Inside the Hokage Residence, the air was thick with the scent of tobacco.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, listening intently to the reports delivered by Kakashi and Asuma. He took a slow, deliberate drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of gray smoke that drifted toward the ceiling. His weathered face was etched with deep thought.
"Shiro..." Hiruzen murmured the name, testing it on his tongue. "Is he truly from a civilian background?"
Typically, the Ninja Academy forwarded the detailed performance records of every graduating student to the Hokage's office. If there were any exceptionally talented individuals—clan heirs or civilian prodigies—Hiruzen would make a point to pay them extra attention. It was his duty to nurture the next generation of the Will of Fire.
However, regarding this boy, Shiro, Hiruzen realized with a start that he knew almost nothing. The file was devastatingly average, yet the reality was anything but.
This "average" student had just effortlessly defeated the last survivor of the Uchiha Clan in a single engagement.
"Was Shiro concealing his true abilities all this time?"
Hiruzen fell into a heavy, contemplative silence. The implications of a student hiding such power under the village's nose were vast.
However, the silence was shattered by a harsh, discordant voice.
"Hiruzen! It is obvious, isn't it? This brat named Shiro has hidden his strength for years. He clearly harbors ulterior motives against Konoha!"
Danzo Shimura stepped out from the shadows of the office, his single eye glinting with cold calculation. He was practically vibrating with aggressive intent.
"A variable this dangerous cannot be left unchecked. He must be handed over to Root for... processing."
Danzo didn't bother to hide his greed. Root was currently short on elite personnel, and a raw, moldable genius like Shiro was exactly what he needed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at his old war buddy. How could he not see through the transparent schemes of the Darkness of Shinobi?
"Impossible," Hiruzen stated firmly. "Shiro is a genius of Konoha, born and raised within these walls. As long as he has done nothing to harm the village, we will not treat him as a criminal."
"Hiruzen, stop being naive. My organization is depleted. Just give me the boy!"
Seeing his "for the good of the village" excuse failing, Danzo dropped the pretense. He spread his hands, his demeanor making it clear: *I want the weapon, give it to me.*
"Danzo," Hiruzen's voice dropped an octave, resonating with authority. "Shiro grew up bathed in the light of Konoha. He walks in the sun. I will not cast him into your darkness."
The refusal was decisive. Hiruzen would not allow a potential pillar of the village to be turned into an emotionless tool.
Hearing this, Danzo's face twisted in fury. "Hiruzen... you will regret this decision!"
"Enough!"
Hiruzen slammed his hand onto the desk, the sound echoing through the room as he stood up to his full height. The aura of the Professor, the God of Shinobi, briefly flared.
"Danzo, remember your place. *I* am the Hokage!"
"Hmph!"
Danzo turned sharply, his visible eye burning with a mixture of jealousy and resentment. *Why?* Why was it always Hiruzen sitting in that chair? Why was it always this soft-hearted ideology that ruled?
*Bang!*
Realizing that Hiruzen would not yield, Danzo stormed out of the office, slamming the heavy wooden door behind him with enough force to shake the frame.
Kakashi and Asuma, who had been standing silently to the side, exchanged awkward glances. The tension between the two elders was palpable.
"My apologies that you had to witness that," Hiruzen said, sitting back down and rubbing his temples. He exhaled a long sigh before his expression brightened, shifting gears. "Now, Kakashi. I have a mission for you."
"Sir?"
"Go to the Ninja Academy immediately. Bring Shiro here. I wish to personally commend him for his performance."
Hiruzen's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. If Shiro was indeed a diamond in the rough, it was imperative to forge a bond with him quickly. Only by deepening Shiro's connection to the village and its leader could Hiruzen ensure the boy grew into a protector of Konoha, rather than a threat.
"Understood, Lord Hokage!"
Kakashi bowed. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to place such immediate, high value on the boy, but given what he had seen in the forest, perhaps it was warranted.
---
Outside the Hokage Building, the atmosphere was far less benevolent.
Danzo did not leave the vicinity. He stood in the shadows of the hallway, his cane tapping rhythmically against the floor.
"Lord Danzo."
"Lord Danzo."
Two figures materialized from the darkness—Torune Aburame and Fu Yamanaka. They bowed low before their master.
Danzo waved his hand dismissively, his mood foul. He stared back at the closed door of the Hokage's office with a gloomy, predatory gaze.
*Hiruzen... since you refuse to show benevolence, do not blame me for disregarding righteousness.*
"You two," Danzo ordered, his voice like grinding stones. "Go to the Ninja Academy immediately. Bring the target to me."
"The Ninja Academy?"
Fu and Torune were momentarily taken aback. Root rarely recruited directly from the Academy without a screening process. Had someone passed a secret interview?
"Understood."
Despite the question in their minds, they did not hesitate. In Root, the master's order was absolute.
"Lord Danzo," Fu ventured cautiously. "May I ask the name of the target?"
"Shiro."
Fu Yamanaka stiffened imperceptibly. He hadn't expected the target to be Shiro. However, years of conditioning allowed him to mask his shock instantly.
Danzo, consumed by his own anger, missed the micro-reaction. But Torune, Fu's long-time partner, caught the subtle twitch in Fu's posture.
Torune remained silent until Danzo had departed down the corridor. Only then did he turn to his partner.
"You seem familiar with this target, Shiro."
It wasn't a question.
Fu sighed behind his mask. "I have heard the name mentioned within my clan," he admitted in a hushed tone. "My niece, Ino... and the clan head, Inoichi-sama, seem to look favorably upon him. There were even whispers of him being a potential suitor in the future."
Fu was conflicted. Everyone knew what it meant to be "summoned" by Root. It meant erasure of self. For a civilian-born genius like Shiro with no political backing, entering Root was a one-way trip to becoming a tool.
"Fu," Torune warned, his voice devoid of emotion. "Know your place."
Fu fell silent. He understood the warning. Personal feelings were forbidden.
Without further delay, the two Root agents flickered away, rushing toward the Ninja Academy.
---
At the Academy, the practical combat training had just concluded. The students were still buzzing with adrenaline, discussing the upset victory.
Suddenly, two figures landed silently in the courtyard.
"Who are you?" Iruka stepped forward instinctively, placing himself between the strangers and his students.
He froze when he saw their attire. The porcelain masks—one depicting an ox, the other a boar.
Anbu Black Ops.
As far as Iruka knew, when the Anbu showed up at the Academy, it was rarely for a social call.
"Who is the student named Shiro?" Torune demanded, his voice cold. "We are here on the direct orders of Lord Hokage to escort him."
Faced with Iruka's hesitation, Fu and Torune didn't blink. Lying about the source of their orders was standard operating procedure.
"Oh... Understood."
Iruka relaxed slightly. He didn't doubt them. In his mind, no one would be insane enough to impersonate the Hokage's Anbu right in the center of the village.
"Shiro! It's the Hokage!" Sakura gasped, grabbing Shiro's arm excitedly. "Lord Hokage has sent his personal guard to summon you! That's incredible!"
Shiro stood calmly, dusting off his clothes.
"Ino? Why are you spacing out?" Sakura frowned, looking at her friend. "Aren't you going to say something? Usually, you'd be fighting me to congratulate him."
Ino was staring blankly at the blond-haired Anbu member—the one in the boar mask.
"It's nothing," Ino murmured, shaking her head as if waking from a dream. "I just... that Anbu member seems strangely familiar."
Shiro glanced at the two masked figures. He noted the blond hair of the one on the right. Being well-versed in the village's lore, he didn't immediately recognize them as specific characters, but he sensed something was off. Still, Anbu were numerous; it wasn't strange to not know them all.
He stepped forward.
As Shiro followed the two agents away from the crowd, the blond Anbu paused for a fraction of a second, glancing back at Ino.
In that moment, Ino's heart skipped a beat.
_______
"Hey! Ino!"
Sakura waved her hand in front of Ino's face. "Hello? Earth to Ino. Shiro is already gone. Why are you standing there like a statue?"
Ino didn't respond to Sakura's teasing. She stood frozen, her face draining of all color until she was deathly pale.
Just moments ago, a voice had resonated directly inside her mind—the clan's secret *Mind Body Transmission* technique.
It was the Anbu with the boar mask.
*Shiro is in grave danger. Do not make a scene. Do not follow us. Go immediately to your father and tell him Danzo has taken the boy.*
The message had been brief, urgent, and terrifying.
Ino swallowed hard, her hands trembling. She looked around the playground. Everyone was chatting happily, oblivious to the kidnapping that had just occurred in plain sight.
"I... I have to go," Ino stammered, her voice shaking. "I just remembered something important. I'm going home!"
"Huh? But school isn't officially over—"
Before Sakura could finish, Ino had already turned and sprinted away, ignoring the confused looks of her classmates. She had to find her father.
---
Meanwhile, Shiro was being escorted away from the Academy grounds.
The three of them moved swiftly across the rooftops, leaving the noise of the school behind.
"Aren't you nervous?"
Torune Aburame, the Root agent in the ox mask, glanced back at the boy running effortlessly behind them. He spoke with a hint of genuine curiosity.
Most students—even the talented ones—would be trembling with anxiety or overflowing with excited questions upon being summoned by the "Hokage's Anbu." Even a genius like Shisui Uchiha had shown deference and tension when dealing with the Anbu at a young age.
Yet Shiro, a boy of the same age, was completely composed. His heartbeat hadn't elevated. His breathing was steady. He looked as if he were taking a casual stroll through the park rather than heading to a meeting with the most powerful man in the village.
*This boy's mental fortitude is far beyond that of an ordinary human,* Torune thought to himself, analyzing the target. *It is no wonder Lord Danzo values him so highly. He is a blank slate, perfectly calm, ready to be molded into the ultimate weapon.*