A/N: This story has a unique perspective. The POV changes a couple of times in the first 2 chapters, just to get the story set up. It's definitely not my normal style of writing. Also, this story does have some mature content in it, if you didn't read the summary. So read on with caution. And I hope you all enjoy it.

Special thanks to Nerissi. You are something else. I never thought anyone could get me to post anything. But I am so happy you did.

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Root: Those of the foundation have no name, no emotion. There is no past, no future. There is only the mission. We are the Roots that support the great trunk of the tree that is the leaf village, invisible from inside the earth.

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Chapter 1

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"Thank you Sumi." Lord Danzo said in a quiet voice. I gently set down a cup of hot green tea on the table in front of him as the dark haired stranger sat silently across from him. I bowed and backed away as my eyes stayed fixed to the ground the entire time. I had been taught my place at a young age, do not look Lord Danzo in the eye. I am but a lowly servant to him, my Master.

I knelt on the floor outside the door to his study, ready for any order he may give. My hands lay folded in my lap with my gaze again locked on to the floor. The young man that was sitting with Lord Danzo right now was someone I had never met before. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the strong pulsating feeling that sat across from my Master. Usually I could see a person's emotions through the energy their body emitted, but his was undisturbed. Like he had no emotion at all.

Master must be very proud of this one. Emotionless, just as the Root should be.
Well, according to my Master anyway. It broke my heart to see how far he had taken it with this man. He was completely blank. Usually there was still some sign of humanity left, however small. His was completely absent. I stayed in place as the men made their way through the door. I stood, head bowed as I waited for them, and my next instruction.

"Sumi, take this man to his room. He will be staying with us now." I nodded silently. I rarely spoke around my Master, only listened. 'I am not here to listen to you, it is the other way around.' He had told me on more than one occasion growing up. "Once you are sure he has all he needs, come and finish your nightly duties." Nodding again, I turned and started to walk as the young man with the pale skin followed.

"Thank you Lord Danzo." I heard him say. We snaked through the halls of the estate, slowing briefly as we passed important rooms and I named them off to him.

"On the left here is the restroom. I have placed a towel on your bed so you may shower once you're settled. The dining room is here," I stopped for a moment and let the door next to me swing open as I gave a peak of what was behind it. "Breakfast is at 7:30 sharp, everyday. Do not be late or you will not eat." I stated without pause as I continued to quietly glide across the hardwood floors of the seemingly infinite halls of my master's estate.

As we came to the end of the hall, I stopped in front of his door. "Here is where you will stay. My room is right next door, there." I said motioning to a door that looked just like the countless other doors we had passed along our way. "I will be happy to help you with anything you need. Please feel free to ask. You may call me Sumi, as my Master does." I bowed my head slightly to him. I knew not to ask his name as he probably didn't have one anymore. That was another tool Master used to suppress emotions.

"Thank you, Sumi." he smiled down at me. I almost jumped at the soft yet masculine voice that seemed to have come out of nowhere. The smoothness of it reminded me of his aura. Controlled and subdued. Everything about that soft, silky sound was pleasant to me.

I looked up and caught his gaze. "Sleep well, My Lord." I said bowing slightly. I felt my heart beat quicken as I saw something I had never seen in a Root soldier's eyes. The human touch of emotion that was missing from his energy was right there looking back at me. He had pushed it so far down that it receded in to something involuntary for him. But he hadn't rid himself of it completely. It was a form of coping that I had never seen before.

I quickly went to my room and tried to compose myself. I too had been trained to suppress my emotion since I had been Lord Danzo's servant for many years. To him, emotion is a sign of weakness and it can cause you to make poor decisions. But even after all the years, I still held on to my heart, it was just callused and bruised. But the way this nameless man had learned to deal with his unnatural training had surprised me, and caused a reaction of my own. One I wasn't expecting.

After taking a moment to gather myself, I quickly made my way back to Master's quarters. Part of my nightly responsibilities was to dress Master is his night robes and help him to bed. He had begun to seem more fragile over the past few years, but I knew better than anyone it was all an act. Lord Danzo never did anything without good reason.

"Were there any problems? That took much too long." He said looking at me with disappointment as I entered his room. I shook my head in response, and braced myself for the nightly routine. I went to him and began to remove his formal robes and dress him in his night robes. Once changed, I helped him to his bed and he sat on the edge of it. "Good, good." he said as he lie back and an evil grin came across his face. He grabbed a handful of my hair on the back of my head and pushed my face down to his waist. "Now," He said with a sweet tone that was laced with venom, "open your mouth."

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Taking a deep breath, I removed the formal robe that Lord Danzo insisted I wear as I served him. Letting it drop it the floor, I let my mind wander through the events of the day as I prepared for bed. I was always able to block out the things that Master made me do. He had been forcing himself on me since I was young. Since the day I had become old enough, he swore to me he would make me his bride. The last year I had lived in terror, just waiting for the day he would finally fulfill his word.

I was finally in my room, alone, and I could no longer hold on to my brave face. As I brushed my hair and watched myself in the mirror, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. And once they started, I could do little to stop them. I didn't want to see my own face anymore I was so ashamed of myself for what I had let him do to me for so many years. I've always told myself that I didn't have a choice. It was this or live on the streets and probably die. But that lie was no longer working to quell my distress.

I fell into a pile on the floor and continued to cry. I had spent so many nights just like this, knowing these tears were my only release. In the morning, I would wake up, brush myself off, and continue as though nothing was wrong. But that routine was becoming more and more difficult to keep up. I had to find a solution, find a way out of my personal hell.

XOXOX

Most people would say they were nervous, or scared, or excited when they started a new job. I wasn't. I didn't feel anything. Nothing except a sense of duty to Lord Danzo. He was the head of the ANBU Black Ops special Root Foundation, and my direct superior. In fact, it was Danzo that had trained me to suppress all emotion so that I can complete my missions more efficiently. That's how all of the Root members were in ANBU.

When we arrived at the estate, Lord Danzo had his personal servant, Sumi, escort me to my room. She seemed the same as me, almost emotionless. I almost thought she was part of the Root Foundation too. But there was something that I didn't quite understand about her that told me she was not a shinobi. Maybe it was her softness, how delicate she seemed. She was definitely not like the other girls I had worked with. She still seemed quite strong, just not in the physical sense.

I remember that she was visually pleasant to look at. I had never really seen a girl like that. On the first night in my new home, I could hear her crying from her room. Her bedroom was on the other side of the wall, behind my bed. I began feeling... something. I had forgotten how to identify emotions and I wasn't sure what to do. I hadn't felt... anything in so long. I had a sudden urge to... go to her, talk to her. I wanted to make sure she was ok. I wanted to protect her.

Before I knew it my body was moving of its own accord. I went and knocked on her door softly, but there was no answer. I could still hear the soft sobbing on the other side of the door. "Sumi, are you alright?" I called out to her softly as I turned the doorknob and entered. There she was, laying on the ground sobbing, but completely asleep. This girl, this poor girl had made me feel more in the last 10 minutes than I had in the last 10 years, and she was probably asleep for most of it. She had an amazing power. Her ability to make me respond was almost as powerful as a genjutsu, something I had to struggle to break free of.

I felt sorry for her, I felt protective of her. Little hints of emotion started to bubble up to the surface of my mind. I walked over to the bed, grabbed the blanket, and covered her as she continued to sleep and cry softly. As I knelt down to pull the blanket up to her chin, I couldn't stop myself as I brushed the hair from her cheek. My heart pounded faster.

How is she doing this to me?
I honestly thought she was doing something. I had been with girls before, and even touching their naked bodies never made me react like this. I suppose the truth is: Her beauty was stronger than anything I had experienced before.

I quietly turned and left, stealing one last glance at her as I shut the door. As I lie in bed that night, I couldn't get the thought of her out of my mind. The way my heart starting pounding...it actually scared me. I realized at that moment that Sumi would be trouble for me. I decided I would keep my distance from her. Emotion is something that Root members do not have the luxury of enjoying.