Chapter Thirty-Four: Killing Root Ninja! What Does It Have to Do with Me?

"We only need to send these two Sand Ninja to the front line, then use them to threaten the Sand Ninja commander there."

"As long as they dare continue sending people to sabotage the supply station, we'll kill these two Sand Ninja."

"On the other hand, if they stop sending people to infiltrate, we'll spare these two Sand Ninja."

After saying that, Hankuang wore a broad smile.

At the scene.

Obito and the others struggled to understand what Hankuang meant, but unfortunately, they racked their brains for a long while and still couldn't figure it out.

Even Kakashi only half-understood.

Would this kind of threat really work?

"Sigh~~ You people really are hopeless."

Hankuang sighed and could only explain it more plainly.

"If the Sand Ninja commander ignores our warning and continues sending people to infiltrate, he'll earn a reputation for not caring about the lives of infiltrating ninja."

"If you can abandon infiltrating ninja today, you can abandon front-line ninja tomorrow!"

"If that happens, the morale of the Sand Ninja forces at the front line will suffer a blow..."

After hearing Hankuang's explanation, everyone suddenly understood.

"How did I never notice before? Hankuang, you're so smart." Mitaraishi Anko's eyes lit up.

"Get lost!"

Chapter Thirty-Four: Killing Root Ninja! What Does It Have to Do with Me?

Hankuang's plan was simple: send Baki and Pakura to the front line and use them to threaten the Sand Ninja commander there.

At that moment, Mitaraishi Anko came over.

"Hankuang, you can hand those two over to me!"

"Hand them over to you?" Hankuang gave her a half-smile.

"Yeah! My teacher is Orochimaru, the village's supreme commander at the front line." Mitaraishi Anko wore a proud expression.

That way, the credit would belong to her and her teacher.

The more she thought about it, the more pleased Mitaraishi Anko became.

"You're dreaming." Hankuang rejected her outright.

"Huh? Aren't you going to send these two to the front line? Team 9's mission is to rebuild Supply Station No. 3, isn't it?" Anko asked, confused.

She was clearly helping Team 9, so why was Hankuang still rejecting her?

Hankuang had his own plans.

They were certainly going to be sent there, but the question was who would send them.

He definitely wasn't going to hand over such credit to an outsider.

"Rin, send the signal!"

Hankuang turned toward Nohara Rin and prepared to call for reinforcements.

Whoosh!

A signal flare shot into the sky and exploded into a cluster of red light.

Mitaraishi Anko grew anxious.

"This signal flare will bring the others carrying out the capture mission..." Anko began, then abruptly fell silent.

She understood.

Hankuang was waiting for Minato Namikaze. He intended to give the credit to Team 9's leading teacher!

"I'm warning you, you'd better hand those two over to me. Otherwise, I'll have my teacher transfer you to the front line!" Anko planted her hands on her hips and began threatening him.

"Your teacher?"

Hankuang laughed.

In the past, he had indeed been somewhat wary of Orochimaru. But now, Orochimaru should be the one wary of him. Before long, Orochimaru would be kneeling on the ground and singing his surrender.

So Hankuang paid no attention to Mitaraishi Anko's threat.

The only problem was that the front line might need a new supreme commander by then.

Mitaraishi Anko was seething.

But no one paid her any attention.

What Team 9 couldn't understand was why Morino Ibiki had run over to Fukawa's corpse with a kunai and stabbed it several times.

The sight made the two captured Sand Ninja frown deeply.

"If we're going to escape, this is our last chance," Pakura whispered.

"That kid is too close to us. Even if we run, we won't get away." Baki glanced at Hankuang and replied.

If they didn't run, the two of them would at least stay alive. But if they tried to escape, that kid would definitely beat them to death.

"Then what do we do? Just wait to be sent to the front line?"

"Wait for an opportunity."

The reinforcements arrived.

But to Hankuang's surprise, the newcomers weren't Teacher Minato. They were three Root members wearing masks.

"Hmm? The Sand Ninja's Kekkei Genkai wielder, Scorching Release Pakura, and the other one is Baki?"

The moment they appeared, the three Root members recognized the two captured Sand Ninja.

The three exchanged glances, then looked toward the members of Team 9.

"We're Root ninja. From this moment on, these two Sand Ninja are coming with us!"

After saying that, the three Root members stepped forward.

At that moment—

Hankuang moved.

Whoosh!

His body left behind an afterimage as he appeared in front of the Root members in an instant.

Without the slightest hesitation—

Bang!

One punch blew apart the head of a Root member.

"You—"

"So big—"

Before the remaining two Root members could finish speaking, a terrifying impact struck them.

Their heads exploded like watermelons smashed with a mallet.

Red-and-white blood and brain matter sprayed everywhere like scattered tofu pudding.

Thud, thud.

The headless corpses collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Speak faster next time. Otherwise, you won't even finish your last words."

Hankuang lowered his head and muttered to himself before kicking one of the hands apart.

A Explosive Tag was revealed inside.

Dead silence.

Aside from the silence, there was only silence at the scene.

The sudden change had happened far too quickly. The others hadn't even had time to react.

In Kakashi and the others' eyes, the three Root members had just appeared, said one sentence, and then been killed by Hankuang charging over.

"Has he gone mad? Killing Root ninja is treason against the village!" Mitaraishi Anko was frightened, and she took a step backward.

She was preparing to run.

After all, she had threatened him.

"Hankuang, if you do this, even Teacher Minato won't be able to protect you." Obito's tone was grave.

For once, he had managed to be clever and was trying to hint that Hankuang should hurry and run.

"He must have a reason." Rin defended Hankuang in a quiet voice.

Kakashi and Morino Ibiki, however, had already realized what was happening. Their gazes fell on the Explosive Tag at the same time.