Owl of Root

Owl of Root

The next day.

"The lethal aspect of this technique is complete... Yuto."

In the vast training ground, Uzumaki Nagato rubbed his aching arms as he crawled out of the rubble and slowly straightened up.

Before him lay two deep ravines nearly a hundred meters long, the marks left by his feet being driven across the ground when the immense force had knocked him back.

Even using the Rinnegan's special ninjutsu, Almighty Push, to block the attack could not negate that tremendous impact.

Lion Fang Severance—this was a move capable of making its user famous throughout the ninja world!

Hyuga Yuto panted heavily, his hands once again drenched in blood.

"Thanks..."

"Are your hands okay?"

"They're nearly crippled. Luckily, I know medical ninjutsu." Hyuga Yuto still felt lingering fear. Once Lion Fang Severance was completed, the burden it imposed on its caster's body had increased severalfold. Its power was peerless, but it had also shattered the bones in his arms.

"I'm leaving today. I've been away from the village for too long already. If I stay any longer, I won't be able to justify it." As Hyuga Yuto healed himself with the Mystical Palm Technique, he said to Uzumaki Nagato, "Until my teacher figures out a way to weaken this technique's backlash, I have to limit how often I use it. With the current version of Lion Fang Severance, using it three times in a row will tear off my own arms."

"Great power always demands a great price." Uzumaki Nagato sighed softly. "We ninja, in the end, are just a group of unfortunate people. We grow strong because of chakra, and die because of chakra."

Hyuga Yuto smiled.

"Being too sensitive isn't a good thing... Nagato, I'm leaving."

"Fine... I only hope that when we meet again, we won't be enemies."

"If that happens, there's nothing we can do about it. Ninja have never been able to decide their own fates."

The branch family boy returned to his house, tidied the room, and packed his luggage.

But he did not leave immediately. Instead, he continued using medical ninjutsu inside the room to heal his body.

When traveling outside, he needed to recover at least to the point where he could fight someone of the same level.

As dusk fell, the rain continued without end over this land.

At the residence outside the base, Asano Kaoru ground seeds.

The oil used to maintain blades took a great deal of time to make. Many of its steps could not be replaced with ninjutsu and could only be carried out through ancient craftsmanship.

Asano Kaoru had secretly worked for two months to make blade oil for Takeda Shigen's Flying Wings. Before leaving, she wanted to finish the task.

The Land of Sea might not have Black Palm Flowers.

As a Hidden Leaf Village spy who was about to flee the Land of Rain, Asano Kaoru naturally could not pack her things as openly as Hyuga Yuto had.

Yahiko had let Takeda Shigen deal with Asano Kaoru himself. As long as it did not harm the Akatsuki, he could do whatever he wanted, and Yahiko would not interfere.

"Running off into the distance with a female spy" would not truly inflict serious harm on the Akatsuki. It could barely be considered an acceptable way to handle things.

But slipping away secretly was one thing; making it known to everyone was another.

Takeda Shigen and Asano Kaoru could not go too far and leave Yahiko and the others unable to save face. Making things easier for others was making things easier for oneself.

More importantly, Asano Kaoru knew that at this hour today, she had to be in this house. If she were nowhere to be found, or if the timing was wrong, it could lead to serious consequences.

Because today was the day she had arranged to meet her superior.

Creak—

After a while, the door opened.

The footsteps had a distinct rhythm. It was a secret signal.

"Dark." The man who entered shut the door and spoke Asano Kaoru's codename within Root.

"Lord Owl." The female ninja set down the stone pestle, turned around, dropped to one knee, and lowered her head deeply.

"The endless rain of the Hidden Rain Village is always so bothersome." Owl wore a bird-faced mask that concealed his features completely. His black robe wrapped him tightly from head to toe, leaving outsiders able to see only the outline of his knotted muscles.

"Dark, is there anything you wish to tell me about Takeda Shigen?"

It felt as though some hand had clenched Asano Kaoru's heart. In that instant, she was so nervous she could scarcely breathe.

Fortunately, ever since her parents' deaths, when Asano Kaoru had been sent into Root, she had endured countless trials and dangerous situations. She would not break beneath a casual test of this sort.

The instant she half-closed her eyes, the female ninja forcibly suppressed her tension and fear, then said calmly, "The assassination operation against Takeda Shigen will take place in five days. At that time, he will escort a wealthy man from the Land of Rain out of the Hidden Rain Village. In the wilderness, far from the Akatsuki base, we will have our best opportunity to strike."

"I heard that you and Takeda Shigen have a good relationship. Dark, have you wavered?"

Asano Kaoru sighed inwardly. She understood very well what "I heard" meant. Naturally, there were other Hidden Leaf Village spies in the Akatsuki besides her.

The female ninja raised her head, her beautiful eyes cold and emotionless.

Owl reached out and pinched Asano Kaoru's chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. His fingers dug into her fair skin without the slightest tenderness. Only after a long while did he release her with satisfaction.

What Root needed and favored most was subordinates with no excessive emotions, people who thought of nothing besides their missions.

"Tell me, Dark. What level of force is needed to assassinate Takeda Shigen?"

"He excels at Water Release. The most important thing to watch out for is those two chakra blades, Flying Wings. Other than that, he is merely an ordinary special jonin."

"Then I'll give you four team members. Including you, that makes five people. It should be enough... If necessary, I will act as well."

Asano Kaoru replied evenly, "There's no need, Lord Owl. If it's an ambush, I can succeed on my own. Takeda Shigen trusts me very much."

"Fine. You will be fully responsible for this assassination. I will temporarily leave the Land of Rain to deal with other matters."

The huge weight in Asano Kaoru's heart finally lifted. Instinctively, she wanted Owl as far away from her as possible. He was a dangerous man.

"A scapegoat. What you'll say after the operation succeeds, after you take his place... Heh, forget it. There's no need to say any of that, Dark. You've already become an outstanding ninja."

Owl glanced around the room. The discarded cardboard boxes were filled with Black Palm Flower seeds that had been squeezed dry of oil.

"Very good. A spy must fully immerse herself in her role... Once we close the net on the Akatsuki, Lord Danzo will give you a more important mission."

By the time his words fell, he had already vanished.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes...

Asano Kaoru remained kneeling on one knee, utterly motionless.

No one knew how long passed before she suddenly collapsed onto the floor.

Finally... I've passed the final obstacle... Owl... you terrifying man, you surely don't know that was the last time we will ever meet in this lifetime.

Asano Kaoru sat on the floor for a long while. Only after her taut nerves had completely relaxed did she rise and push open the window.

Outside, the rain still fell ceaselessly. Steep steel towers tore through the night like deep wells that had risen from the flat earth.

Oppressive, gloomy, chaotic—the Hidden Rain Village had always possessed such a temperament, and it had never changed.

Yet at this moment, the female ninja desperately breathed in the air, greedily swallowing the rainwater that drifted into her mouth.

This was the taste of freedom.

(End of chapter)