Multiversal Chat Group: The Cultivator

A hearty meal was soon prepared.

By now, it was already noon.

The food was simple, yet it carried a warmth that only a home-cooked meal could bring.

As Ren Asakura ate, he was once again force-fed an unbearable amount of romantic affection.

He swore that after finishing this meal, he absolutely wouldn't stay here.

If he did, he wouldn't need to eat actual food—he'd be full just from all the dog food they kept stuffing down his throat.

"Here, have some meat!"

Minato picked up a piece of meat and placed it into Kushina's bowl.

"You eat too!"

Kushina did the same, putting a piece in Minato's bowl.

"You should eat more! Our baby needs the nutrition too."

Kushina smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Mm!"

The warmth of a family—this was what a home felt like.

But for Ren, this meal was unbearable.

As soon as he finished eating, he bolted.

He couldn't stand staying in that house for another minute.

He'd rather go hang out with Orochimaru in Root.

Yes. That was it.

He would stay in Root's underground base.

The environment might be dark and eerie, but it was spacious. He could just pick any empty room to stay in.

Besides, Orochimaru knew Ren's true power.

And because of that, he had deep respect for him.

It was the kind of respect that came from recognizing overwhelming strength.

The kind of respect that came from knowing Ren could achieve immortality effortlessly.

Orochimaru had spent years desperately searching for the key to immortality.

He had even created the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, sacrificing his own soul's integrity just to touch the edge of eternal life.

But even he knew the flaws of his method.

Compared to true deathlessness—a state where one is simply denied the right to die, no matter what happens—his technique was nothing but a joke.

After careful analysis, Orochimaru had even considered abandoning the very technique he had dedicated years to perfecting.

---

At Root's Base

The Root ninjas were busy cleaning up the battlefield from the previous night.

Orochimaru was carefully gathering data from his latest experiments.

Now that he was in charge of Root, the Fourth Hokage had strictly forbidden him from conducting unethical human experiments.

Not that he minded.

He had already lost interest in those outdated projects.

They were remnants of the past.

Even if they still had some value, they were nothing more than stepping stones for technological advancement.

Just as Ren stepped into Root's underground headquarters, every single ninja immediately tensed up.

They instantly reached for their weapons—swords and kunai drawn.

"Hello, everyone!"

Ren greeted them casually, completely unfazed by the hostile atmosphere.

"Put your weapons down."

A cold, commanding voice cut through the tension.

Orochimaru stepped forward, his piercing gaze scanning the room.

"Ren Asakura is my guest. From this moment on, treat him as you would treat me."

The Root ninjas froze.

Then, without hesitation, they immediately lowered their weapons.

Their orders were absolute.

Root followed commands without question—without hesitation.

They bowed deeply, speaking in unison.

"Our apologies, Ren Asakura."

Their voices carried nothing but pure, unwavering respect.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile.

In this moment, he almost looked… approachable.

"Ren Asakura, what brings you here today?"

Ren Asakura knew quite a few people in the Naruto world, but not many knew him.

By the end of the day, aside from Minato Namikaze, the only other people he had met were Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

As for Jiraiya… well, there was no need to mention him.

By tomorrow morning, that guy would probably be too exhausted to even get out of bed. There was no way he'd be visiting him.

Minato's house? Absolutely not.

That would just mean getting force-fed another round of disgustingly sweet marital affection.

After thinking it over, Ren realized Orochimaru's place was his best option.

"Of course, I'm staying here for a couple of days! Just thought I'd drop by and hang out."

Orochimaru looked at Ren's casual attitude and couldn't help but feel… something was off.

Was this guy treating Root like a vacation spot?

And of all places, he came to Root?

Did he know what kind of place this was?

Dark, ruthless, hidden in the shadows, filled with cold-blooded assassins who had undergone brutal training and extreme brainwashing…

This was not a tourist destination.

Sure, Orochimaru had considered transforming Root into a biological research and advanced experimental facility. But those plans were still in their infancy.

Right now, Root was still as dark as ever.

But in the end, Orochimaru agreed to let Ren stay.

After all, Root had many secrets—but to someone truly powerful, those secrets were meaningless.

No one spends their time investigating ant hills.

Orochimaru nodded. "Ren Asakura, I'll make arrangements for you."

Ren grinned. "Nice!"

Root had plenty of available rooms, as its members lived underground when they weren't on missions.

Soon enough, a room was cleaned up and prepared for him.

It was simple but spotless.

And just like that, Ren moved in.

Now he could spend his free time watching Root's intense training sessions… or observing Orochimaru's research.

Everything was calm.

But calmness always comes before a storm.

---

October 10th.

Naruto's birthday.

The day the Nine-Tails attack would begin.

But this time, Minato had prepared for it.

Would Obito still be able to pull off his plan?

Now that the Uchiha clan had summoned Shisui back to the village, things were different.

Two warriors with Mangekyō Sharingan against a single one-eyed Obito.

Just imagining the battle was already exciting.

Training in Root wasn't all that different from training at the Ninja Academy.

The ninjas here were raised from childhood, much like the Academy students.

The difference?

Unlike the Academy, which taught the Will of Fire...

Root taught obedience and control.

It was brainwashing—pure and simple.

These weren't just ninjas.

They were disposable soldiers, ready to die on command.

They didn't fight for justice.

They only followed orders.

On the training grounds, Root ninjas engaged in brutal combat exercises, pushing themselves to the limit.

Nearby, another group practiced shuriken techniques.

Wooden training posts were completely covered in embedded shuriken.

Ren sat off to the side, silently watching.

Here, the ninjas didn't wear masks during training.

Not far away, Orochimaru appeared, walking toward Ren.

Behind him followed a young boy—no older than ten.

Orochimaru's voice was calm. "Ren Asakura, what do you think of these children?"

He paused before continuing.

"The new Root will no longer force them to stay. They won't be trapped in the darkness anymore. Once they've matured, they'll have choices.

If they wish to remain in Root, they can stay.

If they prefer to join the Anbu, they can do so.

And if they want to live as ordinary Leaf ninjas… I won't stop them.

After the Third Great Ninja War, our village lost many strong warriors.

Now, more than ever, we need to nurture a new generation of powerful ninjas—to protect the village."

Ren smirked.

The roots of a tree are meant to nourish it—not corrupt it.

Roots provide strength, allowing the tree to grow tall and strong.

That is what Root was meant to be.

Danzo, that old schemer, had turned it into something rotten.

During Pain's invasion, Danzo had deliberately refused to help, all because he wanted to preserve his forces and seize power.

If Naruto hadn't saved the village…

If Nagato hadn't used Rinne Rebirth at the last moment…

Then even if Danzo had become Hokage, he would have been ruling over a pile of rubble.

A king with no kingdom.

°°°

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