It was almost impossible to detect the presence of the figure lurking outside, but no matter how skilled someone was, every living person needed to breathe. Even if the breaths were slow and measured, they would still cause slight shifts in the surrounding airflow.
Haruto Saito felt it!
Behind the wooden cabin, hidden within the forest, someone was concealed within the dense foliage, unmoving, completely suppressing their presence, breathing as slowly as possible.
"Someone is watching me!" Haruto thought to himself. He didn't believe this person was here to protect him or for any benevolent reason. The reasoning was simple—if even the ANBU operatives hidden around him were more focused on monitoring than protecting, then this individual was no exception.
The figure was about fifty meters away.
Then Haruto sensed another movement. The person shifted position, producing only the slightest rustling sound—so subtle that it blended with the natural noises of swaying leaves. Their breathing became slightly heavier, and along with it, an almost imperceptible aura of cold hostility leaked out.
Haruto instantly locked onto the individual's presence.
They were moving to the other side of the forest, repositioning themselves to observe from a different angle.
"Who could it be?"
Haruto furrowed his brows and turned toward the presence. Of course, he couldn't see through the wooden wall of his cabin, but that didn't matter. He clasped his hands together—
Byakugan, activate!
His pupils expanded, the veins around his temples bulging as his world shifted into grayscale. The wooden walls of the cabin became translucent in his vision, and the landscape beyond appeared with absolute clarity. The figure he had sensed was now revealed—squatting on a thick tree branch, body concealed within the dense canopy, shrouded in a dark robe and wearing a mask.
That mask was specially crafted—impervious to Byakugan's penetration!
However, Haruto's True Sight ability displayed the figure's details before him:
Name: Oni Seven (鬼七) Affiliation: ANBU Special Tactical Unit, Hidden Leaf Village Reputation: 8000 Relation: Hostile
"ANBU Special Tactical Unit? That's Root!" Haruto's mind raced in shock.
Though both the main ANBU and Root were referred to as 'ANBU' externally, they had distinct official designations—one being the 'Assassination Tactics Special Forces' and the other the 'ANBU Special Tactical Unit.'
This man was undoubtedly a Root operative.
"An 8000-reputation Root member, monitoring me with hostility?" Haruto couldn't make sense of it.
One thing was clear—Root operatives only acted under Danzo's orders. This meant that this masked individual, Oni Seven, was acting directly under Danzo Shimura's command. Danzo must have issued additional instructions, because mere surveillance wouldn't warrant such a strong hostile classification.
But Haruto couldn't understand—what had he done to provoke Danzo?
Or... could it be that Danzo was acting under orders from Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Haruto's mind spun with possibilities.
"Eight thousand reputation… does that make him an upper-level Jonin or an elite Jonin?"
The system's power levels categorized 3,000 to 8,000 reputation as Jonin, while 8,000 to 15,000 was Elite Jonin—meaning Oni Seven straddled the line between the two.
"Ding! Answering the host's question: Reputation is a reference value and should not be taken as an absolute indicator of strength."
Useless.
It didn't matter anyway.
"Why is he spying on me with such clear hostility?" Haruto kept watching Oni Seven for a while longer before finally deactivating his Byakugan and looking away.
That night, Haruto barely got any sleep.
Oni Seven remained outside, showing terrifying patience—remaining utterly still for hours. If Haruto hadn't developed Hyper-Sense, he might have ignored it, but his heightened perception constantly reminded him of the man's presence, making it impossible to relax.
Before dawn, Oni Seven finally retreated.
It was only when the first streaks of sunlight appeared that Haruto finally allowed himself to sleep.
"Hey, you little brat! Sleeping in, are we? Get up!"
A lion's roar jolted Haruto awake. He sat up abruptly, nearly colliding face-first into Tsunade, who had been leaning over him. She straightened up and placed her hands on her hips, frowning with discontent.
"Why don't you knock before coming in?" Haruto mumbled groggily, yawning.
Yes, Tsunade had walked directly into his bedroom without a second thought, completely unconcerned about any possible awkwardness.
"Do you know what time it is?" She pointed toward the window, where the sun was already high in the sky. "Why are you sleeping so late?"
"Training," Haruto muttered. "Practicing Mystical Palm Jutsu. Didn't sleep until dawn."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Pretty diligent, aren't you?" Then she grinned mischievously. "But time's almost up! By nightfall, if you can't perform Mystical Palm, you lose the bet!"
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Stop nagging." Haruto waved her off. "Let me sleep a little longer."
"Nope! Time to teach me hypnosis!" Tsunade grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upright. Then, forming a hand sign, she placed her glowing palm against Haruto's forehead.
A refreshing coolness surged through his mind.
Haruto was suddenly wide awake.
Not sleepy anymore.
Tsunade had used a medical chakra technique to dispel mental fatigue.
"Fine, fine." Haruto sighed, realizing he had no choice. "But breakfast first."
"Alright! Get dressed—I'll be waiting outside." Tsunade tossed his clothes at him and left.
Not long after, in the bustling streets of the village…
"Hey, look! That's Haruto Saito!"
"Isn't he the kid who claimed he could learn Mystical Palm in one day?"
"He must've lost his mind after Tsunade almost buried him alive…"
The air buzzed with murmurs.
Haruto, wearing sunglasses, walked beside Tsunade, pretending not to hear the incessant whispers.
"Brat, are you planning to take missions soon?" Tsunade suddenly asked.
"Hm?" Haruto glanced at her. "Why do you ask?"
"Here's some advice," she said seriously. "Don't leave the village. The Hyuga Clan might hold back in Konoha, but if you step outside the gates… they'll kill you."
Haruto said nothing, merely nodding slightly.
Didn't anyone dare rein in the Hyuga Clan?
Tsunade merely shook her head, choosing not to answer.
After eating breakfast, they returned to the cabin, where Haruto resumed teaching Tsunade the art of hypnosis.
By afternoon, Tsunade had grasped the basics and was eager to test it on someone—her first target? Her younger brother, Nawaki.
"Brat, you have four hours left!" Tsunade teased before leaving.
Haruto exhaled deeply. Four hours left to master Mystical Palm…
It was time.
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