Confronting "Root"

"I've seen you at the training grounds." Uchiha Shisui replied, leaning against the tree trunk.

"Might Guy, are you following us just to challenge me?" Kakashi asked after stowing his Kunai into his ninja pouch.

"O-of course! My father told me to challenge you. As a genius, you must be very strong. I might not be your match right now, but I will take this as my penance! To discipline myself! When I become strong, I will challenge you again!" The more Might Guy spoke, the more confident he became, and his fear miraculously dissipated.

"Guy! Well done! That is the essence of youth!" These words from his father suddenly echoed in Might Guy's mind, and hot tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Just as Might Guy was moved by his own resolve, Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui had already walked away; as the dead last of the class, Might Guy simply couldn't pique their interest.

"Kakashi, what are your plans for the future? Will you continue to waste time at the Ninja Academy, or will you graduate early to become a ninja?" Uchiha Shisui asked, sitting on the grass of the training ground while watching Kakashi practice his Shuriken.

Thud, thud, thud. All three Shuriken hit the bullseye. Kakashi turned his head toward the sky and said slowly, "The Ninja Academy only teaches the Three Basic Jutsu and some theoretical knowledge, all of which I have already mastered. Perhaps I will apply for early graduation in a few days. What about you, Uchiha Shisui? Will you apply for early graduation too?"

"I have already applied." Uchiha Shisui smiled.

"You guy, when did that happen?"

"Right after Hiruzen Sarutobi finished his speech, I told Onizuka."

Uchiha Shisui shrugged innocently.

"I'm going to find Onizuka right now." Kakashi naturally didn't want to wait too long; since Uchiha Shisui had already applied for early graduation, he couldn't afford to fall behind.

After leaving those words, Kakashi used a Body Flicker technique and vanished from the training ground.

Uchiha Shisui watched Kakashi's retreating figure before turning his head to shout into the woods behind him, "Aren't you going to come out yet?"

The moment Uchiha Shisui's voice faded, three masked ninjas lunged out from the forest.

"Uchiha Shisui, please come with us."

"You don't seem to be from the Anbu. If I'm not mistaken, you must be from Root." Uchiha Shisui directly exposed the identities of the three men.

"Brat, you know too much." The ninja wearing the Fox Mask drew his long blade and assumed an offensive stance.

"Captain, remember what that lord said." The ninja beside him hurriedly reminded.

"Don't worry, I'm just teaching this arrogant brat a lesson."

"Then let's see you try." Uchiha Shisui's black pupils instantly turned scarlet, with two tomoe slowly rotating within them.

"Two tomoe!" The three were shocked; the tomoe indicated that his strength had already reached the level of a Chunin.

"Danzo was right; it's better for geniuses who cannot be controlled to die." The ninja in the Fox Mask muttered to himself.

"Brat, you should be content to die by my blade." The Fox let out a sinister laugh, flickered behind Uchiha Shisui with his blade, and slashed diagonally at the unsuspecting Uchiha Shisui.

Uchiha Shisui spat out blood, unable to make a sound as he was sliced in half at the waist.

"Tch, arrogant brat, pathetic." The Fox sheathed his ninja blade and wiped the blood off his flak jacket, though for some reason, the blood only seemed to spread more.

"It seems you are the arrogant one."

Just then, Uchiha Shisui's voice rang out from behind the Fox, and a sharp Kunai pierced through the Fox's chest.

"You... cough... when..." The Fox's throat felt as if it were being pricked by countless fine needles; every breath pulled at unbearable pain.

He tried to speak, but felt his throat tightly blocked. As he opened his mouth, a wave of metallic, sweet liquid surged up, and with a cough, bright red blood dripped onto the ground.

"Captain!" The two in the distance saw something completely different from what they had imagined; they never expected a child attending the Ninja Academy to kill their captain, who was already a Chunin.

"Bastard! Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" The ninja with the Bird Mask performed hand seals rapidly, and a massive spiral wind field expanded from the center of the clearing.

"Bird, I'll assist you! Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!" The ninja with the Dog Mask instantly spat out a stream of fire, adding it to the wind technique.

The fire fed on the wind, rapidly exploding into a fire tornado.

"With a composite ninjutsu of this scale, that brat must be nothing but ashes by now." The ninja with the Bird Mask looked proud.

"When it comes to ninjutsu, your scale is still too small. Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."

Just as the fire tornado was about to collide with Uchiha Shisui, he suddenly tilted his head back, his chest heaving violently as he took a deep breath. His cheeks puffed out, and with a deafening roar, scorching flames erupted from his mouth like surging magma, forming a massive fire dragon that roared toward its target.

Everything in its path was instantly consumed; the intense heat scorched the earth until it cracked, and billowing smoke blotted out the sky, leaving nothing in the world but this world-destroying inferno.

"Nani? This... is this a B-rank ninjutsu?"

"Bastard, stop staring and defend! Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Hiss— The Water Formation Wall was like a joke, turning into steam in an instant, followed immediately by the screams of those being incinerated by the flames.

"It's over." Uchiha Shisui took a deep breath, exhaustion washing over his entire body. "Releasing it at full power is still too much; my chakra is almost bottomed out."

Sensing someone approaching from behind, Uchiha Shisui couldn't afford to dwell on his fatigue and vanished from the scene.

Whoosh, whoosh. Two figures arrived from afar. The training ground was now a ruin scorched by fire, with almost no visible traces of the battle left.

"A scale like this... it's at least an S-rank ninjutsu. Report this to the Hokage immediately."

One of the Anbu said to his companion.

"Yes, Captain."

The Hokage Building remained busy in the evening. Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully examined the scroll in his hand. A moment later, he murmured, "S-rank ninjutsu? Could it be a spy from an enemy nation?"

"Hiruzen! I lost several subordinates during the mission and need new recruits to replenish them. Approve the names on this scroll."

Just then, Danzo burst into the Hokage office, holding out a scroll as he spoke.

"Danzo, what exactly has Root been doing in the village?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, staring at the scroll in his hands as he questioned him.

"Hmph, it was nothing more than dealing with enemy spies attempting to infiltrate. I simply used some necessary measures." Faced with the interrogation, Danzo recited the excuse he had prepared long ago.

It was impossible for him to admit the truth: that the ninjas trained by Root couldn't even defeat the brats from the Ninja Academy.

"The pressure from the Daimyo is mounting. If more trouble arises in Konoha, then..." At this point, both men fell into a tacit silence.

"I will handle the matter regarding Sakumo," Danzo said with a grim expression after handing the scroll to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"We only need to manufacture some public pressure, and he won't be able to hold that position. Furthermore, Root needs to keep a low profile for now; stop causing disturbances within the village," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, taking a puff from his pipe.