The first ray of morning light never penetrates the underground of the Root.
Dozens of figures stood like silent statues in the empty core conference room. They were the remnants of the Root, scattered parts after Danzo, the main control unit, had crashed.
There was no fear in the air, only a numbness, as if all emotions had been drained.
They had witnessed the demise of their old master, and now, they awaited the judgment of a new one.
Execution?
Or becoming new tools?
To them, perhaps there was no difference.
Naruto walked in, his footsteps echoing softly in the vast space.
Zero followed behind him, like a shadow.
Everyone's gaze subconsciously focused on Naruto.
It was a look mixed with assessment, vigilance, and resignation.
Naruto did not walk towards the stone chair symbolizing ultimate power. He simply stood in the center of the conference room, surveying these darkest creations of Konoha.
He did not speak, did not deliver any impassioned speech, nor did he offer any false reassurances.
He merely tilted his head towards Zero.
Zero understood, forming a simple hand seal.
Buzz.
The smoothest stone wall in the conference room suddenly lit up.
Lines of text, as if branded onto it by an invisible carving knife.
It was not a new action plan, nor was it an inspiring slogan.
It was their files.
It was their erased, true past.
Codename: Yamarashi. Real Name: Kobayashi Kenta. Family Background: Both parents deceased, has a younger sister, Kobayashi Misaki, suffering from a chronic genetic disease. Reason for joining Root: Danzo controlled the doctor who could treat the disease, coercing him to join.
Codename: Night Owl. Real Name: Suzuki Tetsu. Family Background: Descendant of a Jonin family, brought shame to his entire clan due to a failed mission. Reason for joining Root: Danzo promised to clear his family's name and provide resources to aid its revival.
One by one, case by case.
Those softest and most painful secrets, buried deep in their hearts, wrapped in layers of codenames and masks, were now starkly projected on the wall for all to scrutinize.
In the conference room, there was a deathly silence.
Only a few suppressed, heavy breaths could be heard.
This was more cruel than any torture.
It was a public spiritual execution.
"Kobayashi Kenta."
Naruto spoke, not using a codename, but directly calling out the real name.
The man whose name was called suddenly stiffened.
He was a man who looked around thirty, with a faint scar on his face and eyes as sharp as a hawk's.
"I remember, your dream was to become a blacksmith."
Naruto's voice was calm, as if stating an established fact.
"You wanted to forge the sharpest ninja blades in the entire Land of Fire, not to become a blade held in someone else's hand."
"Your sister's illness requires a medicinal herb called 'Gekko Grass' as the main ingredient. The cultivation technology for this herb has always been monopolized by Danzo. He provided your sister with medicine every month, using it to make you work for him. Every time you went on a mission, you worried that if you died, your sister would immediately be cut off from the medicine."
Kobayashi Kenta's body began to tremble violently.
He wasn't trembling from fear.
But from anger.
An extreme anger and humiliation of having all his disguises stripped away, exposing his deepest wounds to the light of day!
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Naruto.
"What's the difference between you and Danzo?!"
He let out a beastly roar.
"Both of you use the same methods to toy with people's hearts! Do you think I'll be grateful to you like this, wagging my tail like a dog begging for scraps?!"
"You're just another tyrant!"
Before he finished speaking, the short sword at his waist was already unsheathed, transforming into a cold glint that stabbed directly at Naruto's throat!
Facing this desperate assassination, Naruto didn't even bat an eyelid.
Just as the tip of the blade was about to touch his skin.
He extended two fingers.
Index and middle fingers.
Precisely, and effortlessly, he pinched the rapidly incoming blade.
Clang!
A harsh metallic scraping sound rang out.
Kobayashi Kenta used all his strength, but the sharp short sword could not advance another millimeter.
Naruto's fingers shifted slightly.
A technique of incredibly subtle force dissipation instantly erupted.
Kobayashi Kenta felt an irresistible immense force transmit from the blade, his wrist went numb, and the short sword flew out of his hand, arcing through the air, and 'thud' it embedded itself in the distant wall.
The entire process was fluid and seamless.
Naruto hadn't even moved a step.
He looked at Kobayashi Kenta, who was subdued on the ground, his face full of unwillingness and despair, his voice still cold.
"Difference?"
"The difference is, Danzo used your weakness as a dog leash, one end tied to your neck, the other to your family's lives."
"And I."
Naruto paused.
"Have no need for such insecure methods."
"From today onwards, your family will no longer be a weakness that threatens you, but the reason you fight. They will receive direct protection from Konoha, live in the light, not under the threat of shadows."
He no longer looked at Kobayashi Kenta, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.
"This is my first new rule."
"All those marked with the 'Tongue Sealing Curse Mark' can voluntarily hand over the curse mark. I will personally take responsibility for its harmless removal."
"You can choose to keep it, or you can choose to remove it. This is your right."
"Choice" and "right."
These two words, to everyone present, were so unfamiliar, even somewhat ridiculous.
In the Root, they had never possessed them.
Without waiting for everyone to recover from their shock, Naruto continued to announce.
"From today onwards, the Root abolishes all old doctrines. We will follow a single guideline — the [Code of Duty]."
The personal files on the wall disappeared, replaced by new articles, exuding a steely aura.
[Article One: Loyalty. The loyalty of Root members does not belong to any individual, including me. Your loyalty belongs only to the supreme principle of 'Konoha's Continued Existence'.]
[Article Two: Duty. The duty of the Root is to become the 'immune system' of the Village. Actively eliminate all internal corruption and external enemies that threaten Konoha's continued existence.]
[Article Three:...]
The core idea of the code completely overturned their past understanding.
No longer serving one person's ambition, but for a grander, purer goal.
"To enforce the code, the Root will be reorganized into three major departments."
"[Internal Affairs Department]. Responsible for monitoring all potential corruption, dereliction of duty, and threats within Konoha. Head: Zero."
Zero stepped forward, accepting the appointment with an expressionless face.
"[External Purge Department]. Responsible for dealing with all enemies from outside the Village, including intelligence gathering, infiltration, and targeted elimination."
"[Technology and Logistics Department]. Responsible for the research and development, maintenance, and resource allocation of all equipment."
Naruto's voice paused for a moment, giving everyone time to digest the information.
Finally, he presented the ultimate option.
"Now, you have one last chance to choose."
"First, swear allegiance to the [Code of Duty], remove the curse mark, and become a member of the new 'Root', fighting for Konoha's continued existence."
"Second, accept harmless memory erasure. We will arrange new identities for you, issue sufficient severance pay, and allow you to 'honorably retire' as ordinary Konoha villagers."
"I will not kill anyone, nor will I force anyone."
"This is the biggest difference between me and Danzo."
The entire room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
No killing.
No coercion.
This simple promise, however, was more impactful than any threat or inducement.
They looked at Naruto, trying to find even a trace of hypocrisy or calculation on his young face.
After several seconds of dead silence.
Kobayashi Kenta, who was subdued on the ground, struggled, slowly, to one knee.
He lowered his always proud head, his voice trembling with emotion.
"I... Kobayashi Kenta, swear... allegiance to the [Code of Duty]."
His choice, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up a thousand ripples.
"I swear allegiance!"
"I swear allegiance!"
One after another, Root members knelt on one knee, their long-suppressed yearning for new life and dignity completely erupting at this moment.
Naruto looked at Kobayashi Kenta, who was kneeling at the very front, and nodded.
"From today onwards, you will be assigned to the Technology and Logistics Department. I need you to forge the sharpest blades for us."
Kobayashi Kenta suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.
His dream, buried for over a decade, was, at this moment, reborn in a way he had never imagined.
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