He wouldn't be intimidated-he went straight on the attack

"Hinata, what is that child's name?"

Hyuga Hiashi snorted. "Tomorrow, I'll have Xiao warn him personally."

Utterly helpless, Hinata could only give him the name. "...It's Yecheng-kun."

Yecheng.

Hmm, tomorrow I'll have...

Wait, Yecheng?!

Hyuga Hiashi's expression froze.

Why did that name match the name of Tsunade's new apprentice in the intelligence he had received today?!

Surely they couldn't actually be the same person!?

After a moment of silence, Hyuga Hiashi asked again, "Hinata, did anything special happen at school today?"

Hinata looked up at her father in confusion, but still told him the truth.

"In the morning, Lord Hokage came to school and asked Yecheng-kun to become Lady Tsunade's apprentice, and then..."

At this, Hyuga Hiashi immediately changed his expression, a smile appearing on his face.

"Good, very good!

Hinata, keep training with Yecheng-kun. Yes, remember to be friends with him-good friends!"

Hinata: ?

She didn't understand, but since her father had said so, she would do as he asked.

"Yes, Father."

Meanwhile, Yecheng was facing a formidable enemy.

It was the Root ninja, the fellow wearing a Cat-Shaped Mask.

"Anything else?"

Yecheng had something to rely on and wasn't panicking in the slightest.

He had someone backing him now, too.

"Join Root. This is the last time."

The Root ninja slowly drew his sword, its snow-white blade glinting coldly in the moonlight.

He's going to attack?

Yecheng was deeply alarmed.

They were still inside Konoha. Had Root already become this lawless?

Without wasting words, he immediately activated the Ten Shadows Technique, turning the shadow beneath his opponent's feet into a pitfall.

At the same time, he summoned two Divine Dogs Shikigami, which tore savagely at his opponent.

He himself sprang backward, darted out the front door, and stood in the street shouting, "Help!"

The Root Anbu was shocked. He had never expected Yecheng to refuse to be intimidated and go straight on the attack!

He had only intended to draw his sword to threaten and frighten Yecheng into applying to join Root of his own accord.

How could he actually attack?

Lord Danzo hadn't become Hokage yet!

Who could have expected Yecheng to attack immediately!

Caught off guard, he lost his footing and his balance. With the two summoned dogs ambushing him as well, even as a Special Jōnin, he was thrown into a flurry and bitten by the two large dogs, one black and one white!

Frustrated, he was just about to pursue Yecheng, grab him, and teach him a harsh lesson.

Then he heard Yecheng's throat-tearing cry of "Help."

The Root Anbu: ...

He stiffened and immediately moved to turn and flee.

Unfortunately, his luck was terrible.

Two Uchiha members of the Konoha Military Police Force happened to be patrolling nearby.

Hearing Yecheng's cry for help, they immediately rushed over.

They soon spotted the Root Anbu. Seeing that he was a subordinate of their old enemy Danzo, they said nothing, simply fixing two pairs of blood-red Sharingan on him.

Unless he had Flying Thunder God, escape was now truly impossible!

"We're on the same side! I'm from Roo-"

The Root Anbu blanched and hurriedly identified himself as one of their own.

One of our own?

That's exactly who we're beating up!

That bastard Danzo made their lives miserable every day, slippery as an eel and leaving them nothing to use against him. Today, they had finally caught their chance!

Sneering, the two Uchiha struck hard without hesitation!

They drew Wakizashi batons from their waists. The first blow hit his mouth to stop him calling for help, the second hit his legs to stop him running. Working seamlessly together, they gave the Anbu ninja a thorough beating, looking quite imposing.

Of course, they knew their limits.

The clan and the village hadn't completely fallen out yet, so they couldn't actually kill him. Beating him half to death, however, was perfectly doable.

Standing a short distance away, Yecheng saw the man's battered, swollen face clearly through his Six Eyes and felt his anger ease.

This was exactly how those fucking Root bastards should be handled.

After watching the man be trussed up and taken away, Yecheng returned home and fell into thought.

Konoha really isn't safe at all!

I'd only just finished cooking, and an Anbu ninja popped up to kill me!

Good thing I refused to be intimidated and went straight on the attack. Otherwise, Danzo probably would've captured me and turned me into his puppet and lab rat.

Yecheng was filled with lingering fear.

In truth, this was his preconceived notion at work. However brazen Danzo might be, he couldn't possibly have Root ninja attack someone openly inside the village.

This was fundamental to the village's existence and couldn't be lightly disturbed.

A little while later, someone knocked on Yecheng's door.

Tsunade had arrived with Shizune.

That fast?

Yecheng was somewhat touched. She must have rushed straight over as soon as she got the news.

It seemed she did care quite a bit about her apprentice.

Tsunade looked Yecheng over. His clothes were dusty, and his eyes still held lingering fright, but apart from looking a little disheveled, he had no obvious injuries. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

She snorted. "That old man's getting more useless by the day. People dare to snatch someone right off the street now. What will they try next?"

Yecheng inwardly marveled. First slap a charge on them, then blow it up-the older generation's tactics were still the same.

It seemed Tsunade was no sheltered innocent in an ivory tower. She had plenty of strength and methods at her disposal.

That made sense. After all, she had fought in the Second Shinobi World War and had even been a mainstay on the battlefield.

"What, aren't you going to invite your teacher in for a seat?"

Yecheng hurriedly apologized. "Please come in, Teacher. I was just a little frightened.

I never expected spies from another village to be so well-informed. I only became your apprentice today, and they've already come to kill me."

Shizune chuckled. "He wasn't a spy from another village. He's from Konoha..."

Tsunade immediately glanced back at her, a warning in her eyes.

She felt a terrible headache coming on. This apprentice of hers was far too naive.

The Konoha Military Police Force's Uchiha had called him a spy, and Yecheng, the victim himself, had called him a spy. That made him a spy!

As for whether he really was one, that was for Danzo to argue over, prove his innocence, and pay tribute before a final conclusion could be reached!

Why are you speaking up for him first?

If you weren't so good at looking after my daily needs and such a good cook...

Oh, forget it. I took this foolish apprentice myself, so I'll put up with her.

"Oh, kid, you haven't eaten dinner either? Perfect, we'll eat together."

Seeing the two dishes and a soup on Yecheng's table, all appealing in appearance, aroma, and flavor, Tsunade's eyes immediately lit up.

Yecheng looked at her, then at Shizune beside her, feeling speechless.

How could two dishes possibly be enough?

"Since you're asking, Teacher, I'll go make another couple of dishes."

"No need."

Tsunade waved a hand and pointed to the seat opposite her, signaling him to sit.

"Shizune, go make another couple of dishes."

"Yes."

Shizune worked briskly, and the three sat down to have dinner together.

Before they even began eating, Tsunade said directly, "You're moving into my place tomorrow."

Something stirred in Yecheng's heart.