Even though the group included a bunch of kids, Gekko Chizan and his team finally reached the last city in the northern part of the Land of Fire after two full days of traveling at full speed.
The evening glow had already appeared.
Gekko Chizan arranged for everyone to rest, and even took the children to the bathhouse—he didn't even leave out Nonō.
"I'll pass. We're about to leave the Land of Fire anyway. I'll go buy something for the kids."
"Forget it. It's not like the Land of Waterfalls doesn't have supplies. Just take a proper rest. We'll set off again at dawn."
Gekko Chizan had been rushing along the road for days.
He was exhausted and needed a good rest.
In the hot spring, Gekko Chizan leaned against a rock, enjoying the warm water washing away his fatigue.
The soothing heat melted the tension out of his body.
"Hahaha! Chizan-san! Come play with us!"
"Yeah, come on!"
Unfortunately, the peace was soon shattered by a bunch of little troublemakers, turning the quiet spring into a scene of splashing chaos.
Gekko Chizan could only sigh helplessly.
He drank his sake, choosing to ignore the kids' noisy antics.
Just as he was beginning to relax, Chōmei's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Chizan, aren't you being a bit too carefree? Don't you feel something's off?"
"Hmm? Chōmei, what do you mean by that?"
The sudden words made Gekko Chizan freeze.
A wave of unease rose in his chest.
No way.
He'd been fully alert this whole time—constantly on guard and checking his surroundings.
He hadn't noticed anyone following them.
"You really didn't notice anything strange?"
"For example... that hawk in the sky right now?"
"It's been circling above for quite a while."
"It'll fly off for a bit, but then another one comes back to take its place."
Gekko Chizan subtly lifted his gaze toward the sky.
Sure enough—just as Chōmei said—there was a hawk circling overhead.
It was almost dark already, and yet... there was still a hawk?
Damn it. He'd been so focused on his surroundings that he'd forgotten about this.
The Yamanaka clan's secret technique—Mind Transfer Jutsu.
It didn't just control people—it could control animals too!
What a pain. He hadn't expected that Root would actually send someone from the Yamanaka clan after them.
"Splaaash!"
"Kids, pack up. We're leaving—now."
Gekko Chizan's face turned serious.
If possible, he really didn't want to fight with Root.
After all, they were all from the same village.
If it came to internal conflict and he got caught, he'd definitely end up being reported.
That would give Danzō leverage over him.
Still, in this situation... he did have a countermeasure.
Although... well—heh—it wasn't exactly a humane one.
At first, the kids thought Gekko Chizan was joking.
But when they saw the serious expression on his face, they immediately stopped fooling around and quickly got dressed.
"Nonō, get out here. We've got a problem."
Gekko Chizan called out to Nonō from the edge of the hot spring.
Soon after, everyone came out and regrouped at the inn.
"What's going on? What happened?"
"Root has caught up."
Nonō's expression darkened instantly.
That was bad news. No—worst-case scenario.
"Don't worry. I've already got a plan."
"We won't be walking anymore. I'll use Flying Thunder God to send you all away."
"As for the Root operatives chasing us... heh... since they came all this way, they can stay forever."
Gekko Chizan's tone suddenly hardened, and a cold killing intent burst from him.
Nonō was startled.
She knew he was strong, but that murderous aura still sent a chill down her spine.
Gekko Chizan slowly raised his hands, placing one on Nonō's shoulder and the other on one of the children.
A second later—both of them vanished.
Not long after, Gekko Chizan regrouped with the others and led them quickly toward the rear of the town.
...
"He's noticed us. What do we do?"
"Keep pursuing? Or...?"
A Yamanaka ninja spoke quietly.
Gekko Chizan's group had already started moving again.
It was obvious—they'd been discovered.
"Let's move ahead. We'll block them at the border of the Land of Fire."
"Got it!"
The three Root members moved rapidly through the forest, preparing to intercept Gekko Chizan's team.
According to their estimates, their reinforcements should already be on the way.
They just needed to stall him for a while.
...
Not far from the border of the Land of Fire, Gekko Chizan's group was still pushing forward.
Just as they were about to cross the boundary, a massive tree trunk suddenly crashed down in front of them—blocking the road completely.
"So you finally decided to show yourselves, huh?"
"I thought you'd given up already."
Gekko Chizan's tone was calm—as if being stopped meant nothing to him.
But his sharp gaze shifted toward the side of the fallen trunk.
Three Root ninjas stepped into view.
Even through their masks, Gekko Chizan could sense their stern, cold expressions.
"Gekko Chizan, this is open betrayal of the village."
"Come back with us immediately and submit to Root's investigation."
Gekko Chizan let out a hearty laugh—filled with disdain.
"Betrayal? How exactly did I betray the village?"
"Because I escorted a group of orphans?"
At his retort, one of the Root members barked coldly,
"Hmph! Nonō was once a member of Root."
"According to Root's regulations, even those who leave cannot exit the Land of Fire!"
"By helping her escape, you are committing open betrayal. Come with us now!"
Gekko Chizan said nothing more.
He only stared coldly at the three Root operatives, then shifted his eyes toward Nonō.
She stepped forward from the group, removed her glasses—and revealed a twisted smile.
"So you want me to stay, huh?"
"I just wonder... how exactly do you plan to make me stay? Hehehehehe."
A sinister aura burst from Nonō's body.
The three Root members immediately sensed danger.
But it was already too late.
From Nonō's sleeves, dozens of serpents shot out, lunging at them.
"Damn it! You're not Nonō!"
"Hehehehe... so you figured it out."
Nonō chuckled softly, tightening her control.
The snakes surged forward like a living tide.
"Earth Release! Earth Flow Wall!"
A wall of earth rose up, temporarily blocking the snakes—but only for a moment.
The next second, it shattered into rubble.
Nonō—or rather, the imposter—charged forward like a blade slicing through the air.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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