Lin Ze glanced at the agitated Tagitsuhime. Nonō had just told him what had happened.
Although today's incident had partly resulted from Tagitsuhime showing off too much and offending the White Snake Sage, even without Tagitsuhime, this scene would have played out sooner or later.
It was only a matter of time. Lin Ze waved a hand and said nothing more.
His gaze swept over the devastated island as he told Nonō and the others:
"Sis, clean up the battlefield with the others. I'll repair the barrier, then I still need to head back."
Nonō and the others nodded and got to work.
Not long afterward, Lin Ze headed into the underground laboratory.
He lay back down in the life-support apparatus, and his soul left his body once more, heading toward the Land of Water.
On the morning of the third day, at the harbor in the Land of Waves.
A passenger ship was preparing to set sail for the Land of Fire across the water.
Yami Uchiha and her two teammates-a middle-aged chunin and a somewhat inexperienced-looking teenage genin-were about to board.
Their C-rank escort mission had gone smoothly, and their client had arrived safely. All three were feeling fairly relaxed.
"That mission went pretty smoothly, Senior Yami," the teenage genin said with a smile.
"Yes, it did."
Yami Uchiha nodded, a gentle smile on her face.
Just then, something suddenly went wrong!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures darted out without warning from behind the cargo crates stacked on the dock!
They wore tight black clothing and white masks modeled after birds' beaks-the unmistakable standard attire of Root ninja!
"Root?!"
The middle-aged chunin's expression changed drastically, and he immediately drew a kunai. "Weren't they disbanded after Lord Danzo died?!"
Following Danzo's death, Root was no longer a