"Clack—clack—" Yukika Setsu fiddled with the prosthetic on his left arm, awkwardly gripping a cup with it. He carefully lifted it from the table, then gently set it down.
It had been nearly six months since Danzo had brought him back from the battlefield to Konoha.
In those six months, Yukika had done a lot. First, he got a basic understanding of his surroundings—terms like Hokage, Konoha, and ninja started to make sense to him. Compared to the confusion and awkwardness he felt at first, he had now slowly adapted to life in Konoha—or more accurately, life under Danzo's watch. It was oppressive, but at least it was safe.
He also learned how to use chakra and had a wooden prosthetic fitted. All thanks to... Danzo.
"How are you feeling? Can you move the prosthetic normally?" The door to the room swung open, and a man wearing a mask with flame patterns strode over to Yukika.
Yukika stood up a bit clumsily. "It's usable, though still a bit tricky."
He didn't know this man's real name, only that his codename was En, one of Danzo's subordinates. In the past half-year, Yukika had only met Danzo a few times. Most of the orders from Danzo came through En.
At this point, Yukika felt less like Danzo's adopted son and more like En's.
Yes—adopted son.
Yukika still had no idea what exactly Danzo saw in him, but from the moment he woke up, he'd heard whispers that Danzo intended to take him in as both disciple and heir.
He had no clue what Danzo was scheming.
This sudden gesture caused the Root members to assume Yukika was being groomed as Danzo's successor, so they all referred to him as the "adopted son."
"In that case, follow me." En nodded and turned to leave. Yukika, still clumsy, stumbled slightly as he followed behind, tugging at the chakra threads that controlled his prosthetic.
The chakra threads were hard to control; Yukika couldn't manage anything precise yet, so his movements looked stiff and distorted. But at least he could walk.
These prosthetics were supposedly made by someone Danzo had specially brought in. They were a type of puppet, controlled with chakra threads, though simpler to use than traditional puppets.
Yukika vaguely remembered seeing a real puppeteer in his past life—an old lady named Chiyo? Was she any good? No idea.
"This is your training schedule."
As they walked, En pulled a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Yukika. He opened it and nearly dropped it in shock.
[2:00 AM to 11:00 AM: Chakra control training.] [11:00 AM to 4:00 PM: Physical conditioning.] [4:00 PM to 8:00 PM: Tactical combat training.] [8:00 PM to 12:00 AM: Ninja tool throwing practice.]
"Uh…" Yukika's voice wavered, rare uncertainty creeping in. "So… two hours for sleep?"
Was this serious? Two hours wasn't even enough for basic rest, let alone recovery.
In his past life, Yukika had always maintained a healthy routine. The idea of sleeping just two hours a day… he couldn't even imagine the mental toll.
"Yes," En replied matter-of-factly.
"What about eating?"
"There isn't a set time. Lord Danzo has prepared specially formulated ration pills for you. Takes one minute, tops. If your training isn't intense enough, you might even gain weight."
Ration pills? Sounded like a mix between food bars and military rations.
"What if I can't wake up?"
"With me around, that won't happen. Don't worry, Lord Danzo already considered that."
Considered what? Yukika blinked in confusion.
"Physical training?"
"Running laps around the entire Hidden Leaf Village. Besides me, others under Danzo's command will monitor you. Just keep running—don't stop. Need water? Whistle."
"Tactical training?"
"I'll set up a field of traps. Your job is to get through them. Don't worry, none of them are lethal, but you might get hurt."
"..."
Was this training or torture?
Yukika twitched slightly at the corners of his mouth. "Is this how you ninjas normally train?"
"Of course… not." En seemed to smile beneath his mask. "Your training is two or three times more intense than ours."
"Why?"
"Because you're his adopted son."
En suddenly lowered his voice, his tone serious.
"I've worked with the boss for a long time. Let me be honest—maybe you think Danzo only took you in on a whim, but he's paying you unprecedented attention."
"Maybe because you're his chosen successor. He even went to the war prison to find a puppet master to craft your prosthetic. And lately, he's been visiting Orochimaru to finalize arrangements—about you."
"Orochimaru has agreed to provide you with specialized drugs to help your body recover faster and cleanse your system without breaking it down. Oh, and those ration pills? Also made by Orochimaru."
"I've never seen Danzo go this far for anyone."
Yukika fell silent. So that's the origin of his prosthetic?
Orochimaru… from what he'd heard from the ANBU, he was a top-tier biologist. If someone like Danzo went to him, then he must not be ordinary.
It sounded like Danzo had done a lot for Yukika.
But why?
Yukika didn't understand. Did he have some hidden potential? It had been half a year, and he still hadn't unlocked any "golden finger" or cheat ability.
"This plan has fifteen more variations, each tailored for different stages of your development. Once you meet certain benchmarks, we'll switch to a new version. Several ANBU will assist you."
"The total training period is expected to last four years."
"In the final stage—Danzo-sama's initial goal—you'll start live combat training. Your opponent… will be me. Your ultimate test."
"Until you earn my approval as a worthy successor, all of this must be completed within four years. Understood?"
Yukika was silent for a moment, then sighed lightly.
They said it was his choice, but he really didn't have one. There was only one path forward.
Besides, what had even happened to him?
Who was the person that saved him?
Who killed that person?
Who cut off his arms and legs?
What kind of person was Danzo? And why was he so invested in Yukika?
Everything was still hidden in the fog. Yukika wanted answers, but he lacked the power to search for them.
He was just a disabled kid. Surviving was already a miracle. For now, he'd take it one step at a time.
...
Danzo knocked on the doors of Orochimaru's lab. Several ANBU followed behind, each carrying a coffin on their backs.
The doors opened, and the group entered.
The ANBU silently placed the coffins in designated areas, then quickly left. Danzo strode into the lab where Orochimaru was mixing a translucent blue liquid.
"I've brought the materials you requested. Second batch."
Danzo stood beside him.
Orochimaru responded with a cold, dry chuckle and put down the test tube.
"Did you prepare what I asked for?"
"Of course. But…" Orochimaru glanced sideways. "Just so we're clear, Hero Water—by its nature—is basically poison. I've barely managed to neutralize its toxicity."
"The original chakra-enhancing effects are gone. The remaining substances significantly reduce fatigue, but come at a price—internal damage will slowly accumulate, and the subject will experience constant pain."
"Without constant high-level medical care, your 'disciple' might reach jonin level at best. But he'll almost certainly die before age twenty."
"I'm telling you upfront—think this through."
"Fine," Danzo replied without hesitation.
A disposable tool with a twenty-year lifespan was more than enough. Fifteen or sixteen years was plenty of time to use him as a weapon. By then, Danzo wouldn't need a disciple or aide to secure his position.
Of course, if Yukika proved valuable enough, Danzo wouldn't hesitate to get him a medic.
"The next batch of 'materials' will be delivered in five installments. We can keep collaborating—as long as you give me results…"
Danzo lowered his voice.
Orochimaru smirked. "As long as you keep needing things… we'll keep doing business."
After a pause, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes glanced over. "What's so special about this kid?"
"Custom medication, stem cells from the main body, even an Uchiha's eye. That's not the kind of effort you make for just any child…"
"And if you've prepared this much—why treat him like a consumable weapon? It's hard to make sense of."
Danzo shot him a glare. "Don't ask pointless questions. This is a transaction, nothing more."
"Fine, fine…" Orochimaru chuckled darkly and went back to his experiments.
Watching him work, Danzo considered for a moment.
"I'll provide some of the First Hokage's cells soon. Test their compatibility with Yukika's cells."
"...Heh. Trying to restart the artificial Wood Release project? Sure. Just give me the samples." Orochimaru scoffed.
Once the coffins were in place, Danzo and his men left. When the ANBU dispersed to handle other tasks, Danzo strolled alone toward the Hokage building.
He already knew the answer to Orochimaru's question, but he'd never share it.
Hiruzen's students had all gone to the battlefield. He himself had brought up taking a student several times.
Danzo and Hiruzen had been peers, but unlike Hiruzen, who came from a major clan, Danzo didn't want to become someone else's political pawn.
Hiruzen had the backing of the Senju clan. Danzo had no such luxury.
Compared to children from powerful families, Danzo preferred orphans. Unfortunately, none from recent years had impressed him.
So, when that oddly fated child appeared, Danzo placed him into the role—to silence the gossip and stake his claim.
Disabled? That wasn't a problem. In Danzo's eyes, disabled kids and healthy kids were the same. If someone was truly gifted, how could missing limbs stop them?
Besides, raising an adopted son had many benefits.
First, if the kid proved useful, he could be shaped into a trusted subordinate. Danzo needed loyal followers to maintain Root. Starting from childhood ensured loyalty.
Second, the boy could serve as a test subject.
Hehe… transplanting bloodline limits from other clans was dangerous. Danzo wasn't about to risk his own body.
But once Orochimaru verified compatibility, and if it looked promising—Yukika would be the first to receive the transplant and test its combat effectiveness.