Instant takedown

After the ANBU withdrew, Root was the only organization left keeping a close watch on Liumu and Jiraiya.

Just then, Jiraiya, who was teaching Liumu how to control chakra, suddenly rose with a cold expression and shouted toward the nearby woods, "If you want to know something, come out and ask. Stop skulking around."

Jiraiya's reputation as one of the Sannin resounded throughout almost the entire Shinobi World. Even members of Root were unwilling to show the slightest displeasure in front of him.

But although they knew how powerful Jiraiya was, they could not refuse the mission their superiors had assigned them.

Seeing that there was still no movement in the distance, Jiraiya shouted again, "It's not that I didn't give you a chance. You're the ones who refused to take it. But if you intend to keep watching us like this, don't blame me for showing no mercy, even if you're fellow villagers from Konoha."

With that, Jiraiya made to sit down. Just then, a man with tied-up hair and a mask marked with horizontal stripes slowly emerged from the bushes. He approached the two of them and cupped his hands in greeting. "Lord Jiraiya."

"Speak. What does he want to know?"

The "he" Jiraiya referred to was naturally Danzo. As Danzo belonged to the same generation as his teacher, Jiraiya still maintained the humility expected of a junior, even if he disliked him.

The man with tied-up hair bowed and replied, "Our plan in the Land of Rain was ruined, and the person who returned from the battlefield was him."

The man pointed at Liumu and told Jiraiya, "Anyone who betrays the village must receive the punishment they deserve."

"Betrayal?" Jiraiya's expression turned icy. An invisible wave of killing intent erupted from him as he demanded coldly, "Do you know what you're saying?"

Liumu was Jiraiya's student. If he had betrayed the village, he would become a rogue ninja of Konoha.

Not just Konoha, but almost every village had only one way of dealing with rogue ninja: kill them!

Even if Jiraiya did not know what Liumu had done in the Land of Rain, he would not let anyone slander his student at will.

His powerful killing intent was almost tangible, making the surrounding bushes rustle loudly.

Just then, several figures appeared beside the man with tied-up hair. Only then did the man reply, "Lord Jiraiya, Root's orders are absolute. Whether or not he is a rogue ninja is for the higher-ups to decide. By acting like this, do you intend to desert the village too?"

As the man spoke, the others behind him drew the long swords from their backs. The blades flashed coldly, giving off a chilling aura.

It seemed that if Jiraiya so much as nodded, the two sides would launch into a fight to the death.

"Pfft..."

Faced with this scene, Jiraiya threw back his head and laughed. Only after he had laughed until he was breathless did his expression turn cold as he replied mockingly, "I'm afraid Danzo's ambitions aren't aimed at this student of mine, but at me, a student of the Third."

Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi had struggled against each other all their lives. Ever since the Second passed the Hokage position to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo had opposed the Hokage at every turn.

The Hokage commanded the ANBU, so Danzo recruited talented individuals and established Root. Through Root's almost inhumane training, its strength had long since far surpassed the ANBU's.

Danzo was not the Hokage, but his strength was in no way inferior to Sarutobi's.

As one of the Third's three students, Jiraiya's suspicions were not unfounded.

"Let me make this clear. I don't care how you explain this to that old dog Danzo when you get back, but you're not taking Liumu away today."

As Jiraiya spoke, the hair on his head slowly began to lengthen, rising behind him like needles.

The two sides faced off, and the atmosphere had reached freezing point.

Liumu, the focus of their dispute, instead narrowed his eyes and strolled lazily to Jiraiya's side. He reached out to stop him and said to the man with tied-up hair, "You just want to tie me up and take me back, don't you? Come on, do it."

Seeing their apprehension, Liumu sneered. "Since you won't make a move, I won't hold back."

With that, Liumu's figure flashed. He shot into the group like lightning and landed a knife-hand strike on the back of the tied-haired man's head.

With a thud, the man fell straight to the ground. His eyes had rolled back, indicating that he was now completely unconscious.

"Attack!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Earth Release: Earth Wave!"

In an instant, several ninjutsu hurtled straight toward Liumu's face. While Jiraiya watched anxiously, Liumu stood eerily still, as though he intended to take their attacks head-on.

Just as Jiraiya suspected, Liumu wanted to test how Taotie's devouring absorbed ninjutsu.

"Dodge!"

Jiraiya shouted urgently, rapidly forming hand seals. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Jiraiya opened his mouth and exhaled gently. A stream of water appeared directly beneath Liumu's feet, rising into a protective barrier made of water.

Within the barrier, Liumu smiled faintly. Under everyone's gaze, he slowly extended his right hand. Almost instantly, both the great fireball and the Water Formation Wall Jiraiya had released gathered into a small vortex in Liumu's palm and were swallowed directly into it.

"This..."

The ground shifted, gradually rising and falling like a tide. Liumu pressed both hands to the ground, and in less than a moment, even Earth Release: Earth Wave lost its effect.

Once he had finished, Liumu looked at his palms in satisfaction. He clenched both hands hard into fists, producing a series of sharp cracks.

"The experiment's over. You can rest now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liumu vanished once again like a phantom. Several dull thuds rang out, and every member of Root, without exception, fell unconscious.

Toad Wu's surveillance had let Jiraiya know that Liumu was far from ordinary, but witnessing it himself this time still astonished him.

He was only five years old.

Five!

How could Jiraiya not know what sort of people belonged to Root?

Without talent that was one in ten thousand or an exceptionally outstanding gift, they would never have appeared in Root's ranks.

Yet despite that, Liumu had dealt with all three of them in an instant.

And...

He also possessed the ability to absorb ninjutsu...

"Teacher Jiraiya, let's go."

Liumu smiled and tugged on Jiraiya's clothes, and the two headed toward Fei She together.

After all, he had now truly offended Danzo. To keep it from spoiling his mood on his travels, it seemed best to leave early, lest the petty Danzo keep sending people to ambush him.

Liumu's strength had always been a mystery to Jiraiya. Although he really was hopeless at ninjutsu, his overwhelming taijutsu was one thing, but how did he also possess so many incomprehensible abilities?

Could it be...

Jiraiya looked at Liumu, recalling the title of Child of Hope that the Toad Sage had once told him about.

Was I wrong?