Sorry, It Only Took One Second to Kill an ANBU

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

After absorbing and settling everything over the course of the night, Sen felt explosive power coursing through every inch of his body.

Like a faucet that had not been tightened properly, he had so much chakra that it was about to overflow.

Yawning, he strolled leisurely down the road to school with his hands in his pockets.

He still looked sleepy and lazy, no different from yesterday.

As if last night's one-sided bloody massacre had been nothing more than an insignificant dream.

"Sen! Wait for me!"

Ishikawa came running up from behind, panting and still holding half a steamed bun.

"You slept like the dead last night. I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw that the floor beside your bed was wrecked. I called you forever, but you didn't react at all."

Sen did not even raise his eyelids as he casually made something up.

"Really? Maybe I dreamed I was fighting someone."

"That dream was way too realistic," Ishikawa muttered, but he did not dwell on it.

The two walked side by side, their shadows stretched long by the sunlight.

Meanwhile.

Root's underground base, secret chamber.

Smash!

With a crisp crack, an expensive celadon teacup was hurled viciously to the floor, shattering into countless pieces.

Danzo's gloomy old face was twisted by extreme rage, making him look like a crazed demon.

"Trash! You're all trash!"

He roared hoarsely, his cane pounding the hard stone floor with heavy thuds.

Before him, Yamanaka Fū knelt on one knee, his body trembling slightly with fear.

"Lord Danzo, this subordinate... this subordinate is incompetent."

"Last night, I personally infiltrated the orphanage to investigate. The floor in that room had indeed been damaged, but there were no signs of a fight, nor was there any blood."

"It was as if... as if they vanished into thin air."

There was a trace of disbelief and terror in Yamanaka Fū's voice.

"Vanished into thin air?"

Danzo sneered, manic killing intent flashing in his single eye.

"Three men. Three Root elites. They just disappeared without a sound?"

"Do you take me for a three-year-old child?!"

"This subordinate would not dare!" Yamanaka Fū lowered his head even further in fright.

"This must have been Hiruzen's doing!"

Danzo swept his arm fiercely, knocking every document on the table onto the floor.

"He must have known that brat's value long ago, so he sent ANBU directly under Naruto to protect him in secret!"

"Last night, the ANBU must have made their move, killed our men, and cleaned up the scene!"

Other than that explanation, Danzo could think of no other possibility.

A six-year-old brat, even with Wood Release, could not possibly make three Root elites vanish from the face of the earth in an instant.

"Hiruzen, Hiruzen... To protect that brat, you were even willing to kill ninjas from the same village!"

Danzo gritted his teeth, the jealousy and resentment in his eyes nearly overflowing.

"The more you protect him, the more I must have him!"

He turned and looked at the map on the wall, his gaze becoming incomparably sinister.

"Relay my orders. Plan B is suspended."

"Do not make another move against Sen Senju for now. We cannot alert the enemy."

"I will wait."

"Wait for the best opportunity, one where Hiruzen cannot interfere!"

Ninja Academy, morning theory class.

Sen lay sprawled across his old seat by the window in the back row, drooling in his sleep.

After leveling up, his mental power had also improved tremendously.

Now, he could even sleep while splitting off a sliver of mental energy to listen to Iruka's lecture at the front.

He could multitask, slack off, and study all at once.

The morning class ended in a drowsy haze.

During lunch break, most of the students ran off to the cafeteria to eat.

The playground was empty.

Sen was not hungry. He could now maintain his bodily functions through photosynthesis alone.

He found a patch of grass with the best sunlight, plopped down, and prepared to enjoy a hearty "sunlight lunch."

Just as he lay down and was about to close his eyes.

A huge shadow enveloped his entire body.

Sen opened his eyes impatiently.

A tall, fat upperclassman who looked to weigh at least two hundred pounds stood before him with his arms folded, looking down at him from above.

It was Big Bear, the school bully whom Hinata had scared off on the first day of school.

Two equally large lackeys stood beside Big Bear.

"Well, well. Isn't this the loser who only knows how to hide behind women?"

Big Bear grinned, revealing an exceptionally nasty smile.

"Why isn't your little Byakugan princess here to protect you today?"

Sen sighed, sat up from the grass, and brushed the grass clippings off his butt.

What a persistent nuisance.

He just wanted to peacefully soak up some more sun. Why were there always blind flies buzzing around him?

"Senior, what can I do for you?"

Sen dug at his ear, his tone flat.

"What can you do for me?"

Big Bear sneered and clenched his sandbag-sized fists.

"You got away last time, but this time, let's see who can save you!"

"Kid, I won't make things too difficult for you."

Big Bear extended a thick, fleshy hand and held it out before Sen.

"Hand over all your lunch money for this month. Then kneel and kowtow three times, and call me Brother Bear."

"Then we'll call it even."

Sen looked at Big Bear's greasy fat face and suddenly smiled.

He was actually in quite a good mood right now.

He had just leveled up twice and had been wondering where to test out his newfound strength.

This fat guy would make a decent punching bag.

"What if I say no?"

The smile remained on Sen's face, but his eyes gradually turned cold.

"No?"

As if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, Big Bear burst into shrill laughter along with his two lackeys.

"Kid, have you never been beaten before? Do you not know how many eyes the Horse King has?"

Big Bear stomped hard, sending the turf beneath his feet flying.

"Today, Brother Bear will teach you why flowers are so red!"

Like an out-of-control heavy truck, he spread his thick legs and charged fiercely at Sen through a gust of foul wind.

He intended to use his prized weight and strength to send this overconfident brat flying!

He would let him taste the pain of broken bones!

Several students in the distance who had not gone to eat yet saw the scene and covered their eyes in fright.

"It's over, it's over. Big Bear is bullying a new student again."

"That little guy is in big trouble. Even adults can't withstand one of Big Bear's charges!"

Facing the mountain-like figure charging toward him.

Sen stood where he was without even moving his feet.

His childish face even carried a hint of bored drowsiness.

Last night, he had faced three Root ANBU who killed without blinking.

Compared to them, this fat man's charge was like kindergarten children playing house.

Too slow.

Too weak.

Full of openings.

Just one second before Big Bear's fat face was about to slam into the tip of his nose.

Sen finally raised his right hand unhurriedly.

He did not even use chakra.

He simply relied on the terrifying pure physical strength he had gained after leveling up, strength he had yet to fully control.

And gently held out his hand.

Boom!

A deafening explosion tore through the empty playground!

It did not sound like two bodies colliding.

It sounded more like two meteors flying at high speed crashing violently into each other!

What happened next made everyone's eyes widen as if they had witnessed the most unbelievable sight of their lives.

Big Bear, the fat man weighing over two hundred pounds.

The instant he came into contact with Sen's seemingly slender and powerless palm.

His entire body was sent flying as if he had been rammed head-on by a charging giant rhinoceros.

The immense impact launched his fat body into the air!

Like a baseball struck by a home run, he traced an absurdly exaggerated arc through the sky.

Even his scream was forced back down his throat by the howling wind.

He flew more than ten meters!

Finally, with a dull thud.

He slammed heavily into the hard wall at the edge of the playground!

Cracks spread across the wall like a spiderweb from where his body was embedded.

Big Bear's limbs twisted at bizarre angles. His eyes rolled back, and he passed out on the spot.

The entire playground fell deathly silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

The two lackeys who had been so arrogant moments ago were now limp on the ground, the stench of urine drifting from their pants.

The students in the distance had their mouths hanging open, their jaws practically hitting the ground.

What had they just seen?

A six-year-old child had merely raised his hand lightly.

And sent an upperclassman bully more than three times his weight flying over ten meters like he was swatting a fly?

And he was freaking embedded in the wall?

Was this really not some kind of hot-blooded movie being filmed?!

The wind blew softly.

Sen slowly withdrew his right hand and looked at the "result" in the distance, scratching his head in distress.

He had not expected this outcome either.

He had really only wanted to block him a little.

Who knew the strength he had gained after leveling up would be this ridiculous?

He simply could not control it.

Under the ghostlike stares of dozens of people.

Sen innocently raised both hands and gave Iruka, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, an exceptionally pure and innocent smile.

"Um... Teacher."

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to."

"I just didn't expect..."

"He'd be so light."