The Root’s Trap

In the Hokage building, Hiruzen was dealing with his official duties, the room filled with the familiar scent of his pipe smoke. He was deep in thought, pen in hand, when the door to his office was suddenly slammed open with a loud bang.

Hiruzen frowned, looking up from his paperwork. "Danzo, that's the third door you've broken this month." He began, his tone a mix of annoyance and weariness.

But before he could finish, Danzo stormed into the room, his face twisted in anger. He roughly slammed his hands onto Hiruzen's desk, causing papers to scatter.

"Hiruzen, this is no time for trivialities!" Danzo barked, his voice filled with urgency. "Do you realize what's happening under your nose? Namikaze Mirai is moving against us. He's rallying the Uchiha clan to his side."

Hiruzen took a deep breath, composing himself before addressing Danzo. "I already know about their meeting." He said, his voice measured. "The ANBU operatives monitoring both parties have already reported back."

Danzo's expression remained one of impatience and anger, probing if Root missed something. "And what have they reported? What were the contents of their meeting?"

Hiruzen exhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully. "The exact purpose of their meeting remains unknown."

Danzo's frustration was palpable. "So, we sit and do nothing? Hiruzen, this is precisely the kind of inaction that will lead to our downfall. Mirai is not someone to underestimate. His abilities, his influence… We cannot afford to wait until he makes his move."

Hiruzen suspected the reason for Mirai's visit was to inquire further about the events of that fateful night, but Danzo vehemently disagreed.

"What if there's more to it than that?" Danzo countered, his voice filled with urgency. "Hiruzen, you must remember the teachings of Tobirama-sensei. He warned us to be wary of the Uchiha and their extreme thinking. Now, with Mirai thrown into the mix, nothing good will come from their alliance."

As he listened to his old friend, Hiruzen's eyes gradually became serious. Though he maintained a nonchalant facade, his mind was already racing with concerns. Despite Danzo's often rigid views, there was an undeniable truth to his words.

Before Mirai's return, the Uchiha had been the primary source of instability within Konoha. Their discontent had been simmering ever since the Second Hokage's policies had effectively marginalized them. Now, with Mirai back, another potentially volatile element had entered the equation.

Hiruzen quietly thought about the delicate balance he needed to maintain. He had already lost control over Naruto's life, and Mirai's intentions to challenge the Third Hokage's authority were becoming more apparent. The village, already strained from the aftermath of the Nine-Tails attack, couldn't afford further internal conflict.

Danzo's words lingered in his mind. "We must be prepared to act swiftly if needed." While Hiruzen valued wisdom and patience, he couldn't ignore the fact that swift action might soon be necessary.

Hiruzen took a deep breath from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he asked. "So, Danzo, what are you planning to do about this?"

Danzo, recognizing that Hiruzen had relented and was leaving the matter to be handled as he saw fit, allowed a grim smile to form on his face. He had already set his plans in motion. The wheels were turning, and every detail had been meticulously arranged to deal with the emerging threat posed by Mirai.

"I've studied and analyzed every aspect of Mirai's abilities." Danzo said, his voice calm but with an undertone of menace. "You should soon hear some good news."

With that, Danzo closed his eye, his demeanor composed as ever. He reminded himself that this time, Mirai wouldn't be able to escape.

Hiruzen turned back to his work, forcing himself to focus on the papers in front of him. He pretended he didn't know a thing, maintaining his usual calm exterior. But inside, he was wrestling with the gravity of the decisions being made around him.

…

Under the setting sun, Mirai walked along the path, his shadow stretching long and dark behind him. As he moved through the village, he gradually changed his path. He walked through the alleyways, eventually reaching the outskirts of the village, into a dense forest, the trees casting eerie shadows in the fading light.

Stopping in a small clearing, Mirai turned his head slightly, his grim voice cutting through the silence. "Come out!" He commanded, his eyes equally cold.

There was a moment of hesitation before several figures emerged from the shadows. Clad in dark uniforms, their faces hidden behind masks, the Root operatives revealed themselves. Their silence was ominous, their intent clear.

Mirai's gaze swept over them, his expression unreadable. "Danzo's pawns." he muttered to himself. He could see the determination in their stances, the readiness to carry out whatever orders they had been given.

"I don't have time for this." He said aloud, his voice steady but with a dangerous edge. "But if it's a fight you want, then you'll get one."

…

The Root operative's voice was devoid of emotion, cold and mechanical. "It was expected that you would discover us easily." he stated.

Whoosh!

In an instant, more masked ninjas appeared around Mirai, their movements precise and calculated. They formed a surrounding array, trapping him in the middle, making the space around him feel airtight.

Mirai smirked as he surveyed the Root operatives surrounding him. "It seems Danzo couldn't hold back any longer." He said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Unfortunately for you, he underestimated me. You've been sent here to die."

As the Root operatives remained silent and motionless, Mirai's thoughts turned inward. He reflected on one of his own invented techniques, [Bio-Magnetic Fields Perception]. A fusion of sensory chakra and his Magnet Release, it allowed him to reverse the magnetizing effect and instead detect the natural biological magnetic field emitted by the body. This technique gave him an edge, enabling him to gauge the true strength of his opponents.

Activating the technique, Mirai felt the unique magnetic signatures of each operative around him. He quickly discerned that several among them were jonin and special jonin. Their chakra levels, physical strength, and even minute movements were laid bare before his mind's eye. A smirk tugged at his lips as he realized just how outmatched they were.

Seeing his calm posture, the surrounding Root members simultaneously pulled their non metallic tip-less tantō and rushed at him, going straight for his vital points. Mirai tried to retreat normally, only to find his body unable to move. Bound by [Multiple String Light Formation], a sealing barrier erected by the remaining dozen Root operatives cooperatively to amplify its effect.

Seeing this, Mirai simply released his chakra. A surge of raw energy emanated from him, visibly affecting the terrain. The ground trembled, disrupting the footing of the Root members and causing the barrier to waver. The operatives staggered, struggling to maintain their formation.

The light strings flickered under the pressure of Mirai's powerful chakra. The intense energy flow destabilized the sealing barrier, creating momentary gaps in its structure.

With an unnatural grace, Mirai retreated back, his movements swift and fluid, as if his body was unaffected by gravity. He seemed to glide over the terrain, his feet barely touching the ground. In an instant, he was out of their formation.

The trained Root operatives soon gathered their bearings, recalling the detailed report of Mirai's abilities. One of the techniques noted in their intel was [Electromagnetic Propulsion], a method Mirai had developed to counter his own brother's teleportation technique.

By encasing his body or clothes in tiny magnetized metal components, Mirai could push himself towards any angle, regardless of his initial position. This made his movements unpredictable and incredibly swift, almost as if he were teleporting.

Root members exchanged quick, silent signals, adjusting their strategy to account for Mirai's unique abilities. They spread out, attempting to create a wider perimeter to anticipate his rapid movements.

Mirai, sensing their regrouping efforts, smirked inwardly. He could feel the electromagnetic fields from the metal components on his body, ready to be activated. The Root operatives' adaptation was impressive, but he was prepared for this.

In an instant, Mirai activated his [Electromagnetic Propulsion], launching himself into the air with blinding speed. The Root operatives, anticipating this, attempted to intercept him mid-flight with either kunai and shuriken. However, Mirai's control over his trajectory was too precise. He shifted angles mid-air, dodging their attacks effortlessly.

A moment he was still mid-air, the next moment he vanished and reappeared in a kicking position. The Root captain, who had been coordinating the assault, was already lying at the base of a broken tree, a pool of blood spreading around him.

The rest of them saw this and, even though they had been informed of his speed, they were still shocked. The second-in-command soon took charge, ordering a change in formation while cursing Mirai's speed.

"Change formation!" He barked, trying to regain control of the situation. The operatives moved swiftly, their training kicking in as they repositioned themselves to encircle Mirai once more, but at a greater distance. They gave up any semblance of close combat with him, knowing that his speed turned any sneak attack ineffective.

"Keep your distance! Focus on ranged attacks and support!" the second-in-command ordered, his voice tense. The operatives nodded, their hidden expressions grim as they formed a wide circle around Mirai.

But the next moment, he heard Mirai's voice, saying. "You're too slow." Another Root operative was already at the base of another tree, his state unknown.

The two Root jonin close to him immediately reacted, printing hand seals in synchronization.

"[Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning]"

"[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet]"

A cloud of ash was spewed immediately, surrounding Mirai in a dense smokescreen. Moments later, a torrent of flames followed, igniting the ash in a violent explosion.

Boom!

The ground shook as the explosion tore through the clearing, sending shockwaves through the air. Smoke and dust filled the area, obscuring everything from view.

As the smoke gradually dissipated, a silhouette emerged. Mirai stood unscathed, his calm demeanor unbroken. His voice cut through the lingering smoke, cold and confident. "Is that all you've got?"

But soon as Mirai took a step forward, thorny black chains shot out from the ground, coiling tightly around his limbs. He struggled momentarily, his movements restricted. With difficulty, he turned his head to see four Root operatives positioned at each corner, forming a square with him in the center. The operatives were kneeling before an unfolded large scroll, their hands moving in a continuous sequence of seals, maintaining the chains that bound him.

The leader of the group spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "You underestimated us, Namikaze. These chains are imbued with a potent sealing technique. You won't break free easily."

The Root operatives didn't wait for him to have a chance to resist. As soon as the chains bound Mirai, the four responsible for the seal immediately began their coordinated technique.

"[Grounded Sealing Chain Web]" they chanted in unison.

With precision, more chains surged from the scroll, snaking around Mirai and wrapping him in a cocoon of thorny black metal. The chains glowed darkly for a moment, pulsating with an eerie energy, before settling into a rigid, unyielding structure. The four Root operatives, seeing their handiwork complete, declared their success.

"It's done!" one of them said, his voice tinged with relief. "He's sealed."

…

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen couldn't shake his bad premonition and finally decided to confront Danzo about his plan. The two of them stood in the dimly lit room, Hiruzen's face lined with worry and concern. He took a deep breath and asked. "Danzo, what exactly is your plan?"

Danzo, his expression cold and resolute, began to outline his strategy. As he spoke, Hiruzen's solemn expression didn't relax at all. Instead, the Hokage seemed to grow more tense. "This plan of yours." Hiruzen said slowly. "Your data is outdated. It's been three years since Mirai disappeared."

Danzo shook his head in disagreement, his voice steady and confident. "I've taken all of that into consideration. My plan is foolproof. I've analyzed every possible variable and adjusted our strategy accordingly."

Hiruzen sighed deeply, his gaze turning towards the window. He looked out over the village, the familiar sight doing little to ease his mind. "Since Mirai disappeared, I've sent many of my ANBU personnel to search for traces of him. But they found nothing, not a single clue about his whereabouts."

Danzo remained silent, his eye narrowing slightly.

"The last piece of concrete information we received," Hiruzen continued, "was that he went to the Land of Wind. After that, he vanished without a trace. He's been operating in complete secrecy, and we have no idea what he's been up to. This uncertainty makes him even more dangerous."