"Final mission. Proceed to Rōran. Locate Queen Sara of Rōran—or any surviving direct bloodline."
Yakushi Nono reread the message beneath the dim candlelight. With a faint tightening of her fingers, the brittle paper crumbled, scattering into fine fragments that slipped through her hand like dust.
Final mission…
She turned the words over silently.
The Fifth Hokage had been in office for quite some time now, yet nothing had changed for her. The Village still required spies who lived in the dark. And Danzō… Danzō was still issuing orders.
She could no longer remember when she had last breathed Konoha's air, or stood face to face with the children of the orphanage, watching their smiles with her own eyes.
What sustained her were only those slightly yellowed photographs, delivered through secure channels. In them, the children had grown taller, their expressions still bright, still innocent.
At least, in the photographs, they were doing well.
At least, the village itself was becoming stronger and more stable.
That was enough.
Nono pressed down the faint stir in her chest, her gaze settling back into calm stillness. Rōran… a name long swallowed by sand and time. Danzō-sama would never seek out a royal bloodline without reason.
But reasons no longer mattered.
She had no choice.
—
"A list of Ninja?"
Inside the Hokage's office, Kakashi nodded. "Yes. According to my investigation, a number of Jonin—and even some senior Chunin—were once seconded to Danzō for special assignments."
"They weren't officially part of Root, nor did they receive the Tongue seal. On the surface, they appear clean."
He paused, his visible eye darkening slightly.
"Some have since retired. Others are listed as being on long-term missions abroad. But the authenticity of those records can't be confirmed. There's a strong possibility they're fabricated—cover identities for continued service under Danzō."
The deeper Kakashi dug into Root, the clearer the picture became.
Root's official structure had always been limited. Even at its peak, it couldn't have supported the sheer scale of influence and intelligence reach Danzō once commanded.
Which meant…
"I believe we need to re-examine the full roster and recent activity logs of all Jonin," Kakashi continued, "and certain key Chunin as well. Only through cross-referencing can we identify the 'Roots' still hidden within the regular forces—those who remain under Danzō's control."
Aware of the sensitivity of such a proposal, he added carefully, "We could have Roshi assist with verification, or place the entire process under Shizune's supervision—"
"No need."
Tsunade cut him off, shaking her head.
"I'll grant you the authority directly," she said flatly. "Proceed as you see fit."
Her gaze hardened.
"Dig them all out. Every last 'Root' still hiding in the shadows."
I'm going to get a stiff neck from this mess, Tsunade thought grimly.
—
All Iruka received from Roshi was a brief verdict—
"Not qualified."
Nothing more.
No explanation. No room for argument.
Why, exactly, had Mizuki failed to gain approval?
With that question lingering in his mind, Iruka returned to the teachers' office, his thoughts in disarray.
"Iruka-sensei," Ebisu's voice cut in, firm and measured, "no matter the circumstances, it's unacceptable to let personal concerns affect your demeanor in front of students."
Iruka snapped back to attention at once, straightening his posture and clearing the confusion from his expression.
"My apologies, Ebisu-sensei." He hesitated, then continued, "Um… Captain Roshi intends to make a minor adjustment to the class roster."
Ebisu pushed up his sunglasses. "What kind of adjustment?"
"He wants Uzumaki Karin transferred into the class I'll be in charge of."
"Do you need me to speak with Minichi-sensei?"
"No, it's just…" Iruka faltered. "Wouldn't a change this close to the start of term be a little inappropriate?"
"Jonin Roshi is one of the village's elite, a trusted aide to Hokage-sama, and currently serving as a special commissioner overseeing the Ninja Academy," Ebisu replied calmly. "If he made this decision, he has his reasons. You don't need to overthink it, Iruka-sensei."
'Captain Roshi's intentions…'
Yes. With his status, it was unthinkable that he would interfere in something as trivial as class placement without purpose.
That belief became rock-solid on the very first day of school.
Standing at the podium, Iruka watched as Roshi quietly entered through the back door, walked past the students, took the empty seat in the far corner of the last row—and calmly opened a notebook.
His first class as a homeroom teacher… was being directly observed by the Jonin who had once led him during the Chunin Exams.
Now serving as a special commissioner.
The pressure hit him like a physical weight. His throat tightened. His mind went blank.
"T-t-today… cough… um—g-good morning, everyone…"
The tremor in his voice betrayed him completely.
'Iruka-sensei… what's he doing?'
That small thought flickered through Sasuke's mind. It was already class time. Of course, he had noticed the man entering from the back—Roshi had passed right by him before taking his seat.
Why was that person here?
And why in their classroom?
Shikamaru, who had been half-collapsed over his desk, forced himself upright with a silent sigh.
'What a pain…'
With a high-ranking Jonin sitting behind them, even the teacher looked ready to freeze up. This was seriously troublesome.
From the moment Roshi pushed open the door, Karin's heart sank.
'Why… why wasn't I sitting in the back row?!'
Because she wore glasses, she had been assigned a seat near the front and center. Turning around even once more would look obvious—too obvious.
If she didn't concentrate, would they think she lacked the qualifications to become a ninja? Would she be judged?
She forced her gaze forward, back rigid, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
The classroom atmosphere grew stiff and strangely heavy.
Naruto's neck craned like a wound-up toy, twisting again and again toward the back of the room. Eventually, he gave up pretending and half-turned in his seat, bright blue eyes openly studying the source of the tension.
'Is that black-haired big brother taking class too?'
'He's writing notes really seriously…'
Iruka felt sweat bead at his temples.
The students' attention had completely scattered. Though their whispers were soft, they stabbed at his ears all the same. He had to do something—now—to pull the class back together.
But…
Captain Roshi was sitting right there.
If he raised his voice too harshly, would he seem incompetent? Emotionally unstable?
If he tried to regain attention with interactive activities, would it come off as childish? Unprofessional?
For a brief moment, Iruka stood frozen at the podium, utterly at a loss.
Despite himself, his gaze drifted once more to the back of the classroom.
Roshi was seated there, head lowered, pen moving steadily across the page of his notebook—focused.
'Is Captain Roshi recording the state of the class?'
'Or… is he evaluating me?'
The words struck him again, sharp and merciless.
"Not qualified."
Mizuki's stunned, disbelieving expression resurfaced in his mind.
Even Mizuki had been eliminated with those words.
Then… what about me?
Iruka's heart sank.
His disastrous opening, the scattered attention of the students, the atmosphere slipping further out of control—together, they fed a terrifying thought that took root without mercy.
'Could I… be judged "not qualified" today?'
'Could I be dismissed from the Ninja Academy because of this performance?'
He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his racing heart and keep his composure from completely collapsing.
Then—
From the corner of his vision, he caught sight of another unmoving figure in the corridor outside the classroom window.
A standard ninja cap. Sunglasses reflecting a cold gleam. Arms crossed.
Ebisu.
His expression was sterner than Iruka had ever seen.
'This is bad… I'm finished.'
'How long has Ebisu-sensei been watching?'
Iruka felt the blood drain from his face.
He opened his mouth to continue the lesson—
'What was the next topic again?'
Nothing came.
"Jonin Roshi."
Ebisu caught up with him in the corridor after Roshi left the classroom early, before the lesson had even ended.
"If you wished to observe a class," Ebisu said evenly, "you could have informed me in advance. I would have arranged a more appropriate one."
Roshi didn't stop walking. His reply was calm, almost indifferent.
"Then we'll switch classes."
He had left shortly after Ebisu appeared outside the window. Iruka's class was still in session, but Roshi had already been gone for some time.
The two walked up another flight of stairs in silence. At the corner near the next classroom, Ebisu finally spoke again, lowering his voice.
"Jonin Roshi… your presence places a great deal of pressure on Iruka-sensei."
"This is not representative of his usual performance."
"He passed the Chunin selection through rigorous assessment. His teaching qualifications and sense of responsibility are beyond reproach." Ebisu paused, then added carefully, "Please… allow him another opportunity to demonstrate his true capabilities."
Roshi nodded once.
"Don't worry. I understand."
Ebisu exhaled in quiet relief.
Though Roshi was younger than him, the responsibilities he had borne in recent years were no small matter—negotiations with Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Hidden Mist. Affairs that shaped the Village's future.
If Roshi had formed a negative judgment of Iruka today, that young man's career might have ended before it truly began.
Ebisu straightened and spoke with solemn resolve.
"I will personally provide Iruka with targeted guidance and additional training. Regardless, today's class was a poor experience for the new students, and as a senior instructor, I bear responsibility."
"Please rest assured—when you observe again, Iruka-sensei will deliver a performance worthy of the Academy."
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