To Cleston. Don't worry. They are not forgotten just as many others. It's just that the story needs to pick up for everyone to find their roles.


Naruto went about his day as usual. He trained on his speed when casting Jutsu. He had a good repository of Jutsu but didn't like using elemental ninjutsu. Similar to his previous life, he used Kage bunshin extensively but not in fights anymore. He used them to enhance his training speed.

For elemental Jutsu, he preferred to do pure elemental manipulation similar to the Nidaime. He also knew a lot of high-ranking elemental Jutsu, but he was working on perfecting them. According to his training which he agreed with, a Jutsu wasn't perfect unless it could be performed without the hand signs.

This way, there was less chance of the opponent finding out the Jutsu was being used until the last moment. Another reason that Naruto tried to avoid the elemental ninjutsu was that during the war, he learned the importance of saving the chakra.

In war, you will never know when you will get to rest or what tricks your opponents can pull, so it is best to always be ready for the worst, and chakra was necessary in these cases. Having enough chakra to cast a substitution can mean the difference between life and death.

It was around noon, and Naruto was told to change into formal attire. It was simple navy blue kimono without any designs. Naruto took a quick shower and got ready. He met Danzo near the entrance of the base.

He couldn't kneel without disheveling his clothing which he knew Danzo wouldn't appreciate, so instead, he gave a deep bow.

"Hokage-sama invited us to join him for lunch along with elders Homura and Koharu. I will formally announce you as my ward and future heir to the council afterward." Danzo proceeded to tell Naruto about what was expected of him.

They made their way toward an old Japanese restaurant. They were the first to arrive, so they sat at a table, waiting for others. Danzo ordered himself a cup of tea while Naruto sat quietly. After a short while, the others arrived.

The introductions were short and polite. Naruto was mostly silent and looking down while letting Danzo answer questions. He answered the few questions he was asked directly. The story that Danzo and Sandaime came up with was that Naruto was an Uzumaki orphan found by ANBU.

His parents were dead when he was found, so they brought him to the village. He had medical problems and couldn't stay in the orphanage, so Danzo decided to take him in. He was trained early on due to his strong chakra and became a genin.

He has the skills to become a chunin. He just needed a few C-rank missions, which he would start soon. He will be on teams assigned by the Hokage for those missions. If he performed adequately, he would be given a field promotion since he didn't have a team to enter the exams.

Another reason for not entering him into a team was that the plan was for him to lead ROOT in the future, so there wasn't much point for him to join regular forces. In this world, ROOT was an official division after the Kyubi attack.

ROOT was in charge of missions that needed stealth and infiltration. These missions usually also had a danger factor that if the ninja was caught, they needed to self-destruct and leave nothing that could relate them to Konoha.

They were basically sacrificial pawns. While they were also highly skilled professionals, they still had higher mortality rates due to the nature of their missions. Other types of missions that they usually took were assassinations and political missions.

If they wanted a high-ranking profile from another village assassinated, ROOT was the best option. Basically, they took care of all the all the dirty missions of the village to keep the hand of others clean.

During lunch, Naruto did his best to be perfect. Pouring sake for everyone and making sure to leave a good image. When the lunch ended, they all went to the council room. All the clan heads and civilian representatives were sitting around the table.

Danzo stood on the opposite end of the table from the Hokage, with Naruto a step behind him and a bit to the right. It was the space people stood before the council when they were brought for questioning.

Once everyone settled, the meeting started. "We are here today because elder Shimura has an announcement for this council. Proceed." The Sandaime said in his Hokage voice.

Danzo nodded his head. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I would like to formally introduce Naruto Uzumaki. He has been my ward since he was a few months old. From today he will also be my heir." Naruto gave a deep bow to the council while Danzo proceeded to tell his story to the council.

Naruto could feel all eyes on him, but they were mainly curious rather than anything else. Naruto knew that most clan heads already knew about him. Whether from their children or seeing him around the village.

The civilian council was also far too trusting of Danzo to question him. There were only a few simple questions about him. Mostly related to his skills and his role. All questions were answered swiftly. Naruto was then told to leave the council room and wait for the meeting to end.

Naruto waited patiently. When it was finally over, he followed Danzo and the Sandaime to Hokage's office, where he accepted his first C-rank mission. It was a simple bandit mission. Naruto knew it was for getting his first kill, so he wasn't concerned.

His teammates were all chunins. He knew a few from around the village but was not personally close to any of them. The mission was on the next day and would take 3 days to complete.

When they exited the tower, Danzo told Naruto that he wanted to show him something when they reached the base. They made their way through the maze-like tunnels to a section Naruto wasn't familiar with.

The root base had different sections. The living quarters where active members lived. The laboratory, infirmary, weapons room, library, archives, training rooms, and more.

They were all strategically placed. They were now in the training section in front of a pair of large doors. Danzo entered a number in the keypad, and they entered the room. It was like any of the other training rooms.

Large with weapons and tools around to accommodate complete training. What was strange was that there were 4 agents with masks in the middle of the room, kneeling and waiting for them.

Danzo stopped right in front of them. "now that you are of age, it is time for you to start your duties. From today on, these four agents will be under your direct command. They will obey all your orders without question."

"Use them well, and when you prove your worth, the number of your agents will increase." He then gave Naruto their profiles to see.

Naruto was a bit shocked at his luck. These were Fuu and Torune, along with two ninjas he didn't know, but they were all jonins. Fuu and Torune were 14, and the other two were 17.

Naruto was immediately planning for the things he wanted to do. There were many things to plan, but this would make everything much easier for him.

Naruto greeted them as their commander and told them to meet him tomorrow morning before he went for his mission so he could give them their orders.

That night Naruto didn't get much sleep thinking about what he should do and what plans he should put into motion. It was a hard decision.

He had to earn Danzo's trust and use the agents to his benefit, but at the same time, there wasn't much he could do that wouldn't arouse suspicion.

The agents had the rank of Jonin, but they were all new Jonins. They couldn't be sent on complex missions, and Naruto knew he shouldn't keep them in the village.

A group of 4 was also unsuitable for a long-term mission since it would be strange for him to send all his subordinates away as their first command.

He couldn't keep them in the village either since there were already enough agents in every department.

He stayed up all night and finally decided on his course of action. It was 5am, and Naruto got ready for the day. He would meet his team for C-rank at 11am, so he had plenty of time.

He went to Danzo's office to get his confirmation. Danzo was doing his paperwork as usual when Naruto entered. Naruto kneeled and waited for Danzo to finish the document he was working on.

Danzo gave him a hand gesture to proceed. "Danzo-sama, I am here to confirm my plans and make a request," Naruto said. After getting a nod, he continued.

"I am planning on sending Fu and Torune on a 3-month mission to Uzushio. They are to try and enter the ruins. Uzumakis were seal masters, so there is a possibility that there might still be artifacts hidden in the village,"

"They are not expected to retrieve all items, but with their skillsets, they should be able to locate the seals and barriers and map the area for a retrieval team. As for Akio and Haruto, they are to investigate the whereabouts of Tsunade Senju. I believe she can be persuaded to return to the village." Naruto explained his plan for convincing the Slug princess.

Danzo discussed a few details but agreed with the overall plans." I have one more request, Danzo-sama. If there is an agent among the trainees who is an appropriate age, I would like them to join the academy with this year's students."

"There hasn't been such a high number of clan heirs in one class in the history of Konoha. While I am close to most heirs, we need someone who could observe their shinobi skills closely."

"Also, the agent can provide their safety in case of an emergency," Naruto said. Danzo closed his eyes to decide a course of action for a few minutes.

He then called an agent inside." Bring me trainees, 123 and 124." He said.

After a few minutes, the agent returned with two kids following him inside. They were Shin and Sai. Naruto controlled his outward reaction, but he was smirking inside.

A few months ago, he found an opportunity to investigate Danzo's office. He knew Shin and Sai were among the trainees, so he checked their profiles.

The trainees in ROOT were usually put in 3 groups. One for combat, one for infiltration, and another that specialized in both. Usually, the first group would remain in the shadows for their life.

While the second was sent as spies. The last group would be flexible, but they weren't fit enough for long-term infiltration. All Naruto had to do was make a plan and get them out of the ROOT.

Luckily they were already chosen for the third, so there wasn't much problem. They were also the same age as Naruto, so it was easy to find a reason and get them outside.

Based on Naruto's last investigation, which was a few days ago, he also knew that their training was finally at a level to go on small missions.

Naruto waited for Danzo to talk." These are Shin and Sai. From today on, they will also be under your command. I will send you their files before you leave." He then explained the mission to Shin and Sai and sent them out with Naruto for more details.

Naruto went to his training room, where he explained everything to them. While they were waiting for others, Naruto tested their skills. They were at a low chunin skill level, which was suitable for the mission.

They would join the academy the next day as orphans found outside Konoha. It wasn't a strange occurrence. Usually, many orphans joined the academy because it would give them a stipend and a small apartment to live independently.

The money would be taken out of their missions once they became ninjas. It was a helpful system since the orphanage made kids work from 12 anyway. It was just a way to get a better-paying job.

When others joined them, Naruto introduced everyone and gave them their missions. After some training, it was time for Naruto to go.