Root

He wasn't someone ambitious, nor was he interested in accumulating power.

In a world where power meant everything, chasing it seemed ridiculous to him.

What good is controlling the world if, in the end, you can't even control your own life?

That's why he didn't dream of unifying the world or becoming Hokage.

However...

His perspective changed after dying unexpectedly in his past life.

His arrival in this world was marked by the chaos of the Nine-Tails' attack.

Even as a newborn, he was trapped under rubble and almost died.

I don't want to go through that again…

From that moment, he had decided one thing: he wanted to control his destiny. And to do that, he needed to reach the peak of power.

He didn't plan to betray Konoha or become its savior. To him, Konoha was his home by default.

He was born there, a ninja saved him during the Nine-Tails attack, and then he was cared for in an orphanage.

Even now, he lived thanks to the village's monthly allowance.

Gratitude must be repaid, and grudges too.

His initial plan was simple.

First, enroll in the Ninja Academy.

There, he would learn the basics and stand out using his system, earning the reputation of a hardworking genius. This would attract the attention of Konoha's Council, who would likely assign him a decent mentor to help hone his skills.

Over time, he would use his system and knowledge of the future to climb, reach the pinnacle of power, and live a comfortable life, without regrets, and obviously a pleasant life with his favorite waifu.

During this process, he was willing to help Konoha prosper. If his success also brought benefits to the village, all the better.

But now…

Everything went to hell.

Four Root ninjas had tried to kill him at Training Ground No. 39, forcing him to fight back.

With the Kurama Ring and Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, Kuro now possessed power equivalent to that of a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

However, he had limits.

He didn't know much about ninjutsu, his physical strength wasn't enough to withstand the effects of the Nine-Tails' chakra for long, and his combat experience was practically nonexistent.

But despite everything, it was enough to face this small group of Root ninjas.

One Jōnin and three Chūnin, nothing more.

And to confront him, at least a Jōnin of Kakashi's level would need to come.

However, his concern wasn't the fight itself.

What will happen afterward?

If he killed these four and disposed of their bodies, his peaceful life would come to an end.

Although no one specifically knew he trained at Training Ground No. 39, villagers saw him passing through the streets every day. Anyone could confirm that was his usual spot.

Four Root elites disappearing in the same place where I usually train…

Even if they didn't suspect him initially, they would surely interrogate him.

If the Hokage led the investigation, maybe it would just boil down to a couple of uncomfortable questions.

But if Danzō got involved...

Danzō coveted Shisui's other eye and would be willing to move heaven and earth to obtain information about what happened.

Even if they didn't suspect me at first, Root ninjas have much crueler methods for uncovering the truth.

The Yamanaka clan was linked to Root. They could access someone's deepest memories.

What if they discover my system?

"Why are they forcing me…?" Kuro asked coldly. "Why are they forcing me to kill them?"

The ninja who had tried to slash his throat was sent flying when a large golden chakra fist emerged from Kuro's body and struck him.

The ninja's sword shattered, and the man spat blood as he crashed violently into a tree over ten meters away.

The squad captain, who had started to move away, turned his head at the sound of the crash. Though he seemed a bit surprised, he quickly regained his composure.

"Just a mere child…" he said calmly, pointing at Kuro. "He's never attended the Academy, and yet he has the ability to use such an advanced genjutsu that it made me fall into an illusion."

The captain shook his head, a hint of condescension in his tone.

"An impressive talent… but it's a shame you'll die soon. Break this genjutsu, kid. It's your only chance to survive."

?

Kuro's indifferent expression wavered.

Does this guy not believe what he's seeing?

"Are you saying this…" he gestured around him, "…is an illusion?"

"Of course," the captain replied with a condescending smile. "Although I must admit, it's an incredibly realistic genjutsu… too realistic. But you can't fool me, kid. This is ridiculous! Too fake!"

"Oh?" Kuro smiled playfully and asked, "And what's fake about it?"

The captain let out a slight sigh. "If you don't know about Root, you should at least know what the Anbu are."

"Of course."

"Then you'll also know that we're the Hokage's direct troops, responsible for protecting him, gathering information, and performing selective assassinations."

He pointed to his own head, displaying a grimace. "That means we're very well-informed. We know, for example, that the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki is elsewhere in Konoha. And we know that the Mangekyō Sharingan is extremely rare in the Uchiha clan..."

"Ah… but of course, you shouldn't even know what the term Jinchūriki means, right?…"

The more he spoke, the more he began to realize.

Something wasn't adding up.

How could a common child invent such a specific illusion about concepts like the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Nine-Tails?

Then…

He slowly looked up, and the first thing he saw was Kuro's expression: a cold, mocking smile.

"You…" he murmured as his eyes filled with disbelief.

Immediately, he unsheathed the short sword on his back, and the other two Anbu did the same, positioning themselves on guard.

But the captain couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. The dryness in his throat and the involuntary trembling of his body betrayed him.

"This… this isn't an illusion, is it?"

Kuro's smile widened. "It seems Root ninjas aren't as smart as they claim to be."

Then, he snapped his fingers.

"But at least you got one thing right: this isn't an illusion."

The captain's eyes widened in horror as Kuro continued with a malicious smile.

"And as a reward for guessing correctly… you'll die here."

In that instant, the Nine-Tails' chakra split into three large hands that launched themselves at the three Anbu.

The hands quickly grabbed them by the neck, lifting them off the ground as their legs dangled in the air.

Unable to breathe, their faces turned a deep red as their hands desperately struck the chakra hands that immobilized them.

With their strength and training, they should never have been subdued so easily.

But the problem wasn't physical; it was mental.

They were Root members, trained to endure pain and control their emotions. However, what they saw before them was an impossible scenario: a second Nine-Tails Jinchūriki… and with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The shock of this revelation disrupted their trained minds, exposing flaws in their usual unshakable composure.

With just a little more force, Kuro could snap their necks in an instant.

However, despite his rage, his anger didn't cloud his judgment.

He didn't think about venting his anger but about the best way to handle the situation.

Killing these four would ease my anger, but then I'd have to flee Konoha. Goodbye to my peaceful life, my stable growth environment, and the possibility of obtaining more materials for Forging.

Making it as if none of this had happened would be the best.

Aware of this, Kuro controlled the chakra hands to throw them against a tree.

With a movement, the three hands fused into one larger hand, which descended like a hammer onto the three, slamming them forcefully into the ground.

Then, he separated one of the hands and grabbed the first ninja who had attacked him, throwing him alongside the others.

"What are you going to do?"

The captain, now embedded against the tree, straightened himself as best he could. Though his body was covered in dust and his breathing was irregular, his gaze was strangely calm.

After all, Root ninjas received emotional destruction training. Even if the facts before them scared them, they quickly regained their composure.

"What am I going to do? Hmph."

Kuro let out a snort. "Don't even mention it. Just the ability I've just obtained has to be used on low-level people like you!"

"FUUUCK!"

________

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