Hatake Sakumo's expression did not relax, however. He looked at Fang Xu and Kakashi, lowering his voice a little.
"But there's one other person both of you must remember."
Kakashi asked, "Who?"
"Shimura Danzō."
Hearing that name, Fang Xu's expression grew serious too.
Hatake Sakumo looked at them.
"Danzo is a member of Konoha High Command and the leader of Root."
"Most of what Root does stays hidden in the shadows."
"He's different from Lady Tsunade."
"Lady Tsunade has a sharp tongue and a soft heart. She protects her own, but she won't treat you as tools."
"Danzo is different."
Hatake Sakumo said, stressing every word, "He is an extremely dangerous man."
"You must never meet him in private."
"Do not bring him up yourselves."
"And above all, never go off alone with anyone claiming to be from Root."
It was the first time Kakashi had heard his father speak about a member of Konoha High Command in that tone, and he grew tense as well.
"Father, would Danzo attack us?"
Hatake Sakumo did not give a definite answer.
"I hope not."
"But if you notice Root has its eye on you, tell me immediately."
"Don't try to be tough, and don't test them."
"Especially you, Fang Xu."
Fang Xu looked up.
Hatake Sakumo said, "You've revealed too much already."
"Lightning-Attribute Nintaijutsu, a talent for Kendo, the Senju bloodline, and now a connection with Lady Tsunade."
"Taken together, those things are enough to tempt certain people."
Fang Xu fell silent for a moment, hesitation on his face.
Hatake Sakumo noticed something was wrong.
"What is it?"
Fang Xu did not answer immediately. He glanced at Kakashi first, then looked at Hatake Sakumo.
"Teacher, there's actually a feeling I've been having lately."
Hatake Sakumo's brow shifted slightly.
"What feeling?"
"That I'm being watched."
Fang Xu said slowly, "Since I revealed my talent, my perception has become much sharper than before."
"At first, I thought it was Lord Third Hokage's Anbu, or the Telescope Technique."
"But the last few times, that gaze felt different."
"It wasn't simple observation. It felt more like it carried malice."
Kakashi's expression changed.
"Are you sure you weren't imagining it?"
Fang Xu shook his head.
"I'm not sure."
"That's why I haven't said anything."
"But when Teacher mentioned Danzo just now, I started thinking I might not have imagined it."
As his words fell, the courtyard went quiet.
Kakashi and Fang Xu turned almost simultaneously toward the veranda.
A Hatake Sakumo stood there.
It was not the original, but a Shadow Clone.
Ever since Fang Xu and Kakashi had begun training, Hatake Sakumo had made a habit of leaving a Shadow Clone to stand guard outside the courtyard.
The Shadow Clone opened his eyes and nodded.
"I vaguely sensed someone watching before, too."
Kakashi immediately asked, "Father, you noticed it too?"
The Shadow Clone said, "At first, I thought it was Lord Third Hokage's Anbu, or the Telescope Technique, so I didn't pay much attention."
"After all, it isn't strange for Fang Xu to be getting attention lately."
"But in light of what Fang Xu has said, that sense of being watched may not have come from the Third Hokage."
The original Hatake Sakumo's expression turned utterly cold. He looked at his Shadow Clone.
"You stay."
The Shadow Clone nodded.
"Understood."
Hatake Sakumo looked back at Fang Xu and Kakashi.
"Stay in the courtyard. Don't go anywhere."
Fang Xu and Kakashi nodded together.
The next instant, Hatake Sakumo's figure flickered, and he vanished from the backyard.
Beneath the night sky, Konoha's rooftops stretched together in an unbroken expanse.
Hatake Sakumo moved astonishingly fast, crossing several streets in just a few leaps.
He extended his perception.
Soon, he locked onto a deeply concealed chakra fluctuation.
There was more than one. Three Root ninja hid in the shadows, scattered across positions not far from either Fang Xu's home or the Hatake Residence.
They had only been watching from a distance, but the instant Hatake Sakumo approached, all three sensed danger.
"Not good!"
"It's White Fang!"
"Retreat!"
The leading Root ninja's voice dropped.
"Split up!"
Three dark figures immediately fled in different directions.
They reacted quickly, but Hatake Sakumo was faster.
The first Root ninja had just leaped onto a rooftop when he heard something cut through the air beside his ear.
Before he could turn around, a scabbard slammed into the back of his neck.
Bam!
He toppled off the rooftop and crashed hard onto the ground.
The second Root ninja tried to dart into an alley.
But the moment he landed, a foot was already planted against the wall in front of him.
Hatake Sakumo pushed off and spun, driving his knee into the man's chest.
Crack!
The sound of bone cracking rang out clearly.
The Root ninja grunted and flew backward, knocking over a pile of clutter.
The third Root ninja was the fastest.
He rapidly formed hand seals, trying to escape with the Body Flicker Technique.
But before he could finish, a white figure was already right in front of him.
Hatake Sakumo reached out, seized his wrist, and twisted it back.
"Aah!"
The Root ninja's arm twisted out of shape as he was pinned to the ground.
All three were down in just a few breaths.
The leading Root ninja's face was covered in blood, but he still forced himself to look up.
"Hatake Sakumo!"
"We're carrying out a mission on Lord Danzo's orders!"
"Are you trying to rebel, attacking Root ninja without authorization?"
Hatake Sakumo walked toward him, step by step.
His voice was frighteningly cold.
"You Root rats."
"You spy on my student, then dare use Danzo to pressure me?"
The leading Root ninja gritted his teeth.
"This is a village mission!"
"Fang Xu's background is unusual. Root has the right to investigate!"
"Obstructing Root means obstructing the village!"
Bam!
Hatake Sakumo kicked him in the face.
The Root ninja's mask shattered on the spot, and he rolled several meters across the ground.
Two bloody teeth fell to the ground.
The remaining two Root ninja stiffened, even quieting their breathing.
They had seen plenty of ruthless people.
But only at that moment did they truly understand that the White Fang of the Leaf was not a mild-tempered hero.
The name he had earned through killing had never been won through gentleness.
Hatake Sakumo walked up to the leading Root ninja and looked down at him.
"Go back and tell Danzo."
"Fang Xu is my student."
"Starting today, he is not to send anyone to watch him again."
"If there's a next time, I won't stop at breaking a few of your bones."
Half the leading Root ninja's face was swollen, and blood kept streaming from the corner of his mouth.
He dared not speak of rebellion again, nor did he dare make any more threats.
Hatake Sakumo looked away. His figure flickered, and he headed straight for the Hokage Building.
The lights were still on in the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, several documents laid out before him.
The window was pushed open, and Hatake Sakumo landed inside the office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up and frowned.
"Sakumo?"
"What's so urgent at this hour?"
Hatake Sakumo did not beat around the bush.
"Lord Hokage, I just injured several Root ninja."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed.
"Root?"
Hatake Sakumo said, "They were watching Fang Xu."
"They were not far from either Fang Xu's home or the Hatake Residence."
"They tried to flee after I discovered them."
"Their leader said they were carrying out a mission on Danzo's orders."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.