Blackmail?

Arriving at his apartment building, Yami noticed two unexpected guests in front of his door.

"Hokage-sama and… Orochimaru-san."

"Oh, you finally arrived. It looks like the incident didn't distract you. Instead of going straight home, you've been busy," Hiruzen said with a smile, noticing the scroll in Yami's hand.

"Ah, yeah. I was planning to learn some medical ninjutsu for a while now," Yami responded after recovering from his surprise.

He couldn't help but wonder what brought the Hokage here, especially considering they had talked just two hours ago. And with Orochimaru tagging along, no less.

This was the first time Yami met the famed mad scientist, so he couldn't help but stare at him a few times.

Noticing his gaze, Hiruzen smiled and gestured. "You probably know him, but let me introduce you to my student, Orochimaru."

Yami noticed a subtle change in Orochimaru's expression after Hiruzen introduced him as his student rather than as one of the Sannin.

Without even using soul perception, Yami could guess Orochimaru's current mood. Despite all his accomplishments, he still couldn't escape the Hokage's shadow and would always be known as the Hokage's student before his Sannin title.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Orochimaru seemed to lose interest and began looking around, leaving Yami and Hiruzen to talk.

"What does the Hokage need from me?" Yami asked.

Hiruzen's expression grew more serious as he replied, "Yami, there's something we need to discuss. How did you come to know about Root?"

Yami felt a chill run down his spine. How did Hiruzen discover that he knew about Root?

Even Orochimaru looked surprised, eyeing Yami with newfound interest. He was one of the few who knew about Danzo and Root due to their partnership.

"You mean the organization that the examiner who attacked me is from?" Yami calmed his heartbeat and tried his best to act normal.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly, but his kind smile didn't leave his face. "Yes, Minato told me that you mentioned this name after he immobilized the examiner."

'Damn you, Minato, and my big mouth.' Finally, Yami realized how Hiruzen knew and cursed himself and Minato.

Back then, being targeted and almost killed, he had blurted out some words he shouldn't have in front of Minato. He hadn't thought much about it at the time, but it seemed Minato had reported it to the Hokage.

Looking at Hiruzen's kind smile, Yami couldn't help but feel it was a bit eerie. Out of habit, he used Soul Perception and noticed a few red dots around Hiruzen's soul.

'Fuck. Does he want to kill me?'

Yami fought his instinct to enter stealth mode, knowing it was useless against two people with Kage-level strength. They could capture him the moment he went invisible.

Just from reading his emotions, Yami understood some of Hiruzen's thoughts. Root was supposed to be a secret organization that did the shady things the Hokage couldn't do openly. They were useful as long as they remained secret, but public knowledge could lead to internal strife.

'So, does he intend to silence me?' Yami thought, racing for a plausible excuse to get out of this situation.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Hokage-sama, but I don't know anything about this Root besides the name."

"But Minato…"

"The only reason I know the name is because the examiner told me before he thought he killed me." Yami lied without changing his expression, acting as honestly as possible. If the Hokage still held any murderous intent, he would have no choice but to flee.

Fortunately, after several questions and answers, Yami noticed the red dots on Hiruzen's soul recede, making him inwardly sigh in relief.

But what puzzled him and kept him alert was the purple hue surrounding Orochimaru's soul, representing curiosity and amusement.

'Did he notice that I'm lying?' Glancing at Orochimaru, he noticed a subtle smile and amused emotions radiating from him.

"I see, so you don't know anything. What a pity. If you knew, we could catch the one responsible for the attack," Hiruzen said with a face full of regret.

'Hypocrite bastard.' Yami cursed the old man in his mind but kept a serious look on his face. "Don't worry, Hokage-sama, I'll definitely find this Root organization and bring it to justice."

With a face full of vigor, Yami said, "I'm sure that if I go around the village and ask everyone about Root, I'll definitely gather some information."

Hearing his righteous words, Hiruzen coughed, not expecting him to do such a thing.

'You come here, threaten me, and expect to leave like nothing happened? If you want me to stay quiet, you better offer some benefits,' Yami thought as he looked at Hiruzen.

"No, no, you don't have to go that far," Hiruzen recovered and dismissed his proposal. "I'll personally let the Anbu investigate this matter, so you don't have to involve yourself."

"But Hokage-sama, this organization is after me for some reason. I'm just a weak civilian Genin—no, a Chunin. If they keep sending people after me, I'll surely die."

Hiruzen stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He couldn't exactly tell him that Root wouldn't attack him again, as that would imply a connection.

"It's because I'm weak that I have to trouble the Hokage. If only I knew a few strong Jutsu, I wouldn't be afraid and wouldn't look for this Root organization."

Hiruzen's eyes gleamed with understanding as he listened to Yami's not-so-subtle hint. "I see. You wish to become stronger to defend yourself."

Yami nodded vigorously, seizing the opportunity. "Yes, Hokage-sama. If I had the power, I could protect myself and contribute more to the village."

"Hmm, indeed. Come to think of it, I have yet to give you a gift for your promotion. Since you wish for strong Jutsu, I'll see what I can get you. How does that sound?"

"Really, the Hokage himself is going to give me Jutsu? I'm honored." Yami quickly expressed his gratitude and recited the Will of Fire speech to show his loyalty.

Hiruzen listened with a smile, looking pleased, but a sudden voice interrupted the pleasant atmosphere.

"Never thought I'd see the day Sensei would be blackmailed…"

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Yami and Hiruzen couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Despite not saying it directly, they both understood that in exchange for a few Jutsu, Yami would keep quiet about Root. But Orochimaru pointed out the unspoken agreement, making the situation awkward.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Orochimaru, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm merely giving Yami a gift for his promotion since he doesn't have a team or a guide Jonin."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Of course, Sensei. It was merely an observation."

Yami stood there, trying to keep a neutral expression despite the awkwardness. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I will honor your trust and use the Jutsu to protect the village."

Hiruzen nodded. "Very well. I will have a selection of Jutsu scrolls sent to you tomorrow. Make good use of them."

With that, the Hokage turned to leave, but not before giving Yami a final, piercing look. "Remember, Yami, discretion is key. Do not speak of Root or this conversation to anyone."

Yami nodded. "I understand, Hokage-sama."

As Hiruzen walked away, Orochimaru lingered for a moment. "You're an interesting one, Yami. I look forward to seeing what you're capable of."

Yami watched as Orochimaru finally left before letting out a long breath he didn't realize he had been holding. The threat had passed, for now. But he had to be more cautious from now on and increase his strength as fast as possible now that he had the attention of the Hokage and Orochimaru.

*****

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