Hokage's Office –
The soft sound of brush meeting paper filled the room. In the Hokage's office, rich with the scent of fresh ink and warm tea, Kushina sat cross-legged at a low table, clutching her brush like a weapon. Her eyes were serious—or rather, frustrated.
The strokes of her calligraphy were beautiful, yet they failed to satisfy her.
"Ugh… why am I doing this again…" she muttered under her breath.
Across from her, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat calmly in his long white robe. His old hand held a pipe, thin smoke trailing lazily into the air. His eyes were wise… and slightly mischievous.
"Your calligraphy is quite refined, Kushina. But you're pressing too hard. Look—this must be done... with feeling."
Kushina scoffed.
"I'm writing sealing scripts for fuinjutsu, not love poems on silk fans, Gramps!" she grumbled.
Still, she lowered her head and replaced the broken brush in her hand with a new one.
"Hey, Grandpa Sandaime... can I take a break? My hand's getting stiff," she complained, rotating her wrist with a pout.
"Come now, Kushina… as a proper Hime, how could you not master the art of calligraphy?" teased Hiruzen with a wide grin.
The title hit her like thunder.
Her cheeks turned bright red, and with a sharp crack, the brush in her hand snapped again.
"S-STOP calling me Hime! Or do you want to see Kitsune Hime go on a rampage and destroy this office!?" she growled, glaring at him.
Hiruzen chuckled and raised both hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright… Forgive me. I'm too old to survive a Nine-Tails rampage."
Kushina puffed out her cheeks like a sulking child. She grabbed another brush and resumed writing, her strokes now softer—though no less passionate.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The Hokage's office door burst open with a crash.
Both of them turned toward the source. Kushina raised an eyebrow. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
'Who dares? Kushina's already here. Then who—'
"Oh? Kakashi?" Hiruzen blinked in surprise and curiosity.
Kakashi Hatake stood at the threshold, slightly winded as if he had run there. His ANBU gear was dusty, his mask hanging from his hip. When his eyes met Hiruzen's, he immediately knelt.
"Lord Hokage," he said gravely, "while investigating Orochimaru's lab beyond Konoha's borders, I encountered a Wood Release user. He claimed to be from Root… and said he was ordered by Danzo to kill me. He failed and fled."
Only then did his gaze shift to Kushina—and he visibly stiffened.
"Ah… Kushina-san. I didn't know you were here."
Kushina squinted. 'Wood Release? Wait… that's Yamato, right? Or was it Kinoe? Or Tenzo? Why does he have so many names? One guy—three names…'
"What?" Hiruzen's voice was low and cold. "Danzo again…"
He furrowed his brows, gripping his pipe tightly.
Kakashi bowed deeper. "Sir, I believe that if he returns to Root, he'll be executed for mission failure. That would be a huge loss for Konoha. I ask that you intervene and protect him."
Hiruzen stared at Kakashi for a long moment, his aged eyes sharp and piercing. "Give me… one good reason."
Kakashi paused, glanced at Kushina, then took a breath.
"Sandaime-sama… Master Minato's child is almost four. The Wood Release… could be invaluable to him. More than that, that ninja… is my friend. He is a friend of Konoha."
His voice was steady and sincere. Though his emotions were clear, not a tremor reached his words.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, eyes closed in thought. "Since Lord Hashirama, no one has possessed Mokuton. If this boy truly controls it… he is our future."
He opened his eyes and turned to the side.
"Yugao," he called.
A young woman with long purple hair stepped out from behind a pillar. ANBU, poised and ready.
"Summon Danzo. Tell him to meet me. Now."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" Yugao bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait," Kakashi said. "I'll go too."
Yugao looked at Hiruzen, uncertain.
"Let him," Hiruzen nodded.
Without delay, Kakashi and Yugao exited the office.
When the door closed, silence hung in the Hokage's office.
At last, Hiruzen glanced at Kushina again. His soft, knowing smile returned.
"Ah… forgive me, Kushina. I know you've mastered the Nine-Tails chakra well. It's not that I don't trust your control."
Kushina shrugged with a grin. "No big deal, Gramps. The more insurance, the safer, right?"
Hiruzen chuckled, the sound like dry leaves rustling in the wind. "I'm glad you understand."
Kushina returned to her writing, her brush dancing across the page.
'Hmm… so we've reached that part of the story. Kakashi saving Yamato… Hmm, maybe I should sneak along. See the ROOT base, annoy Danzo… sounds fun. Hehehe.'
She stifled her laugh, pretending to fix her brush strokes.
'Naruto will be proud if his mom masters calligraphy. Look at this stroke… even better than my high school art teacher's handwriting.'
She grinned wide, her face bright with childish joy.
"Alright, Gramps," she said, locking eyes with Hiruzen. "Teach me the most complicated kanji you know. If not, you're not worthy of being called the greatest calligraphy master in Konoha!"
Hiruzen burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Then brace yourself, Kitsune Hime. This will be your hardest lesson yet!"
Kushina hissed. "Tch! Old man—!"
And so, in the Hokage's office… the most dangerous calligraphy lesson in Konoha's history began.
ROOT Headquarters – Beneath Konoha
Beneath the peaceful village of Konoha lies another world—one never touched by sunlight. A world of silence, dust, and cold. A world where truth is silenced, and justice is sacrificed for the illusion of peace. This is where the village's rotten roots take hold… Root.
And at the heart of that darkness—lurks a name long shrouded in the Hokage's shadow: Shimura Danzo.
The old man is no longer quite human. But not yet a ghost. He stands between the two—alive through ambition, and dying by the same ambition.
Above ground, near the entrance to the underground Root—
Kakashi's footsteps echoed with purpose. His breathing was sharp but steady. Determination burned in his eye like wildfire. Two masked shinobi stood in his way, faces as emotionless as statues.
"Stop there," one commanded, hand on his kunai. "No one enters Root without permission!"
Kakashi said nothing. He silently drew out a small scroll sealed in red, the symbol of the Third Hokage etched clearly.
"Lord Hokage sent me. I'm here for Danzo," he said flatly.
The guards exchanged wary glances.
"Apologies. Lord Danzo is not—"
"Yeah, I don't have time for this."
Before they could react—
Whump! Whack!
Two swift strikes. Clean, precise. Both guards crumpled to the stone floor without a word.
Kakashi didn't slow down. He moved like a shadow, silent and deadly. But his eyes were razor sharp—like a wolf on the hunt.
As he disappeared into the underground, he looked back once.
'Sandaime Hokage… I know you're watching me.'