Author's Notes

Hello again.

This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written. I wanted to get a lot of the Root stuff out of the way now. It was relevant enough to the character I didn't want to skip it but I really didn't want to write an entire arc on Kei's life in Root. The next few chapters will mostly be going over his life in the Hokage's anbu with Kakashi.

I'm actually fairly happy with the way this chapter turned out. If anybody felt it was a bit rushed I'd say that's because it is, but it will be less rushed from this point on.

The MC won't be OP. At most he'll be around Kakashi and Gai's level with some trump cards of his own. He will keep the moves of the Tenseigan but they will be majorly toned down from the ones that Toneri used. The chakra cloak won't really be something he can realistically use, the amount of chakra it would take for him to use it would cause him almost instantaneous chakra exhaustion, it could be on reserve as a last resort like Gai and the 8th gate but it won't be something he uses often.

I'm really looking forward to writing more of this story and I hope you guys are looking forward to reading it.

As usual feedback is always welcome.

I don't own Naruto.

Please enjoy.

Chapter 1

To say my world was darkness couldn't be more wrong. I couldn't open my eyes. I knew that much, but despite that I could see perfectly, more than perfectly in fact, I could see everything, it was odd to say the least. At first I thought I died and became some sort of higher, all seeing being, but that wasn't the case, not completely. I did die, I remember saying my goodbyes to my family in a hospital, and then darkness. The darkness didn't last long, or maybe it did. It felt like I took a long nap and then I woke up, long yet over before I knew it. I'm not a higher being, in fact I'd say I got lower, or shorter to be exact. Coupled with my ability to see everything in my general vicinity I can also see myself, as weird as it is, and when I saw myself I was so surprised my eyes would have fallen out of my head they'd be so wide, that is if they could open.

I was a child once again although that's not the strangest part despite everything. I was in a tube, not a bed, or anything else a child should rightfully be in, but a glass tube filled with liquid that looks almost green with the lighting. I felt like I was in some strange science fiction. Maybe I was cloned and the memories I think I have are actually the original's memories? No, that doesn't make sense. If I kept the memories, why wouldn't I keep the body?

It wasn't until a few days (I think) later that anybody showed up. By that time I had figured the place was abandoned. I had also noticed long ago the other tubes filled with children although I seemed to be the only one to survive, but that's besides the point.

There were a few of them, most of them wore light, grey armor and face masks that resembled Anbu from Naruto. The only one that wasn't in a mask was a man in a cloak with bandages covering half his face. Out of curiosity I focused on his face and watched as the bandages faded away from my sight as if they weren't there. During my tube time I had figured out that I can also see through things, obvious when you think about it, I was seeing through my eyelids after all. His eye under the bandages was closed but otherwise undamaged. Why? Why have bandages on an uninjured eye, does he think it's cool?

Suddenly my vision shifted. Everything in my sight suddenly shifted to grey and I could see something flowing through the people. It looked like a blood flow but blue, and a large amount of the blue stuff concentrated around the stomach area where it seemed to be coming from. Bandage Face was particularly interesting. The eye under the bandage was glowing with a green energy rather than the blue I had seen so far. It wasn't until I heard one of the masked guys speak, in japanese, that it clicked to me.

"There's one child still alive Danzo-sama." After taking a moment to translate that my mind went blank for a second and then my thoughts came crashing together like a storm. Danzo? Like that prick from Naruto. Are they cosplaying? It's pretty damn good if it is, best I've ever seen, they make it look like it's completely normal. But wait. Why am I in a tube then, and a baby? Then there's my crazy eyesight and the blue energy - chakra. Shit. I'm in Naruto aren't I? That's the most logical explanation, which is stupid. Why is "I'm in Naruto" the most logical explanation? Probably because I'm a child, in a tube in a lab, and the only people around me are Anbu and a prick with an unhealthy obsession with the Sharingan.

I internally sighed and focused back on the conversation happening outside. It looks like they found my file and one of the anbu was reading it to Danzo. Seriously dude, you can't read my file yourself?.

"Test 60. In an experiment with the purpose of replicating the First Hokage's Wood Style Orochimaru abducted 60 children and injected them with the First Hokage's DNA. Number 60 in particular was a Hyuga child thought to be dead after a mission with Orochimaru. It says he was attempting to experiment on the Byakugan but the Hyuga's Juinjutsu prevented any tampering. Though he was able to cut off the connection with the jutsu caster, the defense measures to prevent the stealing of clan techniques remained so Orochimaru placed him in this experiment."

So I'm a part of that experiment? And I'm a Hyuga? Wait, wasn't this the experiment that gave Yamato Wood Style? But I haven't seen any other survivors so does that mean that I replaced Yamato?

My thoughts were cut off by Danzo's gravelly voice, "Release him."

Such words were swiftly followed by the shattering of glass as I fell to the ground. I quickly took in the air. Somehow I didn't drown in the liquid but I couldn't breathe either so the air, as stale as it is, was a massive relief. I slowly opened my eyes for the first time as well, feeling the air on my new eyes for the first time.

"What's your name, boy?" I looked up at the sound of the voice and just stared, they seemed surprised at something but I don't know what. But what do I say to that? I don't know the name of the body I'm currently in, and I feel like using my old name would be a mistake. Maybe he'd find out my body's real name and know something was off? Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but when dealing with Danzo, being as cautious as possible was best. So, gathering up my courage I spoke with the best acting I could muster, "I-I don't remember," I even looked at the ground in a confused manner for extra effect. How's that you bastards?!

If Danzo was concerned he definitely didn't show it. But thankfully he did seem to believe me. Now onto the next issue, my eyesight. For the first time since I've arrived in this world my eyesight was getting blurry. Oh… and my thoughts are getting sluggish. I'm more tired than I thought huh?

Over the next year I received training. My body seemed to remember a lot of what it could do even if I couldn't. It was strong, flexible, I think I even heal slightly faster, probably the Hashirama cells. It was almost embarrassing how this 5 year old body is stronger than my body in my past life.

Danzo trained me personally. He seemed to think I had potential. I understood why though after I saw my eyes for the first time. They have blue pupils surrounded by flowery patterns. They were the prettiest and most exotic eyes I've ever seen, and I knew what they were. The Tenseigan, or Reincarnation Eye. It seems my body's Hyuga DNA plus the Hashirama DNA from the experiments combined with my reincarnation (maybe that's why it's called the Reincarnation Eye) and out popped the Tenseigan. Danzo doesn't know what it is or what it's capable of, but he knows it's the result of Hyuga and Hashirama DNA and that's all he needs to know. What he knows about its abilities is only what I tell him, which is simply that it's like the Byakugan but better in every way. None of the crazy stuff.

Danzo ended up giving me scrolls to study the Gentle Fist. I remember when he gave Yamato the Wood Style scroll and I never really thought about it but the Gentle Fist isn't something the Hyuga would give to Danzo. He stole this didn't he? Bastard. Not that I'm complaining.

The training is strict but not terrible. Possibly the biggest benefit of being trained by Danzo himself is the conditions. Danzo is a lot of things but dumb is not one of them, he knows how to breed loyalty, and he wants me to be loyal. Not that it's working, I can see what he's doing, what he is, I don't want any of that.

After a year I started doing missions. There were a few types but the most common were sabotage and assassination. I mostly picked and chose who I killed. Whenever I was alone I'd usually leave them the target alive and come up with an excuse, it depended on the target though. As terrible as Danzo is, he doesn't kill without purpose and some of the targets were… life was too good for them. I got enough of them that my mission record wasn't bad, it was good in fact. There were times though, when I'd be partnered with another Root member and I wouldn't have a choice to kill or not, and sometimes I would have to stand by and watch as an innocent person died.

I was about 10 years old when the Nine Tails attack happened. In my past life I had wondered what Root did when the Nine tails was rampaging. I wasn't impressed.

Danzo sent the least possible people to help defend Konoha and kept the rest of us on reserve. I wasn't sent to help and I hated it. I hate life here, I feel like I'm drowning more than I ever did in the damn tube. These new eyes have seen enough blood, enough innocent blood. But I put up with it, not out of loyalty, but out of fear. I fear Danso. If only I was stronger, if only I knew how to use my eyes better. But it doesn't matter. I will get out eventually. I know I will. I have to.

Danzo is planning an assassination attempt on the Third Hokage. After the death of Minato the only one standing in Danzo's way of Hokage title is Lord Third. He's sending me along with a team to carry it out. I don't care about that though. I remember this part in the anime. The assassination attempt will fail and my squad will die. But this is an opportunity. I can escape. I can get out of this shit hole.

We stood, waiting. It was me and a group of Root shinobi I had worked with on a few occasions.

We watched as the Third Hokage, or rather Kakashi if I remembered correctly, walked down the path. The plan was simple, The others would attack and draw his guards away while I snuck up and went for the kill. The plan only had two major problems, they're expecting us, and I don't plan to follow through with my part.

The squad leader gave the signal to start the attack, the others split off and attacked the guards slowly drawing them away while I slowly snuck up on our target. Once the others had gotten far enough I made my presence known.

Lord Third, or rather Kakashi, turned to look in my direction. He looked calm and unguarded but I could see his chakra flaring, a substitution jutsu ready for when I attacked. I smirked a bit under my mask, he's in for more of a surprise than he thought. I stood straight up, walked a few steps forward, and then did a full 90 degree bow.

"Please take me prisoner!" Despite my face pointing to the ground I could see the confusion on his face clear as day.

After getting taken prisoner I was taken back and questioned, I was able to tell them a bit, Danzo had yet to start using the silence seal on Root members, but I wasn't able to tell them much. Danzo never gave orders directly, he always had somebody else make the orders and if it ever got outed then whoever he gave the order to would mysteriously disappear while Danzo claimed no part in the crime. It's how he had gotten away with it before and will likely continue to do so.

Due to Kakashi's testimony and my cooperation I also got off without any significant punishment and even managed to get moved to Lord Third's personal Anbu via my own request and finally be free from Root, from Danzo.

I found out that my… parents had died during the Nine Tails attack. I visited the memorial stone to pay my respects. It felt wrong not to, they were technically responsible for my second life. I also found out what my real name was. Danzo always called me by my code name, it was the same one he used for Yamato in the anime, Kinoe. My real name is Kei, I almost laughed at how similar it was to my name in my past life. It's similar but it's different, it's a new life now, who I was in the past no longer matters. Now I'm just me, Kei.