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NBB Chapter 177: Root of Despair
🕑 Added 2025-08-26 20:43:15 +0000 UTC“Ah!”
A scream of agony rang out. Before the eyes of the Akatsuki members, the Root shinobi transformed—into Shimura Danzō!
“This is—”
Danzō stared at the Akatsuki and Orochimaru before him, his mind spinning in confusion.
Hadn’t he already fallen in battle? Why was he alive again?
Could this be Izanagi?
“Die!”
Unable to make sense of the situation, he roared in fury and seemed about to strike.
But in the next instant, he realized in shock that his body could not move at all.
“This is—”
“This happens to be your sensei’s technique, from the Second Hokage.”
Orochimaru licked his lips and spoke with casual indifference. Danzō’s face turned ashen.
As the Second Hokage’s disciple, how could he not know?
But Orochimaru had already turned his gaze toward the Akatsuki, who all bore grim expressions. A faint smile spread across his lips.
“Allow me to introduce him—Shimura Danzō, the Hokage’s advisor of Konoha. He commands an organization affiliated with the Anbu, yet operating independently, called Root.”
“Root?”
“That’s right. Danzō has done plenty through Root. Hidden within are not only ample supplies but also secure facilities.”
Here Orochimaru paused, glancing at Danzō with a meaningful look.
“And Danzō-sama should know much about Konoha’s deployments as well. That would make things far easier for us.”
At those words, both Danzō and the Akatsuki changed expressions.
The Akatsuki members couldn’t hide the excitement flickering across their faces, while Danzō’s own face went pale with shock.
“Orochimaru, damn you—!”
Unable to restrain himself, Danzō spat out a curse, but before he could finish, Orochimaru tightened his control.
“Quiet. You have no place to speak right now.”
“How strong is he at the moment?”
Suddenly, Uchiha Obito spoke in a low voice. Orochimaru tilted his head slightly.
“Not much. After all, it was just a casual summoning, so—”
“Then make him stronger.”
Obito’s cold gaze locked onto Danzō, his fist tightening.
“I want to see… what it would be like for the Hokage’s advisor to battle the true Third Hokage.”
Obito’s words left even Orochimaru momentarily stunned—and Danzō completely dumbfounded.
Him?
Against Sarutobi Hiruzen?
“This plan isn’t bad. It would divert Konoha’s attention and give us more room to act.”
Nagato suddenly nodded, seeming to approve.
“I’d like to see it as well.”
Sasori also nodded. He had no fondness for Konoha, and as his gaze swept over the corpses of the Root shinobi scattered on the ground, his tone turned sharp.
“Besides, we do need a secure location. And the materials here are plentiful.”
“I don’t care either way.”
Kakuzu had already claimed Danzō’s heart, and had no interest in the rest. Orochimaru, at last, simply nodded.
“Very well. At least for me, it’s no issue.”
Danzō could no longer utter a word, yet his eyes were filled with utter despair.
He had already witnessed Kakuzu ripping out his heart, now saw Uchiha Obito pocketing his severed arm, and the remainder of his body being collected by Sasori.
Even he, hardened as he was, could not help but shudder at such horror.
And on top of that—they intended to occupy his Root, seize his soul, and use him against Sarutobi Hiruzen?
What kind of demons were these?!
“You… you—”
Shimura Danzō tried to curse them, but no sound came out. All he could do was glare at Orochimaru and the Akatsuki with endless hatred.
“I don’t like that look in your eyes.”
Nagato seemed to notice, shaking his head, his gaze ice-cold.
“Compared to everything you’ve done, what is this, really?”
“Didn’t you once force him to die by my hand?”
“Now, you will personally kill your old comrade, the Hokage, and destroy your own village.”
“Isn’t that fair?”
...
“It begins at last… finally, it begins!”
While ‘Dismembered Danzō’ was being prepared, the Chūnin Exams of Konohagakure commenced in full.
Inside the hall of the first exam, the nine rookies were all taken aback by the sight before them.
The sheer number of people was overwhelming!
Headbands from different villages, yet the same fierce, intimidating stares.
Even Naruto and Sasuke found it hard to handle such pressure.
Fortunately, they encountered an upperclassman who seemed relatively “kind.”
Though somewhat weak—having taken the Chūnin Exams nine times without ever passing—he apparently possessed unique intelligence-gathering skills. That alone was enough to excite the rookies.
“Um, Kabuto-senpai…”
After hearing a brief explanation of the current situation from this Yakushi Kabuto-senpai, Naruto couldn’t help but ask, “Do you happen to have information on anyone else?”
“Oh?”
Kabuto played the part well, feigning hesitation before smiling faintly.
“If it’s someone from my own village, I might know something. But shinobi from other villages, I’m afraid—”
“Our own village, then,” Sasuke cut in directly. The other rookies seemed to realize what he was aiming at, and Ino quickly followed up.
“Kabuto-senpai, do you have intel on Gen-senpai —Kitagawa Gen?”
“…”
The moment he heard Kitagawa Gen’s name, Kabuto froze. He instinctively adjusted his glasses.
For a moment, he seemed unwilling to speak at all.
That name—he was far too familiar with it. And he knew all too well just how terrifying the man behind it truly was.
“Huh? Kabuto-senpai, you don’t know?”
Seeing Kabuto’s silence, Sakura asked curiously, bringing him back to his senses.
“You don’t know of his exploits? I thought you were quite familiar with him?”
“Tch, he’s always so secretive, never willing to say anything about himself,” Naruto muttered under his breath. Sasuke gave a small nod.
“Gen-senpai really doesn’t like talking about himself. So… do you know?”
“Alright, drop it.”
Shikamaru, already annoyed, cut in. He actually knew quite a lot, but simply couldn’t be bothered to explain.
“Just ask him after the exam. It’s not such a big deal.”
“Actually, I do have something… but it’s so exaggerated that…”
Yakushi Kabuto finally spoke, his voice turning somewhat hushed and murky.
“My ninja cards don’t record everything, but I know a few things. Kitagawa Gen is only two or three years older than you, yet he’s already a jōnin of Konoha.”
“We know that much already.”
“And in his mission record, low-level assignments are almost nonexistent. Not a single D-rank, only five C-rank… but S-rank—eleven in total!”
“Eleven?!”
The nine rookies couldn’t help but cry out in shock.
Even Naruto, usually slow to grasp things, understood what S-rank missions meant.
“And according to reliable intel, he has defeated many powerful shinobi.”
Kabuto, almost instinctively, added weight to Orochimaru’s prestige, though he lowered his voice.
“During his jōnin exam, he defeated none other than one of the Sannin—Jiraiya-sama. And even before he became a jōnin, he had already defeated the Fourth Raikage. What’s more…”
“What more?”
“Well, according to some reports, when he fought the Fourth Raikage, he severed his hand.”
The Raikage—an existence as formidable and revered as the Hokage himself.
Even Naruto, dimwitted as he might be at times, had learned from the academy’s relentless lectures what that meant!
At this moment, the group of rookies exchanged bewildered glances with one another.
Even Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—who had personally seen Kitagawa Gen fight in the Land of Waves—found themselves stunned.
“So he’s already reached such a level…”
Sasuke couldn’t help but mutter, his inner longing burning hotter than ever.
“Feels like… it was pure luck we didn’t get killed by him.”
Naruto muttered under his breath, while Ino couldn’t resist voicing her own doubts.
“Gen-senpai… cutting off someone’s hand? But he usually seems so gentle, so kind…”
“???”
Her words made Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura whip their heads toward her in disbelief.
Back in the Land of Waves, this guy hadn’t just pummeled enemies with brutal fists—he had even suggested letting a rogue ninja slaughter their deceitful employer’s entire family!
Gentle? Kind? Was that what she called it?
Could it be that true kindness, as Kitagawa Gen once said, was not being able to bear others’ suffering—so he simply sent the whole family off together?
“What exactly are you all talking about?”
Just as the rookies fell into silence, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
Turning their heads, they saw that Kitagawa Gen had already entered the hall at some point—and behind him trailed a group of Konoha shinobi.
“Y-you… why are you here?!”
The instant Naruto caught sight of Kitagawa Gen, his whole body trembled, and he shouted in disbelief.
“Quiet! Do you think this is just any place?”
Before Gen could answer, Morino Ibiki cut Naruto off with a cold snort.
“Jōnin Gen is here to assist us. You’d best focus on what you’re supposed to be doing.”
“Come now, no need for the formalities. Just call me Gen, Ibiki-senpai.”
Gen smiled faintly at Morino Ibiki before continuing, “As for assisting, forget it. I only came to get a feel for the atmosphere, and maybe lend a hand.”
Then he turned his gaze on Naruto, patting the boy on the shoulder.
“Naruto, do your best. I’m here to witness your effort.”
“…”
“Relax, relax. I’ll just be standing behind you. I won’t interfere.”
“…”
“Just focus on answering the questions. Don’t worry about me—I’m actually looking forward to your performance.”
“…”
For a moment, Naruto truly wanted to leap out the window and be done with it.
But Kitagawa Gen’s eyes were already sweeping toward Yakushi Kabuto. The latter, upon seeing him appear, instinctively shrank back a step.
Gen, however, didn’t pay him much mind. After all, he had already decided—he was going to plant a “Puppet-Cursing Sphere” in this one sooner or later.
'I wonder if Orochimaru will make an appearance. But… it doesn’t matter either way.'
With that thought, Gen allowed a smile to curve across his lips.
