Konoha: You're letting me build up my bonds, but you're offending the entire ninja world.

Fortunately, Nono's skills are quite good. Now it looks like there's only some redness and swelling, and no scars have been left.

The guards, watching from the shadows, found this scene strange, sensing that their young master seemed to have some serious illness...

After the examination, Xuan Yue sat quietly on the chair by the bedside and waited.

About half an hour later, a weak groan came from the bed.

Ye Cang slowly opened her eyes, but the bright light overhead forced her to squint.

Just as Yekura was still recalling what had happened, a childish voice came to her ears.

"Are you awake?"

.........

It's about to be released, I need some data support. The data hasn't been increasing much these past two days, I'm getting a little anxious...

Chapter 53 Yecang, You Have No Home Anymore, Danzo's Dissatisfaction

Out of a ninja's vigilance, Yekura instinctively reached into her ninja tool pouch, intending to take out a kunai.

But she had only sat up halfway when an immense force pressed her back down onto the bed.

The black patterns on the ground twisted like snakes, reinforcing the seal on Yekura's body. In the end, Yekura could only turn her head, and the chakra in her body was as still as stagnant water, unable to gather at all.

"It seems I need to give you some time to clear your head."

Gengetsu Shimura helped her tuck the blanket back in, saying, "No need to rush, I have plenty of time today, you can wait patiently."

After saying that, Xuan Yue took out a comic book from her ninja tool bag and started reading.

The entertainment industry in the ninja world is quite developed, with comics and movies readily available. Konoha even has specialized ninjas who take on missions from film crews, and the ninjutsu they use is very visually appealing, but it has virtually no lethality.

Yekura turned her head to look at Shimura Gengetsu's youthful and pretty face, then silently turned away and closed her eyes in thought.

After an unknown amount of time, a hoarse voice came from her mouth, "Is this Konoha?"

Yekura recalled her last memory before she fell into a coma—a fleeting glimpse of the Konoha headband and the scarlet Sharingan.

Xuan Yue put down the book and nodded gently. "You remember now? You are indeed in Konoha now. This is the Root base. Don't even think about escaping. Even in your prime, you couldn't do it."

“Root?” Ye Cang’s expression changed slightly. She had dealt with Root quite a bit when she was on a mission.

Those Root ninjas weren't as strong as her, but their ruthlessness in completing missions even at the cost of their lives was awe-inspiring.

They were hardly ninjas anymore; they were just a group of emotionless mission machines.

Yekura couldn't help but turn her head and scrutinize Shimura Gengetsu.

"You don't seem like a Root ninja, you're completely different from them... How can such a young child be able to enter and leave such a secluded place? You must be the child of some high-ranking member, right?"

"Strictly speaking, I'm not really a Root ninja."

Gengetsu Shimura picked up an apple from the window and started eating it. "My name is Gengetsu Shimura. Danzo is my grandfather, and the fact that you're still alive at 22 is all because of me."

"At the end of last month, I took on a mission and captured a spy from the Land of Water. From her, I learned that you had been betrayed."

The light of surprise in Yekura's eyes because of Shimura Gengetsu's identity dimmed.

She had tried to ignore what had happened before she lost consciousness and to face Shimura Gengetsu as a Sunagakure ninja.

But that's simply impossible.

“Big Sister Ye Cang…” Xuan Yue took a big bite of the apple and sighed like a little adult, “You’re really in a terrible situation. As a Kage-level expert, not a single person in the Sand Village’s higher-ups wants to protect you. They all wish you were dead.”

Yekura clenched her teeth tightly.

[The host establishes an antagonistic bond with Yekura, and is rewarded with Wind Release Chakra (Ultimate)]

Bloodline Limit refers to a special chakra formed by fusing different attributes. It is not within the system of the five elements' restraint and is usually much more powerful than ordinary ninjutsu.

Most bloodline ninjas are essentially genetically mutated, spontaneously possessing the ability to fuse two types of chakra. However, there are also examples of those who achieve this through tireless effort, combined with talent and training, though these are rare.

The Scorching Release technique is a fusion of wind and fire attributes.

Shimura Gengetsu was unconcerned about Pakura's hostile attitude; this was just the beginning. He didn't have Naruto's talk-no-jutsu, so if he wanted to persuade Pakura, he would have to use some drastic measures to completely shatter her illusions and change her worldview.

"You went to all that trouble to have that Uchiha risk his life to save me, do you expect me to risk my life for Konoha?" Yecang asked, having calmed down a bit.

“It’s not Konoha, it’s me.” Shimura Gengetsu explained patiently, “The guards the old man assigned me are only so-so, they can only be cannon fodder to block kunai. I think you’re perfect.”

"Don't dream about it." Ye Cang sneered. "Do you really think saving my life is that important to me? At worst, I'll just die. Don't even think about controlling my life."

"I already said, there's no rush." ​​Xuan Yue finished eating the apple, got up, and stretched.

"I'm just here today to make my presence known. There's a long road ahead, and I have plenty of time."

As he spoke, Shimura Gengetsu reached out and pinched Yekura's mouth shut, ignoring her struggles, and began to form a hand seal on her tongue.

The Shimura family's ancestral craft—the seal of the tongue constriction.

It can not only prevent subordinates from speaking carelessly, but also seal chakra.

After doing all this, Shimura Gengetsu waved to Yekura, "Let's go. You'd better not even think about running away. Even if you succeed, where can you go?"

"You no longer have a home in this world."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door was closed again.

Inside the room, Ye Cang looked up at the ceiling, her feelings incredibly complicated.

Yes, even if she escaped, where could she go?

Outside the door, Shimura Gengetsu was startled when he came out. Danzo was standing in the shadows, leaning on his cane.

"Old man, when did you get here?"

"From the moment you went in."

After Danzo finished speaking, he walked ahead on his own, with Shimura Gengetsu following helplessly behind.

“Xuan Yue, you haven’t learned anything good from following Rizashi around, but you’ve picked up quite a bit of his indecisive style.”

Danzo Shimura snorted coldly, as he was very dissatisfied with Gengetsu Shimura's attitude towards Yokura.

"Too weak! What you need are tools, subordinates who obey your orders, not emotional, thinking troubles!"

"How many ninjas have failed their missions because of their emotions... Sakumo Hatake is the best example!"

Gengetsu, who had always ignored Danzo's words and let them go in one ear and out the other, perked up at the mention of Hatake Sakumo.

"Old man, since you've brought it up, just tell me everything."

Shimura Gengetsu's face was full of gossip. "When I was looking through the Root's files, I saw that many villagers believe that you killed Hatake Sakumo. Is that true?"

Danzo paused with his cane, his expression becoming slightly unnatural.

"Nonsense, he committed suicide. Everyone in the village knows that. He was tormented by guilt for not completing his mission. What does that have to do with me?"

Why do you care about someone who's been dead for over ten years?

Gengetsu Shimura pouted, "You brought him up first, that's why I asked."

Danzo did not answer, but walked straight into a deep cave.

After a long while, his voice finally came from deep within.

"A tree has not only a trunk and leaves, but also roots. The two never meet, but in essence they are always a whole."

Gengetsu Shimura understood Danzo's meaning.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo were one in the open and one in the shadows. Hiruzen Sarutobi's good deeds were partly due to Danzo's efforts, but Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't pretend to be innocent about the dirty work Danzo did behind the scenes.

Shimura Gengetsu suddenly thought of a point of view.

There was no Danzo in the world originally, but there were too many blames to bear, so they had to create another person to attribute all the dark side to him, and that person was Danzo.

"interesting."

Gengetsu Shimura didn't keep up with Danzo's pace and chuckled softly as he stood still.

"The old man has taken the blame for so many things for Konoha, it's time for me to enjoy the sunshine."

"This Hokage position, Hiruzen Sarutobi can sit on it, but I, Gengetsu Shimura, cannot?"

........

the next day.

The Hizashi squad still didn't accept any missions and continued training instead.

Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai naturally asked about yesterday's events, but Shimura Gengetsu didn't intend to reveal Yokura's existence at this time, so he made up a reason to brush it off.

After noon, Shimura Gengetsu arrived at the Root Base again.

Yekura has regained her mobility, but because her chakra is sealed, her strength is only about the same as that of an ordinary Chunin.

The people from the root locked her in a room, not a prison cell, just an ordinary single room, and someone would bring her food on time.

Seeing that Shimura Gengetsu had arrived again, Yokura didn't give him a cold look, but calmly asked:

"Don't you have missions or training? You're so free all day, coming to see a mere mortal like me."

Shimura Gengetsu moved a chair over and sat opposite Yekura. After placing the bento he had brought on the table, he said, "There are so many Konoha ninjas, they won't miss one of my slacking off."

“That’s true.” Ye Cang nodded, his tone tinged with undisguised jealousy. “The Land of Fire is in a uniquely advantageous position, unlike the Land of Wind, where even survival is a problem.”