Yakushi Nonō

Of the three bandits, only one had given chase.

He was a burly man, his right hand brandishing a blood-stained steel blade. A hideous scar ran along the corner of his right eye, making his already fierce and savage features appear even more brutal.

Sato Hideaka forced his body, still weak from an unhealed illness, to keep moving, his short, powerless legs pumping as he ran desperately toward the forest ahead.

The scarred bandit followed at a leisurely pace, neither closing the distance enough to drive Sato Hideaka to despair nor falling back enough to give him hope. The steel blade he swung served as a constant reminder of the terror of death, as if he were a cat toying with a mouse.

Perhaps it had been ten minutes, perhaps half an hour, perhaps an hour...

Sato Hideaka no longer knew how long he had been running. Sweat dripped from his forehead into his eyes, stinging them, and his entire body was soaked, making him look like a drowned rat. He could no longer feel his feet; he was simply running forward mechanically.

The once bright sunlight turned scorching. The naturally twisted branches looked like the beckoning hands of the Grim Reaper. The chirping of birds and insects vanished abruptly, and everything fell into a deathly silence—

In the forest, one could only hear the sound of a frantic heartbeat, heavy, ragged breathing, and the rustling of feet treading upon withered, yellow, rotting leaves.

The trees were strange and varied, with many thick roots protruding above the ground. A root tripped Sato Hideaka's weak legs, causing him to lose his balance and collapse to the ground, his energy completely spent!

As he struggled to flip his body over, a massive shadow loomed over him. What met his eyes was a terrifying scar, a savage face, a grin that bared teeth, and a steel blade dripping with blood.

"Little ghost, the way you struggled so desperately was quite entertaining, but the game ends here..."

The scarred bandit's eyes radiated bloodthirsty excitement. He raised his sharp blade high, and just as he prepared to strike, ending the boy's life...

A black shadow darted from the gaps in the foliage, striking the scarred bandit directly in the throat.

"Hrk, hrk—"

The steel blade clattered to the ground. The scarred bandit clutched his throat, blood flowing incessantly, and fell to his knees, making strange, choking sounds. A black kunai was embedded in his throat, half of its length buried deep within.

His throat had been pierced—a fatal wound!

After two agonizing cries, the scarred bandit collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of decaying, dusty earth!

A woman wearing black and white shrine maiden robes, sporting dark gold hair and glasses, leaped down from the treetops. Her eyes were calm and gentle, and the faint smile on her lips made her look like an angel.

"Little friend, are you alright?"

The woman's tone was incredibly soft. Her right hand emitted a faint green glow as she placed it gently on the knee Sato Hideaka had injured during his fall. A wave of warmth radiated from the wound, making Sato Hideaka feel as though he were bathing in gentle sunlight.

"You... are you an angel??" Sato Hideaka murmured, staring at the woman.

Sunlight shone upon her, forming a dazzling halo. The woman, smiling faintly, seemed like an angel who had saved him from the brink of death.

"I am not an angel. My name is Yakushi Nonō; you can call me Sister Yakushi Nonō."

Yakushi Nonō withdrew her glowing right hand. The scrape on Sato Hideaka's knee had completely healed, and new skin had grown over it; only the dried, dark red bloodstains on the surface hinted that he had ever been injured at all.

Yakushi Nonō—the name felt so familiar.

Sato Hideaka suddenly realized: Yakushi Nonō... Yakushi Nonō, the spy from Konoha's Root.

Yakushi Nonō was a spy for Konoha's Root and also the director of an orphanage. She was a kind, gentle medical ninja who could not abandon her compassion. She had adopted the war orphan Yakushi Kabuto, but due to Danzo's suspicion and deception, she eventually died in a duel against Yakushi Kabuto during a spy mission.

Seeing Sato Hideaka staring at her blankly, motionless, Yakushi Nonō assumed he was still stunned by the recent turn of events. She asked softly, "Little friend, what is your name, where do you live, and why was that bandit chasing you?"

"My name is Sato Hideaka. Right, Sister, there are bandits in the village. Please, save Uncle Eisuke and the others..."

Sato Hideaka said urgently. That group of bandits were nothing but beasts; they didn't even spare the elderly, the weak, women, or children. Although Yakushi Nonō was only a medical ninja, the way she had killed the scarred bandit showed that her strength was not to be underestimated. Perhaps she was the only one who could save the village now.

Although he had only been in the village for a few days, he had felt the simple, honest kindness of its people. Uncle Eisuke had spent over a week gathering herbs, brewing medicine, and preparing food to treat his illness, neglecting his own farm work in the process.

Such kind people should not die like this!!

"Hideaka, you lead the way, and I will take you there."

After Sato Hideaka pointed out the direction, Yakushi Nonō gathered him into her arms. With a powerful leap, she carried him effortlessly onto a tree branch four meters high.

Her toes tapped against the branches, and she darted through the forest like an arrow released from a bow. Whenever her speed slowed, she would tap against a trunk to surge forward again. The surrounding environment blurred as they rushed toward the village—

The village in the distance grew larger. Sato Hideaka could already see groups of elderly, weak, women, and children being gathered at the village entrance. They were all crouching on the ground, held hostage by over a dozen bandits armed with steel blades, katanas, and short swords.

Fifty or sixty able-bodied men from the village were fighting back with shovels, hoes, shoulder poles, and stones, but facing these bandits with their rich combat experience and sharp weapons, they were being pushed back, their formation crumbling...

In just a short while, over a dozen people had already been wounded.

"Stop, all of you..."

Yakushi Nonō shouted sharply. Holding Sato Hideaka with her left arm, she drew three black kunai from her ninja pouch with her right hand and flicked her wrist, sending them flying toward the bandits.

"Ding—clatter!"

The three kunai struck the weapons with pinpoint accuracy. The steel blades the bandits were about to swing at the villagers were knocked to the ground, producing three dull sounds of metal striking stone—

"A ninja, it's actually a ninja..."

The villagers cried out, their eyes filled with hope and excitement. In contrast, the bandits were filled with dread and fear. Seeing the approaching Yakushi Nonō, they retreated repeatedly; clearly, the profession of ninja held great deterrent power in this world.

"A, a ninja...?"

The bandits parted to make way. A burly, one-eyed man holding a kusarigama stepped forward. His remaining eye was narrow and cold, like a venomous snake waiting to strike. It appeared he was the leader of the group.

Yakushi Nonō landed in front of the bound villagers, set Sato Hideaka down, and watched the one-eyed man with the kusarigama vigilantly.

"You want to save these lowly people? If you can defeat me, I will order my men to let them go..." The one-eyed leader's eye emitted a sinister glint. His raspy voice sounded like the hissing of a viper, and a cold, chilling aura suddenly erupted from him.

This was killing intent—one could never condense such killing intent without having slain at least a hundred men!!