Duel with a Chunin

As Sato Hideaka returned to the orphanage with the children, the more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. It seemed that ever since he had displayed his astonishing talent, Yakushi Nonō had frequently worn a troubled expression. Just now, when he had shown the Lava Release, this look had become even more pronounced.

Talent and worry—what causal link could there be between them?

Yakushi Nonō..., taking away Yakushi Kabuto..., missions..., death, "Root"!

Recalling the plot of "Naruto," Sato Hideaka suddenly remembered that Yakushi Nonō herself was a spy for "Root." Furthermore, because she was tethered to the orphanage and the children within it, she had been exploited by Shimura Danzō regarding funding, which ultimately led to her being killed by Yakushi Kabuto while on a mission.

If there was anything that could make Yakushi Nonō anxious and uneasy, it could only be "Root"!

Sato Hideaka's expression turned grim. Could it be that he had already been targeted by "Root"?

The leader of "Root," Shimura Danzō, was a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He had once issued orders to assassinate the Third Hokage, participated in the Uchiha clan massacre to seize Sharingan, and allied with Hanzo the Salamander to cause the death of Yahiko, leading Konoha to the brink of catastrophe.

Even the death of the former Anbu captain Hatake Sakumo, the defection of the Sannin Orochimaru, and the death of the Fourth Hokage—these major events all had the faint presence of "Root" behind them!

The missions assigned by "Root" were often illicit and inhumane. It was an extremely dark organization, like rats in a shadowy corner, forever unable to step from the shadows into the light.

As someone who had transmigrated from 21st-century Earth into the world of Naruto, Sato Hideaka could not identify with such an organization, nor did he want to have any dealings with it.

Half an hour later!

"Swish, swish, swish—"

Three sounds of air being pierced echoed through the forest. Three figures wearing strange, painted masks and beige trench coats suddenly leaped out from the dense woods, vaulted over the high wall, and jumped into the front yard of the orphanage.

There were still some children playing in the front yard. Seeing the three figures suddenly appear, they were startled. Some of the younger children, looking at the strange masks of these people, even began to cry loudly.

"Number 167, who is the target?"

Looking at the group of children in the yard, Number 4, standing in the middle of the three, asked coldly. Root members wandered in the darkness and could not be seen in the light; they had no names and only addressed each other by code names.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're here for me, aren't you?"

Sato Hideaka did not wait for Number 167 to speak. He stepped out from the crowd himself, looking coldly at the three people before him. From their attire, he could already confirm that he had been targeted by "Root."

How does this brat know he's the target, and how is he so calm?

What exactly does he know?

After Number 4 received a nod from Number 167 confirming the target, he took a deep look at Sato Hideaka. Then, in a flat tone, he issued his command as the squad leader: "Number 1, take this brat away!"

"You can't take Hideaka! Sister Yakushi Nonō said that if she hasn't returned, Hideaka cannot leave the orphanage. I... I won't let you get away with this!!"

Just as one of the Root members prepared to grab him, a child who looked only eleven or twelve years old suddenly stood out from the crowd. He blocked the path in front of Sato Hideaka, stretching out his arms as if a mother hen shielding her chicks. Although his eyes held fear of the strangers, they held even more determination.

Horibe Ryuichi, the child who had just managed to cultivate chakra yesterday!

The few teachers at the orphanage had all retreated after seeing the strangely dressed, cold-faced Root members carrying short blades.

Without the protection of adults, only twelve-year-old Horibe Ryuichi stood out alone, carrying the resolve to protect his younger brothers and sisters, even at the cost of his own life.

As an orphan, Horibe Ryuichi had no parents or relatives. Perhaps from the moment he was brought back to the orphanage by the director, Yakushi Nonō, he had found his life's bond. He treated this warm place as his home. Yakushi Nonō, the younger children, and even Sato Hideaka, who had only recently arrived—in his heart, they were all his family!

The orphanage was the place that gave him warmth. Even if he lost his life, he would guard its peace. For a young child, this was the purest thought and courage in his heart.

"Swish—"

The Root member would not show mercy just because a child was blocking his path. His wrist flicked slightly, and a sharp black kunai shot out, whistling through the air toward Horibe Ryuichi's throat.

A piercing wound from a kunai; if it struck the carotid artery, it would inevitably lead to death by blood loss!

Sato Hideaka's expression turned cold. He crossed his feet on the ground and instantly blocked the path in front of Horibe Ryuichi. Watching the black shadow flying toward him, he decisively reached out his right hand and firmly caught the incoming black kunai.

Drops of bright red blood dripped from the black kunai. Although Sato Hideaka had caught it, his hand had still been cut by the sharp blade!

"Attacking a child—is this the style of the village known as the 'Greatest Ninja Village,' Konoha?"

Looking coldly at these "Root" members, Sato Hideaka's heart was filled with rage, as if it were exploding in his chest.

Number 4's entire body trembled slightly. According to the previous intelligence report, this child had only been practicing ninjutsu for fifteen days. To be able to catch a kunai thrown by a Chunin after only fifteen days of training—how was this possible?

Regardless, the one who had attacked from their side was a Chunin. Although it was just a casual throw, it wouldn't have been difficult for a professionally trained person to dodge, but catching it with one hand was more than twice as hard. Catching a high-speed projectile in mid-air required extremely high requirements for eyesight, nerve reflexes, and reaction speed. This was not something a five-year-old child who had never received training could do.

Sato Hideaka casually threw the blood-stained kunai onto the ground. While keeping a wary eye on the three "Root" members, he spoke in a commanding tone: "Ryuichi, take the younger ones and find a place to hide. I'll deal with them!"

Horibe Ryuichi was stunned for a moment upon hearing Sato Hideaka's words, then subconsciously followed his instructions, leading the group of younger children toward the backyard. Everything seemed to happen quite naturally.

"Brat, although your strength is decent, don't get too cocky!"

Number 1 stepped out from the group of three, his tone filled with dissatisfaction. Upon seeing the disdain and contempt in Sato Hideaka's blue eyes, he was even more enraged.

He sprinted toward Sato Hideaka. Once he reached him, he delivered a fierce leg whip toward his chest.

This kick would not be fatal, but if it connected, the ribs would definitely shatter, causing difficulty in breathing and leaving the target unable to resist!

However, Sato Hideaka, who had been training for fifteen days, was no longer a novice.

He quickly placed his hands in a defensive posture over his chest, preparing to block the leg whip. A massive force transmitted from his arms, sending him flying backward. He crashed into the half-meter-high wooden floor of the house, his entire body embedding into the shattered planks.

What powerful strength!

Judging by their age, weight, and physical development, the two were completely out of their weight class!

Sato Hideaka struggled to stand up from the shattered wooden planks, feeling as if his arms were already numb. Hand-to-hand combat was definitely not his strong suit against this "Root" member. Perhaps he would have to use his ultimate move...

A scorching aura rose from his right arm, and magma rolled out from within it. When the concentrated, scorching magma reached a certain amount, Sato Hideaka moved his feet and charged rapidly toward the Root member. The dark and red flowing flames faintly formed the shape of an animal, and excess magma dripped onto the ground, forming a long trail of fire.

"Quick, dodge, Number 1."

Seeing Sato Hideaka use this move, Number 167 shouted a warning from the sidelines. He had witnessed Sato Hideaka's ultimate technique by the river earlier; it coated the fist in scorching magma, vastly increasing its piercing power, destructive force, and lethality. It was definitely not something a human could withstand head-on!

Hearing the reminder from Number 167, Number 1 was slightly taken aback, but he reacted in an instant. He crouched his feet against the ground, refined the chakra within his body, and pushed off the earth with a violent surge of force, leaping rapidly into the air by utilizing the reaction force—

The ground cracked and deformed due to the sudden explosive power exerted by Number 1. Leveraging this force, his speed surged, and he instantly vaulted into mid-air, dodging Sato Hideaka's frontal assault!

"Boom."

A massive hole was punched through the orphanage wall. The scorching, molten magma melted the edges of the damaged wall, dripping down as it rapidly dissolved the structure along the perimeter of the breach. Sato Hideaka stood stunned...

The opponent's speed was too fast; he had actually missed the strike!