Naruto: I start with one door, and I can open it infinitely.

Death Forest

The day after Lin Chuan returned to the Roots after completing his mission, he applied to go out to the Death Forest again.

It's already December, and the weather is starting to get cooler. It's still a bit cold when you go out, but as a ninja, I can still bear it.

This time, he did not go to the original cave, as Kabuto already knew about that place. He planned to dig a new cave in another location to settle down and begin his cultivation.

After having breakfast, he began to refine his chakra and also reviewed his progress over the past few days, as well as the water-style ninjutsu he had chosen the night before, which, if used well, could be a divine technique.

[Kunai throws, 722,300 times]

[E-rank Ninjutsu, Transformation Technique, 1370 uses]

[E-rank ninjutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, 1250 uses]

[Rank E Ninjutsu, Substitution Jutsu, 1660 uses]

[D-rank ninjutsu, Body Flicker Technique, 1877 times]

[C-rank Ninjutsu, Water Release: Water Clone, 520 times]

[C-rank Ninjutsu, Water Release: Water Chaos Wave, 400 times]

[Rank B Ninjutsu, Water Release: Water Wall, 42 times]

[Rank B Ninjutsu, Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, 55 times]

[Rank B Ninjutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, 124 times]

[Rank B Ninjutsu, Water Release: Heaven's Cry, 26 times]

[C-rank Ninjutsu, Water Release: Water Prison Technique, 0 uses]

Six months passed during this period, five of which were spent in training. In the last month, he went on a mission. During the mission, he used the Water Dragon Bullet once, and used the Instantaneous Movement Technique more often.

During the two months he acquired the Water Release: Heavenly Cry technique, he learned it and used it more than twenty times.

When he returned from his mission, the ninjutsu he chose for the second time was not an A-rank ninjutsu, but a C-rank water-style ninjutsu, the Water Prison Technique.

Water Release: Water Prison Technique. This technique creates a spherical water prison to bind the opponent, who is unable to move inside. The air inside the water prison will gradually decrease, but the caster must touch the water prison with their hand to maintain it.

As for why he didn't choose an A-rank ninjutsu like Water Release: Water Severing Wave, the reason is that he didn't have enough chakra. He couldn't use an A-rank ninjutsu, so he might as well choose the more practical C-rank Water Release ninjutsu, Water Prison.

Don't underestimate this ninjutsu just because it's only C-rank and doesn't consume much chakra. If used properly, it's a divine skill that can trap people and provide defense. Even Guy's straight punch can't break through its defense, and it can even trap ninjas of the same rank, causing them to suffocate to death.

He will continue to focus on Water Release: Heavenly Cry. Water Prison is only a C-rank ninjutsu, which is easy to learn. It will take time to figure out how to improve the power and penetrating power of Heavenly Cry.

Actually, the Water Release: Water Prison ninjutsu wasn't very well-developed in the early stages of the anime. It required reaching into the water prison to input chakra and maintain it. By doing so, one could easily attack the caster's palm and break the ninjutsu.

Kakashi could have easily broken Zabuza's Water Prison Technique by using Lightning Release at any time.

Later, Kishimoto added a patch to the Water Prison Technique: ninjas trapped in the water prison cannot move and therefore cannot use ninjutsu unless they are forcibly broken.

Neji was able to break the Water Prison Technique because he didn't need to form hand seals when he activated his Byakugan. His Byakugan happened to see the chakra flow of the Water Prison Technique, and Neji cut off the chakra flow.

The Hyuga clan has a technique that allows them to unleash a palm strike without hand seals, called the Eight Trigrams Empty Palm. If Neji knew this technique, cutting off the chakra of the water prison would make breaking it quite easy.

Later, Kishimoto patched up the Water Prison Technique again, so that the Water Prison Technique could be used even without touching the water prison with one's palms. However, without the support of chakra, the water prison could not last long.

This ninjutsu has undergone three modifications and is now in its final form, making it very useful for him in the present.

More than three months have passed since I came to Root. I don't know when my cheap old man will go to Maruboshi Kosuke and ask Sarutobi Hiruzen to let him leave Root. Root is really not a place for normal people. It is too oppressive in there.

……

Hokage Building, Genin Missions Department.

Since his son was taken away, there has been no news. Lin Chuan's father goes to work absentmindedly every day. Several times, he was so distracted by thinking about his son that his colleagues had to remind him.

There was nothing he could do. His son had gone to the Root organization, which had a bad reputation, and for three whole months his life was hanging in the balance. He was so worried that his hair turned white. He asked the Hokage many times to no avail, and later he couldn't even see the Hokage anymore. He was at his wit's end.

Just then, Kosuke Maruhoshi arrived at the mission department, ready to hand in the mission record and receive the final payment so he could go home and rest.

He noticed that Lin Chuan's father was in a bad mood. He had seen him several times before but hadn't had a chance to ask. This time, he finally had a chance to ask, "Brother, what's wrong lately? You don't look well..."

"Sigh," Lin Chuan's father just kept sighing with his head down, not wanting to talk about it. Maruboshi Kosuke was just a genin, so he probably couldn't help much.

"What happened to get you like this?" Maruhoshi Kosuke was genuinely curious about what had happened to his old friend, so he asked again. Seeing that the other party was really unwilling to talk about it, he could only change the subject and asked, "Why haven't I seen Ogawa lately? Has he been skipping class again...?"

"Ogawa, Ogawa didn't skip class," Lin Chuan's father stared blankly at Maruhoshi Kosuke, finally uttering the words he had been holding back for so long: "Ogawa was taken to Root by Lord Danzo..."

"What? Say it again!" Maruhoshi Kosuke couldn't believe his ears. He lost his grip on the mission scroll and dropped it to the ground with a soft thud. What did he hear? Ogawa had actually joined Root.

He knew all too well what Root was and who Danzo was, as their contemporary. How could Ogawa go to Root?

"Ogawa is at the root," Lin Chuan's father sighed helplessly, repeating what he had just said. He didn't know why Maruhoshi Kosuke was so agitated. Even if he knew, what could he do?

"When did this happen? What exactly happened?" Maruhoshi Kosuke had already forgotten about the final payment for the mission. It was only a reward of ten or twenty thousand yen, which was not important at all compared to Ogawa's situation.

"That's right, that day Danzo came to our house and wanted Ogawa to join Root. I had already told Ogawa to refuse, but he still said he would join Root voluntarily." Lin Chuan's father couldn't understand why Ogawa would do that.

"Ogawa is a good boy. He did that to protect you." After listening to Lin Chuan's father's explanation, Maruboshi Kosuke finally understood the whole story. Lin Chuan's father even told Maruboshi Kosuke about how Danzo went to the secret ninja clan's house to ask for the child before going to Lin Chuan's house.

"What? That child is protecting us?" Lin Chuan's father was too caught up in the situation to understand, and this was the first time he had heard this explanation. He had thought that a big shot like Danzo wouldn't make things difficult for his family.

"Don't you know that if Ogawa refuses to join, your whole family—" Maruhoshi Kosuke said, noticing there were too many people from the mission department, he pulled Lin Chuan's father outside to a secluded street corner and whispered in his ear, "If Ogawa refuses, your whole family, including Ogawa himself, could very well die quietly..."

"This? How is this possible? Even if Lord Danzo is... no, it's impossible," Lin Chuan's father said, but he was so shocked that he couldn't continue. He suddenly realized something terrifying: he seemed to have underestimated such a powerful figure as Danzo.

He thought that even if he refused Danzo, Danzo wouldn't make things difficult for his family. After all, they were just an ordinary Chunin family, and even if their son was a genius, he was still just a child. How could a big shot like Danzo target his family?

"I know Danzo very well. He's narrow-minded, especially after the Third Hokage became Hokage," Maruhoshi Kosuke said to Lin Chuan's father because he had grown up with Danzo and his friends since childhood, and he knew his old friends better than anyone else.

"What else can I do? I'm just a Chunin, I can't get my son back. Even those ninja clans are powerless against Danzo." Lin Chuan's father recalled Danzo's other side and immediately lost his confidence. He was no match for Danzo.

"Leave this to me. I'll go ask the Third Hokage," said Kosuke Maruhoshi, looking at the bustling street. He seemed to have made up his mind. Ever since he swore to the Second Hokage that he would no longer serve as the squad leader, he had never asked anyone for help.

But for the sake of his disciple, for the good child who would call him grandpa and learn ninjutsu from him, he couldn't let that child stay in Root any longer; he had to bring that child out.

"You? Senior Kosuke, can you do it?" Lin Chuan's father was still somewhat incredulous when he saw Maruboshi Kosuke step forward, wanting to find his son for him, after all, Maruboshi Kosuke was just a genin.

"I'll give it a try," Maruboshi Kosuke said, unsure whether Hiruzen Sarutobi would help. If Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't help, he would have no way to ask Danzo for help. He hoped Hiruzen Sarutobi would remember their past relationship.

"Why, Senior Kosuke?" Lin Chuan's father was very moved. Their relationship was limited to a few missions together. He wanted to ask him why, as an outsider, there was no need for him to get involved in this mess.

"Because Ogawa calls me grandpa," Maruboshi Kosuke said, turning around and waving his hand before disappearing into the bustling street and heading towards the Hokage Building.

Not long after, Kosuke Maruboshi arrived at the Hokage Building and met the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"What brings you here, Kosuke?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was delighted to see Kosuke Maruboshi, as Kosuke had come to him on his own initiative.

"Third Hokage," Kosuke Maruboshi greeted respectfully as he entered the Hokage's office.

"Haha, let's not be so formal, Kosuke," Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled as he stood up and went to the window, asking, "Kosuke, what brings you here...?"

"It's like this, Hokage-sama, I'd like to ask you for a favor," Maruboshi Kosuke said, looking up at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Seeing Hiruzen looking at him, he continued, "I'd like to ask the Hokage-sama to help me get a child from Root..."

"Want a child? What's your relationship with this child?" Hiruzen Sarutobi became interested. This was the first time Maruhoshi Kosuke had asked him for help. Perhaps he could use this to do something to make up for what the Second Hokage hadn't finished.

"That child is my disciple, his name is Chiba Rinkawa," Maruhoshi Kosuke said, just as he saw Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widen, as if he were looking at something unbelievable.

"Your disciple? Is it that little rascal Ogawa?" Faced with this shock of information, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into deep thought. He never expected that the stubborn and incorrigible Kosuke Maruboshi would actually take on a disciple, and that little genius Ogawa at that.

Lin Chuan happens to be a Water Release ninja, and Maruboshi Kosuke has inherited the Second Hokage's legacy. It would be quite suitable for Lin Chuan to be Maruboshi Kosuke's disciple. It's just that I never thought of that before!

"Yes, Hokage-sama, please help that child. He absolutely cannot stay in Root," Maruboshi Kosuke said, bowing his head and kneeling directly on the Hokage's desk. The only person in Konoha who could help him was Hiruzen Sarutobi; he had no other choice.

"Kosuke, this is the first time you've gone this far for a child, isn't it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't try to pull Kosuke Maruboshi away. From this kneeling gesture, he could see how much the child meant to Kosuke Maruboshi.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, Ogawa is a good boy. He even called me grandpa. It's the first time I've ever heard someone call me grandpa," Maruboshi Kosuke slowly raised his head to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, saying each word clearly, "For that boy, I would do anything..."

"Kosuke, I understand your resolve," Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly took off his pipe after a couple of puffs, turned away, unwilling to see his old friend's humiliation, and suddenly said in a bright voice, "I will help you get the man from Root, but from this moment on, you will be promoted to Konoha Jonin. That child, you must teach him well..."

"This? This?" Maruboshi Kosuke looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's back in shock. He hadn't expected that the condition for rescuing Lin Chuan would be to become a Jonin of Konoha. What kind of request was this?

"What? You're unwilling?" Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to look at Kosuke Maruboshi. Looking back, there weren't many of their generation left. He said seriously, "Kosuke, your self-discipline and atonement for your fallen comrades are enough. Now, please train even better successors for Konoha. This is your first mission as a Jonin..."

"I understand, Hokage-sama," Maruboshi Kosuke solemnly accepted the order. Now that he had taken on this mission, he would do his best to complete it. This was the ninja way he had always upheld for the past fifty years.

"Come with me, Kosuke," Hiruzen Sarutobi said as he left the Hokage's office, intending to finish up the matter that had been dragging on for so long. He summoned his personal ANBU members, including those who were currently free.

To break into Root this time, we need to gather enough manpower, and Kakashi must be included. However, it's about time that Kakashi leaves the Anbu and becomes a Jonin who leads a team.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kosuke Maruboshi arrived at the entrance of Root, the other Anbu members were hiding nearby, waiting for their chance to strike. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not force his way into Root, but instead asked the Root ninja guarding the gate, "Is Chiba Rinkawa inside Root?"

"Reporting to the Hokage," the Root ninja guarding the gate dared not conceal the truth and immediately knelt on one knee to reply, "Chiba Rinkawa has applied for training outside and has gone to the Forest of Death..."

"The Forest of Death," Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the name of the Forest of Death. As long as the person wasn't in Root, things would be much easier. He immediately led Kosuke Maruboshi and the Anbu to the Forest of Death to search for them.

Meanwhile, faced with the sudden arrival of Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Root ninja guarding the gate immediately went to the Root headquarters to report the matter to Lord Danzo.

"Hiruzen? You've finally come," Danzo gently stroked his newly reattached arm and the Sharingan embedded in it. He immediately got up, summoned his subordinates, and headed straight for the Forest of Death.