Chapter 55: Root!
In the dark forest, a squad of figures lay in ambush among the dense branches. Below them was a wide dirt road, the only path to Dusk Blade City. It was worth noting that all these figures wore white, animal-styled masks.
An emotionless voice suddenly broke the silence. "Captain, we've been spotted."
The only reply was silence.
The moonlight was incredibly faint. If not for their prior preparations, the hair-thin steel wires strung between the trees, almost invisible, would have been devastatingly effective against their intended targets.
"The ambush has failed. Switch to a frontal assault. Move out."
"Yes, sir."
In the darkness, the hundred-meter-long caravan was rapidly retreating back the way it came. Kael and his team followed behind, guarding the rear.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of small, muffled explosions suddenly erupted in the space just behind them. Kael's expression changed.
"They're after us!"
His Explosive Flies had found the enemy and swarmed them, launching suicide attacks.
Watanabe Musashi, his son, and Tanabe Kaze, who had been guarding the flanks, quickly converged on Kael's position, staring grimly into the darkness.
Rustle... rustle...
A faint sound came from the deathly quiet forest. A moment later, over a dozen dark figures emerged, leaping swiftly through the crisscrossing branches, heading straight for them.
A bad feeling washed over Watanabe Musashi. Judging by their speed and disciplined, coordinated movements, he keenly sensed these were no ordinary shinobi. His face grew darker.
"Everyone, be careful," he said in a low, grave voice. "These men are strong. Based on their speed and chakra signatures, not a single one is below Chunin level. It's possible... they're here specifically for us."
Kael was startled and turned to him in shock. "For us?" He emphasized the word. He was baffled by Watanabe's statement. Their village had always kept to itself, minding its own business. Why would anyone be specifically targeting Hidden Hot Water shinobi?
"Jashinist remnants?" The thought flashed through Kael's mind but was instantly dismissed as he saw the stark white animal masks they wore.
Kael's face drained of color. "Konoha... Anbu!"
The animal masks, which he had only ever seen in the original story, looked especially sinister and terrifying in the night.
A chill ran down Watanabe Musashi's spine. He stared at the uninvited guests who had stopped just a few dozen meters away. With his experience, he also recognized the masks that belonged exclusively to Konoha's Anbu.
Although Watanabe Toneri and Tanabe Kaze had never seen them in person, they had heard the terrifying rumors of the "ANBU Black Ops," the Assassination and Tactical Special Forces. They, too, were shocked.
"But why would Konoha's Anbu be here? And why would they be ambushing us?" Watanabe Musashi couldn't understand it. Suddenly, his pupils dilated as a horrifying thought struck him. He murmured in disbelief, "No... this is different. They're... Root! Konoha's Root, buried deep beneath the village!"
He watched as the masked shinobi moved with perfect, almost robotic, precision. They all exuded an bone-chillingly cold aura, like inhuman beasts.
Kael's heart sank. If this was Root, they were in serious trouble.
Without any warning or greeting, the moment the Root shinobi confirmed their targets, they attacked.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Countless kunai and shuriken flew from the darkness, forming a dense, inescapable net that rained down on Kael's team, cutting off all avenues of escape. Many of the kunai had exploding tags tied to them, their fuses burning bright orange arcs in the night sky.
The next second, the world erupted in flames.
BOOM!
A massive explosion shattered the forest's tranquility. The blast lit up the night, illuminating the surrounding area for miles as if it were day. The very ground seemed to shake as trees caught fire.
The epicenter of the explosion was a raging inferno, making it impossible to see what was happening inside. The Root captain gestured for his men to hold back, ordering them to spread out and surround the fire.
Inside the blaze, the tremors had stopped, leaving only the roar of the flames and a storm of flying ash. A circular dome of earth, already cracked and shaking from the shockwave, was now being superheated by the fire, its surface sizzling and popping.
"Captain! Whether it's Anbu or Root, we have no reason to fight Konoha! With Little Wind, we can still get out of here!" Kael yelled at Watanabe Musashi, staring at him intently.
Watanabe took a deep breath. He looked past the flames in the direction Mr. Kawabe's caravan had fled, his expression unreadable.
"Captain!" Kael was getting desperate. The enemy had clearly come prepared and outnumbered them. How could the four of them possibly win? And this was Konoha, an existence the current Hidden Hot Water Village absolutely could not afford to provoke. Yet Watanabe Musashi was hesitating, which was completely out of character.
"You go," Watanabe said, his face flickering in the firelight.
"What?" Kael stared, thinking he'd misheard.
"You go. Take your Wind Eagle and get out of here."
Kael felt like he'd been punched. He stared at Watanabe Musashi, his face contorting in anger. "What are you talking about? How could I possibly..."
Before he could finish, Watanabe Musashi moved. He lashed out with a powerful kick, sending Kael flying out of the raging circle of fire before Kael could even react.
A complex, unreadable expression crossed Watanabe's face. "Kael, you don't understand. Every single mission, every single client, is crucial to the Hidden Hot Water Village. I cannot allow our village's reputation to be ruined by one failed mission! I will not be the one to bring disgrace upon our home!"
Everyone had their own pride. For Watanabe Musashi, who had wandered the Shinobi World for years, the Hidden Hot Water Village was his home, his sanctuary. His pride was his love for his village, and he would not allow that love to be tarnished.
Kael crashed uncontrollably into a tree and tumbled to the ground. A full-powered kick from a Jonin was no small thing.
Just then, the Wind Eagle dove from the sky and caught him. It had heard Kael's call earlier but was instinctively terrified of the fire, forced to wait anxiously for its master.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp! —What do we do now?"