Seeing Danzo let go, Kakashi let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that today's matter had been satisfactorily resolved.
A's mood was a little odd—somewhere between excitement and sorrow.
Excitement because he had found the so-called companion he had long sought, but also a sadness, a reluctance to leave a place where he had been since he could remember.
Despite everything, A still had lingering feelings for Root.
"Great, A, you can come with us," Kakashi said, turning to him.
A merely smiled, saying nothing.
Kakashi noticed his subdued mood but chose not to press the issue. He understood the feeling of leaving a familiar place all too well.
"Danzo, thank you for cutting your ties," the Third Hokage said, his tone softer now. The earlier tension seemed to dissolve as if the confrontation had never happened. The man before him was still the kind, old Hokage.
Danzo, however, felt differently. Initially, he had believed the Third Hokage to be a spent force, but now, he saw that Sarutobi was far from weak. This renewed recognition of the Hokage's combat capabilities made Danzo feel uncomfortable. His confidence in taking bold action against Sarutobi had diminished—he realized it would be at least five or six years before he could move against him without risking retaliation.
"To prevent any of the Root members from leaking information, I've placed a seal on them. There's no way to undo it," Danzo said quietly.
"That's fine. He's still a Konoha ninja, and he won't betray Root's secrets," the Third Hokage responded without concern. He hadn't asked A to join Anbu directly, so he didn't feel the need to address the seal's removal or even the full extent of its implications.
"In that case, take him," Sarutobi said, nodding, and walked past Danzo.
Kakashi followed, and A was momentarily stunned before following suit. As Jia passed Danzo, the older man spoke in an almost imperceptible whisper.
"Live as a shinobi under the sun."
His words were so quiet that A thought he might have misheard. When he turned to look at Danzo, the older man had a blank expression, making it seem as if he hadn't spoken at all.
A gave a polite bow. "Thank you, Danzo-sama, for your care."
Then, he quickly caught up with Kakashi.
Kakashi glanced over his shoulder at Danzo. Though the words were barely audible, Kakashi had heard them clearly. His heightened senses, a result of his dual-souled experience, picked up things that others might miss.
Seems like Danzo isn't as cold-blooded as I thought.
Kakashi quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn't something that concerned him. Besides, the true mastermind behind the schemes in this world wasn't someone like Danzo.
A felt the weight of the root seal lift as a ray of sunlight touched his face. The invisible shackles seemed to fade for a moment, and he experienced a strange sense of relief.
Kakashi patted A on the back with a smile. "How do you feel?"
"Senior Kakashi, I'm not sure how to put it, but everything suddenly feels... easier."
"Just relax," Kakashi said warmly, his right eye crinkling into a crescent as he grinned.
A smiled faintly, but he was interrupted by a sudden voice.
"Senior Kakashi, you're moving too fast! How could you just barge into Root like that? If Hokage-sama hadn't rushed in, it would've been a real mess!"
It was Uzuki Yuugao, who had apparently come from nowhere to scold Kakashi.
Kakashi felt a bit helpless; he knew he'd acted rashly. "Sorry, Xiyan. The situation was urgent, and I didn't think it through."
"You really are amazing, though. I saw you take down so many Root ninjas, Senior Kakashi. You're just too strong."
Yuugao's eyes shone with admiration.
Kakashi scratched his silver hair, feeling embarrassed. "Well, it wasn't easy."
"By the way, A, this is Uzuki Xiyan, a member of the Hokage's direct Anbu. We'll all be comrades from now on."
A, still adjusting to everything, was caught off guard by Kakashi's sudden introduction.
"P-Please take care of me!" A bowed politely.
"No, no! We're about the same age, we can't say 'take care.' You should see Senior Kakashi as our role model," Xiyan said cheerfully.
"Don't say that, Xiyan," Kakashi replied quickly, his face flushed.
"Is Senior Kakashi shy?" Xiyan teased. "That look is adorable."
Kakashi's face went even redder. Was he shy just now? Certainly not. But, well... maybe a little.
A watched this exchange, a smile tugging at his lips. Was this what companionship felt like? It was truly beautiful.
Root ninjas didn't have this kind of camaraderie. For a moment, A understood the meaning of sunlight.
The Third Hokage approached, signaling that it was time to leave. "A, come with me. I need to discuss some things with you."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Kakashi, you were too reckless today. Don't do that again in the future."
"Yes, Hokage-sama. I understand," Kakashi said with a nod.
"Good."
After speaking, the Third Hokage left with A and one of the other Anbu members.
"Senior, I'll be off now," A said.
"Alright."
As the others departed, Kakashi remained behind. With a sigh, he stretched his arms.
"This matter is finally resolved. Let's go home and get some rest."
Later, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage and A spoke for a while. Then, Sarutobi said, "A, I'm placing you in the Sixth Squad with Kakashi. You'll work alongside him on missions."
A's heart lifted. He wasn't familiar with the rest of the Anbu yet, but following Kakashi would be the best choice.
"Senior Kakashi? I understand. Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"Haha, don't mention it. I've already arranged everything. You'll be working with them."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
---
The next day, in the Hokage's direct Anbu headquarters...
A walked into the hall, muttering to himself, "So this is the base of Hokage's direct Anbu. It's certainly different from Root."
With a deep breath, A pushed open the door to the Sixth Squad's room, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
As soon as the door opened, dozens of eyes turned toward him. His anxiety flared, but when he saw Kakashi standing there, it all seemed to fade.
"Hello, everyone. I'm A, just transferred from Root. Please take care of me!" he introduced himself.
The members of the squad smiled warmly, putting him at ease. This place, he realized, was filled with warmth.
Kakashi smiled at him. A had been briefed about his transfer, so Kakashi wasn't surprised.
"A, 'A' is your code name from Root. In Hokage's direct Anbu, you'll be known as Tenzo from now on."
A blinked, then nodded, a smile breaking across his face. "Understood! Tenzo, reporting for duty!"
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