Chapter 9 -Danzo F. Shimura

As Danzo entered the room, Ryu couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over him. Aware of the man's unpredictable nature and fearsome capabilities, Ryu was on high alert, cautious not to draw any unwanted attention. He didn't want to be caught in the crosshairs of his plans.

Danzo was followed by two figures clad in dark cloaks. The room was already tense, but the presence of the two people—one short and wearing a mask, the other long and with a long cloak concealing his face—was menacing.

Ryu's eyes darted between the three figures, his mind racing. The masked one, he guessed, must be an ANBU operative. But the other... there was something different about him, something that sent a chill down Ryu's spine. It was as if this person had mastered the art of being creepy without even trying.

Ryu had always known that Danzo was dangerous, but seeing him in person was a whole different story. He found himself paralysed, hesitant to make even the slightest noise in the imposing presence of the enigmatic figure. Danzo's inscrutable posture, with eyes closed in contemplation, only added to the sense of unease that pervaded the room, while the two cloaked figures stood sentinel behind him, their silent vigilance amplifying the tension within the space.

As Dr. Yuki settled into her seat at the desk, a begrudging sigh escaping her, Danzo positioned himself before her, a portrait of quiet authority. The stoic demeanour he displayed, with closed eyes masking his intentions, contrasted starkly against Dr. Yuki's veiled irritation. The cloaked figures' silent presence loomed in the background, casting a palpable aura of intimidation throughout the room.

"You are here early?" Dr. Yuki asked, breaking the tense silence with a note of frustration and a clear hint of disapproval in her voice.

Danzo opened his one eye, fixing Dr. Yuki with a gaze that could have frozen lava. "I don't like to waste time," he said, his voice as dry as the Suna desert, "especially when it's mine."

"Are you ready for the exchange?" he asked. The hollowness in his voice expressed a cold efficiency, with no feeling or thought for how their exchange would affect others.

When Ryu heard him talk about exchange, he started sweating buckets. He thought, "Am I going to be recruited into the root division? I just got reborn, and someone is already here to make me a slave. Bye bye, freedom, and hello creepy underground lair."

At this point, he regretted that he showed off his ability to Hirito. If the past Ryu has also showcased any exceptional ability in front of others, he can kiss his childhood good-bye. Ryu's mind raced, recalling every interaction he'd had before his rebirth. Had he shown any extraordinary abilities? Had anyone noticed his advanced intelligence? When he found out that there was no such even in the memories of old Ryu, he relaxed a bit.

But still, he was not in the clear yet. Fears of being abducted into Danzo's nefarious 'Root Division' organisation loomed large before him.

Dr. Yuki sighed in defeat and thought about how it led to this situation.

**(Flashback)**

It was a few days ago at the same private office as Dr. Yuki. An angry voice was heard.

"You cannot do this Danzo", Dr. Yuki said with anger in her voice.

"Actually, I can and I must," Danzo replied, his words hanging heavily in the air, underscoring the ruthlessness that lay beneath his carefully composed exterior. "I need to replenish the strength of my Root Division after the losses in the last war. The war may have ended, but the fight continues. Root will always be there, fighting in the shadows. It would be beneficial for both of us if you agreed without wasting my time."

"I will talk with Hiruzen," Dr. Yuki threatened, her voice filled with desperation.

Danzo's lips curled into a cold smile. "Go ahead. Your cousin cannot help you with this. We have an understanding not to interfere with each other's matters." Translation: "My shady business is none of his shady business."

"They are children, Danzo," Dr. Yuki shouted in protest, her face contorted with anguish. "You cannot do this to them!"

Danzo replied without even opening an eye, "Your colleague Nono Yakushi said the same thing a few days ago. In the end, she had to agree. Just as you will." 

Dr. Yuki's face paled at the mention of Nono. "What have you done to her?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

"Nothing," Danzo said, his tone as cold as ice. He then opened his one eye and continued with authority, "I suggest you stop wasting my time and agree already."

"No, I won't," she said, her voice firm with conviction. In a display of unwavering defiance, Dr. Yuki vehemently protested against Danzo's coercive tactics, refusing to acquiesce to his demands and not wanting to send her kids to this godforsaken Root division.

*At this moment, one of Danzo's subordinates stepped forward, his voice dripping with menace. "You are inviting trouble by refusing Lord Danzo's request."*

*The other subordinate chimed in, "If you care about this orphanage, then agree already. Otherwise, this orphanage won't survive much longer."*

*"The condition of this orphanage looks rather poor," the first one observed, his tone mock-sympathetic. "You're having financial difficulties, aren't you? I wonder what would happen if whatever you have left were to be... stolen by some thieves."*

*"You see," the other continued, his voice sickly sweet, "some of those miscreants are rather violent these days. They wouldn't even hesitate to hurt a child."*

Dr. Yuki was shocked and angry at the same time. She could not imagine they would go to such lengths as to harm kids.

"You wouldn't dare," Mother Yuki hissed, her eyes flashing with fury. "Even you, Danzo, wouldn't stoop so low as to harm innocent children."

Danzo remained impassive. "I would do whatever is necessary for the good of the village. The question is, would you?"

Danzo remained silent while his subordinates were making threats. Dr. Yuki was an insignificant person in the eyes of Danzo, and making threats against such people was beneath him; that was what his subordinates were there for. After all, why do your own dirty work when you have minions to do it for you?

Anger rose in the eyes of Dr. Yuki as she heard those two subordinates of Danzo make threats to the orphanage. She would never want to put the orphanage at risk, but she also didn't want to send the kids to Root. She pleaded with Danzo, invoking their old relationship from the past.

"Please, Danzo," she begged, her voice breaking. "We were comrades once. We faced and survived all that hardship together."

Danzo replied with contempt in his voice, "No, after you left root, we are not. You weren't fit for the root, as you couldn't rise above your emotions. A shinobi must be an emotionless tool for the sake of others. You and Nono failed as Shinobi." His idea of a perfect shinobi sounded suspiciously like a robot with a headband.

In a final bid to bridge the growing chasm between them, Dr. Yuki appealed to their shared history as a plea for understanding in the face of impending conflict. Her voice trembled with emotion, a fragile echo of a past camaraderie that now lay fractured and tested by the crucible of circumstance.

Danzo then calmed himself and continued, "Even though you failed as Shibobi, you can still serve the village by filling up the ranks of Root." 

Dr. Yuki went silent for a moment. She knew she couldn't convince him or go up against him.The old division has come a long way since she left it. The training methods they use are too inhumane. She knew if she sent the kids into the root division, many of them would die without a doubt. Those who survive will be turned into emotionless tools. Their only purpose in their lives will be to follow his commands.

"And what of their dreams?" Mother Yuki asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What of their hopes, their futures? Would you eliminate everything for what you deem to be necessary?"

Danzo's eye narrowed. "Dreams are luxuries we cannot afford in times like these. The village's security is paramount."

Dr. Yuki then sighed in defeat and said, "Okay, you win. But I am not going to let go take them all. Some of them are too venerable."

Danzo, without looking at Dr. Yuki, said, "I will not let you have any kid that seems promising. And don't even try to fool me. I am going to send someone to examine the kids."

**(Flashback Ends)**

As the memory faded, Mother Yuki's eyes refocused on the present, on Danzo standing before her desk. The weight of her decision, the lives she was about to change forever, pressed down on her like a physical force.

Ryu, still hidden in the shadows, watched the scene unfold with a mixture of fear and fascination.

[A/N: 

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