Mokgetsu, who was approached by Root, quickly went to the Root Base in secret.
Knock knock.
Mokgetsu knocked on Danzo's wooden office door, and only entered after receiving Danzo's approval.
"Lord Danzo," Mokgetsu greeted respectfully.
Danzo nodded slightly in response.
Though he himself often entered the Hokage Office without knocking, if a Root member were to enter his office without knocking, Danzo would definitely question that member's loyalty.
"I have a very important mission to assign to you," Danzo said directly, without wasting words.
"I need you to go to the Land of Rain and carry out a mission."
Mokgetsu did not ask about the mission details or timing, but instead asked, "How should the teaching work arranged by the Third Hokage be handled?"
As a subordinate of Danzo, asking lots of questions is unacceptable; they are expected to only execute missions and solve difficulties on their own.
However, the challenge for Mokgetsu in executing this mission lies with Sarutobi Hiruzen, which Mokgetsu could mention.
"Proceed as usual; this mission won't take much time. After I notify you, just request a few days off from Hiruzen to complete the task," hearing Mokgetsu's answer, Danzo nodded mentally and then explained.
While Mokgetsu has always performed well, he was no longer a Root member publicly, and Danzo had little opportunity to interact with Mokgetsu. Given Mokgetsu's strength, Danzo felt uneasy about him.
But Danzo had no better choice available; Orochimaru couldn't be reached, and compared to Mokgetsu, Orochimaru was even less preferable.
After collaborating for so many years, Danzo knew Orochimaru's personality well; he acted for Konoha, while Orochimaru acted purely for himself, making him an inherently dangerous figure.
Danzo believed that if there were enough benefits, Orochimaru would eventually choose to betray Konoha.
"I understand," Mokgetsu nodded, thinking to himself that Danzo was truly cautious.
Even after being so helpful, Danzo wouldn't disclose the specific mission timing, leaving Mokgetsu wondering about his concerns.
However, Mokgetsu didn't mind; he had confirmed nearly everything he needed to.
Hanzo shouldn't be lying, but Danzo had managed to fool Hanzo. The real target against the Ninja Sect was not Konoha, but just Danzo.
Moreover, Danzo was only a front for the true instigators behind the scenes, Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu.
"This mission is crucial, concerning the future of Konoha. You must treat it with utmost seriousness," Danzo warned sternly.
Mokgetsu stood upright and answered seriously, "For Lord Danzo, for Konoha, I will complete the mission, even if it means sacrifice!"
Danzo nodded satisfactorily, followed by casually asking a bit about Yamato's cultivation progress before sending Mokgetsu away.
After becoming a Wood Release Ninja, Yamato's importance diminished several levels in Danzo's view, though Yamato still remained more crucial than ordinary Root members.
After all, Yamato was a Wood Release Ninja personally trained by him, and Danzo certainly wouldn't mind having another Wood Release Ninja absolutely loyal to him in the future.
Afterward, Danzo couldn't resist practicing Wood Release briefly at the Root Base.
The Root Base was absolutely secure; since its establishment, apart from the "Uchiha Madara" intrusion, no non-Root Ninja could enter the base without Danzo's permission.
But for safety, Danzo refrained from using Wood Release too conspicuously.
"This great battle will be Konoha's opportunity for greatness again!" Danzo couldn't help but feel excited internally.
The same Wood Release, the same turbulent era, it might just allow him to achieve a fame akin to Senju Hashirama.
...
After leaving the Root Base, Mokgetsu returned to his home in the main city.
This evening, Mokgetsu did not cultivate Fuinjutsu, but pulled out a notebook to write down his thoughts while contemplating.
Danzo only needed to consider how to seize the Ninja Sect's heritage and the Rinnegan, but Mokgetsu, the one being robbed, had much more to ponder.
He had to figure out how to ensure Danzo perishes in the Land of Rain, how to implicate Danzo's death without affecting Habu Mokgetsu's identity, how to fend off Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows, and how to strategize regarding the Ninja Sect...
Mokgetsu faced many challenges, but fortunately, his strength was quite formidable in the present Ninja World, which made many issues easier to resolve.
The next afternoon, after Mokgetsu finished his Observation class, he headed to the Southern Border Forest to teach disciples.
Due to Hidden Rock Ninja activities in the Land of Grass again, Namikaze Minato received an investigation mission, so he didn't come with Mokgetsu to teach Obito and the others.
Since the disciples' abilities kept improving, they maintained a distance from each other to avoid disrupting their cultivation.
For instance, Kakashi was over there continuously chopping the ground, trees, and rocks with the White Fang Short Blade engulfed in lightning, while Obito was forty meters away cultivating Green Flame.
Some disciples required special training environments; Nohara Rin had been practicing coordination with Milotic recently, so they were currently training by the river.
"Teacher Mokgetsu."
Kakashi noticed Mokgetsu, taking a slight breath before pausing to greet Mokgetsu.
"Hmm," Mokgetsu smiled and nodded at Kakashi, also giving a smile toward Obito's direction.