Chapter 59: You May Call Me Jirō
The Root captain's words brought a faint look of relief to the other three operatives.
As long as it wasn't Kinoshita Jirō, there was nothing to truly fear.
"Finish it quickly," the captain ordered coldly, then raised his voice toward the mist. "We are shinobi of Konoha, currently on a classified mission! This might be a misunderstanding!"
"Konoha shinobi?"
A calm, almost indifferent voice echoed faintly from within the thick fog.
Hearing that, one of the Root operatives smirked. "Got their location—"
But before he could finish, an icy voice slid into all four of their ears.
"The ones we came to kill are Konoha shinobi."
Ringo Ameyuri appeared only a few meters away, lightning crackling along her twin blades. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled one of them forward.
Her hands formed rapid seals as she spoke clearly, her tone sharp as thunder.
"Lightning Blade Technique — Gate of Thunder."
"Lightning Blade Technique — Falling Lightning!"
The blade she'd thrown erupted in blinding light, arcs of electricity dancing outward in a storm of crackling blue bolts that tore toward the four masked men.
"Earth Style — Earth Flow Wall!"
One of the Root members slammed his palms to the ground. A wall of earth rose instantly, shielding them as they scattered in four directions.
The operative fleeing east spat out angrily, "Are you trying to start a war?!"
"War?"
Ringo's lips curved into a cold smile. She leapt onto the rising earth wall, catching her spinning blade midair before crouching low. Lightning surged around her legs.
If you want to lure me out… then I'll grant your wish.
In the next heartbeat, she vanished, leaving behind only a streak of blue light racing east.
Meanwhile, the Root operative escaping west moved cautiously, eyes darting through the heavy mist.
The fog was so thick he could barely see his own hands, forcing every step to be deliberate—
—unaware that only a few meters ahead, a mass of liquid crept silently toward him.
Squelch.
The instant his foot struck the puddle, the water surged upward, reforming into Suigetsu's grinning face. His liquid arms wrapped around the man, locking him in place.
A gleam of metal flashed—then the kunai drove straight into the Root agent's heart.
The man's eyes widened, blood seeping from his lips before his body went limp.
"As long as the mist surrounds us…" Suigetsu murmured, lowering the corpse gently to the ground, "…this is our domain."
He melted back into water, vanishing once more.
On the other side, Ringo's battle was far less quiet. Flashes of lightning tore through the fog, followed by a scream that cut short in an instant.
Moments later, another bolt streaked away through the haze.
At the mist's edge, the Root captain burst out, gasping for air. The scream behind him made his expression darken.
"Damn it! Who are these people…? I'll have to retreat for now!"
But as he turned to move, his body froze.
A few meters ahead, a young man sat calmly on a fallen log, watching him with casual amusement.
The captain immediately drew a kunai, his stance tense and ready.
"Oh?" the stranger said with a faint smile. "So one managed to escape."
A faint voice spoke from behind the Root operative.
When—?!
Cold sweat poured down his back. The young man who had been sitting ahead of him was gone—completely vanished.
Yuto stood behind him, watching the Root operative whip around in panic, readying for battle. Yuto only shook his head slightly.
He lifted a finger and flicked it lightly against the man's forehead.
Before the Root operative could even react, pain exploded through his skull. His vision went dark, and his body collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Yuto crouched down and removed the man's mask, revealing the plain, expressionless face of a middle-aged ninja.
The blow hadn't killed him—it had simply scrambled his brain, leaving him an empty shell.
Two sharp sounds of displacement cut through the mist.
Ringo Ameyuri and Suigetsu appeared before Yuto, their breathing steady.
"Two," Ringo said proudly, glancing at Suigetsu with a smirk.
Suigetsu clicked his tongue, saying nothing. He had only managed to kill one.
"Yuto-sama, who is that?" Ringo asked curiously, noticing the vacant stare of the surviving Root operative at Yuto's feet.
"To keep him from biting his tongue and killing himself," Yuto replied with a calm smile. "Besides, a mindless body is much easier to control with genjutsu."
He looked down at the dull, empty eyes of the Root shinobi, his expression faintly amused.
—
At Tazuna's home.
"Thank you, sir. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't know what to do," Sakura said softly.
"It's nothing," came a gentle voice nearby. "I'm just returning a favor. Since I've been staying here, helping Tazuna-san's hired shinobi is the least I can do."
Then that same calm tone carried a hint of curiosity. "Were you attacked by other ninja?"
"That's right! Some really strong guy called the 'Demon of the Mist'—but I beat him!" Naruto declared proudly.
"How impressive," the gentle voice replied, with a touch of admiration.
Half-conscious, Kakashi's eyes slowly opened, catching bits of their conversation.
"Kakashi-sensei's awake!"
Sasuke, sitting beside him, straightened immediately, his expression brightening.
Kakashi rubbed his temple, his head spinning slightly. He must've overused his Sharingan again.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're finally up!" Sakura and Naruto said together, relief clear in their voices.
"Ah, sorry for worrying you," Kakashi replied, giving a faint nod before glancing around the room.
When his gaze fell upon the plain-looking man standing beside Tazuna, his pupils narrowed just slightly.
"And that would be…?" Kakashi asked evenly.
Naruto opened his mouth to introduce him—then froze. Come to think of it, he didn't even know the man's name.
The stranger smiled warmly, bowing his head slightly.
"Nice to meet you, shinobi of Konoha," he said softly. "You may call me Jirō."
(End of Chapter)
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