Sato Hideaka had come up with the "Medical Ninja System" merely to vent his frustration, yet it had led to Yakushi Nonō resuming her position as deputy head of the Medical Department. That was quite a pleasant surprise!
He hadn't expected Tsunade Senju to seek out Yakushi Nonō again because of what he'd said, then put her in charge of the Medical Department. The position of deputy head didn't carry much authority, but it was still an official post.
In Sato Hideaka's plans, the Medical Department would train medical ninja. Aside from Tsunade Senju, Yakushi Nonō had the best medical skills in all of Konoha, so she would also be in charge of training them.
The position of deputy head of the Medical Department, and its value to the village, were certainly far more important than serving as an expendable spy in Root!
By now, the Third Hokage had probably come to value Yakushi Nonō more highly as well. As an official in charge of such an important department, she probably couldn't be easily targeted even by Danzo. This thought put Sato Hideaka somewhat at ease.
In another room in Nonō's home, Sato Hideaka began his daily training. Sitting cross-legged on the soft quilt, he used his mental strength to draw energy out of his cells. The two merged perfectly, forming blue chakra that flowed rapidly through his meridians...
With perfect control over his cells and mental strength far beyond that of his peers, Sato Hideaka could turn the energy in his cells into chakra without wasting any. After roughly two months of training, the amount of chakra he had was already on par with that of an elite Genin.
With the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and various Kekkei Genkai techniques, Sato Hideaka could hold his own against a Chunin in a fight to the death, and might even match an elite Chunin. His terrifying rate of growth was probably one reason so many people feared Kekkei Genkai...
When he felt a faint weariness in his cells, Sato Hideaka stopped his chakra training. He lay down and slowly drifted off to sleep. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep when a series of noises woke him. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a figure flash past the tree outside his window!
Who was that shadow?
Sato Hideaka put on his coat and went to the window. Looking outside, he suddenly spotted a shadow standing in front of Nonō's window, apparently watching something. He hurried to Nonō's room and knocked, wanting to tell her what he'd seen...
There was no answer from inside. Nonō was no longer in her room. Had that shadow taken her?
Sato Hideaka kicked the door open. The quilt on the bed was in disarray, and Nonō's clothes, shoes, and glasses were gone. She must have left after getting dressed, but knowing her, she wouldn't have left the quilt in such a mess.
What had happened?
Sato Hideaka began to grow anxious. The strange shadow, Nonō's disappearance, and the disheveled bedding were all out of the ordinary. Everything about this felt bizarre and suspicious!
"If you want to find out where Nonō is, come with me..."
The shadow appeared again in front of the window. After delivering the cold invitation, it vanished from the narrow frame. By the time Sato Hideaka rushed over, he could only see the figure's back in the distance.
He gritted his teeth, then leaped through the window. Under the dark night sky, he raced across the rooftops, chasing after the black silhouette...
The shadow ran in a fixed direction across the rooftops of Konoha for about twenty minutes before dropping into a corner of Konoha Square. It stopped beneath several large, leafy trees.
The trees' thick branches blocked the bright moonlight, casting a dark shadow below. The figure stood alone beneath it, seemingly waiting for Sato Hideaka to arrive!
Sato Hideaka watched the shadow warily and slowly approached until he was ten meters away. "I came as promised. Where is Nonō?"
The shadow said nothing. It slowly raised an arm and pointed toward a corner of the flower bed in the square. Sato Hideaka followed its gesture. The moment he saw what lay before him, his pupils contracted, and shock filled his eyes!
A woman with dark golden hair, dressed in a shrine maiden's outfit, was curled up in the grass beside the flower bed. Her hands were dug deep into the soil, her teeth clenched on her collar, and her whole body trembled as if she were enduring excruciating pain.
Black symbols seemed to writhe out from her smooth neck and spread across her skin. Each time they raced across her body, the woman shuddered violently, letting out a low, pained moan.
Not far from the woman curled up in the grass, a black pair of round glasses lay quietly on the soft lawn!
The woman was Yakushi Nonō. She was in terrible pain.
Sato Hideaka's breathing grew ragged. Bloodshot veins spread across his previously calm, clear eyes. His clenched fists drove his fingernails deep into his palms, and bright red blood slowly trickled out. A low, bestial growl rose from his throat. "You're Root, aren't you? Why bring me here? Just say it. There's no need to beat around the bush..."
"Truly a prodigy. As you can see, a Cursed Seal has been placed on this woman. It has two effects. The first is to inflict immense pain, like being flayed alive. The second is to make the seal's chakra crush the heart, causing death. Of course, as long as you obey Root's orders, this woman will be safe..."
The shadow slowly emerged from beneath the trees. A familiar mask with a grotesque face, a black uniform, and a short ninja sword on its back—the standard equipment of Root. The figure stepped in front of Sato Hideaka and said coldly, "As for why we brought you here? Heh. The leader wants you to defeat all the prodigies of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans in the competition a month from now, and take first place!"
"What is this supposed to be? Do you really think I can beat prodigies carefully trained by Konoha's two great clans when I've only trained for two months?" A mocking smile appeared on Sato Hideaka's lips.
The shadow seemed not to hear his derisive tone. It pulled a box from inside its clothes and held it out. "These pills can increase your chakra reserves fivefold. A person can take them only once in their life. Combined with your Kekkei Genkai, they should make defeating the Uchiha Clan's prodigy easy!"
"As for Hyuga Ningbo of the Hyuga Clan, a month of specialized training should make him beatable too. In any case, this is the leader's mission. Whether you accept it—and what consequences you'll face if you don't—is outside the scope of my mission!"
Sato Hideaka took the box from the shadow. A cold smile appeared on his handsome face, and his bloodshot eyes made him look like a beast ready to devour its prey. An astonishing killing intent suddenly burst through the silent space!
"I accept... Everyone will pay the price for what they've done. I hope you all live long enough to see it through. Otherwise, this game won't be any fun!"