“Lord Danzo, your subordinate Sai, has finally seen you again!” Sai said, then descended from the air with the blond boy on his back.
He knelt on one knee without hesitation, leaning forward with one hand on the ground, completely devoid of any hostility.
His eyes fixed on Danzo Shimura, filled with reverence.
This caused Danzo Shimura to slowly withdraw the hand seals he was preparing to activate an attack, after seeing Sai's respectful attitude. Although he remained wary of this unfamiliar Ninja, Sai's unguarded posture made him feel a sense of doubt.
“Sai? Who exactly are you?” Danzo Shimura’s voice was low and authoritative, carrying a hint of interrogation.
The surrounding Root Ninja also took the opportunity to gather around, completely encircling Sai, fearing any movement from him.
Sai quickly replied, “Lord, your subordinate is Sai! A Root Ninja!” His tone was firm and earnest, as if he feared Danzo Shimura wouldn't remember him.
“Sai!” Danzo Shimura's brow furrowed slightly, as if he was trying hard to recall the name. After a moment, he asked, “So, you came specifically for me?”
“You said you are a Root Ninja? Why don't I remember you!” Danzo Shimura deliberately revealed a hint of killing intent.
“Yes, Lord Danzo!” Sai answered without hesitation, his voice filled with certainty and determination.
Sai, still kneeling, slowly raised his head, revealing his pale face with a slightly false smile to Danzo Shimura. His eyes were clear and focused, as if proving his sincerity and loyalty to Danzo Shimura.
“I am a Root Ninja personally trained by you, Lord, my codename is…” Sai continued, his words revealing confidence and conviction.
As Sai's words flowed like a clear spring, he recounted his training experiences in Root, his special codename, and some of Root's secret rules one by one.
However, this did not dispel the confusion in Danzo Shimura's mind; instead, it made him even more perplexed, and the fear in his heart gradually spread like a shadow.
“Hiss!”
“What exactly is going on?” Danzo Shimura murmured to himself, his brows tightly furrowed.
His narrowed eyes suddenly opened wide, staring intently at Sai, as if trying to see through his appearance to his true thoughts, to discern whether the person in front of him was lying. But every word Sai spoke struck his heart like a heavy hammer, making it impossible for him to avoid.
“What Sai is saying, it's clearly as if he was truly trained by me!” Danzo Shimura's voice trembled slightly. “This training method, the rules and systems for assigned missions, and those codenames, it's exactly as if I personally arranged them!”
These pieces of information kept flashing through his mind, as he tried to find some clues to explain this bizarre situation. However, no matter how much he recalled, he could never remember having such a training experience.
“But the problem is, why don't I remember any of this?” Danzo Shimura's heart was filled with questions and unease. “Could it be that someone used a special genjutsu on me, making me forget who I trained? Was it Hiruzen, or Uchiha? Damn it, could I really be under a genjutsu?”
His mind began to wander, various possibilities intertwining in his thoughts, making his thinking chaotic.
Despite his inner turmoil of suspicion, fear, and disbelief, Danzo Shimura could not deny one fact when facing Sai, who claimed to be a Root Ninja—the other party was indeed from his training.
Because the other party's statements, and the manifestation of the 'Root' will, and the 'Root' essence all over his body, could not be washed away!
Danzo Shimura could state that with certainty.
No one understood the will of 'Root' better than he did.
Next,.
“Lord, look!” Sai opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, revealing the Tongue Sealing Curse Mark on it.
This time.
It instantly stunned Danzo Shimura.
This was the Tongue Sealing Curse, which he had developed himself and only used among his Root Ninja, never having been transmitted externally.
“It seems you are indeed a Root Ninja!” Danzo Shimura said slowly. “Then, can you tell this old man why I don't remember you! Could it be genjutsu! Or…”
“Lord Danzo, you are mistaken. First, what I am about to say involves some secrets.” Seeing Danzo Shimura's paranoia acting up again, Sai knew it was his time to speak, so he interrupted Danzo Shimura's thoughts, then looked at the Root Ninja who had gathered around.
Clearly.
Sai meant that these people were unreliable and not worthy of hearing what he was about to say.
“Follow me!” Danzo Shimura mused.
Although he knew Sai might truly be a Root Ninja he had trained, his suspicious nature kept his guard up.
He made Sai walk in front.
As Sai familiarly entered the Root Headquarters, bypassing the traps with their forbidden barriers, and using methods that only Root members could Release, Danzo Shimura's heart was now devoid of any doubt; this was undoubtedly a Root Ninja.
“Perhaps he can bring me a surprise!” Danzo Shimura thought with narrowed eyes, looking at Sai in front and the blond boy he carried on his back, as if something had occurred to him.
...
“What? You… what did you say? You said you are Konoha Ninja from the future who traveled through time?”
Inside the secret room, there was silence.
Danzo Shimura was astonished, still standing up from his seat, speaking in disbelief.
He stared at the respectful Sai before him; had he not heard it with his own ears, he would never have believed such an incredible thing could happen.
Ninja from the future.
Beside him, Ryuma Aburame was also deeply moved, unable to resist lightly stroking his eyes, and his face with the purple mark couldn't help but gasp.
How, how is this possible?
It was simply beyond imagination.
“Where’s the proof!” Danzo Shimura immediately asked.
However, Sai then said, “To be precise, it's not the future, but a parallel dimension. But the general historical trajectory of both worlds leads to the same outcome.” He spoke slowly, recounting his origin, the events of the Third Shinobi World War in the parallel dimension, and the future after the Third Shinobi World War, one by one. He specifically mentioned the Hidden Cloud Village's Byakugan snatching plan and the Uchiha Clan's extermination event.
However, regarding the Uchiha Clan, he particularly emphasized the powerful strength possessed by the Uchiha Clan, and Danzo's decisive action that ended the Uchiha Clan's rebellion.
Especially the several pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan hidden by the Uchiha Clan, he specifically named them.
Such as Dojutsu like Kotoamatsukami!
“Sigh, I really don't know why that Lord would deliberately alter these matters concerning the Uchiha Clan like this.” Sai couldn't help but think to himself, not understanding why that Lord, also a member of the Uchiha Clan, would do such a thing.
However, that was none of his business.
As a subordinate.
He only needed to obey orders.
Sai, following Uchiha Tenxiu's arrangements, described some altered future scenes to Danzo Shimura.
And these two events mentioned by Sai happened to touch Danzo Shimura's nerves.
“I've said it before, the monkey is too weak. Hidden Cloud Village has already bullied Konoha, yet he only chooses to compromise and concede, handing over the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan. If it were me, I would definitely make Hidden Cloud Village pay the price!” Danzo Shimura said with a grim expression, as if confirming his long-held view of Hiruzen Sarutobi's weakness, his heart filled with a sense of triumph.
“And the Uchiha Clan, as expected, just as I predicted, this inherently evil clan dared to rebel.”
“Fortunately, I acted decisively, first seizing Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, then turning Uchiha Itachi, making him kill his father, ending Fugaku Uchiha, who also possessed a Mangekyo Sharingan. I am Konoha's savior! I am Konoha's great savior!” Danzo Shimura said frantically.
Ryuma Aburame, who was beside him, also spoke, “The Uchiha Clan is indeed an inherently evil bloodline, they cannot be allowed to remain!”