The last light of dusk scattered through the depths of the dense forest. Three figures moved like ghosts, the smell of blood thick and heavy around them.
The whole journey back had been taken with great care.
But in the end, they had still run into a number of Kumo-nin blocking their path.
Fortunately, they had come through without serious harm.
"Hold on a little longer. Root's base is just ahead."
Yakushi Nono heard Chiya's voice and gave a nod.
"Kumogakure's pursuers were more persistent than expected."
"That is because we killed their Jinchuriki, after all."
The three pushed through a thicket and finally reached the concealed Root base.
The heavy stone gate slowly opened. Dim torchlight lit up the deep passage within.
Once all three were inside, the heavy stone gate slammed shut behind them, cutting off the last thin sliver of twilight.
Inside the sealed chamber of the Root base, the atmosphere was heavy.
In the dim light, Danzo sat at the head of the room. His single eye flickered with a cold and sharp gleam.
Before him, Uchiha Chiya and Orochimaru stood side by side, with Yakushi Nono standing off to one side.
Seeing the three arrive, Danzo wasted no words.
Mission report.
Orochimaru stepped half a pace forward, his golden slit pupils bright with excitement.
The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was confirmed dead. Kumogakure had lost at least ten jonin. The facilities within a five-mile radius around Kumo's Lightning Gorge had been caught in the aftermath.
The corner of his mouth pulled into a dangerous curve.
Hearing this result, even the stiff face of Konoha's "master of deflection" took on a trace of satisfaction.
Danzo rose from his seat at once.
He stepped briskly toward Orochimaru.
"The specific details."
Orochimaru gave a cold smile and tossed a sealed scroll into the air.
Danzo's single eye sharpened instantly. The scroll was snatched midway by a bandage-wrapped hand.
He opened it and read through it.
"There are no missions for the time being. Stay here in Root and rest."
Orochimaru gave a nod and did not refuse.
With that said, Danzo's gaze skipped past Yakushi Nono and settled on Uchiha Chiya.
"Chiya, this mission was completed with outstanding results."
Danzo's voice was low and firm, his gaze fixed tightly on Chiya.
"Your strength and potential have not been lost on me."
Chiya gave a small smile.
"Lord Danzo flatters me. I only did what was expected of me."
Danzo gave a nod.
"The future of Konoha needs people like you.
I have a proposal. I hope you will join Root and become one of my subordinates."
'Join Root?'
'That would be handing my life over to this old man, would it not?'
There was no way Chiya would agree to that.
He kept his expression calm, his tone steady.
"Lord Danzo, I appreciate your kind offer. However, the war at the front cannot do without me. I cannot leave at a time like this."
Danzo's brow furrowed slightly, and a flash of displeasure crossed his eye, but it quickly returned to stillness.
"The war at the front is indeed important, but Root also needs a talent like you.
Joining Root will give you access to far greater resources and support, and allow you to make far better use of your potential."
'Does Root really think it has a monopoly on talent?'
Still, when it came to handling situations like this, Chiya was more than capable.
"Lord Danzo, I understand what you mean.
Joining Root would certainly help me grow stronger.
But the war at the front is where my concern lies.
It is my most important duty right now, and I cannot leave at this time.
The future of Konoha must be protected by all of us together. I hope to continue serving the village at the front."
The light in Danzo's single eye flickered slightly, as if he were weighing Chiya's words.
He was silent for a moment, then finally gave a nod.
"Very well. Since you feel this strongly, I will not press the matter.
But I hope you will remember that Root's door is always open to you."
Chiya gave a slight smile and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for understanding, Lord Danzo."
Orochimaru's eyes carried a note of amusement.
He licked his lips and said quietly.
"Has Chiya-kun truly given it enough thought? Going to the front serves the village, and so does Root."
Chiya gave a slight smile and did not take the bait.
He knew what Orochimaru was thinking, but he had no intention of being manipulated by anyone, no matter who it was.
Danzo's gaze swept over Chiya and Orochimaru, and finally came to rest on Yakushi Nono.
"Nono, what is your situation?"
Yakushi Nono lowered her head slightly, her voice calm.
"Lord Danzo, I have completed the mission as ordered. For now, I would like to rest for a period of time."
A faint trace of displeasure crossed Danzo's gaze, barely noticeable, but he gave a nod all the same.
"Very well. You have worked hard. Go and rest."
Yakushi Nono gave a small bow, turned, and left the sealed chamber.
Seeing this, Chiya did not linger either. He also turned and walked out, leaving the Root base.
Inside the sealed chamber, only Orochimaru and Danzo remained.
"It seems the recruitment did not go as planned, Lord Danzo."
Danzo looked at Orochimaru's smiling face and let out a cold grunt.
"An ungrateful Uchiha."
"Orochimaru, has there been any breakthrough in the Sharingan research I entrusted to you?"
At the mention of the Sharingan, Orochimaru's smile faded.
"If Lord Danzo wishes to transplant the Sharingan, Hashirama's cells will likely be needed as a supplement."
Almost every Sharingan eye carries within it a "spiritual energy." In order to draw out the Sharingan's full power, a corresponding level of "physical energy" must be present to balance it.
Without that balance, the user will experience discomfort, or their chakra will be pushed to the point of exhaustion.
It was the same as what happened to Kakashi in the original story. The more he used the Sharingan, the more drained he looked, as if something vital had been worn away.
For someone who is not an Uchiha and needs to supplement their "physical energy," Hashirama's cells are the first choice.
Hashirama's cells can provide a large amount of "physical energy," and once successfully integrated, the user no longer needs to worry about their own depletion.
However, merging with Hashirama's cells does carry a certain degree of risk.
Danzo was silent for a moment. A flash of something like madness passed through his eyes.
"Did you not say a while ago that you had a stable method? I am not waiting any longer. Do the transplant."
With that, Danzo carefully reached into his clothing and produced a scroll. He bit his finger and pressed it against the surface.
A glass vial appeared before the two of them.
"Is this also a Sharingan?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up at the sight of the Sharingan inside the glass vial, and his interest was immediately sparked.
"Yes. This is the Mangekyo Sharingan, a step beyond the three-tomoe Sharingan."
A Mangekyo... Sharingan?
Orochimaru stared at the eye inside the glass vial. The deep curiosity in his gaze grew thicker and thicker.
"Lord Danzo, an eye like this, if it were used for research..."
Danzo let out a cold grunt.
"An eye like this, and I only have the one."
"Begin."
As he spoke, Danzo unwrapped the bandages covering his other "eye."
"What a shame."
Upon hearing there was only one, Orochimaru could not help feeling a twinge of regret.
His gaze moved to Danzo's empty eye socket, and a hint of mockery crept into his expression.
"Lord Danzo did not have an ordinary eye transplanted before. The tissue around the socket has decayed somewhat. It looks like it will need to be properly cleaned out before the transplant can proceed."
Danzo's single eye turned dark, as if he had already anticipated this.
"Then clean it."