Riku returned home, his mind weighed down with unease.
As he had expected, in the days that followed, not a single Root ninja dared to approach the Hyuga Clan. It seemed that Hiruzen Sarutobi's suppression of Danzo had taken effect.
Yet, this only made Riku more vigilant. He knew Danzo far too well—this was not a man who simply followed orders. How could Danzo ever submit obediently to Hiruzen's commands?
Danzo Shimura was born to defy authority. The words inherently rebellious might as well have been engraved on his forehead. Every ninja in Konoha could see it—everyone except Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
That was why Riku was sure of one thing: Danzo hadn't stopped; he'd merely gone deeper underground.
And indeed, that was exactly the case.
Three days passed since the conflict between Root and the Hyuga Clan. On the fourth day, in the depths of Root's hidden base, Danzo stood before a reinforced barrier etched with a Forbidden Technique. On the other side, a figure knelt—broken, bloody, and barely human.
Danzo's single visible eye glimmered with icy indifference. "Sora," he said coldly, "do you realize your mistake?"
The man inside the barrier was Sora, the Root operative who had "failed" his mission a few days earlier.
Now, however, he looked nothing like the spirited elite of Root. His body was covered in fresh wounds, almost every patch of skin torn or burned. Blood still trickled down in thin streams. Even as a seasoned jōnin, three days of Root's brutal interrogation had pushed him to the brink of collapse.
At the sound of Danzo's voice, Sora's spirit—sinking deep into despair—suddenly flickered with life. "Lord Danzo!" he rasped. "This subordinate knows his mistake. Please… please give me another chance! I swear I'll fulfill your orders this time!"
Danzo's expression didn't change. "Sora," he said softly, "you know I have no room for sentiment. You've followed me for many years, yet failure still demands punishment. You don't resent me for that, do you?"
He spoke without mentioning the mission. This was a test—Danzo's way of probing loyalty. If there was even a hint of rebellion, such a tool was better discarded.
"Lord Danzo," Sora said hoarsely, trembling. "How could I resent you? This is my fault alone. The fact that you didn't order my immediate execution is already your greatest mercy!"
His words were soaked with desperation. Whether genuine or forced, it was impossible to tell—but they had the desired effect. The cold edge in Danzo's eye softened slightly.
"Good… good. As expected of the Root elite I've personally trained," Danzo murmured. "Sora, you haven't disappointed me after all."
He paused, then continued, "Originally, you were to remain here for a full month. But seeing your awareness, I'll give you another opportunity."
The thought of another month of hell made Sora's blood run cold. "Thank you, Lord Danzo!" he said quickly. "This subordinate will not fail you again. I'm willing to die for you!"
Danzo's lips curved faintly. "You don't need to die," he said. "What I need from you is the same mission as before. But Hiruzen's interference has made open action impossible. You cannot capture Hyuga ninja directly. Instead, I want you to obtain their flesh and blood."
Danzo leaned closer, his voice like a whisper of steel. "Your Aburame techniques should make that easy enough. This old man must discover which Hyuga ninja has integrated Hashirama's cells."
For a brief moment, Sora's body went rigid—but then, relief washed over him. Compared to dying in that dungeon, this mission was a gift. And besides, the Hyuga Clan…
A spark of hatred ignited in his heart.
The Hyuga were the reason he was here in the first place. They had humiliated him, cost him everything. If he didn't take revenge, how could he live with the pain of the last three days?
Even without Danzo's order, Sora had already vowed to make the Byakugan users pay.
Without hesitation, he bowed deeply. "Rest assured, Lord Danzo. There will be no accidents this time."
Danzo nodded slowly. "I know your abilities well. If it weren't for those two incompetent fools, you wouldn't have failed at all. Rest and heal for now. Once you've recovered, complete this mission for me."
With that, Danzo turned and left, his cane tapping faintly against the cold stone floor.
Meanwhile, the Hyuga Clan remained unaware of Danzo's movements.
In the days following the Root incident, the Hyuga had indeed feared retaliation. The clan elders ordered tighter security; several patrol teams of Hyuga ninja watched the compound around the clock.
But when nothing happened for over a week, their vigilance faded. The Main Family gradually withdrew the extra guards, deeming the danger over.
They reasoned that, even if Danzo dared to act, it would be the Branch Family he targeted—not them. What truly preoccupied the Main Family was the mysterious attacker who had ambushed them earlier.
Until that enemy was found, the Main Family refused to relax its defenses around the compound's inner sanctum.
Riku, observing all this from within the Hyuga estate, could only shake his head. The hypocrisy of the Main Family disgusted him. They only cared about their own safety, not the clan as a whole.
Still, he knew now was not the time to make a move. He needed strength—more strength—and the patience to wait for the right moment.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, Riku's sense of urgency only grew sharper. He cut his sleeping hours drastically, devoting every spare moment to training and grinding skill proficiency.
With two shadow clones constantly assisting in his "AFK" practice during the day, his growth over the past fifteen days had been nothing short of extraordinary.
His internal system displayed his current stats:
[Ninjutsu]
Clone Technique (E): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
Transformation Technique (E): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
Substitution Technique (E): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
[Forbidden Skill]
Spirit Devour (B): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
[Fire Release]
Great Fireball Technique (C): Lv6 (792 / 2400)
(Other Fire Release techniques folded into this one)
[Wind Release]
Great Breakthrough (C): Lv6 (963 / 2400)
[Movement]
Body Flicker Technique (C): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
[Taijutsu]
Hyuga Gentle Fist (C): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
Iron Fist Fundamentals (C): Lv10 (MAX) (Can Breakthrough)
Konoha-Style Hard Fist (B): Lv6 (1857 / 6000)
[Sealing Arts]
Sealing Pulse Seal – Evil Break (B): MAX (Can Breakthrough)
[Dōjutsu]
Byakugan (A): Lv7 (34,697 / 51,200)
Byakugan: Intimidation (A): Lv6 (18,264 / 25,600)
[Forbidden Technique]
Eight Gates Released Formation (S): Lv3 (8,632 / 30,000)
[Clone Techniques]
Shadow Clone Jutsu (B): Lv3 (1500 / 3000)
[Free Experience Points]: 51,349
Evaluation: Elite Jōnin? No—your potential exceeds expectations. Your bloodline appears to be evolving.
Riku stared at the panel, breathing heavily. His progress was astounding. Every skill was nearing its limit; several could now break through to the next tier.
The idea that his bloodline itself was transforming sent a thrill through him. The Byakugan pulsed faintly in his eyes as if resonating with something deep within.
Even so, he didn't let excitement cloud his focus. He knew power alone wasn't enough—he needed control, timing, and a plan.
Danzo's schemes, the Hyuga Main Family's arrogance, and Konoha's hidden darkness—all of it was interwoven like a web. And Riku was quietly positioning himself at its center.
He closed his eyes, feeling his chakra flow through his body like an endless river. His spirit sense stirred, devouring traces of residual chakra in the air, refining itself further.
If he wanted to stand against people like Danzo—or even surpass them—he had to push every part of himself to the limit.
"Not enough yet," he muttered under his breath. "Still too weak."
The night wind blew gently through the open shoji window, carrying the faint scent of pine. The Hyuga compound was silent, unaware of the undercurrent flowing beneath its peace.
Far away, deep within Root's labyrinthine base, Danzo sat alone in the darkness, his bandaged arm resting on the table. The faint outline of eyes under the wrappings seemed to twitch.
He opened one cold eye and murmured, "Riku… Hyuga Clan… soon, I'll uncover all your secrets."
The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows that danced like serpents on the walls.
And somewhere beyond the village, Sora—reborn through pain and hatred—was preparing to move once again.
This time, his mission would not ?
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