webnovel

Chapter 11

The three little ones stared hesitantly at the pastries in their hands for a moment, but this time they finally did not refuse. 

Having been accustomed to various types of bread, they were overwhelmed with emotion as they tasted the exquisite pastries for the first time, even shedding tears in excitement. 

Watching them devour the pastries, Danzo chuckled softly and pulled out a bottle of drinking water from his pocket to hand over, preventing them from choking. 

He had bought all this in advance; it's all part of the plan, after all—if you're going to act, you might as well do it thoroughly. 

"In order to uphold the will of the First Hokage, I have specially established an organization in the village to take in orphans." 

"There, the children no longer have to worry about being sent to the battlefield. They gather together to learn, eat, and rest, just like one big family." 

"Unity, friendship, harmony, and mutual assistance are the core values of our organization." 

"Everyone works hard to achieve peace in the ninja world." 

As Danzo spoke, his figure appeared increasingly imposing in the eyes of the three. 

"Peace, huh?" 

"I wonder if we can learn ninjutsu." 

"A big family…" 

The three little ones murmured Danzo's words to themselves. 

Since they had witnessed Danzo's battle, the desire to learn ninjutsu had already taken root in their hearts. 

Their initial invitation for Danzo to come in was to express their gratitude and to hope he would teach them ninjutsu. 

Now, hearing about that organization, a glimmer of longing rose within them. 

At their current age, having lost their family, they felt no lingering attachment to the Land of Rain. 

They called over the small figure hiding deep in the cave, turned their backs, and quietly discussed while petting the dog. 

"I want to join this uncle's organization. How about you two?" 

The word "peace" resonated with Yahiko's heart. 

"Me too! This handsome uncle doesn't seem like he's lying." 

A long life of wandering had made Konan yearn for the family Danzo spoke of. 

Nagato silently petted the dog; being more introverted, he would follow whatever choice his companions made. 

In the end, the three little ones made up their minds to join Konohagakure and decided that Yahiko would be the one to ask to take them away. 

"Uncle, we want to join your organization too!" 

Turning around, Yahiko approached Danzo and gathered his courage to speak up. 

Success! 

Upon hearing Yahiko's words, Danzo's expression remained unchanged, but inside he was already grinning from ear to ear. 

As a traveler from another world, he had seen plenty of Naruto's anime; it was easy to deceive these little kids. 

Konan, my little Konan, I finally got her! And I even got a two-for-one deal by luring away both Nagato and Yahiko, it couldn't be more perfect. 

I wonder how Uchiha Madara would react if he found out? Would he get so furious that he'd die from excitement before he could even get his oxygen mask on? 

After a moment of intense daydreaming, Danzo decided to be a little reserved; after all, if he agreed too quickly, it would seem like he had been plotting all along. 

"Oh, really? You all want to join our big family?" 

He pretended to ponder, stroking his chin as he examined the three. 

He watched them anxiously, afraid to move. 

"But I don't even know your names yet." 

Upon hearing Danzo's words, the three finally realized that they hadn't introduced themselves yet. 

"I'm Yahiko!" 

"I… I'm Konan." 

"Nagato." 

"Yahiko, Konan, Nagato." Danzo called out their names one by one, then seriously explained the stakes to them. "You all need to think carefully. Once you join us, it means you will forever be a part of Konohagakure." 

"From now on, wanting to leave again will not be allowed." 

Upon hearing this, the three did not hesitate and nodded earnestly. 

"Alright then, my name is Shimura Danzo. As the leader of Root, I officially welcome you to this big family!" 

Danzo opened his arms and gently embraced the three children along with the dog. 

Afterward, with Danzo's help, the three packed their bags and took a lingering glance at their former home, saying a simple farewell in their hearts before following Danzo away. 

Once everyone had walked far away, 

A white figure emerged from the ground of the cave. 

"Oh dear, that kid Nagato got taken away by someone." 

Looking at the still-warm campfire, the white figure shook its head. 

"What should I do now? Oh right, I need to report to Lord Madara." 

Talking to itself, the white figure sank back into the ground, disappearing as if it had never appeared. 

---

**Graveyard of the Mountains.**

The white-haired Uchiha Madara lay flat on his chair, resting. 

Although he extended his lifespan with the Outer Path's Demonic Statue, his body had severely deteriorated, and he spent most of his days sleeping. 

"Lord Madara—Lord Madara—!" 

Hearing someone calling his name, the elderly Madara opened his bleary eyes and laboriously sat up, looking at the white Zetsu in front of him. 

He thought, isn't this the one I sent to monitor Nagato? Never mind, let's ask. 

"What happened?" 

"That kid Nagato got taken away." 

"What did you say? What the hell got taken?" 

"I'm saying that Nagato—the little brat—he got taken away by someone?" Seeing that Uchiha Madara didn't hear, the white Zetsu quickly raised its voice. 

"What the hell! Can't you speak a little quieter? I'm not deaf yet!" 

The slightly hard-of-hearing Madara perked up his ears, carefully listening, and after scolding the white Zetsu, he slowly frowned. 

"What's going on? Has the Rinnegan been discovered by someone?" His first thought was that someone coveted the Rinnegan. 

But such eyes only existed in legends; that little brat Nagato was still young and wouldn't be able to use those eyes yet. 

Unless he used his abilities, he shouldn't be discovered. 

This is also why Uchiha Madara dared to let Nagato roam freely. 

"Um… it doesn't seem to be the case." 

White Zetsu had been secretly monitoring Nagato with the Kaguya technique and heard every word of Danzo's conversation. 

"He's a ninja from Konohagakure who saw how pitiful Nagato and the others were and took them all away." 

Hearing that the Rinnegan had not been exposed, the elderly Madara finally relaxed and instructed. 

"Then keep monitoring. Perhaps having a Konohagakure ninja take them away is a good thing." 

In Madara's view, the darkness concealed within Konohagakure was no less than that of the Land of Rain, so sending Nagato there might even benefit his plans. 

It was just that the risk of exposing the Rinnegan had increased quite a bit. 

"By the way, did you see any Uchiha clan members during this war?" 

"Yes, but their strength seems very weak; most of them haven't activated their Sharingan." 

Madara had long since given instructions that if he saw Uchiha clan corpses, he was to gouge out their eyes. 

If any were injured and strayed from their group, they were to be brought to the Graveyard of the Mountains. 

"They had some pretty strong medical ninjas, so the casualties in Konohagakure weren't serious." White Zetsu added. 

"Oh, really…" 

After years of planning, it seemed that things still hadn't gone according to his schemes. 

"Alright, you can go. Just follow the previous instructions." 

Watching the white Zetsu sink underground, Madara shifted his posture and leaned back in his chair. 

"Hashirama…" 

Murmuring the name of his best friend, the elderly Madara slowly closed his eyes, slipping back into a deep sleep. 

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