Chapter 11: Two Years

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

The Five Great Shinobi Villages remained unusually peaceful—aside from the usual espionage, even minor skirmishes had become rare. A large part of this could be attributed to Danzo no longer stirring up trouble.

Following his directives, Root shifted its focus over the past two years. Rather than provoking conflicts, they concentrated on expanding their ranks and developing their commercial network. Orphans with ninja potential were steadily recruited, and the training of Root operatives became increasingly refined.

Funding was never an issue. Under Root's covert support, the Higashikawa Trade Association flourished. Though it attracted some envious eyes and occasional suppression attempts, Root's ruthless and bloody methods ensured that anyone daring to interfere paid a steep price. Those who once watched from the shadows withdrew in caution.

At present, the company had stores scattered throughout the Five Great Nations, dealing in food and various daily necessities. Over a dozen stable trade routes had been established. They had even built their own weapon production facility, with shops in the capitals of multiple nations. Their reputation was growing, and expansion continued at a steady pace.

Root itself had begun to achieve a degree of self-sufficiency, equipping its operatives with weapons and supplies from within the organization. The majority of the remaining funds were funneled into the research division. Even Nonō Yakushi, despite her lack of involvement in financial matters, couldn't ignore the sheer amount of money being poured into the laboratories.

"The organization's income is rising, but the research division is burning through it at an alarming rate. If an unexpected event disrupts our revenue, it could affect Root's long-term development," she once remarked. But under Danzo's firm orders, no one voiced opposition.

The investments yielded significant results. The development of the Living Corpse Reincarnation was nearing completion. Even research on the First Hokage's cells had made promising progress. With Orochimaru leading the research, Root had also gained several capable scientists. Among them, Shinraku stood out the most—even Orochimaru held him in high regard and frequently had him act as an assistant. Such talent was priceless.

...

Root Headquarters

"Why are we withdrawing our trading operations from the Land of Lightning? We just acquired a mine there. If fully developed, it's estimated to bring in at least 800 million ryo..."

Nonō Yakushi faced Danzo, her tone filled with confusion. In the past, she wouldn't have questioned his decisions—she simply followed orders. But over these two years, she had developed a sense of belonging within Root. More importantly, her orphanage was now deeply tied to the organization. If Root's finances suffered, the orphanage would struggle as well.

Danzo's expression remained unreadable. "It's not just the Land of Lightning and the Land of Wind. Over the next three months, we will gradually withdraw from all other nations—including our operations in the Land of Fire."

The message he received that morning regarding the disappearance of the Kazekage weighed heavily on his mind. The inevitable had arrived.

Nonō Yakushi's face turned solemn. "Are we heading for war?"

Danzo didn't answer directly. Instead, he shifted the topic.

"The orphanage is too exposed outside the village. Move it inside. The funding will come from Root's reserves."

He continued, "As for the older children, send them to Root's training facilities. If they become medical-nin, that's fine. If they don't want to become shinobi, they can work as apprentices in the company."

The price of land in Konoha was no small matter, and the offer struck a chord with Nonō Yakushi. She had long been troubled by the future of the orphanage's older children. Their options were limited: apply to serve as field hands for a ninja clan or struggle to survive in Konoha's streets. The Ninja Academy was out of reach for most of them, and even if they got in, non-clan shinobi rarely thrived.

Within Root's training facilities, however, resources were abundant—far superior to those of the Ninja Academy. Even those who barely scraped by would graduate as chunin-level fighters, with two or three C-rank jutsu at their disposal. The mortality rate was higher, but in a world where death was constant, it hardly mattered.

For children without a clan's protection, this was an opportunity few could afford to pass up.

Nonō Yakushi bowed deeply. "On behalf of the children, I thank you, Danzo-sama."

Danzo glanced at her briefly before closing his eyes. His voice was calm.

"Go. Make the arrangements quickly. Soon, there won't be much time for such matters."

"Understood, Danzo-sama." Her voice remained cool as ever, but he could sense a subtle difference.

Leaving Root's headquarters, Nonō Yakushi felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The orphanage's future was secured, but more than that—she had confirmed something.

Three years ago, when she returned to Root, she had noticed a gradual but undeniable transformation.

And the source of that change was Danzo.

At first, she assumed it was merely a strategy—just another step toward his grand ambition of unifying the shinobi world. But as time passed, she saw the results. The suffering around them had diminished. The number of casualties in training had dropped. Civilian villages once deemed "expendable" were spared. Assassinations of innocents, once common, had slowed. Even the cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, once used frequently as a form of punishment, had remained dormant for three years.

Failures were no longer met with immediate execution. If the team had given their all and the failure was unavoidable, punishment was sometimes… reduced.

Failure was never tolerated in Konoha. Even within the village, missions were unforgiving. Yet, Danzo had begun to show something shocking—

Mercy.

And it wasn't an act. As someone trained in espionage, she would have recognized deception. But there was no pretense, no hidden agenda in this change.

Because of that, her wariness had faded. She no longer felt the need to constantly be on guard around him. For the first time in years, she could breathe.

"Besides becoming more compassionate, something else seems different…"

A strange thought crossed her mind, bringing a faint blush to her face.

Had she imagined it, or had his gaze lingered on her chest when she bowed earlier?

Impossible.

…Right?

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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