Inoiki glanced over at Izumo and spoke in a low, serious tone. "Captain, I'll need you to secure these bodies."
Kosuke, watching the scene, sighed and joined Izumo and Kotetsu, helping them gather the fallen enemies. Meanwhile, Inoiki summoned his kunai through telekinesis, the blades floating gracefully to his side. One by one, he wiped each kunai clean, removing the blood stains left from the killing. As he worked, his mind wandered back to the fight, analyzing every move, every ounce of energy expended.
"I managed to defeat them," he thought, "but I used up far too much chakra—almost sixty percent. Flying consumed more than I expected. If I'd used an invisible barrier with my psychokinesis instead, I could've saved energy. But without mastering the psychokinesis barrier, my mental power isn't quite strong enough."
He paused, clenching his fist. "Soon, though," he promised himself, "my mental power will reach a new level. In a month or two, I'll have this ability mastered, and my strength will reach something… far more formidable."
Izumo and Kotetsu, working with steady concentration, completed the sealing process, securing each body with an enclosing technique. The dead enemy ninjas—each one felled by Inoiki—were now sealed away, ready for further investigation.
Izumo turned to Inoiki, his face tight with concern. "I know you're furious about everything that's happened," he said quietly, "but please, don't let that anger drive you to act impulsively in front of the Hokage."
Inoiki rose to his feet, brushing off the dust as he did. "I understand, Captain. I won't say anything unnecessary to the Hokage. I won't even ask him for any kind of justice, because…" He paused, bitterness lacing his words, "I know it's pointless."
He looked down, fists clenched, as he continued. "There's something you don't know. When I was six years old, a Root ninja approached me, trying to recruit me into the organization. I refused. And because of that, he came after me. I was strong enough to defeat that ninja and survive that day." Inoiki's gaze hardened as he spoke. "The Hokage said nothing then, and I know now will be the same. Not to mention that Root is now officially disbanded. All they will say is the same excuse Mr. Kosuke gave earlier—that these rogue Root operatives are 'missing-nin,' supposedly beyond anyone's control."
Izumo, Kotetsu, and Kosuke stood in stunned silence, the weight of Inoiki's past settling heavily upon them. They hadn't known that he had faced this kind of threat as a child. And they couldn't deny that his words rang painfully true.
Inoiki took in the solemn looks on his teammates' faces and managed a small, determined nod. "All we can do now is report to the Hokage and see what he decides. Waiting here accomplishes nothing. Let's get back to Konoha."
The others nodded, and with renewed purpose, they set off toward the village.
Just before leaving, Inoiki paused, casting a glance over his shoulder toward a distant tree.
Moments after he and his teammates departed, two figures appeared at the same spot—Kurotsuchi and her father, Kitsuchi. They studied the area where Inoiki had stood just moments before, a look of silent acknowledgment passing between them.
"He sensed us," Kitsuchi murmured, his tone half-admiring, half-wary. "We didn't show any hostility, or he would have attacked us, too."
Kurotsuchi shrugged, a small smirk on her lips. "Dad, what's there to worry about? You could take them down easily, right? You're stronger than him, aren't you?"
Kitsuchi's brow furrowed as he considered. "Physically, yes. And my chakra reserves are greater, but defeating him outright? That wouldn't be so simple." He paused, casting another glance at the direction Inoiki had gone. "He has the ability to fly, which makes him hard to pin down. And his fighting techniques…they're unconventional. He's unpredictable."
Kurotsuchi's eyes widened in surprise. "He's really that strong?"
"You saw it for yourself," Kitsuchi replied with a quiet nod. "Come on. We don't have time to linger. We've got our own mission to complete."
With a final look back, father and daughter disappeared into the shadows, leaving the area silent and empty once more.
----
After traveling a considerable distance, Inoiki and his team stopped for the night, setting up camp in a secluded part of the forest. As they settled down, Inoiki informed his teammates about his earlier discovery of Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi observing them from a distance. He explained that he had sensed their presence but chose not to alert the team, preferring to avoid a potential conflict.
Izumo nodded approvingly. "You made the right choice, Inoiki," he said, and the rest of the team murmured their agreement.
With the tension eased, they shared a simple meal prepared by Kosuke. Through the night, they kept watch in turns, each member staying alert in the quiet wilderness. At dawn, they ate breakfast quickly and continued their journey, maintaining a steady pace. Three days later, they finally reached the familiar gates of Konoha, relieved to be back home.
-----
Inside Konoha's Intelligence Department, the bodies of the enemy ninjas killed by Inoiki lay on stretchers, lined up in silence. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood over them, his expression calm and unreadable as he studied the ten fallen adversaries. He gave a slight nod to a medical ninja beside him. "Open the mouth of the Jonin team leader," he instructed.
As the medical ninja obeyed, Hiruzen's gaze fell on the curse mark visible on the Jonin's tongue—a distinctive mark belonging to Root operatives, just as Izumo had described. He recalled the report he'd received from Izumo only half an hour earlier.
The mission, a simple caravan escort to Kusagakure, had been expected to go smoothly. Izumo had explained that while they succeeded in delivering the caravan, they were ambushed on their return by a formidable team led by a Jonin, backed by two Chunins and seven Genins. Inoiki alone had fought fiercely, eventually realizing that the enemy leader bore the unmistakable Root curse mark.
With a grave expression, Hiruzen considered the implications of this discovery, his mind racing with questions about the reach and remnants of the Root organization.
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