The five or six Root jonin saw Ye Fan heading toward a secluded spot and were overjoyed.
They had been wondering how to kill Ye Fan without anyone noticing. They hadn't expected him to hand them the perfect opportunity. It was like having a pillow delivered just when you were getting sleepy!
The Root jonin leading them made a gesture, signaling the other five to follow.
"Keep your movements light. Don't let Ye Fan notice us. Lord Danzo said he's very strong, so we need to be cautious. We mustn't leave any evidence."
"Come on, he's just a kid. How strong could he be? Killing him will be a piece of cake. Lord Danzo is worrying over nothing."
One of the jonin rolled his eyes and spoke dismissively. He didn't take Ye Fan seriously at all.
Clearly, the others agreed with him.
There were six jonin here. They couldn't imagine how they could possibly lose.
They didn't say it aloud, but they still thought Danzo was making a fuss over nothing. After all, they were only dealing with a kid taking the Chunin Ninja Exams.
They all thought that way, including the man leading them.
Still, he reminded them, "Ye Fan is the student of Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, and a descendant of the Uchiha Clan. We can't afford to be careless."
"Heh, Captain, he's just an Uchiha without a Kekkei Genkai.
"Even if he has the Sharingan, so what? Against our overwhelming strength, we'll crush him!"
"You're overthinking it. Let's finish the job and get out of here. I don't want to waste too much time on such a low-level mission."
That struck a chord with the others, and they all quickened their pace.
"Two groups? Is the other one Anbu, directly under the Hokage?"
As Ye Fan headed toward the secluded spot, he sensed another team.
"Heh, looks like the Third Hokage really can't stand me. Is he going to make a move too?"
"Since you're here, you can all stay right here!"
Ye Fan glanced around and spotted a waterfall cascading nearby. He thought:
The scenery here isn't bad. It'll make a fine place for all of you to meet your end!
In the span of two breaths, Ye Fan reached the foot of the waterfall, then turned to look at a nearby tree.
The six Root jonin hiding in the tree saw him look their way. Their lips curled into sneers.
"Looks like he noticed us!"
They knew they'd been spotted, so they stopped hiding and stepped out in the open.
"Ye Fan, you shouldn't have come back. If you hadn't, you might have scraped by for a few more years."
The leader kept his hands in his pockets, his words carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
"Quit talking and kill him already. He's just an Uchiha without a Kekkei Genkai. I want to get back in time for my nap!"
The jonin who spoke had a foxtail grass stem in his mouth, and his eyes were full of contempt.
Ye Fan felt utterly speechless as he listened.
I can't believe these idiots. I'm a Saiyan, and whoever I run into keeps saying I don't have a Kekkei Genkai!
Are Kekkei Genkai really that impressive?
No matter how powerful one is, can it beat my Saiyan bloodline?
"Ptooey!"
The man spat out the foxtail grass and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The two jutsu were unleashed almost instantly!
In a flash, a water prison appeared out of nowhere and trapped Ye Fan.
At the same time, a water dragon surged toward him, radiating a violent aura.
With a great waterfall right beside them, the power of both jutsu was greatly enhanced.
"Done and done!"
Seeing Ye Fan trapped so easily by the Water Prison Technique, the man immediately felt bored.
The other Root jonin also found it dull when they saw the water dragon racing toward Ye Fan.
They hadn't even gotten a chance to attack!
Not one of the six Root jonin thought Ye Fan could withstand this move!
"This might be the easiest mission we've ever done!"
Two of the Root jonin had already turned around, ready to leave.
"Wood Style: Wood Locking Wall!"
Just as the water dragon was about to hit Ye Fan, blocks of wood suddenly surrounded him, shielding him.
The water dragon crashed into the Wood Locking Wall with a thunderous splash, but the wall blocked it completely!
"Wood Style? Is Yamato here? Does that mean the Anbu didn't come to kill me, but to protect me?"
For a moment, Ye Fan was at a loss. He couldn't understand why the Third Hokage would send Anbu to protect him.
Anbu was a division directly under the Hokage. No one but the Hokage could command them.
"Could Jiraiya have gone to see the Third Hokage?"
Ye Fan guessed, then smiled and shook his head. "Jiraiya, you do this every time!"
In all the years he'd traveled with Jiraiya, Ye Fan had discovered more than once that Jiraiya was secretly protecting him.
Maybe I can become the Child of Prophecy you believe in...
As soon as the thought surfaced, Ye Fan pushed it away.
Right now, bringing his parents back to life was what mattered most. He didn't want to concern himself with peace in the shinobi world for the time being.
Ye Fan's parents in this life had both died for his sake. He didn't want to leave them owing him too much.
"Tenzo?"
The six Root jonin recognized the user the moment they saw the Wood Style.
Looking across all of Konoha, there was no one else besides Tenzo who could use Wood Style!
They knew very well that Tenzo was in Anbu.
His arrival meant their assassination attempt on Ye Fan might be exposed.
If that happened, their mission would be a complete failure!
Before they left, Danzo had made it very clear: they mustn't leave behind the slightest trace!
"Only three Anbu came. Kill them all too!"
The Root leader quickly made his decision.
They would do anything to complete the mission.
In their eyes, the mission came before everything, even their own lives!
"Wood Style: Four Pillars Prison Jutsu!"
Tenzo struck first. A wooden cage erupted from the ground, trapping one of the Root jonin before he could escape.
Then Tenzo followed up with Wood Style: Thorn Kill Jutsu.
Wooden stakes emerged inside the cage, binding the jonin completely.
Seeing their comrade restrained, the Root jonin hurriedly attacked Tenzo with Water Style, Fire Style, and Earth Style.
The other two Anbu joined the fight as well.
Working with Tenzo's Wood Style, they fought against the larger group.
They were outnumbered, but Wood Style was powerful, and they still gained the upper hand.
"Ye Fan, get out of here! We'll handle this!" Tenzo shouted.
Ye Fan stayed where he was, watching Tenzo use Wood Style again and again. He let out a dry laugh, unable to help remarking:
"Sure enough, the First Hokage's Wood Style conquered the world, while Yamato's Wood Style does landscaping!"
The power of Tenzo's Wood Style was nowhere near that of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!
"Not a chance!"
The Root ninja broke through the Wood Style with Fire Style and charged at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan lazily stretched. He'd watched long enough. He raised his hand and threw a punch at the Root jonin.
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