Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode.

Chapter 74 The Leaf Village Infiltrated by Roots

A few minutes later, Kirito left the Uchiha clan territory satisfied. Uchiha Homura, the Uchiha clan leader, did not disappoint him. The other party was very generous in dealing with Danzo. He successfully obtained a detailed list of Root members from Chizuru.

Upon returning to the orphanage, Kirito immediately goes to his room, activates the sealing barrier to prevent outside prying eyes, and then takes out the list of Root members to read carefully.

As Kirito looked at the long list of names and their backgrounds and abilities, his mood gradually became heavy.

It must be said that Danzo was a capable man, a truly competent intelligence chief. In some respects, his personal charisma was very appealing to the Konoha ninja community.

You wouldn't believe it until you see it; it's truly astonishing.

Danzo's infiltration of Konoha's various ninja clans and civilian ninja groups was very deep. He had planted spies in each clan, many of whom held high positions within their clans. Even members of the Uchiha clan were attracted by his darkness and became his informants.

The list contains more than 500 people, including 36 Jonin, more than 400 Chunin, and there are probably many more Genin who are not on the list.

No wonder Mito and the Third Hokage were hesitant. If Danzo were to die, the chain reaction would be enormous, and it could very well shake the foundation of Konoha.

"It's all the Third Hokage's fault. If he had been more capable, Danzo wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the situation. As it stands, Root has become too big to handle. To eradicate it completely, killing Danzo is the key. He was only able to control so many people because of the Tongue Disaster Seal."

Kirito sighed after looking at the names on the list.

However, killing Danzo is easier said than done. That old guy is too sneaky and too cautious. He can't find an opportunity now, so he can only start by targeting some of the smaller fish on this list.

First, he needs to cut off the root of the funding source.

With so many people at the root, how could the meager funds allocated by the third generation possibly support so many people?

The members of the Root are also human beings; they also need to eat, cultivate, and support their families. Money, as a resource for traveling the world, is indispensable.

According to the information provided on the list, part of Root's funding comes from several powerful nobles in the Land of Fire, and another part comes from some merchants controlled by Root.

It was precisely because of the continuous and massive financial support provided by these people that Danzo's Root organization was able to grow and expand after the third patriarch's rule, and its overall strength had long surpassed that of the direct secret service units under the third patriarch's control.

Those who provide financial support to Root are scattered outside Konoha, making them undoubtedly the easiest targets to strike.

"Some of the merchants controlled by the Root happen to be in the Land of Waves, so I'll accept their wealth without hesitation."

Kirito said coldly.

Then, a question suddenly occurred to him: how did the Uchiha people manage to gather such detailed information about so many Root members?

In Konoha, the Uchiha clan was basically under close surveillance by Danzo's Root organization and the Third Hokage's direct Anbu. It should have been very difficult for the clan members to move around without being detected.

"The ninja cat clan?"

Kirito pondered this question deeply, and soon he went to the ninja cat clan that appeared in the original story.

This summoning beast clan, which appears no different from ordinary cats, has been on good terms with the Uchiha clan for generations and serves them. Their members are scattered throughout the ninja world, and they are likely an important source of intelligence for the Uchiha clan.

"Oh, cats, it seems I'll have to keep an eye on these cute little animals from now on."

Kirito stood up, walked to the window, and looked at an orange cat sleeping under the shade of a tree in the courtyard outside, lost in thought.

Next, he carefully reviewed the contents of the list several times, memorized them thoroughly, burned the list, and then took out paper and pen to write a simplified version of the list.

Distinguishing between friend and foe is something that not only he needs, but also those around him.

However, they don't want to remember as much as he did.

Soon, a new list was produced.

Kirito carefully put the new list away on his person, then left the room and went to a training ground in the backyard of the orphanage.

At this time, Kirito's two underlings, Yamazaki Heizo and Noda Taiga, had returned from school and were training there.

Besides the two, there were also some children from orphanages and migrant children. Most of them were diligently practicing taijutsu or ninja tool throwing techniques, while a small number were practicing ninjutsu.

Aside from Yamazaki Heizo and Noda Taiga, there are three others already training in ninjutsu: two men and one woman, named Umino Daio, Shiranui Takeru, and Yuhi Yukimi.

As soon as Kirito arrived, everyone and even the children in the training field stopped and looked at him with admiration, respect, or awe, calling him "Big Brother."

In the ninja world, the strong are revered.

Ninjas all admire the strong. Since adults are far away from them, children will naturally compare themselves with children of similar age.

Therefore, Kirito became their target.

However, when the gap becomes so large that it is impossible to catch up, some people will feel jealous or even hateful and feel sorry for themselves, while others will feel awe and realize their own shortcomings, and still others will admire them and want to follow them.

At school, besides studying hard, Kirito's greatest hobby was observing his classmates, getting to know them, and ultimately choosing a small group of them.

The children who are able to train here are all chosen by Kirito; they are people Kirito trusts and considers useful.

Danzo's intelligence analysis was correct; Kirito was secretly recruiting people of similar age, gathering those he favored around him by providing training resources, ninjutsu, and physical persuasion, thus forming a new force centered around himself.

Although this new force is still very weak, and its members are basically just kids who haven't graduated yet, they will continue to grow and stand out among their peers.

Kirito's conviction stems from the fact that these children have voluntarily had the Nightfall Mark implanted in them, enhancing their strength and potential. In the future, when they go to the battlefield, they will definitely be among the most likely to survive among their peers.

Kirito greeted the children at the training ground with a smile, offered them a few words of encouragement and gave them some pointers on their training, then told them to continue their hard work before leisurely leaving.

After Kirito left, Yamazaki Heizo, Noda Taiga, Umino Daio, Shiranui Takeshi, and Yuhi Yukimi all left one after another, and they all eventually came to Kirito's room.

"The purpose of calling you here is very simple: to make you remember the names on this scroll. I was assassinated by Sand Ninja today, but it was actually Danzo leading the Root. You are all smart enough to understand what this means. If you don't understand, then remember the names on it and be on guard against them in secret."

Once everyone had arrived, Kirito reactivated the sealing barrier to prevent outsiders from peeping. Then, he took out the newly written list, placed it in front of them, and said solemnly.

It's tough for a new author to get ahead, so I hope all my fellow readers will visit often to increase the readership. After you finish reading, I hope you'll vote for this book and invest in it. If you could give me some monthly tickets and rewards, I would be extremely grateful. It's so hard for a new author and a new book.

(End of this chapter)