Chapter 210: The Third's Cunning
"Instructor Sakumo, you should go. The mission matters more. We'll stay behind."
Faced with the growing number of enemies, the three ANBU members realized they were ultimately holding Sakumo back.
The enemy wasn't attacking to kill—they were clearly stalling for time.
And why stall? Obviously, to buy time for their assault on the Land of Fire.
One of them had to make it back to report.
That person could only be Sakumo. He was the only one who could break through the encirclement. The three of them couldn't.
By now, the masks of the Konoha ANBU had shattered in the battle, revealing the youthful faces beneath. They were all just fifteen or sixteen years old.
To be ANBU at their age was a clear sign of prodigious talent—they were geniuses, the future pillars of Konoha.
Faced with their earnest plea to stay behind, Sakumo didn't hesitate at all.
"Follow me. Once I find a break in their formation, you run. I'll hold them off."
Without the slightest hesitation, Sakumo crossed his fists over his chest.
First Gate: Gate of Opening — Open.
Second Gate: Gate of Healing — Open.
As he continued to open the Eight Gates one by one, violent chakra surged out of him.
The force of it blew the three ANBU backward.
"The Eight Gates Formation?!" The ANBU trio were stunned, and even the Root agents disguised as Akatsuki members were shocked.
This was the Eight Gates—rumored to grant even a genin dozens of times the power of a Hokage if all gates were opened. A terrifying forbidden technique.
Now, a Kage-level fighter like Sakumo was using it. The result would be terrifying.
For a moment, the Root agents' eyes filled with primal fear. They instinctively stepped back.
All high-level ninja had trump cards.
For Sakumo, his trump card was his mastery of the Seven Gates of the Eight Gates Formation.
Already known for his speed, he would be even faster now.
If he wanted to escape, no one could stop him.
But he didn't hesitate to stay behind—ready to give his life to protect his three young comrades.
"Good!"
From a cliff in the distance, Danzo whispered with satisfaction.
Don't get the wrong idea—he wasn't praising Sakumo's selflessness. He was admiring the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi's choice in assembling this ANBU squad.
Deliberately assigning three young operatives was a strategic move to leave Sakumo no choice.
Sarutobi truly understood human nature.
The story of the Second Hokage sacrificing himself to let the next generation survive was deeply embedded in Konoha lore. Nearly every shinobi knew it.
It was part of Hiruzen's efforts to legitimize his own succession.
That tale had deeply influenced many—especially Sakumo, who had long considered himself the future Hokage.
Faced with three young comrades, Sakumo—thinking like a Hokage—felt he had no other choice. Protecting the next generation was a Hokage's duty. There was no escaping it.
"It's done."
Danzo allowed a slight smile. The plan had mostly succeeded. All that was left was to stall Sakumo a bit longer.
The Eight Gates were indeed powerful, but if Sakumo was encumbered by others, the Root agents could still hold him off just long enough.
"Scatter!"
Knowing full well how dangerous Sakumo was after opening the Seven Gates, the Root leader gave the order without hesitation.
Their goal remained the same: prevent Sakumo and the others from reaching the Land of Fire in time.
If they could delay them just ten minutes, they would succeed.
There were many Root agents. Once scattered, even someone as fast as Sakumo would have difficulty killing them quickly.
Not to mention he had three comrades to protect.
"Go!"
Root moved fast, but Sakumo moved faster. With all Seven Gates open, he smashed a fist forward—thunderous lightning exploded outward, instantly taking down all Root agents within a hundred meters.
The ANBU trio looked grim but did not hesitate. Trusting in their commander, they grabbed each other and sprinted through the breach Sakumo had opened.
"Don't let them escape!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Style: Fire Train!"
"Water Style: Surging Wave!"
"Lightning Style: Earth Flow!"
"Earth Style: Tremor Wave!"
The Root agents, moving in perfect sync, launched a barrage of coordinated elemental jutsu—each set of five casting the same technique simultaneously to expand its range and power.
Such wide-area attacks, involving all five elemental styles, were terrifying.
Sakumo could break through them with sheer force, but the three young ANBU couldn't.
Left with no choice, Sakumo flickered to their side and began smashing through the attacks with brute force.
Boom boom boom! Fire and water raged through the air, only to be blasted away by the shockwaves from Sakumo's fists.
"Keep going! Keep using large-scale jutsu!"
The Root leader coordinating the ambush had experience—and knew the limits of the Eight Gates.
While the technique gave enormous power, the raging chakra flow was difficult to control.
Which meant: the more gates opened, the harder it was to use jutsu.
That was why the Eight Gates were classified as a taijutsu-only forbidden technique.
In fact, the Root leader had been shocked when Sakumo managed to use Lightning Release after opening seven gates.
Thankfully, that had only worked once. After that, the pain and pressure from the seven open gates overwhelmed his mental focus. From then on, he relied purely on taijutsu.
And the best way to counter taijutsu? Keep your distance and use large-scale jutsu. No close combat.
Boom!
A shockwave tore through three Root agents. Unable to dodge in time, their hearts exploded from within—instant death.
Even under heavy fire, Sakumo still managed to kill enemies with terrifying precision.
But there was no doubt—their advance was slowing.
There were too many Root agents. And their weakest were elite chunin, each with their own specialty. Together, with coordinated jutsu, it was hard to shake their pursuit.
"Damn it!"
Forced to stay near the ANBU trio, Sakumo couldn't leave their side to deal with the threat alone. If he did, they wouldn't survive the next barrage.
In the end, the burden slowed him down.
Time passed quickly.
Ten minutes.
Both Sakumo and the Root agents were exhausted. Their chakra reserves were nearly depleted.
"Monster…"
"Freak…"
Even so, Sakumo still had all seven gates open. The Root agents could only curse him in disbelief.
At least now… they didn't have to face him any longer.
Those who survived let out silent sighs of relief.
On a forested mountainside, Danzo shook his head.
"Looks like we won't be killing Sakumo today."
Unlike the Third Hokage, who hoped to keep Sakumo around under tight control, Danzo's goal had always been to eliminate him.
Anyone who posed a threat to him—even a fellow Konoha ninja—was a threat to the village. And threats should be eliminated.
Unfortunately, Sakumo was too powerful. Danzo's Root operatives were spent, and as for himself… well, he wasn't about to admit it, but even now—facing a nearly depleted Sakumo—he still didn't see a path to victory.
So best not to embarrass himself. He'd stick to the Third's plan for now.
"Let them go. Clean the battlefield—don't leave any traces."
Danzo gave his orders and turned to leave. His part was done. Now it was time to return to the village and scheme again.
Down below—
Once the Root ninja ceased pursuit, Sakumo and his ANBU companions fled quickly. They hadn't forgotten—they still had to return and report.
As soon as they were gone, the Root agents began erasing all signs of battle from the field.
(END CHAPTER)
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