Naruto: Assistant to the Hokage

Yakushi Kabuto couldn't hide his confusion.

He had never encountered such an audacious Root member before.

Akihara Kagura was a paradox—he spoke of being bound by the Root's strict doctrine, yet his actions seemed to blatantly disregard its rules. On one hand, he claimed to have been forced to forget his name for the sake of Root's ideals; on the other, he had just attacked a fellow Root member simply for using his codename instead of addressing him by name.

"Kagura... sir," Kabuto hesitated, but finally addressed him respectfully. "Is life in Root... treating you well?"

"It's alright," Kagura replied nonchalantly.

Kagura's time in the Root base had been relatively smooth. After spending over half a month there, he hadn't caused too many problems—at least, none that had escalated to Danzo's direct involvement.

His relationships with his coworkers, however, were a different story.

Although Kagura's defiance often irritated his fellow members, they found it difficult to report him to Danzo. When they did, their complaints rarely resulted in repercussions for him. After all, Kagura's loyalty seemed unshakable, and he never hesitated to proclaim his allegiance to "Lord Danzo."

Danzo, despite occasional annoyance, ultimately found Kagura's unwavering loyalty reassuring. In fact, it made the boy's stubborn nature tolerable—almost beneficial. A young prodigy wielding the Wood Release, completely devoted to him alone? Danzo decided to let Kagura have his way.

"Let's go."

"Let's meet with Lord Danzo," Kagura said, turning to the Root member hanging from vines. "If I find out you're lying, I'll execute you on the spot."

"I wouldn't dare falsify Lord Danzo's orders…" the restrained ninja muttered through clenched teeth, his voice a mix of humiliation and anger. "Never question the will of Root or our loyalty to Lord Danzo. You're not the only one devoted to him."

"I know, but I still don't trust you," Kagura interrupted dismissively. "You're all just a bunch of nuisances, always bothering Lord Danzo with trivial reports about petty conflicts between colleagues…"

"You—!"

The ninja's face reddened with fury, but he bit back his words, trembling with suppressed anger.

Kabuto, observing from the side, was utterly dumbfounded.

Just minutes ago, this boy had seemed like another orphan forced into Root's service—like him. Yet here he was, behaving as if the entire organization bent to his will.

As they approached the Root base, the two guards at the entrance averted their gazes, clearly unwilling to engage with Kagura.

"Do you know him?" Kagura asked, pointing to Kabuto.

The guards stayed silent, refusing to acknowledge him.

Kagura didn't seem to mind their coldness. "Spread the word: no one is allowed to bully him from now on."

"…Understood," one of the guards finally muttered, his tone reluctant.

"Uh…" Kabuto, feeling awkward, quietly interjected, "I don't think anyone has bullied me. I'm usually on missions outside…"

"You don't understand," Kagura interrupted confidently. "These guys thrive on oppressing their colleagues. If you don't push back, they'll run all over you. They're a bunch of petty cowards who'd rather tattletale to Lord Danzo than resolve their own issues."

The guards' faces darkened, and their hands clenched at their sides.

Kabuto couldn't believe his ears. How could Kagura twist the truth so blatantly? From the looks of it, it seemed like Kagura had spent most of his time tormenting the other members, not the other way around.

As they walked through the base, every Root ninja they passed made an effort to avoid Kagura's gaze.

"Do you recognize Kabuto?" Kagura asked, his voice loud enough to turn heads. "Take a good look—no one's allowed to mess with him from now on."

Grabbing one reluctant ninja by the arm, Kagura added, "Did you leave your ears in the barracks? Take off your mask and listen properly!"

"Don't push your luck, brat," the ninja snarled, removing his mask to reveal a face tight with anger.

"What did you call me?" Kagura's eyes glinted dangerously.

"…Kagura-sama. I have a mission to attend to," the ninja conceded after a moment's hesitation, his tone strained.

"Good. Remember him," Kagura said, pointing to Kabuto. "If you run into him during a mission, make sure to take good care of him."

"…Of course. I'll take good care of him," the ninja replied, his words tinged with suppressed frustration.

Kabuto felt a deep unease settling in. While he appreciated Kagura's apparent concern, he couldn't ignore the obvious consequences of this so-called "help." Kagura's antics would only make Kabuto a bigger target for resentment among their peers.

"Kagura…," Kabuto stopped walking and looked at the seemingly innocent boy. Adjusting his glasses, he asked softly, "Are you doing this on purpose? What's your real goal?"

"On purpose? What are you even talking about?" Kagura waved dismissively, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Do you really think you're so important that I'd have some grand plan involving you? I'm just repaying a favor. Someday, you'll help me too."

Kabuto stared at him, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.

Kagura's words were infuriatingly simple, yet they left Kabuto with a strange, conflicting feeling. Was he truly an ally—or something far more dangerous?