Lord Danzō sat in the dim light of his underground chamber, a dozen intelligence files spread across his desk. Every one of them concerned members of the Hyuga Clan—two Jonin, ten Chunin, and, strangely, one civilian named Hyuga Hoshimi, who wasn't even a ninja.
Among the many files, Hoshimi's stood out immediately. Out of mild curiosity, Danzō picked it up first and began to read. But by the time he finished, his brows had already furrowed.
"Hyuga Hoshimi, less than six years old? A year ago, assigned as a guard by Hyuga Sōtai… and during that same period, had contact with Orochimaru?" Danzō muttered, scanning the short report again. "Is that all?"
Displeased, he tossed the thin file aside. It slid across the desk and fell to the floor, forgotten.
"A child who hasn't even graduated from the Academy—could such a brat possibly integrate Hashirama's cells?" Danzō scoffed to himself. "Impossible."
In his experience, anyone who successfully adapted to Hashirama's cells possessed remarkable talent and had already developed their Kekkei Genkai to an advanced degree. A six-year-old civilian, even from the Hyuga Clan, couldn't meet that standard. The only real candidates were the two Hyuga Jonin listed in the files.
Danzō picked up the Jonin reports next and examined them carefully. His expression shifted several times between hesitation and calculation.
"Both from the Branch Family… their status is still high for Branch members. If this old man requested them through official channels, I could obtain them, but the Hyuga elders would surely demand something in return. Those stiff-necked fools never miss a chance to bargain."
He set the files down, a cold glint flashing in his single visible eye.
"No… official channels won't work. I am the darkness of the ninja world. I don't need their permission."
His decision made, Danzō raised his hand. "Someone, bring in the operatives."
Moments later, dozens of Root members assembled before him, kneeling in silence. The flickering torchlight made their blank masks seem even more inhuman.
"Everyone on this list," Danzō said, his voice low and cold, "I want them captured alive and brought before me within three days. No exceptions. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Danzō!"
The Root agents bowed deeply, their voices echoing through the chamber before vanishing one by one into the tunnels. Soon, silence returned to the base.
Outside, a large group of Root elites gathered at the entrance. At their head stood a tall man in a black cloak, goggles hiding his eyes. His name in another life had been Aburame Shino—once a genius of the insect-using Aburame Clan. But that man no longer existed. In Root, he had been stripped of name and emotion. His codename now was Sora—the Flying Insect.
Though he had abandoned his clan, his mastery of the Aburame's secret techniques had only deepened. Backed by Root's immense resources, Sora's insect techniques had reached frightening levels. Now, he was counted among Danzō's top five operatives.
Officially, he held the rank of Jonin, but his skill in manipulating countless insects made him a deadly opponent. Even an elite Jonin could fall to him if caught off guard.
For this mission, Sora was the natural choice to lead.
"Numbers Zero to Five, you're with me," Sora ordered calmly. "We'll target the two Hyuga Jonin. The rest of you, form pairs and capture the others on the list. No exposure is allowed. If anything unusual occurs, report immediately."
His subordinates responded with quiet affirmation and moved out in practiced efficiency. Within moments, teams were formed, each agent already knowing their targets.
As Sora adjusted his equipment and prepared to move, two Root operatives approached him.
"Riku. Yue." He recognized them instantly. "What is it?"
"Captain Sora," said Riku, bowing slightly. "There's a child among the targets—still a student at the Ninja Academy. Do we need to take him as well?"
"Capture him," Sora replied without hesitation. "Lord Danzō gave no exclusions. Not one target is to be missed."
"Understood, Captain."
The two exchanged glances and turned away, vanishing into the shadows. Their destination—Hyuga Hoshimi.
Sora watched them go, the faintest crease forming between his brows. After a moment, he shook his head. It wasn't his place to question orders. Checking his gear one last time, he gave the signal to move. His team slipped away silently toward the Hyuga compound.
Since the founding of Konoha, the Hyuga Clan had stood as one of its great pillars. Their numbers were vast, their strength undeniable. The clan housed hundreds of ninja, and among them, dozens of Jonin—far exceeding the capacity of most families.
And yet, despite their power, the Hyuga had never been considered a true threat to the Hokage's authority. The reason was simple: within their ranks, only a few of the Main Family truly held influence. The rest—the Branch Family—were bound by ancient seals and could not challenge them.
The Main Family, content in their privilege, rarely sought greater ambition. Because of this, the Hyuga were seen as dependable allies, even "good people" by the rest of the village. Unlike the Uchiha, who bred defiance and individuality, the Hyuga seemed orderly and subdued—strong, but never dangerous.
That complacency would cost them tonight.
Sora and his Root strike force moved like ghosts. His Insect Sealing Technique—a swarm that could devour chakra and paralyze opponents within seconds—was the perfect weapon against taijutsu specialists like the Hyuga. Against his insects, the Gentle Fist meant nothing.
When they reached the Hyuga compound, there was no hesitation. In a blur of movement, the Root agents struck.
The Hyuga guards barely had time to react. Those who engaged found their chakra drained and their bodies immobilized almost instantly. Even the Jonin-level defenders fell in just a few breaths. The insects slipped past their defenses, swarming under clothes and into skin, leaving them helpless but alive.
Sora's precision was terrifying. By the time he and his team withdrew, both target Jonin had been subdued and sealed, their Byakugan suppressed. Not a single alarm had been raised. Within the silent night, Root had claimed its prey.
At the same time, the other Root teams were executing their missions across the village. Each strike was silent, efficient, and merciless. Danzō's agents were well-trained; though not prodigies, they excelled in discipline and coordination. Together, they could defeat even formidable foes.
In less than half an hour, all designated Hyuga Jonin and Chunin had been captured alive—without causing significant commotion. The precision of the operation reflected Root's terrifying professionalism.
As team after team returned to the rendezvous point, Sora finally allowed himself to relax slightly. The mission had gone smoothly—too smoothly.
Until his sensory insects picked up something troubling.
From the direction of the Hyuga compound, the once-quiet night had erupted into noise. Shouts, chakra fluctuations, and hurried footsteps broke the silence. Through the vibrations carried by his insects, Sora sensed the chaos spreading.
His expression darkened instantly.
"Damn it…" His tone was low, cold. "Those two—Riku and Yue—haven't returned yet."
He turned toward the compound, feeling the disturbance intensify. "Could it be… they were discovered?"
The thought made his jaw tighten. Exposure during a Root operation was unacceptable—punishable by death. But he couldn't deny the possibility. The targets Riku and Yue had been assigned—the boy, Hoshimi—was within the Hyuga's inner grounds. It was supposed to be a simple capture, yet something had clearly gone wrong.
Sora clenched his fists, mind racing. "If the Hyuga are mobilizing, it means the alarm's been raised. We can't afford to linger."
He quickly signaled for his operatives to stand by. "Form defensive positions. Prepare for immediate withdrawal. I'll investigate."
Without waiting for a response, Sora summoned a swarm of minute beetles that dispersed into the air, spreading toward the disturbance. Through them, he could see, hear, and sense everything. The image that returned to his mind made his brows furrow even more.
The courtyard where Hoshimi lived was now surrounded by several Hyuga ninja, all fully alert. Among them, two Chunin were lying unconscious on the ground, their chakra disrupted. Riku and Yue were nowhere in sight.
"What happened here?" Sora murmured, trying to piece together the sequence of events. "How could a child cause this much trouble?"
Through the eyes of his insects, he spotted faint traces of chakra residue—foreign, potent, and strangely familiar. His eyes narrowed. "That's… Orochimaru's chakra signature?"
The realization struck him like a blade of ice. A mere child with a connection to Orochimaru… No wonder Danzō had included him on the list.
Sora inhaled deeply, forcing his thoughts into order. "No time to hesitate. If Riku and Yue have been compromised, their bodies must be recovered or eliminated. Root leaves no trace."
He prepared to advance, but before he could move, a surge of chakra burst from within the compound—far too powerful for any Academy student. The very air trembled with it.
"What is this…?" Sora muttered, his usually calm demeanor cracking for the first time. Even his insects began to scatter, their instincts warning them of danger.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the chakra vanished—snuffed out like a candle.
Silence fell again.
Sora waited several seconds before recalling his swarm. The feedback from the insects confirmed his fear: both Riku and Yue were gone. No bodies. No signs of struggle. Simply… erased.
"This isn't normal." He turned sharply toward his waiting operatives. "Mission status—abort. We retreat now!"
The Root agents obeyed without question. Within moments, the team melted back into the night, their movements as silent as when they came. Behind them, the Hyuga compound gradually returned to uneasy quiet, unaware of how narrowly it had escaped disaster—or how close a shadow still lingered.
Back in the depths of the Root base, Danzō sat waiting. When Sora finally knelt before him, the older man's single eye gleamed with cold curiosity.
"All captured?" Danzō asked.
"Yes, Lord Danzō," Sora replied evenly. "All targets except one—Hyuga Hoshimi. The agents sent for him… never returned."
"Oh?" Danzō leaned forward slightly. "Interesting. Explain."
Sora hesitated briefly before recounting everything—the commotion, the chakra flare, the disappearance. Danzō listened in silence, fingers steepled beneath his chin.
When the report ended, he let out a slow breath. "Orochimaru… so that snake has moved again."
A faint smile curved his lips. "Very well. The boy remains at large, but this development may prove more useful than you realize."
He looked down at Sora. "Continue observing the Hyuga Clan. And as for this… Hoshimi—do not engage again without my order."
"Yes, Lord Danzō."
As Sora withdrew, Danzō turned his gaze toward the flickering candle on his desk. Shadows danced across his face, sharp and predatory.
"Hyuga Hoshimi," he murmured. "A mere child… yet connected to Orochimaru and able to suppress two Root agents. What are you, really?"
The candle flame wavered—and went out.
Darkness filled the room once more.
End of Chapter 59
FOR MORE CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Johnybairstow