The forest at night.
Steel pierced flesh. Blood sprayed.
The ninja, still bearing his Konoha forehead protector, clutched his gushing throat with one hand. He let out a strangled groan before collapsing to the ground, motionless.
Oboro dropped down from a tree branch, his blade still dripping with fresh blood.
Kaku, standing nearby, had witnessed the entire fight. From start to finish, it had taken less than a minute.
This kid kills more cleanly than most actual ANBU...
Kaku thought silently to himself.
"No loose ends. That's fine, right?" Oboro asked as he calmly wiped the blade with a cloth, then sheathed it behind his back. His tone made it clear he wasn't really asking.
"Lord Danzo's orders. Root's style has always been that way," Kaku replied evenly. "The target was a confirmed rogue ninja. There's no point letting him live."
As he spoke, he knelt beside the corpse and rifled through its belongings. Soon, he retrieved a scroll the size of a man's palm, sealed and likely dangerous. He didn't open it right away.
"Someone's coming," Oboro said suddenly.
Rustle, Rustle, Rustle,
Several black-clad figures leapt through the darkness, surrounding them.
"Root?" The white-haired young man leading the group wore a fox-shaped mask. He seemed startled upon recognizing them. "You two did this?"
Kaku slipped the scroll into his robes, his hands casually resting in his pockets. His dark cloak and shaded goggles made it hard to read his expression.
He didn't answer.
Oboro, meanwhile, glanced at the white-haired ANBU. The mask couldn't hide the familiarity in his chakra signature.
Kakashi Hatake.
Oboro met his gaze briefly. Though both wore masks, no eye contact was truly possible.
Kakashi's brow furrowed as he saw the scroll taken away right in front of him, but he didn't act. Not yet.
His ANBU squad waited on his signal.
Without hesitation, Kaku disappeared with a flicker.
Oboro lingered for a moment, gave Kakashi a final look, and then vanished too, right in front of all of them.
Though everyone knew who they were, no one tried to stop them.
"Captain?" one of the masked ANBU looked to Kakashi for instructions.
Kakashi hesitated briefly, then said, "Search the body. See if anything, letters, scrolls, was left behind."
The mission had been to apprehend this suspected rogue ninja alive and bring him in for interrogation. But by the time they arrived, Root had already made their move.
Still as ruthless as ever…
Kakashi's mind drifted to the shadowy figure of Danzo.
When his subordinates returned empty-handed, Kakashi simply said, "Bring the body back."
At Root Headquarters.
Kaku returned alone to report in. Oboro had left the moment the mission ended.
Danzo held the scroll in his hands but showed no intention of opening it. He already knew everything, from the mission details to the encounter with ANBU.
"What do you think of the boy?" he asked.
"Talented," Kaku replied concisely.
Danzo raised his eyebrows. "Compared to Shisui?"
"I never trained Shisui, but Oboro is exceptional among his generation," Kaku said. "Second only to Shisui in the Academy. During the war, he showed real promise."
Danzo's voice lowered. "And yet… after the war, he suddenly faded from view."
"There was a rumor, wasn't there?" Kaku asked.
"It was never confirmed," Danzo replied. "Tsunade made a single offhand remark. That alone was enough to birth the scandal. But gossip like that can destroy a person."
He paused, tapping the sealed scroll against his chair.
"Tell me… does that boy seem like someone who survived a fall like that?"
"I've seen many gifted shinobi," Kaku said. "But true prodigies aren't just defined by their skills. Their hearts are often confused, uncertain."
"But this one… this boy," Kaku continued, "he's different. No doubt, no hesitation. He operates like a tool. Pure and sharp."
Danzo chuckled darkly.
"A tool, you say? And yet, would Shisui really hand such a tool to me?"
"If wielded carelessly, a blade like that might cut your own hand," Kaku said.
"And throwing him away would be a waste," Danzo murmured. "He's no saint. He has darkness in him. That makes him useful."
"Even a double-edged sword has its value, if you know how to use it."
Oboro had been completing missions for over a week now.
They were all routine: assassinations, recon, surveillance, things he had already done before even joining Root.
It was clear what this was.
Testing. Relentless testing.
Danzo was even more suspicious than he'd expected.
But Oboro wasn't in a rush. If Danzo never let his guard down, Oboro still had his final card to play.
Back home, he took a hot shower to wash away the fatigue of the day.
Dressed in his usual loungewear, he casually tossed his forehead protector onto the table as if it were just a burden.
The fridge was nearly empty, just some milk, sliced bread, and rotting fruit.
He hadn't cooked since joining Root. No vegetables, no meat. His diet had become as bleak as his missions.
He threw the spoiled fruit in the bin and stared blankly at the cup of instant noodles on the table.
No matter the world, my life's always a mess…
The excitement and fear he'd felt when he first arrived in this world had long since vanished.
In both lives, he was always alone. And alone, life was just… life. What did it matter?
Knock knock knock.
The sudden knock at his door broke the silence.
Who could it be? Shisui again?
He opened the door.
"Good evening, A-nii!"
Tenten stood there, hands behind her back, beaming.
"Feed me tonight? My mom's not home."
"…Your mom?"
"She went out of town for a supply run. Won't be back till tomorrow."
"You don't know how to cook?"
"I do. I just don't feel like it."
"…I'm in the middle of eating," Oboro said.
"I could smell it from here," she said, stepping inside uninvited. Her gaze fell on the steaming cup of noodles.
"I'll make you one too," Oboro said, reaching into the box and pulling out another cup.
But Tenten puffed up her cheeks, clearly not pleased.
"Don't give me that look. The fridge's empty. I can't cook even if I wanted to," Oboro said, exasperated.
"…I could cook for you at my place," he added eventually.
Tenten's expression immediately brightened. "Let's go eat out!"
"But… my noodles are already ready…"
"Instant noodles? Ew! They're not even healthy!" she chided, already dragging him toward the door.
It wasn't even that late. Konoha's streets were still lively under the evening lights.
Tenten walked ahead, bouncing with energy, both hands full of snacks. Her twin buns bobbed up and down, adorably cheerful.
"Are you having dinner, or just shopping for snacks?" Oboro asked as he followed behind.
"Same thing," Tenten grinned, spinning around. "Want some?"
She handed him a grilled squid skewer while walking backward, and smacked into someone with a thud.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Tenten spun around and quickly bowed.
The man she'd bumped into was dressed like a ninja. He brushed it off, until he noticed Oboro.
His face darkened.
He spat in disgust and walked away.
Tenten stood frozen, confused.
"I…" she started.
"It wasn't you," Oboro said flatly. "He changed the moment he saw me."
Tenten blinked, then scowled. "What the hell?!"
"…It's fine."
"No, it's not fine!" Tenten fumed. "He should apologize to you!"
She turned, ready to chase after the man, but Oboro grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Let it go. It's not worth it."
"He acted like you did something wrong! That's not okay!"
"…Don't worry about it."
"But still-"
"Let's go. I still haven't fed you."
"Eh?"
Tenten, far too small to fight his grip, was dragged along.
"Ow! A-nii, your grip hurts! Let go!"
"You done being dramatic?"
"…Fine, fine! You're so annoying. I was just trying to defend your honor!"
"…I don't need you to defend me."
"So what are we eating?"
"Noodles."
"…We went out just to eat noodles?"
"This place is different."
<><>---------------------------------------
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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• TL/N •
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
> Naruto: Mind Control
If you like smart and strong MC, this fanfic is for you.
It's Peak.
Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed