Sora looked at the excited Tagitsuhi. Nonō had already told him what happened.
Today’s incident happened partly because Tagitsuhi was too showy and offended the White Snake Sage, but even without Tagitsuhi, this scene would have happened sooner or later. It was just a matter of ti. Sora waved his hand, saying nothing more.
His gaze swept over the ravaged island. He said to Nonō and the others:
"Sister, you all clean up the battlefield. I will go repair the barrier. Then I must hurry back."
Nonō and the others nodded and began to mobilize.
...
Not long after, Sora headed towards the underground laboratory.
He lay back in the life-support device. His soul left his body once again, heading in the direction of the Land of Water.
...
The third morning, Port of the Land of Waves.
A passenger ship was preparing to set sail for the Land of Fire on the opposite shore.
Uchiha Yami and her two teammates, one a chūnin uncle, and one a rather green genin boy, were preparing to board.
Their C-rank escort mission had been successfully completed. The client had arrived safely. The three of them were in a fairly relaxed mood.
"This mission went pretty smoothly, huh, Yami-senpai." The genin boy said with a smile.
"Yeah, it did."
Uchiha Yami nodded, a gentle smile on her face.
Right at that mont, sothing unexpected happened!
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Several figures shot out from behind the stacked cargo crates on the pier without warning!
They wore black tight-fitting clothes and white masks imitating bird beaks. They were unmistakably the standard attire of ’Root’ ninja!
"’Root’?!"
The chūnin uncle’s face changed dramatically. He imdiately drew a kunai. "Weren’t they disbanded after Danzo-sama’s death?!"
After Danzo’s death, Root was no longer a secret known only to a few within the Konoha ninja population.
"Careful!"
Uchiha Yami reacted extrely fast. She instantly activated her two-tomoe Sharingan, placing herself in front of the weaker genin boy.
However, the attacking ’Root’ mbers moved swiftly and ruthlessly, cooperating seamlessly. They were clearly all elites!
The lead one directly ford hand seals:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful air current blew Uchiha Yami and the other two off balance.
Another one took the opportunity to throw kunai with explosive tags attached!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Uchiha Yami hurriedly spat out a fireball to intercept.
*Boom!*
The explosive tags detonated mid-air. The blast wave sent the three staggering back.
But the third ’Root’ mber appeared from the side. His short sword stabbed directly at an opening in Uchiha Yami’s defense!
Too fast!
Too tricky an angle!
Uchiha Yami’s Sharingan saw the movent, but her body couldn’t keep up!
’This is bad!’ Her heart turned icy cold.
Right at this critical mont!
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!"
A low voice sounded. A wall ford of jet-black iron sand instantly rose from the ground, blocking the space in front of Uchiha Yami!
*Clang!*
The short sword stabbed into the iron sand wall, unable to penetrate!
Imdiately after, a black shadow swept into the battlefield like a gale!
He wore a ferocious tiger-patterned mask, his black robes fluttering. It was Sora’s controlled Baihu (White Tiger) clone!
His figure flickered. His fists and feet were wrapped with sharp Wind Release chakra. Each strike landed precisely on the joints of the ’Root’ mbers!
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Those ’Root’ mbers who were just nacing a mont ago were all sent flying, temporarily incapacitated.
The last ’Root’ mber who used Wind Release saw the situation turning bad. A flash of ’determination’ appeared in his eyes. He ford hand seals as if to activate a mutually destructive technique, then charged fiercely at Sora!
"Careful!" Uchiha Yami exclaid.
Sora snorted coldly. A hand chop shot out. Wind Release chakra condensed into an invisible blade!
*Thwack!*
That ’Root’ mber was directly struck in the chest. He let out a miserable cry, fell *splash* into the seawater with a *plop*, sending up a spray of water, and then fell silent.
The fight started suddenly and ended even faster.
From the ’Root’ assault to Sora’s appearance and resolution of the fight, it was only a re dozen or so seconds.
The other civilians at the port had long since fled in terror. Only the shaken Uchiha Yami and her two teammates, and Sora standing proudly in the field remained.
Uchiha Yami turned to look at Sora. But due to the earlier explosion blast and tension, her legs felt a bit weak. She subconsciously took a step back, but accidentally stepped on a loose plank. Her body instantly lost balance. She exclaid in surprise as she fell backwards.
Sora, who was closest to her, acted almost on instinct. He took a quick step forward, reaching out an arm to catch her.
The next mont, Uchiha Yami found herself cradled in an arm. She was steadily caught by Sora in a princess carry.
Ti seed to freeze for an instant.
Uchiha Yami looked up, seeing the tiger-patterned mask so close. She could clearly feel the strength in the other’s arm and her own suddenly accelerated heartbeat. Her pretty face instantly turned bright red.
Sora was also montarily stunned. He had acted completely unintentionally.
But having already caught her, he could only gently set her back down on the ground.
"Stand steady."
"Th, thank you..."
Uchiha Yami’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum. Her cheeks burning, she lowered her head.
"Th, thank you for saving us, sir!"
The chūnin uncle was the first to react. He hurried forward to express his thanks, his tone full of gratitude and lingering fear.
He could see that if not for this mysterious masked man’s intervention, the three of them, especially Yami, would likely have been in grave danger.
Uchiha Yami also regained her composure. Looking at Sora, her pretty face slightly red, she thanked him again.
"Thank you very much!"
Sora waved his hand. "It was nothing. The remnants of ’Root’ still act so recklessly."
He deliberately emphasized their identity as ’Root’ remnants to deepen the impression.
Just then, another figure hurried over from the outskirts of the port. It was Uchiha Kenta!
Sora had arranged for him to be slightly delayed for a while.
When he arrived, he happened to see his sister Yami thanking Sora, with several ninja dressed as ’Root’ mbers lying on the ground.
"Yami!"
Uchiha Kenta’s heart jolted in alarm. He imdiately rushed to his sister’s side, examining her anxiously.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
"Onii-chan?"
Uchiha Yami saw her brother, both surprised and happy.
"I’m fine! Just now, remnants of ’Root’ attacked us. This gentleman saved us!"
She briefly recounted the dangerous scene from earlier.
After hearing it, Uchiha Kenta’s expression changed uncertainly.
He looked at the ’Root’ mbers on the ground, then at the mysterious and unfathomable ’Baihu (White Tiger)’, and finally his gaze fell on his sister’s face, which still held a trace of lingering fear.
A complex emotion surged in his heart.
Him again... He saved before, and now he saved Yami...
Although reason told him this was almost too much of a coincidence, witnessing his sister nearly co to harm, that feeling of heart-palpitating fear and helplessness was so real.
If sothing really happened to Yami... He didn’t dare imagine it.
This debt of gratitude was enormous.
Simultaneously, hatred for the ’Root’ remnants, for the darkness of the Konoha higher-ups, for this dangerous ninja world, and a determination to protect his sister burned fiercely in his heart.
He took a deep breath, turned to Sora, and said in a complicated tone,
"... I owe you once more."
Sora glanced at him faintly, saying calmly,
"Protect your sister well. This world is more dangerous than you think."
Uchiha Kenta looked at the mysteriously powerful ’Baihu (White Tiger)’ before him, then at his sister who was looking at him dependently.
The earlier sense of frustration over failing to awaken his Sharingan through combat alone now intertwined with this intense desire to protect and to beco stronger.
Perhaps...
Following him, can I really find the path to power?
Sora took in the changes in Uchiha Kenta’s eyes, knowing another piece of the plan’s puzzle had fallen into place.
The groundwork had been laid sufficiently. Next, it was ti for the next step of ’catalysis’.
---
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