to prevent enemy incursions. Hidden weapons and poison gas lined its walls, capable of stopping most intruders.
And this was only the outer perimeter. Deeper inside were even more destructive defenses, turning Root into an impenetrable fortress.
At the very center was its leader, Shimura Danzō. This was his office—and also his resting place. The decor was extremely simple, with only a single bookshelf.
Such a modest workspace hardly matched the status of Konoha's second-in-command.
Danzō's expression was dark. Veins bulged on his forehead as he gripped a copy of the Konoha Daily tightly in his hand.
Kneeling below him was Root's captain, Jiu. As Danzō's confidant, he knew exactly why his master was furious.
It was all because of Aneki's Story.
The character Shimura Do in the story bore an uncanny resemblance to Lord Danzō himself.
Shimura Do was a spymaster who would stop at nothing, who used righteousness to pressure others while secretly engaging in vile acts.
"Investigate. Find the author 'Big Sister' and bring them to Root. I suspect they are a spy from another nation, intending to severely damage the Shimura clan."
Jiu suddenly felt that this author truly understood Danzō—hitting the mark with unsettling precision.
"Yes!"
After Jiu left, Danzō still couldn't calm himself.
This was malicious slander—an attempt to tarnish the Shimura clan.
He would first capture this so-called spy, then uproot the newspaper entirely.
"Kinoshita Hikaru..."
Not long ago, he had sent someone to invite Hikaru, only to be immediately warned by Hiruzen. It was obvious—Hikaru had something to do with it.
And just days later, Hikaru started a newspaper and released Aneki's Story.
"You think you've hidden yourself well… but the power of Root is beyond your imagination."
Danzō was certain this was Hikaru's doing. He even suspected that "Big Sister" was Hikaru himself.
It sounded absurd—but as a spymaster, he trusted his instincts.
"You won't escape."
A cruel smile appeared on Danzō's lips. Once he found even the slightest evidence, he could accuse Hikaru of slandering Konoha's leadership, arrest him outright, and have the Yamanaka clan search his memories.
Then he would place a curse seal on him, turning him into a weapon of Root.
All of this… simply because Hikaru, at the age of seven, could already contend with a jōnin.
Taking the newspaper, Danzō headed toward the Hokage building.
He wanted an explanation from his old friend.
"Take a look, Hiruzen. I have devoted myself tirelessly to Konoha, yet now I am being slandered like this."
Danzō spoke calmly, but his eyes burned with anger. On the way here, he had already decided—he would confront Hikaru face-to-face and seize him in one move.
"Danzō, calm down. Don't be so angry—have a smoke."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even glance at the paper. He was already thoroughly familiar with its contents. Instead, he smiled and offered him a pipe.
"You already know?" Danzō frowned, sensing something off.
"Ah…"
Hiruzen's smile faded. His expression turned weary, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
"Konoha is struggling. War is approaching, the villagers' lives are difficult, and the psychological pressure is immense. They have no outlet to release it—this is not good."
Danzō's heart sank. The sense of unease grew stronger.
Wasn't he supposed to stand up for him? Why was he saying all this?
"Just when I was at a loss, Hikaru came to me. He said he wanted to enrich the villagers' lives and strengthen their mental well-being. That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"This kind of filthy novel—and you call it a good thing?"
"How is it filthy? Look at the protagonist, Aneki—how strong and noble she is. She constantly fights against evil forces for her beliefs. Isn't that admirable?"
Danzō said nothing. He picked up the newspaper and read it again carefully, then exploded in anger:
"Look at this line—Shimura Do summoned Aneki in the middle of the night, and at dawn she walked out disheveled!"
"That's Aneki resisting with all her strength and finally escaping his clutches."
"And this one—Shimura Do entered a secret chamber with torture tools, and soon there were sounds of whipping and screams!"
"That's Aneki enduring torture, refusing to reveal village intelligence in order to protect her beliefs."
Hiruzen spoke with conviction, his eyes full of admiration.
Damn it…
Danzō was stunned.
Was he the only one interpreting it that way?
Was he the one with a filthy mind?
Grinding his teeth, he said, "Then why is the protagonist's surname Shimura? Why is the villain Shimura? I have lived an upright life—this is clearly smearing the Shimura clan!"
Hiruzen was secretly delighted, though his face showed only sorrow.
"Shallow!"
Danzō: ???
You're insulting me?
I'm the one being wronged here, and you're calling me shallow?
Have you betrayed our friendship?
"Shimura Do—this name was something I specifically fought for on your behalf. And yet you doubt me. His early villainy is just a layer of disguise. Later, he will be redeemed. This is meant to bring fame to the Shimura clan.
The more people hate him in the beginning, the more they will love him later. That's called a twist.
A twist—do you understand?"
Hiruzen repeated what Hikaru had told him, emphasizing that there would definitely be a redemption arc later, reassuring Danzō.
When the time came, everyone would recognize Shimura Do as a good man.
Shimura Danzō walked out of the Hokage building in a daze.
Of his seven orifices, six seemed open—only one remained blocked.
Still, he understood one thing:
This was a good thing.
A good thing that would bring prestige to the Shimura clan.
"A disguise… a good man?"
At that moment, he felt a strange sense of identification with Shimura Do.
Misunderstood by the world, yet steadfast in his beliefs—even when condemned by all, never wavering.
…
Elsewhere.
Inside the Konoha Daily office, Jiraiya was writing furiously, inspiration pouring out like a spring. His face was filled with excitement.
"Root?"
He sensed someone watching outside the office and felt displeased.
Such an important name had already been given to their leader—was that still not enough?
He recalled what Kinoshita Hikaru had said:
"I deeply respect Lord Danzō. The protagonist's name must be given to the Shimura clan."
How infuriating!
It should have been given to Lord Jiraiya instead!
Jiraiya felt indignant, frustrated at missing the opportunity.
But he had no idea—
This was all a trap.
…
Although Kinoshita Hikaru had told everyone that there would be a twist, that Shimura Do would eventually be redeemed, he never said when that redemption would happen.
Or when the story would end.
In fact, Hikaru had already decided—
If he ran out of ideas, he would simply abandon the story altogether.
Redemption?
Not in this lifetime.
Not even in the next.
Just like that, a crisis was effortlessly resolved through Hikaru's smooth talk, leaving Danzō completely fooled.
Root's surveillance, which had begun in the morning, was withdrawn by the afternoon.
Danzō had already accepted the concept of a "twist" and was even eagerly anticipating it.
Take your time, Danzō… this is only the beginning…