Dan raised his head quickly, moving abruptly away from the manuscript in front of him. Something had entered the range of the Network Radar. He approached the window, looking with intense focus toward the distant forest to the east.
Twenty. Exactly twenty people.
A large group was advancing directly toward his base. They were still quite far away—about 300 kilometers—but they were within the radar's range. They were moving at a very high speed. This was an unusual speed; they were not merchants, nor were they ordinary travelers. They were Ninjas, or at the very least, highly trained warriors. Twenty people heading straight toward his family.
He narrowed his eyes, thinking rapidly. The possibilities? Perhaps they were random strays, lost, unaware that a base existed here. But the direction was too direct, as if they were aiming for something specific. It was impossible; the base was completely hidden. No one should know about it. Unless... No, there was no time for speculation. He had to take action.
He vanished from his spot.
He reappeared in the center of the dedicated training area. It was a vast plaza, with a dirt floor hardened by constant use. Dozens of his children were scattered across it—young children practicing leaf-control, teenagers fighting using Taijutsu, and youths undergoing physical training. As soon as he appeared, everyone stopped. Silence fell immediately. Every eye turned toward him. Dan rarely appeared here; usually, he only came if there was a major adjustment to the training plan.
His children began to gather around him. The younger ones ran with excitement, while the older ones walked with dignity but clear curiosity. From among the crowd, a small girl no older than seven years old rushed toward him with speed. Nanao. His daughter from Megumi. She had light blue hair and wide eyes full of life. She was known in the family for her excessive energy and her lack of understanding regarding "personal boundaries."
She jumped directly onto him. "Father!"
She laughed happily as she clung to his chest. Dan caught her automatically, sighing quietly. This child... was different from the rest of his children. She did not care about his reclusive nature, nor was she afraid of his coldness. Whenever she found the chance, she threw herself at him without hesitation. Her other siblings gathered around him looked at her with clear amusement, some with a faint touch of envy. None of them dared to act with such spontaneity toward their father. But Nanao? She did not care.
"Nanao!" A firm voice came from behind. A girl sixteen years older than her, with mature features, stepped forward quickly. Her name was Peri, his daughter from Nanami. "Do not disturb Father."
"But Sister Peri!" Nanao protested with wide, innocent eyes. "I only wanted to hug Father."
Peri stepped forward and took the small girl from Dan gently but firmly. "Alright. But get down now. Father has an important matter." She placed Nanao on the ground. The little one puffed her cheeks in resentment but did not object.
From among the older youths, a twenty-one-year-old young man stepped forward. Sato, the son of his wife Shizuka. He resembled Dan greatly—the same facial features, the same blue hair, but with a slightly more serious expression.
"Father." His voice was calm and controlled. "Do you need something? It seems you did not come today for something regarding training."
Dan looked at his son. Sato was intelligent; he read situations well. "Yes," Dan nodded. "You and your older brother Leon. I need you both to help me with something."
For a moment, Sato's serious face froze. Then, a genuinely happy smile spread across his face. Dan rarely spoke much due to his nature, so the fact that he was personally asking for their help was significant. This... made him feel a bit of pride. His siblings around him started laughing and teasing him playfully.
"Look at Sato!"
"He is smiling like an idiot!"
Sato—who was usually serious and disciplined—turned red with embarrassment from his siblings' laughter. But the smile did not disappear.
A few minutes passed. Leon and Sam appeared from the edge of the plaza as if they had spatially teleported. They had been on a hunting trip in a nearby area—about two kilometers to the north—but Dan's message had reached them. It was a new technique he had recently developed: sending a frequency wave via chakra through the air, carrying simple messages. It was limited in range—about ten kilometers—but effective.
"Father," Sam bowed slightly with respect. "You summoned us?"
Dan looked at his three eldest sons: Sam, Leon, and Sato. The strongest among his children was Sam. The most impulsive was Leon. The most mature was Sato.
"Yes," he began to explain quickly. "A group of intruders is heading toward the base. Twenty people. They are moving very fast."
The faces of the three immediately hardened. "When will they arrive?" Leon asked.
"If they continue at their speed, they will arrive in about two hours."
"Orders?" Sato asked, direct as usual.
"Father," Sam whispered. "Who do you think they are?"
"I do not know," Dan said honestly. "But I will know soon."
Silence fell upon everyone. This was the first time the family would interact with people from the outside. But Dan did not intend to let them reach his family's base; this area was forbidden to strangers. Instead, he intended to take Leon and Sato with him to confront them before they advanced any further.
In truth, he could wipe them out even before they arrived and without even moving, but he wanted to know their objective or exactly what they wanted. Also, he had a special plan regarding his son Sato and wanted to seize this opportunity.
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