The terms of the communication had confirmed her fears.
Two days earlier, a delegation from Kumo had arrived in Konoha, and a series of events had brought the two villages to the brink of war.
Now, Konoha's forces, centered around the Uchiha outpost, were facing Kumo's troops on the other side of the river.
So... Danzo was most likely recalling her to send her on an infiltration mission to Kumo?
Nono slowly descended the steps, crossed countless winding corridors, and eventually reached... the heart of Konoha's underground—the seat of Shimura Danzo.
It was the lair of the Root, the embodiment of Danzo's ambitions.
Lurking in the shadows, it had earned him the nickname "The Ninja's Shadow."
It was not a flattering reputation.
Throughout the ninja world, Danzo and the Root were synonymous with terror.
The mere mention of them was enough to make anyone pale.
Yet, ironically... while enemy ninjas were well aware of Root, most of Konoha's own inhabitants knew nothing about it.
Even among Konoha's standard ninja, many weren't even aware that Root existed.
"Nono, you've finally returned…"
Danzo, leaning on his cane, stood still before turning around, revealing a face marked by deep wrinkles.
In just a few years, his physical decline had become apparent.
Old age…
A fate few could escape—not even this warlord.
But Nono knew one thing.
The exceptional chakra control Danzo had mastered in his youth would allow him to live on for a long time... a very long time...
As for Nono, once a young girl leaving Konoha, she had now blossomed into a mature woman.
Years spent at the orphanage, combined with her experience as a medical-nin, gave her a maternal and almost sacred aura.
Wherever she went, this aura instantly earned her the trust and affection of others.
"You want me to infiltrate Kumo?" she asked, adjusting her large round glasses, without trying to engage Danzo in further conversation.
"Not so fast."
Tap.
Danzo struck the floor with his cane, then walked away.
Under Nono's gaze, he disappeared into a corridor.
After a second's hesitation, she followed.
"There's another matter… that first requires your expertise…"
Danzo spoke without turning around.
After several twists and turns, Nono arrived in a place that gave her a bad feeling.
The morgue…
Or rather, one of Root's laboratories.
Root was part of the ANBU, and thus had all its functions.
Including the recovery… and study of the bodies of enemy ninjas—or even those from Konoha.
Even before approaching, Nono was assaulted by a nauseating stench of rotting flesh.
A stench that even preservation agents couldn't mask.
Soon, Danzo opened the door.
The few medical-nin from Root inside immediately stepped aside.
Nono glanced in and saw eight bodies covered by white sheets.
Under Danzo's explanation, she learned the details of the Kumo delegation's destruction two days earlier.
"The autopsy report… presents an issue."
Danzo ordered his subordinates to remove the sheets.
The eight corpses, each killed in a different way, were exposed without ceremony before Nono's eyes.
The body of a ninja, far more resilient than a civilian's, decomposed much more slowly. Even after two days, their features remained surprisingly intact.
"..."
Her face slightly tense, Nono stepped forward to examine them.
"Former head of the medical division in your teenage years, experience gained through countless infiltration missions…"
Danzo listed Nono's talents… and achievements.
"I'm convinced that you, the 'Wandering Nun,' will be able to determine the true cause of their deaths with precision…"
His voice, as he finished, took on an unmistakable… and threatening tone.
"..."
Nono remained silent.
In terms of medical techniques, there were people more gifted than her… like the legendary Tsunade, or other rare recluses scattered across the world.
But no need to be an expert. Even a novice, with basic knowledge of Hyuga methods, could have seen that these deaths were not their doing.
Because while the Hyuga could deliver devastating blows like heart extraction, their techniques always left a recognizable mark.
Their exceptional chakra control made their injuries almost… artistic.
In contrast, the eight unfortunate victims before her bore wounds that looked like they had been inflicted by wild beasts.
No trace of precision, nothing resembling a human technique!
The answer was obvious.
Nono suppressed an inner shiver and looked at Danzo, expressionless.
Just as impassive, Danzo reached into his robe and pulled out an envelope, which he tossed in front of her.
When she opened it and saw the photos, she nearly lost her composure.
Yet she regained her calm.
The images of Kabuto, accumulated over the years, showing his progression, stirred a mix of emotions in her.
But she didn't see the flash of cruelty in Danzo's eyes.
Because the person in those photos was Kabuto... but not her Kabuto.
At least, not the real one.
Her true adopted son, like her, served as a spy for Konoha.
The young man in those photos was merely a decoy—a look-alike used by Root to manipulate her.