The Three Years of Disappearance

"As expected of the Blue Flash, you found us so easily."

The voice contained no emotion, as cold as some kind of machine.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! With the sound of several things cutting through the air, Namikaze Mirai was suddenly surrounded by several masked ninjas.

They formed a surrounding formation, trapping him in the middle, impenetrable.

The patterns on the masks were even simpler, almost devoid of any animal features, exuding a cold, machine-like aura...

"Root?"

Namikaze Mirai sneered.

"It seems Danzo finally couldn't hold back. Sending only a few of you to your deaths is underestimating me a bit, isn't it?"

Half of the ten-person elite Root squad were Jonin! The other five were all Special Jonin level.

He possessed a special sensory ability that could detect Biological Magnetic Fields, and to some extent, could sense the approximate strength of his enemies.

This was also why he immediately detected these Root members the moment they approached.

As for whether Naruto would be in danger, Namikaze Mirai wasn't worried.

Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and his importance was immense. Danzo wouldn't rashly make a move against him.

Most importantly, there were no unfamiliar Biological Magnetic Fields on the path back from here.

This indicated that the Root members were here for him, and Naruto's safety should be guaranteed.

"Namikaze Mirai, please come with us. Lord Danzo wishes to see you."

Although the word "please" was used, the forceful and cold tone carried no hint of invitation.

His right hand began to reach for his ninja sword, locking onto all his movements.

If Namikaze Mirai refused, he might be met with a storm of attacks!

"Lead the way!"

Namikaze Mirai's expression was calm.

This was the streets of Konoha, and although it was evening with few pedestrians.

Fighting here would, after all, restrict his movements.

Following the Root members, he gradually moved away from the bustling area and arrived at a secluded forest.

Namikaze Mirai scanned his surroundings.

"Where is Danzo?"

The surrounding Root members drew their ninja swords almost simultaneously and charged.

"Lord Danzo wants you to go underground to see him!"

Several slender ninja swords reflected cold light, sealing off almost all of Namikaze Mirai's escape routes and striking vital points with ruthless precision.

Namikaze Mirai's expression remained unchanged. As his Electromagnetic Force subtly shifted, he was surprised that the trajectory of the ninja swords was unaffected.

"Don't waste your effort! These are specially made ninja tools for you, containing no metal!"

A sinister glint flashed in the eyes of the leading Root member as the sharp blade pointed towards Namikaze Mirai's neck.

For this mission, they had practiced countless times.

There was no metal on their bodies! Even the ninja tools in their hands were made of other materials, specially dyed to a metallic color to deceive Namikaze Mirai.

The scene before them suddenly blurred. The Root member's ninja sword struck Namikaze Mirai, but there was no feedback.

An afterimage?! Before he could react, he felt a roar from behind him. His body was hit as if by a cannonball, flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

He smashed through a tree trunk as thick as a man's embrace, then another large tree behind it, before crashing to the ground and slumping down like a piece of clay.

Bloody and mangled! Unrecognizable!

"Damn it! So fast!"

The remaining Root members' eyelids twitched as they witnessed this scene.

Namikaze Mirai stood where the Root member had been just moments before, bathed in lightning arcs, his right leg still in a kicking pose.

Even though they had prior intelligence about Namikaze Mirai's extreme speed, seeing it with their own eyes still sent shockwaves through the hearts of these Root members.

One strike, instant kill!

A secret technique for acceleration that surpassed Lightning Release Chakra Mode! In short to medium distances, it could even rival Space-Time Ability!

"Change formation!"

The remaining Root members pulled back, scattering and abandoning the idea of close combat with Namikaze Mirai.

The tactic of ambushing with non-metallic weapons had failed.

Namikaze Mirai's speed was enough to turn any battle around!

"Too slow."

His voice was devoid of emotion, as casual as if he had spoken it offhandedly.

A chill ran through the hearts of these Root shinobi.

Whoosh! Electromagnetic Propulsion!

Namikaze Mirai's body turned into a bolt of lightning. In a flash of light, he appeared before a Root shinobi.

The Root shinobi was forming hand seals. Upon seeing Namikaze Mirai's cold face intrude into his vision, his eyes changed drastically. Instinctively, he tried to dodge.

But! Bang! With a dull sound like something shattering, a huge cavity opened in the Root shinobi's abdomen. Organs, mixed with flesh, blood, and bone, exploded into a rain of blood, dyeing a patch of the forest behind him red.

Namikaze Mirai retracted his fist and swept his gaze towards the other Root shinobi.

"Fire Release! Ash Pile Burning!"

"Fire Release! Fire Dragon Flame!"

Two Jonin-level Root shinobi simultaneously inhaled deeply. The timing was perfect, as if they had practiced countless times.

Thick, ash-brown smoke spewed from the mouth of one of the Root shinobi, instantly spreading through the forest and engulfing Namikaze Mirai in the center.

The dragon-shaped flame on the other side ignited the smoke. Amidst the explosions, the burst of firelight swallowed Namikaze Mirai's body.

As the flames gradually dispersed, the trees in the center of the forest had already vanished in the explosion. Namikaze Mirai walked out of the flames, bathed in lightning, spotless.

Around him, four Root shinobi, in pairs, extended golden chains from their palms, crackling with light.

Sealing Jutsu? Namikaze Mirai frowned slightly.

There was no time to think. The remaining Root shinobi charged forward, sealing off his escape routes from different directions.

"Useless."

Namikaze Mirai was about to attack.

He saw the four charging Jonin-level Root shinobi stop at four corners and simultaneously form a hand seal.

"Kai!"

A faint white light emerged from the forest floor. Namikaze Mirai, in the center, suddenly felt an immense pressure.

It was as if the air around his body had turned into viscous liquid, gripping his limbs and pinning him in place.

"Do you think you know why we chose this battlefield?"

The leading Root shinobi grinned coldly.

"Because a Sealing Barrier was already set up here! To arrogantly follow us here, your pride is what will kill you!"

The four Root shinobi holding chains seized this golden opportunity. Charging in pairs, the golden chains tightly bound Namikaze Mirai.

"Got it!"

Hokage Office.

Upon hearing Danzo's plan, Sarutobi Hiruzen's solemn expression didn't ease in the slightest.

He took a breath.

"Danzo, you've forgotten one thing."

"What thing?"

Danzo was dismissive.

His plan was very perfect.

It covered all sorts of situations.

The intelligence revealed by Namikaze Mirai during the Third Great Ninja War had been analyzed countless times by him.

Admittedly, if he were allowed to unleash his abilities, it would be terrifying.

Various unimaginable abilities, with no known limits.

But, there was a fatal weakness!

Sealing Jutsu! As long as he was sealed before he could unleash his abilities.

He would completely become a caged bird.

And Root happened to possess a similar Sealing Jutsu! "These three years he disappeared."

Three years of disappearance? Danzo frowned slightly.

Taking a deep drag from his pipe and exhaling a hazy cloud of smoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze pierced through the smoke, settling on the village outside the window of the Hokage Office.

"During these three years he was missing, I deployed a large number of Anbu to search for traces of him, but all were in vain."

"The last piece of intelligence obtained was..."

"He headed towards the Land of Wind."