Ninja World: Power through Bonds

Kabuto's emotions were a tangled mess, overwhelming his thoughts to the point where his mind felt like it was short-circuiting.

At last, he understood.

He finally realized why Director Nono would disappear from the orphanage for long periods, leaving the nurses in charge of the children.

It wasn't because she was busy with administrative work.

She was out there risking her life on dangerous missions.

The weight of that revelation pressed heavily on his chest. It felt suffocating. The orphans at the orphanage—his friends, his family—knew nothing. They never understood the sacrifices she made for them.

Why me?

After a long silence, Kabuto finally lifted his head. His voice, hoarse from emotion, trembled as he asked,

"I'm just an ordinary orphan. What qualifies me to be compared to Director Nono?"

He wasn't afraid of taking on danger.

He was afraid of failing—of not being good enough—and ultimately bringing harm to her.

"Of course, you're not worth comparing to her right now," Denji said, shaking his head slightly.

Kabuto's heart sank.

But before he could fully process that disappointment, Denji continued,

"But I see potential in you."

His tone was calm, yet filled with absolute certainty.

"I believe you will become an exceptional intelligence ninja."

Kabuto's eyes lit up. Hope flickered.

"Then… will Director Nono be able to leave Root?" He asked, his voice carrying a desperate kind of hope.

"No."

Denji's response was cold and immediate—like ice water poured over Kabuto's soul.

His heart clenched. It was as if a bottomless abyss had opened beneath him.

"Once you enter Root, even in death, you will remain a shadow of Root," Denji said, his tone indifferent.

Kabuto's breath hitched.

Denji yawned slightly, then added, "But I can prevent her from being sent on dangerous missions. Instead, she can stay behind to oversee the orphanage, making it a reserve force for Root. That is the best outcome you can hope for.

Don't push your luck."

His words left no room for negotiation.

Kabuto clenched his fists. His mind raced.

Denji was right—he had no power to bargain yet.

To change anything, he first had to prove his worth.

"I understand," Kabuto said, lowering his head. The lenses of his glasses reflected the dim light, obscuring the emotions in his eyes.

Then, without hesitation, he leapt off his seat and dropped to one knee before Denji.

"Master Denji, I am willing to join Root and serve under you."

A faint smile tugged at Denji's lips.

"Good."

He leaned forward slightly, studying Kabuto's posture. "You've already enrolled in the Academy, correct?"

"Yes," Kabuto confirmed. "I started last month."

Denji nodded.

"Then continue your classes as usual during the day," he instructed. "At night, report to the Root base for training."

"Remember, don't tell anyone, including your dean."

"I understand," Kabuto responded obediently.

Denji's words had just made something abundantly clear to the young Kabuto—the importance of self-worth.

Only when he proved his value would others acknowledge him. Only then could he achieve what he desired.

Denji believed in his potential.

And that belief itself was valuable.

Now, it was up to him to turn that potential into real strength, to prove that Denji was right about him.

If he succeeded, Director Nono would be able to live the life she longed for.

The orphanage's living conditions would improve. The children would no longer suffer.

For the first time, Kabuto had a purpose.

He had something to strive for.

"Seiji, take him to find his way and assign him a teacher," Denji ordered.

As his words fell, Aburame Seiji silently stepped out from the shadows.

Without a word, he led Kabuto away.

As the two were leaving, they happened to cross paths with Uchiha Izumi, who had come looking for Denji.

Izumi's large eyes flickered with curiosity as she glanced at Kabuto, but she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she hurried past him and entered Denji's home.

"Denji, I came to hang out with you! You're officially becoming a ninja tomorrow—let's celebrate!"

Denji, however, was focused on something else.

He had just witnessed a very interesting scene.

As Uchiha Izumi and Yakushi Kabuto crossed paths, they did so within the shadow cast by the gate.

One ran toward the light.

The other walked into the darkness.

...

After a full day of rest, Hizashi's team gathered outside the Hokage Building.

Once all three team members had arrived, Hyuga Hizashi led them inside and directly to the Mission Assignment Center.

Konoha's missions were generally divided into two categories.

The first type consisted of commissioned missions—requests that anyone could submit. The mission's reward was determined by its difficulty, with the village taking a 20% handling fee as compensation.

The second type comprised missions issued directly by the village itself.

Unlike commissioned missions, the rewards for village-issued assignments were significantly lower—often only one-third or even one-fifth of an equivalent commissioned mission.

However, these missions came with a unique advantage: they granted contribution points.

For instance, during past Ninja World Wars, no ninja was obligated to fight on the front lines.

Every action—every battle—was classified as a mission, graded by difficulty, and assigned contribution points.

After all, why would anyone risk their lives for nothing?

Contribution points could be exchanged for various ninjutsu, specialized ninja tools, and even personal training from high-level shinobi.

Thanks to this system, originally implemented by Senju Tobirama, the efficiency of Konoha's operations had greatly improved. It provided ordinary ninjas with a path to becoming stronger, ensuring a continuous influx of fresh talent.

As a result, over the years, Konoha consistently maintained a high standard of shinobi among the Five Great Nations. With a steady stream of recruits and the most stable economy of the five villages, it was in an advantageous position.

When Hyuga Hizashi approached the mission desk, he greeted the clerk politely.

"Hello, we'd like to accept a mission."

The overworked and uninterested clerk didn't even bother to look up. Instead, he grabbed a random stack of papers and handed them over.

"Pick one and register," he muttered.

Taking the papers, Hizashi skimmed through the available missions—and immediately frowned.

The list was full of menial and unchallenging tasks.

Helping farmers plant rice.

Finding lost cats and dogs.

Escort missions that were long, tedious, and inefficient for real combat experience.

Although some of these offered decent rewards, they provided little in terms of actual training for aspiring shinobi.

"Sensei, let me take a look," Shimura Denji called out as he hurried over from behind Kurenai Yuhi.

Hizashi handed over the papers.

Denji glanced at them once—then slammed the entire stack onto the clerk's desk with enough force that the entire table nearly collapsed under the impact.

The loud bang immediately drew the attention of every shinobi in the room, as well as the civilians issuing missions.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The startled clerk looked up, furious, glaring at Denji.

Denji, however, simply tapped the family emblem on his uniform and spoke coldly.

"I am Shimura Denji, grandson of Lord Danzo Shimura, Hokage's Advisor." His voice was calm but firm. "Think carefully before deciding how you want to speak to me."

The moment he uttered his name, the clerk's face went pale.

Almost instantly, his expression changed into a forced, obsequious smile.

"Ah, my apologies, young master of the Shimura clan! Please, forgive me! I've just been so busy!" The clerk's demeanor flipped so quickly it was almost comical. "Tell me, what kind of mission would you like?"

Denji ignored him completely, reaching over the desk and grabbing the entire stack of mission forms.

"Don't worry about it—I'll pick one myself," he said flatly.

"Of course! Take your time! But... um... please be careful. Some of these missions are extremely dangerous—"

"I get it. I'm not stupid enough to get myself killed," Denji cut him off, waving dismissively before turning away.

Holding a thick stack of mission requests, he rejoined his stunned teammates, flashing them an innocent smile.

"Sensei, let's take our time picking the right mission. There has to be something worthwhile in here, right?"

At that moment, all three of them had the same thought.

"Being a second-generation kid... is insanely overpowered."

...

Bonus Chapter @200 PS