10 Kabuto

{Konohagakure. 48 modern era.}

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Konoha orphanage.

It already been 3 years, since the outbreak of the war.

Even though, recently the fight between the great shinobi villages reached a stalemate,

The players of this game themselves know it's only the calm before the storm, before the final showdown.

Still, konoha orphanage is always doing what it was built for,

Helping orphaned kids like any other orphanage, unfortunately the joy that used to be felt infecting this sanctuary, started to slowly dwindle.

It got to the point where new orphaned kids got admitted to the orphanage every month by the dozen.

Yet, the orphanage didn't get crowded at all, because unfortunately in this 3 years of war, many kids passed the age of 5, and end up recruited to the academy for pure ninja training.

Even the kids that got barely admitted to the orphanage still grieving their lost loved ones, and satisfied the criteria for the enlistment in the academy were taken away.

And of course, there's the Anbu subdivision, the Root.

Mainly the orphanage is still running for several reasons.

There's mother Nonō medical ninjutsu, she goes around helping the sick and wounded, and in the process she sometimes receive some fee, if the patient is capable enough to pay, even if it is a symbolic price.

Of since mother Nonō is just a one person, she can't make a big difference in funding the orphanage, that why she teaches the kids older than 4 medical ninjutsu, even though rarely she finds someone capable of learning medical ninjutsu.

But she was surprised to see that her shadow, Kabuto yakushi, who is always following her like a little duckling following its mother.

Easily pick up medical ninjutsu, he was just a natural, that only gave him more time with mother Nonō, and even though mother Nonō, usually doesn't like to play favoritism between the kids, she is in the end still a human being, eventually there relationship started to look more like a a relationship between a boy and his biological mother.

Yeah, back to the orphanage fundings, fortunately and unfortunately, the big chunk of the funds, came from the village.

Then, the Root happened.

Danzo's The leader of the Root, knows how the orphanage works and more, he knows who mother Nonō really is, after all she worked under him in Root.

And because, she once belonged to Root, the moment she took over the orphanage, she fought with all she got to stop the Root from ever again recruit kids from the orphanage and so far she succeeded in preventing the Root hands from overreaching to the orphanage.

And that was only possible because she was strong, after all she managed to cut ties with the Root, and as an atonement to what she did while working in Root, she chose the orphanage to stop poor kids end up in one Root's underground dungeons, the dark and cold grave like holes, they call a base.

But even, mother Nonō is individually strong, she defend against an entire organization by herself, so she got help from the village and precisely the Hokage in a form of an oppression to limit the Root operations in the village.

So, danzo this sick man who's obsessed with control and thirst for power, in the name of' this is all for konoha', choses this perilous times of war, where the village is busy with the war, he instead of helping the village on the battlefield, he chose to fulfill his dark ambitions, even attempting an assassination against the third Hokage, and now he points his claws towards the defenseless orphanage.

...

' sigh.... this danzo is really a malignant tumor, slowly killing the village from the inside ' thought Jin, watching from the side with his mother, while holding her right hand.

All the kids are gathered to say goodbye to Kabuto, who's going to be a Root agent, by his own volition.

Even though Jin slept like a log, last night, he knows clearly how this happened, but he's powerless to make any change.

Moving his head towards mother Nonō, who's fighting against her tears and sighed in his heart ' I'm sorry I couldn't stop this from happening....but at least I won't let you fall for Danzo's scheme....' decided Jin in his heart.

As much as mother Nonō denied and tried to stop Kabuto from following danzo to Root, she end up failing.

Well it's not a surprising thing, after all, Kabuto still the sweet and kind kid, so after hearing the conversation that happened between danzo and mother Nonō last night, which even a 5 years old boy could see that it was more of a threat than a transaction.

So knowing that the orphanage funds could be cut down and the other children will be in a constant danger, he didn't hesitate to willingly volunteer as the Root new member, to be trained in espionage.

Due to his kindness, and what he saw as a way to repay mother Nonō kindness.

.....

Watching the kids bid farewell to Kabuto,

Jin focused his attention on danzo and his two guards,

And since Jin doesn't know how to hide his intent, a minute later the Ninja on Danzo's right, turned his head to meet Jin eyes.

Jin was startled for a bit, but Danzo's right hand was even shocked, even though it didn't show on his face, mainly due to the type of training they went through.

He was shocked, first he is a sensor type ninja, second even though he's looking at Jin right now, he can't sense him at all, as if what his eyes are seeing is only an illusion.

Calming down slowly, he started to analyze Jin, and the first he noticed was Jin's abnormally pale face and weak and lean body, like a malnourished child.

' could it be.....he doesn't have chakra in his body....but he's still alive....' thought the Root ninja a bit perplexed.

Making a mental note to report his strange finding to danzo, he resumed his duties, guarding and preventing any sudden attack against danzo.

...

Days after the departure of Kabuto, Jin was in his usual spot, training.

It's already been a half a year, since Jin sensed nature energy for the first time.

Yet, he still didn't dare to use it in his training.

Passed all his time meditating and getting a basic form of control over the nature energy outside his body.

Opening his eyes, Jin let out a deep breath, taking a letter from his pocket.

' today, mother Nonō should be out of the orphanage, let wait when the caretakers are busy preparing lunch, I will slip this in mother Nonō's room'

Thought Jin while fiddling with a letter he wrote.

In the letter he explained what danzo is schemes for her and Kabuto, using one of the conditions of the 'transaction' that happened between them,

Which is sending news and pictures of Kabuto every month, that the least what mother Nonō could do, seeing how shackled she is.

The letter explained Danzo's plan of providing wrong news and slowly change Kabuto image as he grows up to brainwash her into believing a whole different person to be Kabuto.

For the day danzo will ask her to do a mission for him under the threat to Kabuto' life, an assassination mission precisely.

Her target would be the person she consider as a son yet not even able to recognize him.

Then the letter talked about the reason of danzo behind his scheme, breaking Kabuto mentally when he finds out that the person he consider as a mother tried to kill him, and get rid of Nonō a person who knows a lot about the Root and a lot of classified information as a former spy.

In short at the end the letter States that danzo will end up as the winner no matter what the outcome is.

And the letter end with a little advice, telling mother Nonō, to act as if she didn't receive this letter, because alerting danzo may push to change his plans for her and Kabuto, which will only ruin the only chance to rescue her and Kabuto from danzo overreaching claws.

" Don't trust danzo, he only thinks of his benefits, to him you are only a tool, and I think you already know that."

A little butterfly whispered to me.

Reaching the end of the letter, mother Nonō felt like her heart stopped for a second from the chill she felt.

She was horrified of what was written in the letter, moment later she burned the letter, her mind in a mess, whether to believe or not.

But her heart was already certain of the things written in the letter, staying away from the spying field for a long time, almost dulled her awareness of danger.

The letter came as an awakening slap to her.

" How could I forget how danzo works, and his dirty methods to achieve what he wants"

Clenching her teeth for a while, said Nonō a bit angry at herself, the fear of what would have happened if she believed danzo like and idiot, still lingering in her heart like a snake.