She had only just recovered from a serious illness. There was no way she could catch up.
The Hozuki Clan's Water Transformation Jutsu was incredibly fast for escaping.
And once he returned, he would have the Hozuki Clan's protection. Most likely... the sword would ultimately end up belonging to that brat.
"..."
Akira Sarutobi watched that mass of water flee at a beastly speed, with no intention of pursuing it.
One reason was that he had suffered serious injuries.
The other reason was...
Ringo Ameyuri.
Having been accused of colluding with the enemy, she would inevitably become a Kirigakure rogue ninja and be hunted by the entire village.
Her days ahead would certainly not be easy.
If she had Thunder Sword Fang, things would be much easier for her.
Without it... she could only rely on herself, increasing the chances that she would cooperate with him.
Sure enough.
The prompt before his eyes regarding Ringo Ameyuri changed.
[Inject the Will of Fire into Ringo Ameyuri]
[Current progress... 35%]
The additional 5% progress reflected the instinctive thought she had made in that split second.
The strength of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would increase drastically because of their swords.
Without her swords, Ringo Ameyuri was merely a somewhat formidable Jonin.
"Young Master!"
Compared to Ringo Ameyuri's thoughts, Ino Yamanaka was much more straightforward.
She immediately rushed toward Akira Sarutobi and called for Nonō to treat her young master.
"This isn't a place to stay for long..." Akira Sarutobi shook his head. Rather than sit down and accept treatment, he planned to leave first.
After all, no one knew whether Kirigakure had already prepared to send people over three days ago.
"Let's return to the harbor first..."
Akira Sarutobi decided to return to the harbor town before discussing anything else.
"We understand..." Nonō frowned, worried about Akira Sarutobi's injuries, but she still agreed.
Not long afterward.
Akira Sarutobi was already seated inside the ship's cabin.
The sea swayed as waves crashed against the vessel.
Those people from Kirigakure did not seem to have focused their attention here. After that Hozuki Clan brat seized Thunder Sword Fang, they vanished without a trace.
The ship set sail steadily.
Ino Yamanaka kept sensing the surroundings to prevent any surprise attacks.
A soft glow shone from Nonō's palm as she treated Akira Sarutobi's injuries.
The several Root ninjas standing guard outside did not enter the cabin.
Yet the repeated glances they cast inside revealed their astonishment.
In this operation, without powerful reinforcements, the Third Hokage's son had not only turned Ringo Ameyuri of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen against Kirigakure, but also successfully broken through their encirclement and even killed Raiga Kurosuki!
Raiga Kurosuki had been an important figure in Kirigakure, yet he had been taken down in just a few moves.
Though his final counterattack had injured Young Master Akira Sarutobi.
That changed nothing.
Having achieved such results immediately after joining the Anbu, his path to future promotions would surely be smooth sailing.
Inside the cabin.
Ringo Ameyuri sat to one side, repeatedly staring at Akira Sarutobi with flickering eyes.
Akira Sarutobi rested with his eyes closed, allowing Nonō to treat him. He did not seem to be guarding against Ringo Ameyuri at all.
But Ringo Ameyuri understood perfectly well that if she dared make a move, this Second Generation Hokage heir could definitely slap her to death.
"They say the Third Hokage could sweep through armies... His son obviously inherited that monstrous strength too, but the question is... what exactly do the Sarutobi Clan people eat to grow up like this..."
Ringo Ameyuri quickly gave up on the idea of stabbing Akira Sarutobi in the back.
Having lost her twin blades, she was nothing.
Facing pursuit from Kirigakure afterward, she would easily die without anyone to rely on.
Just thinking about facing the "Kirigakure Pursuit Force"—in other words, the relentless pursuit of Kirigakure Anbu—without her swords made Ringo Ameyuri's scalp tingle.
Unlike ninja villages such as Konoha.
Kirigakure had a specialized department dedicated to hunting rogue ninjas.
They were professionals who did this sort of thing regularly.
It could not be helped. Kirigakure's high-pressure policies inevitably created defecting ninjas, so they needed a dedicated department to deal with it.
And as it happened, the person in charge of Kirigakure Anbu, the Anbu Commander... was someone Ringo Ameyuri knew well.
—One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, wielder of the Greatsword Samehada... Suikazan Fuguki.
If Danzo was Konoha's The Shadow of Shinobi.
Then that dead fat bastard Suikazan Fuguki was Kirigakure's dark side.
Of course, no matter how dark he was, he could not compare to that old bastard, the Third Mizukage...
Ringo Ameyuri kept muttering inwardly, feeling that her future was utterly bleak.
"No serious injuries..."
As Nonō treated him, she was deeply surprised.
A special layer of Chakra enveloped his skin and subcutaneous tissue, reducing damage from external attacks.
"This Chakra... Could it be some kind of Kekkei Genkai?"
The Sarutobi Clan was not known for possessing a Kekkei Genkai, making her even more curious about Akira Sarutobi.
"Yo~."
Having made up her mind, Ringo Ameyuri decisively prepared to defect.
"Can I join your Konoha?"
Her tone was casual, but her gaze remained fixed tightly on Akira Sarutobi.
"You'd only suffer more if you went to Konoha."
Akira Sarutobi opened his eyes, divine light bursting forth.
His sharp gaze swept over Ameyuri's body like a blade.
"If you fall into Danzo's hands, you'll learn what it means to be worse than death..."
Those words were also meant for Yakushi Nonō.
Her expression slowly turned grave.
Clearly, she was not as loyal to Root as she appeared.
Nonō... actually had no desire to work for Root.
Only certain pressures had forced her to gather intelligence for Danzo.
And at this point in time, Nonō had no weakness for anyone to exploit.
It was only after she left her job and opened an orphanage, as in the original story, that Danzo was able to coerce her.
Therefore...
Akira Sarutobi believed Yakushi Nonō could also be won over.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Ringo Ameyuri's eyes widened.
Didn't you say we would cooperate?
"You can go to the underground exchange and become a bounty hunter..."
Akira Sarutobi came up with a good path for Ringo Ameyuri.
That way, she could earn money while gathering intelligence and avoiding pursuit from Kirigakure Anbu.
"A bounty hunter..." Ringo Ameyuri nodded slightly, somewhat persuaded.
"Of course, whenever you have free time, you can also live in my estate..."
Ringo Ameyuri was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, after all.
He could have her train Crimson Lotus and manage his businesses.
"Aren't you afraid I'll take your money and run?" Ringo Ameyuri braced herself with both hands behind her, crossing one leg over the other.
"Heh heh..."
Akira Sarutobi's answer was deliberately cryptic.
Seeing Akira Sarutobi's smile, Ringo Ameyuri could not help recalling what happened that night.
She covered her mouth, immediately got up, and went outside to vomit.
"What happened to her?" Nonō blinked.
"Probably... seasick..." Akira Sarutobi said expressionlessly.
Nonō: "..."
The Path of the Beast: Love
After returning to the harbor town, Akira Sarutobi began recuperating.
Aside from receiving treatment from Nonō, he guided Crimson Lotus in her training and taught her knowledge in various areas.
Ringo Ameyuri's complexion also improved more and more. She ate and drank every day, living a carefree and leisurely life.
As for what had happened here, Nonō naturally reported it upward.
However, she concealed some things from Danzo.
She claimed that Ringo Ameyuri, as a rogue ninja, had sold intelligence to Konoha, and that Young Master Akira Sarutobi had merely made a deal with her. There was nothing else between them.
A ninja truly loyal to Danzo would never have done that.
But Root members also came in different ranks.
Foreign children like Sai, who had been taken into Root from a young age, would all have the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal placed on their tongues.
Nonō had been born in Konoha and was a true Konoha native. Danzo had no authority to carve a cursed seal onto her tongue.
The same applied to talents supplied to Root by the Yamanaka Clan and Aburame Clan. For example, Ryoma Aburame, the current Root ninja from the Aburame Clan, did not have the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on his tongue either.
Because that Yamanaka Clan ninja had died during the Second Shinobi World War, Danzo had set his sights on Ino Yamanaka, hoping she would fill the vacant position.
And in the original story.
After Uchiha Itachi joined the Anbu, he transferred into Root and became a Squad Leader, yet Danzo still did not place the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on him.
Therefore... believing that every Root ninja had a cursed seal was merely a baseless fan rumor.
Before you continue