"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika-pi!!!"
In the Forest of Death, Sōkyū Hatake pointed at a large tree as he spoke. Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, did not sit idle either, firing a Thunderbolt straight at the tree!
In an instant, the tree turned charred black, sending up wisps of smoke.
"Nice work, Pikachu." Sōkyū walked straight over to the tree and examined it carefully.
Judging by the marks on the tree, Pikachu's Thunderbolt was every bit as powerful as an ordinary A-rank ninjutsu.
A smile appeared on Sōkyū's face at the thought.
Getting Pikachu could not have been more fitting for this early beginner stage, when he was most likely to get himself killed.
Taking an apple out of his backpack and placing it in Pikachu's hands, Sōkyū began today's round of training.
Besides swinging his blade, today's training now included kicking wooden posts. The Forest of Death was a great place for that.
After all, whatever else the Forest of Death had to offer, trees were a dime a dozen.
With the apple in hand, Pikachu went straight up a tree and began enjoying his afternoon tea.
"Is that him?"
"Yes. According to the information Lord Danzo provided, this is our target."
"Let's just do it. He's only a child."
"Right, go ahead. I'll keep watch here."
"Don't worry. It'll only take a moment."
In the shadows, two figures hid among the bushes, watching Sōkyū kick the wooden post over and over. Both looked utterly disdainful.
To them, Sōkyū was practicing Taijutsu, something they considered thoroughly inferior.
After all, the Third Shinobi World War had yet to begin, and neither had heard of Might Duy's formidable reputation.
"591! 592!" Sōkyū kicked the tree again and again. His trouser legs had already split open, exposing the red marks left by kicking the post.
"Sōkyū Hatake, come with us!" Just as Sōkyū was concentrating on kicking the post, a black figure suddenly appeared before him.
"Who are you?" Sōkyū's pupils constricted. The next second, the ninja aimed a knife-hand strike straight at his neck.
Root? A knife-hand strike! Damn it!
Sōkyū's pupils trembled. Weren't they normally supposed to exchange a few more words? How was he supposed to react to this?
He had not even managed to use Soru!
Just as the Root ninja's sneak attack was about to land on Sōkyū, Pikachu, who had been up in the tree eating melon... no, eating an apple, appeared directly between Sōkyū and the Root ninja.
"What?!" The Root ninja keeping watch from hiding stared at the suddenly appearing Pikachu, feeling rather unsettled.
"Pikachu!!!" The tail behind Pikachu suddenly began to glow, then knocked the Root ninja's knife-hand strike aside.
The next second, Pikachu's recoil pushed Sōkyū back a little, opening up the distance between them at once.
"Is this the summoned beast Lord Danzo mentioned?" The Root ninja felt his hand trembling all over.
It felt as though an iron bar had struck him. Looking again, he saw that his arm had already begun to redden and swell.
"What are you dawdling for? Let's take it down together!" The other Root ninja stepped out, clearly no longer willing to give Sōkyū and Pikachu any room to act.
Their clothing and masks made their identities quite clear!
They were Root ninjas under Danzo's command!
And since Danzo had sent them, that meant Hiruzen Sarutobi knew nothing about this!
In particular, today was the only day Sōkyū had come to the Forest of Death over the past few days. In other words, Danzo had specifically seized this opportunity to act!
At that thought, Sōkyū's eyes turned cold.
This Danzo really won't leave me alone!
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Having recovered, Sōkyū immediately called out to Pikachu.
"Pika-pika!!!" Upon receiving Sōkyū's command, Pikachu unleashed a bolt of yellow lightning from its body!
0.01 seconds later, Thunderbolt engulfed one of the Root ninjas!
Thud!
Having taken a Thunderbolt from the mighty Pikachu head-on, how could that Root ninja possibly withstand the attack? He did not have Ash's constitution!
With an afro and caramel-colored skin, he collapsed to the ground, clearly as dead as could be!
"A lightning-type summoned beast! Wind Release! Vacuum Sphere!"
Wind countered lightning!
This Root ninja could not have been more familiar with that fact!
In particular, as a Root ninja, he had keen powers of observation. He immediately noticed that Pikachu was in the cooldown period after using a technique!
This was his chance!
As he exhaled, the Root ninja shot chakra through the air like bullets, spitting out several waves of Wind Release to attack his enemy. Similar to Phoenix Flower Fire, this ninjutsu fired the chakra accumulated in the mouth like bullets when the user exhaled. By continuously exhaling in short bursts, he fired the technique toward Pikachu without stopping, like a machine gun.
"Soru!" Sōkyū scooped Pikachu into his arms and swiftly moved it out of the way.
"Sōkyū Hatake! You've harmed a ninja of the village! Come back with me immediately for questioning!" Seeing that his attack had missed, the Root ninja immediately tried to use the village to pressure Sōkyū.
But the Root ninja had gotten one thing wrong.
He, Sōkyū Hatake, was not blindly loyal like Kakashi Hatate! Had it been Kakashi, he would certainly have wrapped himself up and delivered himself to Danzo!
But he was different!
"Soru!" Sōkyū appeared directly behind the Root ninja, a kunai already thrusting toward the man's neck!
"I was waiting for you!" The Root ninja was not someone Sōkyū could contend with at this point. Feeling the rush of air behind him, he reached back with his right hand and clamped it tightly around Sōkyū's hand!
Now Sōkyū dangled in the air like a little chick, while the Root ninja suddenly broke into a broad grin.
"Caught you, little rat. Just wait until you get a taste of Root's Water Prison!" A hint of perverse delight flashed in the Root ninja's eyes!
Before you continue