"A, what are you still doing in a daze?" a Root member called out suspiciously when they saw A still frozen in place.
"Hurry up, keep up!" they urged. "Kill this traitor who's a fellow Root ninja!"
"A?" The voice grew more insistent. "Are you going to betray the Root? Betray Danzo-sama?"
A stood still, confusion clouding his thoughts.
Danzo-sama? Root?
Was everything Danzo-sama said truly right?
Why was it that, as Konoha's Root, they were ordered to kill their own people, even those who had been their companions?
A's eyes were filled with doubt and confusion. His world seemed to be crumbling around him.
After a long moment of internal conflict, a flicker of resolve returned to his gaze.
Without hesitation, he moved back to the battlefield.
"Wood Style: Tree Boundary Wall!" A shouted.
A shield of wooden vines sprang from the ground, quickly growing and forming a protective barrier around Satoru and Kakashi. He didn't look back, leaving his back exposed to them.
Then, he whispered, "Kakashi-senpai, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you earlier."
"Let's go."
Kakashi-senpai would never be the type of person to betray his companions.
Danzo-sama must have misunderstood.
The other Root members blocked their path, their voices full of anger and disdain.
"A, are you really going to betray the Root?" one shouted. "Have you forgotten who you are? You are the Root of Konoha!"
They accused A of betraying them with venomous words.
"Tsk, what a pity," Satoru said calmly. "You've lost yourself."
"He's not just the Root of the Root," Satoru continued. "He's the Root of Konoha."
He spoke slowly, and his words cut through the tension in the air. Not even the combined forces of Kakashi and his team might be able to stop A now.
Hearing this, A's eyes widened in shock.
The Root of Konoha... Yes, that's what he was. The Root and the Leaf were intertwined—inseparable.
Under his mask, A's lips curled into a faint smile.
He hadn't expected Satoru to understand things so clearly. At first, he had seen Satoru as just a young man, naive and inexperienced. But now, after hearing his words, A realized just how much wisdom Satoru had.
Satoru was much more than a teenager with a sharp tongue. He was a ninja who operated in the shadows, someone who understood the true purpose of their actions—no matter how dark they seemed.
A turned his gaze to Satoru, appreciation and complexity filling his eyes.
Satoru, however, had no idea of the internal struggle A was experiencing. If he had, he would have been shocked and would have immediately countered A's assumptions.
Just then, a loud thud shook the lab violently.
"Bang!"
"Smack!"
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room, followed by the collapse of heavy objects.
"What's going on?" A asked, confused.
"It's probably a ripple effect from the explosion just now," Satoru replied, his voice devoid of emotion. He adjusted the eye patch over his face, his gaze unwavering. "We attacked with kunai detonators earlier, but this is a snake cave that's been abandoned for years. The structure is unstable. Blow something up, and the collapse is inevitable."
"Something's coming," he added quietly.
"Stuff?" A repeated, still unsure.
When Kakashi and Satoru heard this, they remained on high alert, scanning their surroundings.
"Shing! Shing!"
Several shuriken flew toward them, and the Root members hastily moved to tighten the encirclement.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Satoru, is it really what you said?" he asked, skepticism in his voice, but shaking his head. "It doesn't feel right."
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A massive object appeared, knocking over instruments and debris.
A giant python slithered above them, its huge body casting a shadow over the room.
"Hiss!"
"What is this?" someone shouted in horror.
"Monsters!" The Root members screamed as they were quickly swallowed by the giant snake.
Satoru, unfazed, sighed. "This can't be Orochimaru's work, can it?"
Looking up at the colossal snake, which was twenty meters tall, Satoru spoke again, "No kidding, he's definitely eyeing us."
The giant python's golden pupils locked onto the remaining three, cold and emotionless.
"I'll hold it off. You two, go," A said, trying to restrain the serpent with his strength.
But with his current ability, he couldn't overpower the giant snake.
"Don't underestimate your seniors," Kakashi said coldly, his voice sharp.
His gaze fixed on the snake before him.
"Chidori!"
Kakashi's right hand crackled with blue lightning as he thrust it toward the serpent's vulnerable neck. The snake reacted, thrashing wildly, its massive body throwing out shockwaves with every strike.
A's hold on the snake weakened as it fought back.
"Everyone's very motivated!" Satoru cheered, his voice bright.
"Then I'll help!" He gave a radiant smile before several figures appeared on top of the snake's head.
The wind tousled his white hair, and a smile flashed in his pale blue eyes under his blindfold.
He extended his hand, looking down at the serpent below him.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 80 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss
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