Upon returning to Konoha, their successful completion of the mission and the salvation of the Land of Demons earned them high praise from Danzo.
Danzo kept Naruto behind, his eyes filled with admiration.
In Naruto, he saw a reflection of his younger self.
No matter how difficult the mission, the result was always the same two words: mission complete.
He was always so confident.
And on top of that, he possessed a level of talent and strength that was impossible to ignore.
He was polite and well-mannered, yet he possessed his own unyielding pride.
A man like this was the only one fit to become the leader of Root.
"What are your thoughts on the Land of Demons mission?" Danzo took a cheerful sip of his tea, for a moment exuding an almost sunny disposition.
But the feeling was fleeting, and he quickly reverted to his usual cold and gloomy demeanor.
Naruto pondered for a moment before answering.
"All this time, I believed Konoha was the most powerful ninja village, that we possessed the strength to overturn the entire ninja world. But after this mission, I realize how arrogant I've been. A tiny nation like the Land of Demons was able to produce a monster like Moryo, a being capable of destroying the world."
"The ghostly army was impervious to conventional weapons; even ninja couldn't handle them. If we hadn't relied on the priestess to kill Moryo, it's likely every ninja sent on that mission would have died."
Naruto's words earned a satisfied nod from Danzo. "Well said. Arrogance and conceit are a ninja's greatest enemies. I am pleased that you have come to this realization."
Naruto continued, "This has given me a deeper understanding of Root's importance. We need to build a more powerful intelligence network and, at the same time, collect various creatures worthy of study. There are too many secrets in the ninja world; we cannot afford to be complacent."
"Take this mission in the Land of Demons, for example. On the surface, it seemed simple. But in reality, both Moryo and the priestess possessed power we cannot afford to underestimate. Examples like this exist in every corner of the ninja world, and they are all potential threats to Konoha."
"But Konoha cannot openly research these things."
"Because of Konoha's reputation, there are many dark deeds it cannot commit. But if we don't do them, other villages will. They will grow stronger in the shadows. Therefore, someone must do them!" Naruto's expression became one of profound empathy for the world's suffering.
"There are no such things as peaceful years; there are only those who carry the weight for you. In my view, this is the very meaning of Root's existence."
Moved. To tears.
That was Danzo's first thought after hearing Naruto's speech.
Murky tears blurred his vision. It was as if the sun had pierced through to his icy heart, and the permafrost was beginning to melt.
It was the feeling of being acknowledged, of being understood.
Danzo took a deep breath. He never imagined that Naruto, who had joined Root so recently, had already integrated himself so completely.
He had accepted Root.
He had inherited Root's ideology.
"Well said. You are right," Danzo said, his voice trembling slightly.
"To immerse ourselves in darkness, to understand darkness, to become darkness… yet our purpose is to bring the light. This is Root!!"
"You've spoken very well, Naruto. Next, I will give you a very important mission. You've just returned from the Land of Demons, so rest for a few days. I will contact you then." Danzo turned away, as if not wanting Naruto to see his somewhat discomposed state. His shoulders trembled slightly, still caught in the grip of his earlier emotions.
Naruto nodded and said respectfully, "Then I will take my leave, Sensei."
Only after Naruto had left did Danzo turn back around. His eyes were actually moist.
It was the first tear he had shed since creating Root.
His lips trembled, Naruto's words echoing endlessly in his mind.
"'There are no such things as peaceful years, only those who carry the weight for you,'" he muttered to himself, a light flickering in his cloudy eyes.
After completing the complex mission in the Land of Demons, Naruto's team was given a few days of rest.
Aburame Neri returned to her laboratory as usual and began to meticulously examine Moryo's minions.
Unfortunately, without the nourishment of Moryo's power, the bodies of the ghostly army had all turned into useless chunks of iron.
She carefully extracted a tissue sample from one of Moryo's minions, placed it gently on the research platform, and directed her insects to analyze it.
These were her specialized research insects, bred to assist her in her scientific endeavors to the greatest possible extent.
She was not even halfway through her research when she received a summons from Danzo.
She entered the room.
Danzo sat in the high seat, his expression stern.
"Give me the details of the mission."
Aburame Neri reported every detail of what had happened in the Land of Demons truthfully.
"Sage and I were responsible for four of Moryo's minions. Naruto took the priestess, Shion, to seal Moryo. By the time we arrived at the sealing grounds, Moryo had already been sealed."
"What about Naruto? Did he exhibit any strange behavior during this mission?" Danzo asked in a low voice.
Although he had been genuinely moved by Naruto earlier, he was not the type of person to let emotion cloud his suspicion.
Naruto had integrated into Root far too quickly after joining. It forced him to be extra cautious.
After all…
In this world, the only person you could truly trust was yourself.
Faced with Danzo's question, Aburame Neri feigned a moment of serious thought before answering, "There was nothing out of the ordinary."
She was a wily old veteran who had survived in Root for over a decade.
She was also a rare case of someone who hadn't been completely brainwashed into a mission-oriented machine.
She naturally knew what to say in any given situation.
During the mission, there had indeed been a few things about Naruto that had aroused her suspicion.
First was the so-called Pure Land Gate.
Then there was the relationship between Naruto and the priestess.
But revealing any of this would do her no good.
After all, given the current situation, Danzo viewed Naruto as the future leader of Root.
In the future, she would become one of Naruto's most loyal subordinates.
Furthermore, Naruto had a very open-minded attitude toward research.
If Naruto became the leader of Root, she would naturally receive a significant share of resources.
For her, there were only benefits and no drawbacks.
Hearing Aburame Neri's answer, Danzo nodded with satisfaction.
It was just as he thought. Naruto really was outstanding~~
As expected of my student.
"I understand. You may leave," Danzo said with a gesture.
Aburame Neri obediently withdrew.
After leaving Root headquarters, she saw Naruto waiting by the entrance. Their eyes met.
In Naruto's eyes, she saw satisfaction.
Aburame Neri's heart pounded in her chest.
Could it be? Did Naruto anticipate everything that just happened?
If that's true, then the so-called flaws in the Land of Demons… were they all deliberately exposed for me to see?
If I had told Danzo about my suspicions, would Naruto have retaliated against me later??
As Neri's expression shifted, Naruto's gentle and magnetic voice sounded:
"What are you thinking about? Let's go get some dinner… partner." He put extra emphasis on the last word, a gentle smile on his face.
The hair on Aburame Neri's arms stood on end. She hurriedly fell in step behind Naruto.
Inwardly, she was immensely grateful for the choice she had made.