Chương 41: The Unspoken War

Noa was unconscious before he even hit the floor. Daiken moved swiftly, catching him effortlessly with one hand and gently easing the limp boy down. As he laid Noa carefully on the floor, his chakra slowly receded, though his grip on the Root operative's wrist remained firm and unyielding.

"You heard him," Daiken said, his voice a low growl.

"He is not interested in joining Root." The Root agent, hidden behind his blank tiger mask, remained impassive. His voice was calm and measured as he replied, "He's valuable, Daiken. You know that. His growth is unnatural. He's being wasted at the Academy." Daiken's expression didn't waver.

"You didn't come here to assess. You came to recruit. Alone. In secret. Without the Hokage's knowledge." The masked operative tilted his head slightly, composed and undisturbed.

"Danzo-sama—""I don't care what Danzo wants," Daiken interrupted sharply, his fingers tightening further. Insulted by Daiken's blatant disrespect for his leader, the Root ninja flared his chakra, raising it almost to match Daiken's own. If not for the barrier around the flat, every resident in the building would have collapsed instantly from the oppressive force. Daiken responded immediately, unleashing his chakra without restraint.

A wave of terrifying, overpowering chakra crashed into the Root agent, forcing him back. Daiken intensified his grip until the Root ninja's arm trembled, bones threatening to fracture.

"You crossed the line the moment you laid hands on a child under my supervision," Daiken hissed, his voice cold and menacing. After a tense pause, he added, "Let go before I do something I'll need to explain later." The Root operative hesitated for just a moment before slowly retracting his arm as Daiken released him. He stepped back silently, the tension thickening in the room like a dense, early-morning fog.

"Don't mistake silence for compliance," Daiken warned quietly.

"I know your methods. You operate in the dark, believing the rest of us are naive for staying in the light. But you're wrong." The tiger-masked shinobi regarded him briefly before responding in a steady voice, "We do what must be done."

"No," Daiken corrected sharply, turning away to lift Noa carefully into his arms.

"You do what Danzo demands." Without another word, Daiken stepped past the masked figure, feeling the man's cold gaze following him. The barrier fell silently behind him as he left, but Daiken refused to glance back. Daiken carried Noa's limp body with careful, deliberate steps. Gently laying the boy down, he adjusted the blanket over him silently. His eyes lingered, watching the slow, steady rise and fall of Noa's chest. Finally, Daiken allowed himself to take in the room fully.

The first thing he noticed was the stark simplicity. Nothing unnecessary, nothing cluttered. Everything had its place, neatly organized. Curious, Daiken opened the small cupboard, only to find three shirts and two pairs of pants. His eye twitched involuntarily. So, he's organized because he barely has enough to be messy with, Daiken thought grimly. Moving toward the small kitchen area, he found mostly dry food. Some were clearly taken from the Academy. His eyes twitched again.

Glancing at the table, he noticed even more borrowed Academy silverware and furniture, prompting another uncontrollable twitch. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Then, his gaze was drawn upward to the ceiling, and Daiken's breath caught slightly. The surface was alive with sprawling patterns of ink, charcoal, and colored chalk dancing across the space.

Jagged lightning bolts intertwined with swirling galaxies, scattered stars, and intricately drawn animals. some distorted, others hauntingly realistic. It was a chaotic, mesmerizing storm frozen mid-motion, as if Noa's inner turmoil and stress had been poured directly onto the ceiling. Daiken stood quietly beneath it, arms crossed, eyes carefully studying each intricate detail. The artistic technique was astonishing, filled with hidden precision and deliberate control despite its chaotic appearance.

This wasn't merely art. it was an emotional outlet, a chakra control exercise, and a silent testament to a child's struggle to cope with stress and loneliness. Daiken lingered for several minutes, reflecting silently before reaching into his pouch. He pulled out a scroll and quickly scribbled a brief message for the ANBU patrol stationed nearby, anchoring it securely to the window frame with a faint pulse of chakra. Let them know someone from Root had already made contact. Let them scramble.

Daiken was finished playing defense. He flickered away. The Hokage's office was dimly illuminated by a lone candle, the air thick with the scent of ink and old tobacco. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pen in hand, cloak folded neatly behind him. He didn't look up as Daiken appeared silently in front of him.

"I assume this isn't a social visit," Hiruzen remarked without surprise, his tone even.

"Root made a move," Daiken stated bluntly. That drew the Hokage's full attention, the pen coming to an immediate halt. His gaze sharpened noticeably.

"Who?"

"Unknown agent. Went by 'Tiger.' Attempted to recruit Noa. Pressed hard and turned violent after rejection." Hiruzen exhaled slowly, leaning back thoughtfully.

"I was hoping we'd have more time."

"So was I," Daiken agreed grimly.

"But Danzo knows. He's been watching the boy closely."

"For some time, most likely," Hiruzen murmured.

"He has his agents embedded within the Academy walls." Daiken's jaw tightened visibly.

"And you allowed it?"

"I need to know what Danzo is planning before acting," Hiruzen replied calmly.

"Striking blindly would only provide him justification to escalate further." Daiken stepped closer, intensity in his voice.

"Then you need to move faster. The boy is strong, yes, but he's still a child. Root will break him. He'll become what they want. not what he's meant to be." Hiruzen observed Daiken for a long, heavy moment before quietly stating, "You've grown attached." Daiken didn't waver.

"He reminds me of too many I've buried and none I managed to save." Silence stretched between them, filled only by the faint flickering of candlelight casting shifting shadows across the Hokage's aged face. Finally, Hiruzen nodded slowly.

"I will issue a formal order. Root agents are forbidden from approaching Academy students without direct authorization. Any breaches will result in detention."

"You won't be able to enforce that effectively," Daiken countered.

"No," Hiruzen conceded.

"But it gives us grounds to respond decisively." Daiken nodded sharply.

"Root might stay away temporarily, but they won't take rejection lightly."

"I'll deliver a clear message to Danzo," Hiruzen assured him.

"And your next move?"

"I'll continue overseeing his training," Daiken stated firmly.

"If Root attempts another approach, I won't wait for official permission to respond." Hiruzen gave a tired nod.

"Understood. Just refrain from killing any Root agents." Daiken turned to leave but paused when Hiruzen spoke again.

"Daiken. That boy is stronger than he appears. But remember, he's also lonelier than he lets on. You need to help him form stronger attachments to the village and its people." Daiken didn't turn but nodded in agreement before simply vanishing.

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