Naruto: Zoro of Uchiha Chapter 31 31: Hiruzen Sarutobi — One Day, I’ll Make Sure Yo

Inside the Uchiha Clan compound, Zoro stared at the large group of Uchiha clansn kneeling throughout his courtyard, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"What exactly are you all doing?" he said helplessly. "Get up already."

"Young Master Zoro, this was all our fault!"

"If we hadn't acted so impulsively, things never would've escalated like this!"

"Please punish us, Young Master Zoro!"

"Please vent your anger on us, otherwise we'll never forgive ourselves!"

Looking at these usually arrogant and prideful Uchiha willingly kneeling before him, Zoro could not help turning toward Setsuna standing nearby.

There was no need to guess.

This entire scene had most likely been arranged by the Great Elder himself.

"What?" Setsuna snorted. "Are you waiting for this old man to kneel too before you'll say sothing?"

Although his tone remained rough as always, traces of guilt still flickered deep within his eyes.

This ti, he truly had acted too impulsively.

He never expected A to seize the situation and turn it back against them so effectively.

If Zoro had not stepped forward when he did, the Uchiha clansn kneeling here now probably would not have escaped death.

"This was my own decision from the start anyway," Zoro replied calmly. "Besides, I was never really suited to being a ninja in the first place."

Although he could clearly feel chakra flowing through his body, Zoro had never truly devoted himself to studying it.

His heart had always belonged entirely to the sword.

Unless it involved Sage Arts or extrely rare sealing techniques, ordinary ninjutsu simply failed to interest him.

"Sigh…"

Setsuna let out a long breath.

"You should still punish them sohow. Otherwise, these idiots won't ever get over it."

Not only the kneeling clansn—

Even Setsuna himself still carried heavy guilt in his heart.

"Then I punish all of you…"

Zoro paused slightly before continuing casually:

"…to go eat lunch."

The kneeling Uchiha were instantly stunned.

Eat lunch?

That counted as punishnt?

If food lovers heard that kind of punishnt existed, they would probably laugh themselves awake in the middle of the night.

"What are you all still kneeling there for?!"

Setsuna suddenly roared toward the clansn below.

"Zoro already gave his order—move your asses!!"

Naturally, he understood that Zoro had no intention of genuinely punishing them.

"Oh."

"Ohhh!"

The kneeling Uchiha hawks imdiately scrambled to their feet.

Then, almost all at once, they rushed toward the courtyard entrance, looking exactly like students sprinting toward the cafeteria after class ended.

Seeing the chaotic scene, even Zoro could not help feeling slightly speechless.

"The Clan Head is already negotiating with that old bastard Hiruzen," Setsuna suddenly said while glancing sideways at Zoro. "So you probably won't actually be expelled from Konoha."

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously lingered on the boy beside him.

In barely a single year, the child who once stood upon the clan training grounds with a determined face had already grown much taller.

For so reason, Setsuna suddenly realized sothing.

He could no longer fully understand what Zoro was thinking anymore.

"Mm."

Zoro calmly looked toward the distant cherry blossom tree, where pale pink petals drifted gently through the air.

Another April…

An entire year had already passed.

How much stronger had he beco during that ti?

At that mont, a figure wearing an animal mask suddenly appeared at the courtyard entrance.

"You are Uchiha Zoro, correct?"

The masked Anbu spoke respectfully.

"Please co with ."

Strength was always the easiest way to earn respect.

And the overwhelming power Zoro displayed during the Chūnin Exams had unconsciously caused even this Anbu mber to speak to him politely.

---

Inside the Hokage's office, after completing a routine inspection by the surrounding Anbu, Zoro pushed open the door and entered.

The first thing he saw was Fugaku's smiling face.

"Clan Head."

After briefly greeting Fugaku, Zoro shifted his gaze toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, who sat behind his desk slowly smoking from his pipe.

"What did you want from ?"

His tone remained neither humble nor arrogant.

No emotional fluctuations could be seen on his face, as though the earlier expulsion from Konoha had caused him no resentnt whatsoever.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly while quietly observing Zoro's expression.

"Zoro, you should understand why I handled things that way earlier, correct?"

"Heh."

A faint smile appeared on Zoro's face.

His eyes remained calm like still water—

Yet deep within his heart, murderous intent surged violently.

Hiruzen Sarutobi.

One day, he would personally make sure this old bastard died.

"Looks like you understand my painstaking efforts."

Seeing no resentnt on Zoro's face, Hiruzen secretly relaxed slightly.

"Although your earlier statents were indeed dangerous, since it was your first offense, after discussion, we've decided to allow you to join the Anbu."

Hiruzen slowly exhaled smoke from his pipe.

"Do you have any objections?"

Join the Anbu?

A trace of coldness surfaced in Zoro's heart.

This old bastard actually still wanted him to continue working for him?

"Wouldn't it be sowhat inappropriate for soone my age to join the Anbu?"

Zoro deliberately revealed a puzzled expression.

Even Itachi—the future genius of the Uchiha Clan—only joined the Anbu at eleven years old.

And Zoro was rely seven.

At an age when most children still worried about graduating from the Ninja Academy, he was already being asked whether he wished to enter the Anbu and carry out bloody covert missions.

"Age isn't the issue."

Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively.

"Your strength already qualifies you to beco an Anbu operative."

Thinking Zoro was worried about becoming a target within the organization, Hiruzen pondered briefly before continuing:

"You should know that Anbu mbers rarely reveal their real identities to others. So there's no need to worry about gossip or criticism."

He smiled kindly.

"Once this matter settles down, you can openly return to Konoha again."

Hiruzen appeared extrely satisfied with the arrangent.

In his eyes, this was the perfect outco.

Not only did it prevent Zoro from leaving Konoha—

It also allowed him to continue serving under his control.

After all, Hiruzen's original plan from the beginning had been for Zoro to enter the Anbu after completing the Chūnin Exams.

Whether he officially beca a chūnin no longer mattered.

As long as he entered the Anbu and continued working for him, that was enough.

Hearing Hiruzen's proposal, Zoro quietly fell into thought.

He could refuse outright.

But joining the Anbu undeniably carried advantages as well.

Only by entering the Anbu could he access high-level classified missions involving other villages.

Only there could he continue building prestige and rapidly increasing his strength.

Zoro's expression remained calm.

Before his wings had fully grown, he could allow this old bastard to enjoy himself for a little while longer.

"In that case, go back and rest for now."

Seeing that Zoro did not reject the proposal, Hiruzen smiled with satisfaction.

"Soone specifically assigned to you will arrive tomorrow. Report to them then."

After giving several simple instructions, Hiruzen dismissed him.

Zoro left the office alongside Fugaku.

"Zoro, things still turned out alright in the end."

On the road back toward the Uchiha compound, Fugaku spoke with visible relief.

"At least you weren't truly expelled from Konoha."

His tone even carried faint satisfaction, as though without his intervention, Zoro really would have been abandoned by the village entirely.

"Thank you very much, Clan Head."

Suppressing the urge to smash Fugaku over the head, Zoro replied with a smile.

Honestly, if he had truly been forced to leave Konoha, it would only have benefited him further.

He had long been waiting for an opportunity to sever ties with the village altogether.

That way, Danzō would no longer constantly target him, and many troubleso matters would naturally disappear as well.

Still—

Joining the Anbu was not entirely a bad thing.

Wearing a mask.

Taking on another identity.

And continuing to spread his reputation from within the shadows.