Reborn as Danzō’s Grandson, Must I Offend the Entire Ninja World?

Standing in front of the mirror, gazing at the single tomoe in his eyes, Yami couldn't help but curse inwardly.

He had just told Izumi that awakening the Sharingan too early was bad for the body, yet here he was, having awakened it overnight.

On the system panel, his Uchiha Bloodline had advanced from Rich to Ultimate.

Feeling the steady surge of pupil power within his eyes, Yami suspected that he could naturally develop up to three tomoe without any external stimulation.

As for the Mangekyō Sharingan, he couldn't be certain, but unlocking it would undoubtedly be far easier for him than for most.

"Mom... you really left me a wonderful gift..." Yami whispered to himself.

There were hardworking geniuses in the ninja world, but sheer effort alone would never be enough to reach the peak.

Take Might Guy, for example.

That final kick of his had been terrifying, but in the end, it merely forced Uchiha Madara to heal himself. He had to gamble with his life, and if Naruto hadn't received the Six Paths Yang Power, Guy would have died for nothing.

The ninja world was vast, yet also suffocatingly narrow.

To stand at the top, only Uchiha and Senju bloodlines served as the true entry ticket.

And now, Shimura Yami possessed both.

For the first time, he felt a deep sense of confidence in his future.

Closing his Sharingan, Yami returned to bed.

A single tomoe Sharingan provided little enhancement, but it would invite unnecessary trouble.

Until he had fully solidified his power and eliminated all potential threats in Konoha, it was best to keep his Sharingan hidden.

---

The Root

The Anbu—full name: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad, was founded by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

Or rather, most of Konoha's military and political structures had been established by Senju Tobirama.

The so-called First Hokage, Hashirama, had simply been his personal war machine.

One led, the other executed.

Beyond his talent in Forbidden Jutsu, Tobirama had been a political genius, and the creation of Anbu was one of his proudest achievements.

The primary function of the Anbu was to protect the Hokage and carry out special assassination missions.

Unlike regular shinobi who progressed through the Genin → Chūnin → Jōnin system, Anbu operated independently, with all members donning masks and concealing their identities.

However, despite the danger of their missions, the true role of Anbu was to centralize power.

This was an elite force that reported directly to the Hokage, ignoring the chain of command from Jōnin instructors or any other high-ranking shinobi.

Essentially, Anbu—agents who were authorized to kill first and report later, acting under absolute authority.

Unfortunately, a great system meant nothing if the person in charge was incompetent.

Under Sarutobi Hiruzen, everything had begun to rot.

Technically, Shimura Danzō's Root was just a subdivision of Anbu, a single unit within its structure.

But in reality?

Due to Hiruzen's blind trust in Danzō, and Danzō's unrestrained ambition, Root had evolved into an entirely separate entity, practically a second Anbu.

Officially, Anbu consisted of:

1 Captain

1 Vice-Captain

4 Battalions, each led by a Battalion Commander

16 Anbu per battalion, further divided into:

4 squads per battalion

Each squad consisting of 1 Captain + 3 Members

Thus, the total official number of Anbu was around 100 members.

On paper, Root was just one brigade of Anbu, meaning it should have had only 20 members.

But in reality?

According to Yami's knowledge, Root had over 50 operatives—a force nearly equal to the entire Anbu division.

The extent of Danzō's unchecked power under Hiruzen's reign was terrifying.

And unlike the regular Anbu, Root was significantly harsher, both in its missions and recruitment process.

Its members were subjected to brutal conditioning, ensuring that their overall combat proficiency surpassed that of standard Anbu operatives.

---

Root Base

Wearing his forehead protector on his waist, Yami arrived at the entrance of the Root base, an underground cavern hidden deep beneath Konoha.

He sighed.

"This Root leader has a better setup than the Hokage himself. What's the old man even fighting for?"

Stepping forward, Yami's figure sank into the darkness.

Navigating the winding tunnels, he eventually emerged into a vast, silent hall.

It was eerily quiet, so quiet that the absence of sound felt oppressive.

A shinobi wearing a red mask stood at the center, three subordinates lined up behind him.

Seeing Yami enter, the red-masked ninja spoke coldly:

"Lord Yami, I am the Captain of Root's Second Squad. Codename: Owl."

"The Commander has ordered me to oversee your first lesson in Root."

"And the lesson is simple—killing."

For Root ninjas, killing was the most basic of all their training.

Yami wasn't bothered by their lack of emotion.

Root shinobi were practically walking corpses, so their coldness was expected.

He simply nodded.

"You arrange it. I'll do it."

Although Yami had his system, he had never killed before—not even a chicken, let alone a person.

No matter how strong he was, his mentality remained a weakness.

The battlefield wasn't a game where raw stats determined the winner.

Even a Genin could kill a Jōnin, or even a Kage—with a single well-placed kunai.

Yami understood that this was a hurdle he had to cross.

And truthfully, the old man's arrangement wasn't wrong.

Still, he set one condition.

"I'll say this in advance, I will only kill those who deserve to die."

"If I believe they don't deserve death, I won't kill them."

The red-masked Owl remained cold.

"For Root, ninjas are just tools, and all mission targets are valid kills."

"But you are different, Lord Yami."

"You have autonomy."

---

The squad left Konoha, heading northwest.

At their speed, they soon arrived at a small village, roughly 100 kilometers away.

The Land of Fire, as the world's strongest nation, rarely suffered external invasions, and was generally stable.

But beneath the surface, corruption ran rampant.

Bandits, crime lords, rogue ninjas—finding scum in any given village was easy.

On the way, Owl had already provided Yami with the mission briefing.

Their target was a wealthy landlord who had amassed his fortune through predatory lending, driving dozens of families into ruin and seizing their land.

He was protected by two rogue ninja, but they were nothing special, just ordinary Chūnin-level bodyguards.

This fat pig was essentially Root's personal ATM, a walking cash grab, now conveniently repurposed as Yami's first kill.

Based on Yami's performance against Uchiha Itachi, eliminating these nobodies would be trivial.

Perched atop a large tree, overlooking the mansion's courtyard, Owl's cold voice rang out:

"Lord Yami, you may begin."

(To be continued.)

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