Malphegor
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IUTT: Ch. 24
🕑 Added 2025-05-07 18:20:05 +0000 UTCShin continued speaking, "From Koharu, I also obtained another piece of information, Danzō has always wanted to establish Root. She once threatened me: Once his Root is established, I'll make sure you die without even knowing how it happened."
"From that moment, I started paying close attention to this matter. The so-called Root is a secret division that nobody knows about. This department's philosophy sounds noble on the surface, becoming the village's shadow to protect Konoha at all costs from external threats and internal turmoil. But in reality, once established, it would simply become Danzō's personal army. And it would only do one thing: eliminate anyone he doesn't like, in secret."
"If this division really gets established, every shameless act can be passed off to them, and no one would ever know. What do you think would happen? Hiruzen has been holding back for years, always walking on thin ice. There were many things he wanted to do but didn't dare to, for the sake of his reputation. Once Root is formed, he wouldn't have to take responsibility for anything anymore, someone else would take the fall. Guess what? He'd completely let himself go."
By the time he finished speaking, Tsunade's back was already cold with dread.
Was this really the Konoha leadership she once knew? Who were these people? And what kind of things had they been doing?
Corruption, abuse of power, shielding criminals, and eliminating dissent.
"That's why I want you to become Hokage, not just for my own sake," Shin said seriously. "If you refuse, then I'll have no choice but to secretly train Minato. Though he's still young, he'll definitely listen to me. It will just take time."
"So, what do you say... Sakumo?" he suddenly spoke toward a large tree nearby.
Sakumo's figure flickered and appeared in front of Shin and Tsunade.
"Everything you just said, was it true?" Even with a mask on, his face looked extremely grim.
"Come on, man. You've been surveilling me the longest. How many times have I gone to the Pharmaceuticals Department? Do I go to the hospital rooftop every day just for the view? You wouldn't know? Anyway, you can report everything we said right now to Hiruzen," Shin said with a laugh. "The only question is, who do you think will die first, you or me?"
Sakumo's eyes changed. "You're deliberately dragging me into this?"
Now that he knew so many dark secrets of Konoha's top brass, if he reported everything truthfully, the first to be eliminated wouldn't be Shin, it would be himself. And his loyalty was to Konoha, not to the Third Hokage. How could he possibly report this?
"Hahaha, that's right, I'm dragging you into this. So what? Are you going to kill me?" Shin laughed, unafraid.
Tsunade was right next to him. Sakumo couldn't make a move. Besides, Shin wasn't too afraid of him anymore. Even if he couldn't win a fight, he could still run.
With Sakumo's personality, if he didn't act on the spot, he'd likely keep everything buried forever.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Sakumo asked. "All these years, out of sympathy and pity, I've only watched you from a distance. I never restricted your freedom, never interfered with your life. I even made sure to hide well so I wouldn't affect your mood. And this is how you repay me?"
"I didn't harm you!" Shin denied firmly. "As long as you don't report today's conversation, you'll stay perfectly safe. The decision is yours. Besides, I'm helping you. I'm saving you!"
"Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"
"You're right, I do think you're easy to fool." Shin admitted without hesitation. "You've been monitoring me for over four years, haven't you? I've acted well, haven't I? You only recently started to feel something was off. Before that, did you ever suspect me even a little? I even deliberately showed helplessness, despair, and sorrow in front of you from time to time, only to put on a forced smile the next second in front of my parents and brother, just so you'd feel sympathy for me, pity me. And sure enough, you fell for it. As long as I didn't disobey Hiruzen's orders, you kept relaxing your surveillance on me. Sometimes I even forgot you were following me."
"You were scheming against me from the very beginning?"
Sakumo had often thought, if he had a son who experienced what Shin had gone through, how much would his heart ache for him? Yet this kid had been playing him all along.
"You've got the nerve to say that?" Shin snapped back immediately. "Back then, when you were severely injured, I was the one who saved your life! And this is how you repay me? With betrayal? If it weren't for you, I would've escaped long ago. I might not be able to beat you, but you think any random weakling out there can stop me?"
After calming down a little, he continued, "Of course, it's not just me, Hiruzen probably also thinks you're easy to fool. He treats you like an idiot he can manipulate."
"You'd better explain that!"
"Fine, then let me break it down for you," Shin said seriously. "What's your strength level in ANBU?"
"No one can match me," Sakumo answered proudly.
"And before I revealed my true nature, how much of a threat was I to the village?"
"Almost none."
"So do you think he was crazy or stupid to assign someone like you to watch someone like me? And not just briefly, but for over four years? Do you realize how much you could've done for the village in those four years? How many missions you could've completed? How much money you could've earned? If you hadn't been stuck tailing me day and night, you'd probably be married with kids by now. Your kid would be old enough to go shopping alone."
"I never planned to get married that early."
"Shut up!" Shin snapped. "The reason you were assigned to monitor me is because four years ago, you completed 10 S-rank missions and 22 A-rank missions in a single year. Back then, a lot of people in the village took notice of you, they thought you were a rising star. But you're not the type who blindly follows orders. Hiruzen didn't like that, and he didn't want to see your name rise. Plus, Danzō was whispering in his ear, calling you dangerous. In the end, how are we any different? We're both people the village leadership fears and won't let be their true selves."
Shin didn't know whether Sakumo was already aware of all this, but he didn't care.
If Sakumo didn't know, now he did. If he already knew, then this would just reinforce it.
Either way, ever since Sakumo had covered up for him and Tsunade the last time, he was already aboard Shin's metaphorical pirate ship, and he wouldn't be getting off anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Tsunade was completely stunned.
She'd seen Shin pull off all kinds of maneuvers lately, but she never expected he had even calculated Sakumo into his plans, plans that started more than four years ago.
But she had no right to pity Sakumo. Because hadn't she also been manipulated by Shin this whole time?
