Chapter 57: Trapped
Far from the besieged trio, a lone figure stood silently atop a tall tree, ten miles away.
Saiki watched the distant forest fire with cold indifference. His condescending expression bore no resemblance to the amiable persona he maintained back in the Hidden Hot Water Village. A chill colder than the winter night radiated from him, and a small smirk played on his lips as if he were watching a farce.
"Not bad at all, Watanabe... With your swordsmanship and Lightning Style, even I wasn't confident I could beat you. And with that brat and his bizarre summons in the mix, I had no choice but to request support from Lord Danzo. Although it cost me some of his trust, it's finally time to close the net."
His eyes grew deep.
"My... name is Saiki. I am a ninja with a name, with feelings. Not just a Root operative with no past and no future, existing only to follow orders."
He had been assigned by Shimura Danzo to infiltrate the Hidden Hot Water two years ago. Gradually, the humanity he had suppressed for so long began to resurface. As long as he carefully concealed his identity, he could live a safe, normal life. It was far easier than the assassination and bodyguard missions he used to run.
He had grown to like this simple, easy life. He could chat, shop, and go on missions like a normal person, not like a Root rat scurrying in the gutters. Raised in a brutal, competitive environment, he had fought and killed his way to the top, becoming a Root shinobi—a winner in the eyes of others.
Thinking of the Hidden Hot Water leadership, now within his grasp, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. Freedom, it seemed, was finally in sight.
On the battlefield, Watanabe Toneri and Tanabe Kaze grew nervous as the Root shinobi tightened their encirclement. Even Watanabe Musashi's heart was pounding, but as a seasoned Jonin, he quickly regained his composure. Things couldn't get any worse, so what was there to fear? It was better to cast aside his fear and try to break through.
But one question lingered in his mind: Root was known for operating in the shadows. Why would they target a few insignificant Hidden Hot Water shinobi? He just couldn't figure it out.
"Eleven of them," he muttered. The enemy outnumbered them by more than three to one. That meant Toneri and Kaze would each have to face four or more Chunin-level Root operatives, while he would have to take on the leader and the rest.
Tanabe Kaze had exhausted most of his chakra, and while he and Toneri were still in fighting condition, they were hopelessly outnumbered. It looked like a death sentence.
Watanabe Musashi glanced at his son and at Tanabe. The fear of death had vanished from their eyes, replaced by a fierce, defiant resolve.
He nodded, gratified, and whispered, "Protect yourselves. I'll do everything I can to create an opening for you to escape. You are the village's brightest young talents, the pillars of the next generation. If you fall here... the Hidden Hot Water... will truly collapse..."
Neither of them spoke. The silence was heavy. They knew that Watanabe Musashi, one Jonin against so many, couldn't possibly create an opening for them to escape.
The Root shinobi showed no contempt for their surrounded prey. They began their assault with a probing volley of shuriken.
CLING! CLANG! CLANG!
Watanabe Musashi drew his ninja blade and deflected the incoming projectiles. Several Root shinobi immediately closed in. As a former wandering swordsman, his taijutsu was formidable. After just a few exchanges, the Root operatives' arms were numb, their hands struggling to even hold their kunai.
This guy... he's incredibly strong!
The Root shinobi fell back, alarmed, and began forming hand seals despite the pain.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
"Lightning Style: Lightning Current!"
A barrage of ninjutsu assaulted Watanabe from all sides. The different chakra natures lit up the sky, a chaotic mix of colors all converging on one point.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
With no defensive ninjutsu to speak of and attacks coming from all directions, Watanabe had no choice but to teleport.
The jutsus slammed into the ground, the violent shockwaves of mixed elemental chakra tearing away the top layer of earth, revealing the fresh soil beneath.
"Child's play," Watanabe's figure reappeared nearby, a cold glint in his eyes. He was about to form seals for a counterattack, but the next moment...
CLANG!
He snapped his blade up in front of his chest just in time to block a sudden attack. The powerful impact sent him stumbling back several steps, his expression turning grim.
"A Jonin," he breathed.
Looking at the Root captain who had suddenly appeared, Watanabe's killing intent rose, but he forced himself to ask, "Konoha shinobi, why are you attacking us? I am not aware of any grudge between the Hidden Hot Water and Konoha."
The Hidden Hot Water was an ant compared to Konoha's elephant; a "grudge" was unthinkable. So why was Konoha trying to crush an ant that was just passing by?
The Root Jonin's eyes were cold, looking at Watanabe as if he were already a dead man. He had no intention of answering. Instead, he slammed his palms onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Fissure!"
The ground began to tremble violently. A massive crack ripped open, starting from the Root Jonin and racing toward Watanabe. The nearby Root operatives, along with Tanabe and Toneri, lost their footing and scrambled to get clear.
With this single, terrain-altering jutsu, Watanabe Musashi was forced to leap away, only to find himself in an even worse predicament as a new barrage of jutsus came his way.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
The wolf-masked Root Jonin unleashed a torrent of chakra. A fan of wind blades, far more powerful and fired more rapidly than those of the other operatives, howled toward Watanabe Musashi.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The wind blades gouged dark craters in the earth and sliced through trees, which toppled over slowly, crashing to the ground and further restricting Watanabe's movements. At the same time, the other three Root shinobi attacking him re-entered the fray, launching their own long-range ninjutsu.
The battle had only just begun, and Watanabe Musashi was already in a desperate situation.