Akai Akimoto glanced at Kaede Kitahara, who stood to the side with an easy smile.
Compared to Ryuji and Keiko, who were bent over and gasping, clearly at their limit, Akimoto still had plenty left in the tank. Their exchange had mostly been taijutsu and basic ninjutsu. He had not even gone all out yet. His breathing was only slightly heavier than normal.
That invisible gap between elite Chunin and Tokubetsu Jonin was still very real.
And yet, the curiosity in Akimoto's heart only grew stronger.
Based on what Amakusa Ryuji had said earlier, Kaede's strength was supposed to far surpass theirs. And after personally testing Ryuji and Keiko, Akimoto was certain they had already reached the level he himself had been at several years ago.
Which meant…
Did that mean Kaede Kitahara was already at least Tokubetsu Jonin level now?
Had he really misjudged him that badly?
No. It was not just him.
The entire ninja academy system had misjudged Kaede Kitahara.
Most geniuses stood out early. They shone brightly while still in school.
Those who seemed ordinary in school, only to explode with talent afterward, were rare.
Before Akimoto could say anything, Kaede suddenly turned his head and looked toward the distance.
"Since you're here, you might as well come out."
The moment his words fell, several figures appeared within the training ground.
They wore Anbu-style flak vests, their faces hidden behind animal masks.
"Anbu?"
"Anbu?!"
Amakusa Ryuji blurted it out instinctively. The attire was simply too iconic. Most ninja in Konoha recognized Anbu at a glance.
Kaede, however, frowned.
From these so-called Anbu, he felt a strong, naked hostility.
This ability to sense killing intent had emerged after he fully fused with the Uzumaki Clan's Sage Body. It was clearly related to Uzumaki Naruto's instinctive hostility detection from the original story, though far weaker and nowhere near as absurd.
Still, it was enough.
The moment the word "Anbu" was spoken, Akimoto also felt something was wrong.
"Do you need something?" Akimoto asked, eyes fixed on the four people opposite them. It was a standard four-man cell.
And they were definitely not here on friendly terms.
"Kaede Kitahara," the leader said. He wore a fox mask. "A certain lord wishes to see you. You will come with us."
His voice was cold. So cold it sounded almost mechanical.
"A certain lord? Which lord?" Kaede replied calmly. "If it's the Third Hokage, we'll go to the Hokage Tower ourselves."
By now, he was certain something was off.
Even Anbu had no reason to harbor such open hostility toward him. That kind of malice could only come from Root.
Root impersonating Anbu was nothing new.
More importantly, this was not their first time dealing with so-called Anbu.
"That's none of your concern," the fox-masked ninja said flatly. "You only need to know that you're coming with us."
At this point, even the slowest person could tell something was wrong.
Ryuji and Keiko, in particular, stiffened.
They had already fought Root once alongside Kaede. They knew very well that Shimura Danzo wanted Kaede dead and had already acted on it.
They had just grown complacent after spending so long inside the village. None of them expected Danzo to move openly in Konoha itself.
Their first thought was that the previous incident had been exposed.
But that made no sense.
The ashes had been scattered. There was nothing left. How could it come out?
Even if Danzo suspected something, he had no evidence.
In the end, they were simply too naive.
They did not understand that to Danzo, suspicion alone was reason enough.
Unless you were a true heavyweight, once he doubted you, death was the only outcome.
"The 'lord' you're talking about is Danzo, right?" Kaede suddenly said.
The fox-masked ninja clearly froze for a split second.
He had not expected Kaede to name Danzo outright.
"How dare you!" the bull-masked ninja behind him roared. "You dare speak Lord Danzo's name so casually!"
He sounded genuinely furious. Root's conditioning had clearly run deep. Even a perceived slight in address was enough to set him off.
By now, even Akimoto fully understood what was happening.
During his time in Anbu, he had learned many secrets of Konoha's upper levels. Secrets that ordinary civilian-born ninja like him would never know otherwise.
Root existed.
Within Anbu itself, there was a hidden branch that trained Anbu operatives. And its leader was one of the village's advisors.
Even so, Root was mysterious even to Anbu. Akimoto had only trained there for a single month after being selected before being transferred out.
But the impression they left on him was unforgettable.
They did not feel like normal people.
They felt like cold machines.
Ninja were already a disciplined force. Anbu even more so. But Root was different. It was as if their humanity had been stripped away, leaving behind nothing but tools that existed to execute orders.
In theory, ninja were supposed to be like that.
In reality, ninja were still human.
No one could truly be that empty.
"What does Root want with him?" Akimoto stepped forward. "If I remember correctly, Root has no law enforcement authority. And Lord Danzo has already been confined to his residence by order of the Hokage."
"If you can't give me a convincing reason, I won't allow you to take him."
Administratively speaking, Root was part of Anbu. Its role was to train operatives. It had no authority to act externally.
And with Danzo under house arrest, this was even more absurd.
Kaede shook his head inwardly.
Talking about authority and procedure in front of Shimura Danzo was meaningless.
Given Danzo's relationship with Sarutobi Hiruzen, unless it directly opposed the Third Hokage on a major issue, authority was just a formality. If Danzo needed an order, he could write one on the spot.
That arrogance was precisely why Kaede was certain this was Danzo acting on his own.
If this had truly been Sarutobi Hiruzen's will, real Anbu would have come.
Since it was not, things were simple.
"Akai Akimoto," the fox mask said coldly. "Anbu codename 'Paper Kite.' Former leader of the Kitahara squad. Currently vice-captain of the second unit, third Anbu division. Should I continue?"
"We in Root have your full file. This matter has nothing to do with you. The lord wants him, not you. Don't bring trouble upon yourself."
Akimoto's face darkened.
Anbu identities were strictly classified. Many Anbu operatives never even met members of other squads outside missions.
For the other side to expose his background so casually was a blatant warning.
"Even that lord doesn't have this authority," Akimoto said coldly.
"Root is part of Anbu," Kaede said evenly. "Do you have a written order from the Hokage?"
"If you do, I'll go with you. If you don't, I'm not going anywhere."
If the Third Hokage summoned him, Kaede would naturally comply.
But Danzo?
This was already the second time.
He was not an idiot.
Kaede was certain that his proximity to Uzumaki Naruto had triggered Danzo's paranoia. And Danzo was exactly that kind of lunatic. A hint of suspicion was enough for him to move straight to assassination.
There was no way Kaede would go to Root willingly.
Once you went in, did anyone ever come back?
"You dare defy orders," the fox-masked ninja barked. "Take him. Break his arms and legs if you have to. Bring him back alive to see the lord."
Danzo had only ordered them to bring back a living person.
Missing limbs were irrelevant.
The moment he finished speaking, the bull-masked ninja lunged forward, charging straight at Kaede.
Seeing Root move to attack immediately, Keiko and Ryuji both shifted into combat stances.
Then they froze.
Kaede was gone.
He had not participated in the earlier sparring, so his stamina and condition were at their absolute peak.
"So fast!"
"So fast!"
The bull-masked ninja screamed as his body flew backward, slamming hard into a tree at the edge of the training ground.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
He crashed into the trunk and went limp.
The two Root ninja who had charged alongside him barely had time to react. Their vision blurred, and Kaede appeared right in front of them.
In the next instant, both were sent flying.
The entire exchange lasted only a heartbeat.
The outcome was already decided.
Root operatives were at least elite Chunin. Some were even stronger than standard Anbu due to their inhuman training.
But in front of Kaede, it was meaningless.
"You've got some nerve!" the fox-masked leader roared.
His hands flashed through seals.
"Fire Release, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Kaede remained calm.
He formed seals after the attack had already been launched.
"Wind Release, Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale erupted in an instant.
The roaring wind tore through the training ground, shredding the fireball and blowing it apart completely. The fox-masked ninja, who had been midair and preparing to follow up, was caught head-on by the blast.
His body was hurled into a nearby tree with crushing force.
He slid down the trunk and lost consciousness on the spot.
The wind howled like a real-world hurricane.
Its terrifying power left Akimoto, Keiko, and Ryuji completely stunned.
[A/N: Enjoying the story? You can read more chapters early and support me here:patreon.com/Aeroscissors]