"Nine hundred ninety seven, nine hundred ninety eight, nine hundred ninety nine, one thousand."
By the small river behind the orphanage, Sora was shirtless. Sweat covered his sturdy, defined muscles.
He had just finished one thousand weighted punching exercises and was breathing heavily.
"Huh."
Letting out a long breath, Sora sat on the ground to rest, but his eyes involuntarily looked toward a small hill nearby.
It had already been one month since the old Director passed away.
The kind old woman had peacefully stopped breathing in her sleep on a quiet night, her face carrying a trace of relief and contentment.
No pain, no regrets.
Sora and the others buried her on the small hill behind the orphanage. From there, she could overlook the entire place she had guarded her whole life.
She was not interred at Konoha's ninja burial ground. The old Director lived an ordinary life and was not a ninja, but she had protected Konoha's future in her own way.
Sora looked up at the small hill. His gaze seemed to penetrate the forest to see the small grave.
A faint wave of sadness rose in his heart, but what he felt more was a sense of relief.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the laws of nature. Without becoming a Kekkei Mora, even someone as strong as Senju Hashirama could not escape it. The old Director passed peacefully. Perhaps that was the best outcome.
Her departure also meant that in this world, Sora's final bond that belonged to "Konoha" had diminished by one more degree.
Miyamoto Ichirō and Kabuto had also successfully left Konoha five days ago, under the pretexts of "going out to look for work opportunities" and "visiting distant relatives."
By now, they should have already arrived at Ascension Island in the Land of Whirlpools and made contact with the shadow clone Sora sent ahead.
The plan was steadily progressing.
Now, only Nonō, Yumi, Ayumi, and Uesugi Min, who chose to stay, remained in the orphanage.
...
Sora gathered his thoughts and was just about to start his next training session when his brow suddenly twitched slightly.
Within his sensory range, the gentle chakra signature representing Nonō was moving away from the orphanage, heading toward a relatively remote area of Konoha.
That direction... Sora understood in his heart.
'It's finally here...'
Danzo indeed had not forgotten about her, his former capable tool, just because of Nonō's "vacation."
...
Time passed bit by bit. When the clock pointed to nine o'clock in the evening, familiar footsteps finally came from outside the courtyard gate.
Sora stopped his training and went to Nonō's room.
"Sister, a mission has come?"
Nonō nodded and said quietly,
"Yes, Lord Danzo's orders... to infiltrate the Land of Earth and gather information related to Iwagakure's logistical supply lines."
Sora's eyes flickered slightly.
"How many people?"
"A three person team, including me."
Nonō replied, her brow furrowing slightly. "But I only know their codenames. I don't know the specific strength or identities of the other two."
Sora nodded silently, thinking quickly. These two were likely responsible for receiving and monitoring Nonō.
"When do you depart?"
"Tonight at Zi hour, meet in the dense forest outside the third training ground east of the village."
Zi hour, meaning between eleven at night and one in the morning.
Time was very tight.
A faint smile appeared on Sora's face. He looked at Nonō and said steadily,
"As expected. This is an opportunity, sister."
Seeing Sora's calm face, the slight unease in Nonō's heart gradually settled.
"What do I need to do?"
The corner of Sora's mouth lifted in a faint curve.
"Follow their requirements as normal. Depart and head to the Land of Earth."
"If I'm not mistaken, Sarutobi Hiruzen will also assign me a new mission tomorrow. I will use that opportunity to leave Konoha."
He looked at Nonō. Their eyes met, and they both understood each other's thoughts.
"Sister, after you enter the Land of Earth, find a suitable opportunity. Use Chinchilla and Kuro Maru to pass me your squad's approximate travel route and possible rest points."
"I will finish the mission at hand as soon as possible and then hurry to meet you. At that time, we will create an 'accident' within the Land of Earth, so you can completely break free from the Root and Konoha!"
Nonō took a deep breath and nodded firmly.
She knew that once she took this step, there was no turning back.
But she did not regret it.
Rather than living in fear in Konoha, being used by Danzo as a tool that could be sacrificed at any time, it was better to follow Sora and fight for a free future.
"Alright. I will find a chance to summon Chinchilla and the others. You must also be careful. Orochimaru, Danzo, and the Hokage, they all..."
"Don't worry."
Sora interrupted her, his tone filled with strong confidence.
"I now have enough strength to deal with these. As long as you are safe, I have no worries."
After saying this, he took out a small scroll from his robe and handed it to Nonō.
"This contains some emergency soldier pills, simple antidotes, and a simple map of the Land of Earth. Take it, just in case."
"It's getting late, sister. Get ready."
Nonō nodded and began quietly packing her belongings.
Actually, there wasn't much to prepare. When Root members went out on long term missions, most supplies were distributed uniformly after assembly.
She just carefully packed a few personal items and the scroll Sora gave her.
...
Soon, Nonō was ready.
She changed into a set of dark casual clothes, covered with the gray cloak commonly worn by Root members. She also put on the glasses that symbolized her identity as "The Walking Witch," but the look behind the lenses was no longer the obedient submission of the past. Instead, there was an added touch of determination.
"I'm leaving." Nonō said softly.
Sora turned and walked up to her. He reached out and gently hugged her.
"Be careful. Wait for me."
Short words, yet they contained undeniable strength and promise.
Nonō's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed. She raised her hand and gently hugged Sora back, softly uttering, "Mm."
Letting go, Nonō hesitated no longer. She pushed open the door and, after a few leaps, disappeared beyond the courtyard wall.
Sora stood at the doorway, sensing that familiar chakra signature rapidly moving away, finally disappearing at the edge of his sensory range.
The gentleness on his face gradually faded, replaced by a calm expression.
The first step of the plan had been taken.
Next, it was about waiting for Sarutobi Hiruzen's mission. Then, after finding an opportunity to take the two little girls away from Konoha, he could leave this cage that had confined him for years at any time.
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