My Techniques are a bit off

A Long Silence

Amidst the tense and oppressive atmosphere, Danzo Shimura finally raised his hand and tossed a scroll toward Kabuto. "Next time, I want to see a successful Curse Mark experiment."

His internal justification was: Once I acquire the secrets of the Curse Mark, I'll become stronger, and Root will grow even more powerful. It'll be easier to deal with traitors later.

Yet, he ignored the possibility that Kabuto might have already leaked secrets—or might do so during this delay.

Lord Danzo, you haven't changed at all...

"No problem," Kabuto said with a smile. "Then, Lord Danzo, may our cooperation be fruitful."

Successful Curse Mark experiments were plentiful. Giving Danzo the Curse Mark didn't matter; Orochimaru's team was already developing something even more advanced.

In time, the Curse Mark—an incomplete version of Sage Mode—would become obsolete.

"To show our sincerity—" Kabuto gestured to the hooded figure behind him. The figure stepped forward, removed their hood, and revealed Kimimaro's face.

"This is an experiment who survived the Curse Mark trials but lost their powers," Kabuto explained smoothly. Lying came as naturally to him as breathing.

"He didn't gain strength but instead lost his Kekkai Genkai, Shikotsumyaku. However, he did acquire powerful regenerative abilities."

Shikotsumyaku? Isn't that the Kaguya clan's—

Danzo's expression didn't change, but his mind was racing with excitement. One opportunity after another seemed to fall into his lap. Support from the daimyo, a path to becoming Hokage, leading Konoha to dominate the world—victory felt within reach.

"This is my show of sincerity," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses. "Are you satisfied, Lord Danzo?"

"Kimimaro, step forward," Danzo commanded.

Without hesitation, Kimimaro walked forward, expressionless. Root operatives stopped him for a body search before leading him away.

Danzo maintained his calm demeanor. "Then the next trade will take place in the Land of Rivers. I hear Orochimaru has a base there as well."

"No problem," Kabuto replied easily. Coincidentally, the next phase of Orochimaru's experiments was also slated for the Land of Rivers.

War meant profit and abundant test subjects, and in recent years, the Land of Rivers had become the most chaotic place in the ninja world.

Danzo gave Kabuto a long, calculating look, then waved his subordinates away. Kabuto activated a reverse summoning jutsu and vanished into the shadows.

…

Nighttime, In the Forest

A wolf howled in the distance, its cry long and eerie.

A samurai leaning against the carriage with his blade in hand tensed and glanced into the dark forest, letting out a silent sigh. His family still lived in the Land of Rivers, and he couldn't help but worry about their fate.

Temari, lying on her fan, idly poked at the campfire with a stick. Beside her, Kankuro was busy maintaining his puppets.

Gaara, lying nearby, slept soundly with a relaxed smile on his face.

Since Konoha had re-sealed Shukaku, Gaara had lost access to the Tailed Beast's power but had gained a semblance of normalcy.

Aside from missions and meals, he spent most of his time sleeping, as if trying to make up for a lifetime of insomnia. Having dealt with an unknown group of enemies earlier in the day, he was allowed to rest undisturbed that night.

Link sat on a tree branch, leaning against the trunk as he gazed at the full moon. Sleep tugged at his eyelids, but he remained vigilant.

In the dimly lit forest, his shadows were the perfect sentinels. Over a hundred of them blanketed the area, ensuring that no one could sneak up unnoticed.

"?" His eyes snapped open, and he vanished in an instant.

The branch swayed slightly. Temari and Kankuro immediately readied for battle, while Gaara slowly opened his eyes.

With a soft rustle, Link reappeared about fifty meters from the campsite. Four Anbu operatives surrounded by shadows were immobilized before him.

"Password," Link demanded coldly.

In a world of skilled assassins and infiltrators, trusting anyone in Anbu attire without verification was a fool's errand.

The operatives quickly provided the correct passcode. Satisfied, the shadows receded into the darkness.

"What's your business?" Link asked, his tone still cautious. As a special jonin, he had the authority to question them. After all, even a special jonin like Anko Mitarashi could command Anbu squads on certain missions.

The lead operative, wearing a monkey mask, handed him a scroll. "Lord Link, please review this."

A shadow caught the scroll mid-air and unfurled it. Link's eyes scanned the encoded message, quickly deciphering it.

It was written in the standard Konoha encryption used by jonin and Anbu. Over time, such codes were updated by the Intelligence Division and taught to all jonin. While Link spent much of his time training, he had dutifully learned the protocols, codes, and emergency signals required for his rank.

After reading the scroll, Link looked up, expressionless. "You're from Root?"

The scroll was straightforward—written by Danzo Shimura. It requested that Link hand over the daimyo's son to the Anbu present, promising that the mission would be marked as completed through his channels.

The wording was uncharacteristically polite, almost deferential, framing the request as a favor rather than an order.

For someone as arrogant as Danzo, the humility was striking. Still, the subtext hinted at Danzo's involvement in the Land of Rivers chaos.

In revealing this to Link, was Danzo inviting him to join in further destabilizing the region?

The forest fell silent.

"Yes," the monkey-masked operative confirmed, bowing slightly.

The Third Hokage likely doesn't know about this. If Root can affect mission outcomes, at least one of the village elders—if not both—must be complicit.

Link's mind raced. The mission to escort the daimyo's son couldn't have been intended to fail. The Third likely still valued the alliance with the Land of Rivers.

Is there a deeper political calculation at play here?

"Goodbye," Link said abruptly, crushing the forged scroll into dust with Earth Release chakra. The real scroll vanished into his scroll pouch, hidden by the shadows.

"You may leave."

The Root operatives made no argument, silently bowing before disappearing into the night. Shadows trailed them until they were well out of sight.

Link turned back toward the camp, his expression unreadable. Danzo's schemes would have to wait.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 100 Chapters Ahead of Others!