12 Chapter 12

"You're saying that Lord Danzo is inviting me?" Kuzo asked. He couldn't mention the Root, the secret Anbu organization that Danzo led. But he still knew about it, which made him quite freaked out.

"I have delivered my message. Come tomorrow, around 7 at this location." The masked man handed Kuzo a scroll before vanishing into thin air.

Was he freaked out?

That's not the real question.

The real question was: Why was Danzo showing interest in him? It's not like he had reached a Jonin level yet to get invited to the Anbu.

Could it be that his unusual growth rate caught attention? If Danzo had an eye on him, then he would already know everything Kuzo had done, from how he drank his mother's milk to how he fared in the academy, to every jutsu he showed. For example, they could know from Shin that Kuzo faced a Genin who used Water Style, and from the Jonin that night, they would be able to tell he used the Water Style and then the Earth Style of those new shinobis. And if they had watched him during his last fight, then it would be easy to connect the dots.

But what scared him more was that Kabuto could have noticed something about Kuzo. Danzo and Orochimaru were in contact with each other; that's a fact that fillers confirmed.

Kuzo entered his house. He didn't announce he had come back. Instead, he went directly to his bedroom.

'The last thing I want to happen is Danzo asking me: Why was Kuzo able to perform jutsus from opponents he killed? And I would be lucky if he didn't notice that I'm capable of absorbing people's power.'

He put his hands on the side of his head when he remembered that he tested the Fire Ball jutsu after defeating his last opponent.

If a Root's Anbu was spying on him at that moment, then it would confirm that there is a secret in him.

A secret that's worthy of investigating.

Kuzo calmed himself down. Maybe he was overreacting, and Danzo was inviting him to the Root.

If not, what options did he have?

Go and accept the invitation and see what happened, maybe end up as a test rat, maybe as a member.

Second, he could run out of the village, which would end him up as a missing ninja. He would then be in a bingo book and get chased by both rogue ninjas and his own village. Which was the most stupid option since he would make the whole Konoha an enemy to him.

Third. He could go to the 3rd Hokage and ask him to put him away from the Root's eye. Possibly send him on a mission out of the village or have him join a special task force.

Kuzo was certain of the existence of other options. But the mindset he was in didn't allow him to think of them.

Knock Knock

He was so distracted that he didn't hear the knock on the door.

"Kuzo, are you alright?" It was his mother asking about him.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"You didn't come to eat, which was odd. Are you alright!?"

"I'm just exhausted from the last mission. Don't mind me. I'll eat tomorrow." Replied Kuzo.

"Alright. I'll let you sleep for now." She then walked away.

Now that she mentioned it, Kuzo found that her words held accountability.

He would never miss a meal or an extra one. Was he so freaked out that his gluttony seal didn't affect him? Or could it be that devouring the jutsus of the Uchiha along with that missing ninja powers was satisfying for his gluttony seal that it didn't demand him to eat.

'No, none of that. Danzo's name alone is a mood killer. Man, I hate him more than Sakura. Not the one I went with, the pink-haired one.'

Kuzo took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

That night, he was unable to sleep. He could think about one thing, and that's what the best option was. What to tell the 3rd when he asks him why did he run to him. And even if he explained to him about his seal, there would be left the question of how a normal Genin like him knew about Danzo and what extents he could go to.

Fortunately, he could find the answers.

The next day arrived. Kuzo decided to wait for the middle of the day, the time when most people shopped, so that he could move to the Hokage's office.

Kuzo left his house and walked, trying to act as normal as he could.

'Now I think about it, I hope that old geezer's secretary doesn't make me wait for too long,' he thought.

When Kuzo approached the Hokage's mansion, something felt strange.

The building started shifting its shape, turning blurry and spinning as it was being swallowed by a black hole.

It was only then Kuzo realized that he was under a Genjutsu.

He formed a tiger hand seal, controlling his chakra to agitate it.

The illusion was broken. Kuzo found himself in an isolated place, facing a wall.

He then realized what happened, and he looked left and right.

Few silhouettes appeared left and right. All of them were wearing grey attires and masks.

Before he could do anything, one of them appeared behind him and hit him on the back of his head.

'Remind me of the first time I joined a brotherhood.'

After that, he fell into a sleep without dreams.

-x-X-x-

Kuzo's eyelids shook. When he opened them, he felt a severe headache.

When memories rushed to his head, Kuzo tried to move. But he couldn't. He realized that his hands and legs were paralyzed. When he looked at his arms, he found them resting on a chair. Two seals were on them.

"It's useless. The binding seal won't allow you to move," said a deep voice.

When Kuzo raised his head, he found an old man with black hair looking at him. His arm and eye were covered in bandages. One could mistake this old man for being injured. But the truth was behind those bandages were the eyes of the Uchiha.

Only one man could match such a description.

"Danzo-sama," Kuzo muttered.

Danzo raised his eyebrow. "You know who I am?"

In reply to that question, Kuzo said, "You're known to be one of the elders that run Konoha, no? Besides, yesterday someone said you're inviting me."

"Sounds like you are doing your homework. Something people at your age don't do."

"I'm not taking that as a compliment."

"Who are you, and who sent you to Konoha?" Danzo asked.

"Excuse me?" Kuzo asked with utter confusion. "I believe that's my father's penis when I was a mere sperm."

"I see, you are from here. But your growth rate is abnormal. And you can perform jutsus of those whom you killed," Danzo said. "This should tell you that you can't lie to me."

Kuzo squinted his eyes. 'Damn it. I was right. For the first time, I hate it.'

"Trust me, I never knew until my first time," Kuzo shrugged.

"Are you with Konoha's side?" Danzo asked.

"I am. So let me go," Kuzo replied yet.

"I'm not convinced you are. Any potential danger to Konoha must not be taken lightly."

"Why are you sure that I'm a danger? I could be a useful ally."

"After we're done confirming your identity and your intention, we will see what to do with you. We can let you go, join, or die," Danzo then turned and left walking.

"And after that?"

"We either kill you or let you join us."

"Huh?"

"You'll appreciate our work if you appreciate the safety of Konoha," Danzo said. "Fu. You have him."

From Kuzo appeared a masked man. He took down his mask, revealing a young man with long orange hair and yellow eyes.

Kuzo could recognize him.

It was a man from the Yamanaka clan, which happened to be a clan specializing in the brain.

"Are you going to hack my brain?" Kuzo asked.

"Hack? That's a new term young generation must be using. Now, don't resist," Fu put his hand on Kuzo's head. "Make it easier for yourself."

Kuzo didn't know if he was going to leave alive.

Fuck it. He should have tried to escape the village instead of going to the Hokage's office.

But that wouldn't work anyway, since the root had put him under Genjutsu.

-x-X-x-

Fu found himself in the mind space of Kuzo. A wide road with books and scrolls everywhere.

Kuzo's life and memories were in front of him, and now, he could learn everything he could learn.

Danzo had made a good excuse to doubt Kuzo.

But in truth, they just wanted to learn the secret Kinjutsu (Forbidden technique) Kuzo was using.

It didn't matter if the kid was loyal to Konoha or not. Such a Kinjutsu that allows people to get all the jutsu they killed, it would boost their power dramatically. What sounded interesting about the Kinjutsu was that it allowed people to use bloodline-related jutsu, such as chakra affinity. In that case, one could even gain the Sharingan and the Uchiha's blood, Hyuga's blood, and more.

If the secret appeared to be a rare mutation in Kuzo's bloodline, then they'll recruit the kid. It would be easy to break him up and rebuild him into a perfect shinobi tool.

Fu stopped when he found many people in daze in the mind space. When he looked at their feet, he saw a shadow looming over them. It acted as a gravity field, forcing them down.

'These… these are the guys he killed. So he somehow gets them into his spirit space.'

Fu felt a large overwhelming shadow over him. When he turned his head, he saw a shade standing. It was pitch black with long horns. It extended his hands at him.

Fu tried his best to undo his jutsu and leave Kuzo's brain. But the shadow got his feet. The shadow soon overwhelmed him, absorbing him. He tried to fight, but he couldn't move an inch.

-x-X-x-

'Was that a dream?' Kuzo wondered when his eyelids shook. He had a weird dream where the Anbu guy entered his mind.

When he opened his eyes completely, he could see the orange-haired man putting his hand on his head.

'Fu… I know him? he's Yamanka clan, a specialist in mind-reading abilities.'

Kuzo could sense that he was the only one around him. A strange sense alerted him. He could feel people outside this building and their exact location. He could tell their chakra signature, and how much they do have.

It was as if he became a sensory-type ninja. Not only that, but he knew Fu's techniques. Yamanka's clan secret techniques plus a high level in sealing arts. Also, more jutsus that jonins knew, such as body flicker and shadow clone.

But somehow, he didn't end up having the physical power and chakra of the Anbu. Only his techniques.

'Hold on. He entered my mind space, so he ended up being absorbed by me… hahaha.'

'Also, they are planning to break me up and rebuild me. Bitch, they think I'm their slave.'

Kuzo resisted the urge to laugh. It wasn't the right time to be amused. He looked at the seals on his hands and legs.

'Gluttony.' Kuzo activated the Gluttony seal in his right hand. The seals that kept him from moving were being absorbed by his seal.

Kuzo could now try to escape. But he could sense that some people were around, and it would be hard for him to escape in front of the eyes of elites.

He looked at Fu.

An idea hit him. The orange-haired dude was mind-absent. There was a body in front of him. But no consciousness occupied it.

Kuzo formed a modified hand seal that only Yamanaka clan knew.

'Mind Transfer jutsu.'