Konoha: Naruto, trained by Aizen

In the early stages of the plan, I already had several trustworthy partners.

Naruto suddenly remembered Aizen.

The mysterious man who taught me.

Since the last communication, Aizen has not come to the sealed space.

I don't know what plans he's currently working on.

Whether the plan goes smoothly or not.

Without giving it much thought, Naruto briefly went over his next words with Rock Lee before leading him to the exit.

They left the Pure Land.

Behind them, a dozen or so Void creatures were fighting each other.

All the orbs of light would subconsciously move away from the void.

The negative emotions and overwhelming power generated by the virtual battles are terrifying.

Interestingly, Hollows in the midst of battle will leak some of their spiritual pressure.

And these spiritual pressures have a very small chance of infecting some of the light clusters.

Thus, new Hollows and Shinigami were born.

So, without Naruto's noticing, the entire Pure Land was changing.

Although the changes are small, they can become noticeable over time.

Passing through the black gate, back to reality, one sees the indifferent Shion and the wary Aburame Nerei in the distance.

The aburame Neri held a kunai in her hand, and insects crawled around her body.

Her situation was quite awkward.

She didn't believe what Shion said: "Naruto entered the Pure Land. I have no ill intentions. You can go in and see for yourself if you don't believe me."

Her woman's intuition told her that she couldn't just walk through this door; someone might die.

But she couldn't just leave, since Naruto was her 'direct superior,' and she needed a reasonable excuse to leave.

To her horror, the seemingly weak Shion in front of her was now radiating a terrifying aura.

Isn't Shion Shrine Maiden's ability to seal away demons and foresee the future?

Could it be that she possesses extremely strong combat abilities?

"Buzz." Just as she was on guard, the black door suddenly malfunctioned, and then two figures walked out.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Nerei, the oil woman, immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

It's Naruto and Rock Lee

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Naruto smiled gently and nodded to Shion.

Shion withdrew her Shikai, returned her Zanpakuto to her hand, and her expression softened considerably.

"That sword?" Aburame Nerei's gaze sharpened as she scanned Shion and Naruto's Zanpakuto.

His gaze was full of inquiry.

"Let's go, the mission is complete." Naruto and Shion exchanged a glance and said with a smile.

The group marched towards the Land of Demons in a grand procession. Aburame Neri lagged at the very back, her eyes darting around nervously before she finally spoke, asking:

"What's in the Pure Land? Is there anything there, like bodily tissues?" Her expression was somewhat hesitant.

Naruto paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "The Pure Land is just a desert; the demons don't have any physical bodies."

"Oh." The oil maiden Neri lowered her head unwillingly.

Seeing this, Naruto's eyes held amusement.

It seems that Nellie, the oil maiden, is more interested in research than she thought.

Return to the Land of Demons.

After the death of the demon, the Ghost Legion naturally lost its support and collapsed without a fight.

Naruto's team received a fervent welcome from the residents of the Land of Demons.

"That's amazing! As expected of a Konoha ninja. You know, even the previous priestess could only seal the demon! With the help of the Konoha ninja, the priestess destroyed the demon directly."

"No, no, no, it must be the priestess's great strength!! When the priestess was born, I felt that she was different from the priestesses of the past, and I was right."

"Although the ninja is powerful, he still can't defeat the demon. In my opinion, the priestess is much stronger!!"

The villagers were talking about it, and many of them gave various small trinkets to Naruto's team.

Those vendors who had sold jewelry to Lee Rock were filled with remorse and regret.

"I actually accepted money from a hero! I deserve to die!! I've let my parents down!!!"

Feeling the enthusiasm, Lee Rock smiled foolishly.

He really liked the atmosphere.

After completing the mission, Naruto's team did not linger and immediately set off to leave.

Shion escorted them to the border of the Land of Demons, looking reluctant to part with them. Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she stepped forward and whispered in Naruto's ear.

"This world no longer needs a priestess, but the Land of Demons still does. Right now, I only want to follow you, Naruto-sama. Would you be willing to help the Land of Demons have a priestess?" Shion's words were loaded with meaning, her cheeks flushed, as if she were hinting at something.

The oil-skinned woman, Neri, with her pointed ears, had a gleam in her eyes. She never expected that there would be someone in this world who shared the same ideals as her.

A feeling of mutual connection immediately arose.

Naruto paused for a moment, then smiled warmly, gently stroking Shion's white hair, and said:

"You now belong to the land of demons."

He stared directly at Ziyuan, his expression unreadable:

"We all need a land of demons."

Upon hearing this, Ziyuan immediately understood, gave a meaningful smile, and nodded slightly.

Without saying much, he watched Naruto's team drive away.

Only after her figure disappeared into the forest did she slowly speak:

"I look forward to your return, to the day you become king."

Chapter 164 The Roots: There is no such thing as a peaceful life; it's just that someone is bearing the burden.

Upon returning to Konoha, they successfully completed their mission and saved the ninja world, earning Danzo's praise.

Danzo kept Naruto, his eyes filled with admiration.

He saw his former self in Naruto.

No matter how difficult the task, the result is always the same: completion.

He was always so confident.

Conversely, he also possesses undeniable talent and strength.

He is polite and courteous, yet possesses a strong sense of pride.

That's the kind of person who's suitable to be the leader of the Roots.

"What are your thoughts on this mission to the Land of Demons?" Danzo chuckled and took a sip of tea, surprisingly giving off a cheerful vibe.

However, this aura is fleeting, and the usual coldness will soon return.

Naruto pondered for a moment, then replied:

"I always thought that Konoha was the most powerful ninja village in the ninja world and had the power to overthrow it. But after this mission, I realized that I was too arrogant. It is only a small demon country that can give birth to such a demon that is capable of destroying the world."

"The Ghost Legion is impervious to swords and spears, and even ninjas cannot deal with them. If it weren't for the shrine maiden killing the demon, the ninjas who went to carry out the mission might have all died."

Naruto's words made Danzo nod in satisfaction: "That's right, arrogance and conceit are the greatest enemies of a ninja. I'm glad you have this idea."

Naruto continued, "This has given me a deeper understanding of the importance of Root. We need to build a stronger intelligence organization and collect all sorts of creatures worth studying. There are too many secrets in the ninja world; we cannot afford to be complacent."

"Take this request from the Land of Demons, for example. It seems like a simple request, but in reality, both the demons and the priestesses have power that we cannot underestimate. Such examples exist in every corner of the ninja world and are potential threats to Konoha."

"But Konoha cannot conduct research openly and honestly."

"Because Konoha has a high reputation, there are many shady things they can't do. But if they don't do them, other ninja villages will, and they will become stronger without anyone noticing. So, someone has to do them!" Naruto's expression became compassionate.

"When life is peaceful and serene, there are always people who bear the burden for you. In my opinion, this is the meaning of the roots."

I was moved to tears.

This was Danzo's thought after hearing Naruto's words.

Cloudy tears blurred my vision, but my icy heart seemed to be warmed by the sun, and the ice began to melt.

This is the feeling of being recognized and understood.

Danzo took a deep breath, not expecting that Naruto, who had only recently joined Root, had already fully integrated into the organization.

Identify the root.

It inherited the philosophy of the roots.

"Yes, you're right." Danzo felt his voice trembling slightly.

"To be in darkness, to understand darkness, to become darkness—our existence is meant to bring light. This is the Root!"

“You’re right, Naruto. Next, I’ll give you a very important mission. You’ve just finished the mission to the Land of Demons, so take a few days to rest. I’ll contact you then.” Danzo turned around, as if he didn’t want Naruto to see his slightly disheveled appearance. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his emotions were still lingering on the emotion he had felt earlier.

Naruto nodded and said respectfully, "Then I'll be going now, teacher."

After Naruto left, Danzo turned back, his eyes already wet with tears.

This was the first tear he shed after creating the roots.

His lips trembled, and Naruto's words kept echoing in his mind.

"There is never a peaceful life; it's just that someone is bearing the burden." He murmured to himself, a glint of light in his cloudy eyes.

~~~~~