The Day, Hospital

  "Root?"

  Link frowned. He hadn’t expected Danzo to make a move at this time. With the Third Hokage and the vilge iively stable dition, and with Konoha actually being from the Sunagakure’s defeat, logically...

  The anger over being invaded, coupled with the opportunity to extract resources from the Sunagakure, naturally fueled the militaristic fa’s ideologies.

  Moreover, the Konoha Crush Pn’s biggest casualties weren’t the vilgers but the feudal lords, nobles, ahy merts invited by Konoha to watch the in Exams. Sitting iands when disaster struck, their deaths represented signifit losses.

  It became clear why Danzo had found an opportunity to act. As the leader of the militaristic fa, Danzo would undoubtedly seize this ce.

  Political maneuvering.

  After years of being held atable for the Uchiha Massacre, the militaristic fa now had a ce to strike back. Of course, Danzo wouldn’t let it slip away.

  "I uand," Link said, looking at Sasuke with a hint of relief.

  The boy who once carried the Uchiha tendency to shoulder everything alone had started to ge, thanks to Link’s influence—or perhaps because Sasuke’s personality was already different from the typical Uchiha.

  "Don’t rush into dealing with Danzo," Link said, tossing the scroll Sasuke had received ba. "This is yours, so you should keep it."

  "When you’re strong enough to kill Itachi, you’ll have the ability to kill Danzo as well."

  "Uood." Sasuke didn’t doubt this logic. He accepted the scroll solemnly. A militaristic leader like Danzo wouldn’t be weak. Sasuke had seen firsthand how terrifying an experienced Kage could be during the Third Hokage’s overwhelming dispy at the in Exams.

  Except for the Kazekage.

  Link didn’t realize how much his descriptions had skewed Sasuke’s uanding of strength. In Sasuke’s young mind, having the strength of a Kage equated to the kind of over-the-top teiques the Third Hokage had unleashed during the invasion—teiques Danzo, as a rival to the Third, was surely capable of as well.

  And Orochimaru? Well, to Sasuke, Orochimaru was more parable to Kakashi.

  This ed perspective only solidified Sasuke’s belief in his own inadequacy, which, in a strange way, was rational.

  Link patted Sasuke on the shoulder, then summoned Fugaku using his summoning teique, giving father and son a ce to talk post-battle. After that, he left the hospital.

  He frequently summoned Fugaku to reinforce the impression that his summoning teique could offer familial love and support. Unlike Iris and Ami, who easily admired strength, Sasuke needed more than just power to earn his trust—he needed friendship, familial ties, and perhaps even future assistan finding a wife. Binding Sasuke to him emotionally and practically would ensure Link never lost this potential Six Paths-level ally.

  Leaving the hospital, Link made his way to the Hokage’s office. Being a Special Jonin came with privileges, including the ability to meet the Hokage at any time.

  And Link wasted no time filing a pint about Danzo.

  The i where a supposed Root member entered Sasuke’s hospital room in the middle of the night and caused a frontation wasn’t just a grieva portunity to cast suspi on Root as an illegal anization.

  Hearing Link’s detailed report, the Third Hokage couldn’t help but stifle a ugh. The image of someotling to the Hokage immediately after being approached by a covert operative was... well, i.

  sidering that Link was only ten years old, the Third Hokage’s expression softened into a faint, amused smile.

  "Root was once a division of the Anbu," the Hokage expined patiently, "and its leader was Danzo."

  After a moment’s thought, the Hokage decided to provide more text. Though Link was young, he was also a Special Jonin and deserved to know such matters.

  "If Root has been disbanded, eople still using its o bother Sasuke?" Link asked directly after the expnation.

  The Third Hokage’s expression turned more serious. "Don’t worry. I’ll ha."

  As Li, satisfied with the respohe Hokage closed the file on redug military spending and said, "Summon Danzo to the Hokage’s office."

  "Yes," an Anbu operative replied before vanishing.

  …

  Elsewhere in Konoha

  Temari shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight as she stepped out. After being held in Konoha’s Anbu facility for two days sihe failed Konoha Crush, she felt disoriented but relieved.

  Konoha’s people, as it turned out, were kihan expected. They hadn’t used any unventional interrogatiohods and had treated her with respect.

  "Temari and Kankuro of the Sunagakure," said Ibiki Morino, the scarred examiner of the first stage in Exam, "until the peace talks are cluded, Anbu operatives will remain stationed nearby. Do not attempt to leave the vilge."

  Covered in bandages and without his puppets, Kankuro looked unusually normal—and unfortable. "I don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here," he muttered.

  "Do you think anyone will actually e to iate from the vilge?"

  Temari stood silently oreet, her thoughts heavy.

  The failed invasion had been a catastrophic blow. The Sunagakure had lost its Kage, elites, and even its jinchuriki. The fate of their vilge was unclear.

  Though she wasn’t worried about other vilges ung an invasiohoughts were ed by one figure.

  Baki-sensei...

  Her hands ched tightly. The desperate decision to invade Konoha had led to sequences far too bitter to bear.

  Bleam