"…So, you're saying that the future target of the demon Moryo is Shion?"
Only then did Kakashi understand why Shion needed to take refuge in Konoha Village.
Susuki appeared very seasoned, "As the leader among the Five Great Ninja Villages, no matter how strong a demon like Moryo is, it wouldn't dare recklessly invade Konoha."
Kakashi spoke up, "We in Konoha naturally do not fear some Moryo, but we still need to understand what the enemy is."
Hayama looked at Shion, this seven-year-old little girl was, in name, the highest leader of the Land of Demons.
Whether Konoha would give this girl protection would depend on the will of the Third Hokage.
"Let's first escort her to Konoha and talk about it later. Right now we have no information at all, so we need to be careful along the way."
In his early years, Hayama had gone to war alongside the White Fang, and afterwards he had always been stationed along the border.
Whether in combat experience or in social dealings, he was clearly much more seasoned than Kakashi.
Kakashi and the other two took out some soldier pills from their bodies and swallowed them, while Hayama found a water source and drew some water.
The group rested for a while before setting out again.
The only information they had was that Miroku had died in battle, the enemy had retreated, but the details were unknown.
Only by getting far away from the Land of Demons would they truly be safe.
Kakashi and the others didn't move at a very fast speed, since both Susuki and Shion were ordinary people and couldn't keep up.
Tenzo was at the front, Kakashi was beside Shion and Susuki, and Hayama was at the rear.
After learning the news of her mother's death, Shion seemed to have grown up a lot in an instant.
She didn't ask Susuki to carry her, but followed the group on her own.
However, pampered and without training as she was, after walking for only a short while her feet were aching terribly.
At this time, Susuki came to her front and crouched down.
"Lady Shion, let me carry you."
Shion turned her head away, "No! I want to walk on my own!"
Susuki was not angered by Shion's childish willfulness.
He simply said calmly, "Lady Shion, I understand you want to grow on your own, but everything has a process."
"If you get hurt, the road ahead will be troublesome."
"No…"
Shion gritted her teeth and walked two more steps, but then felt a stabbing pain in her feet.
Her legs gave way and she fell toward the ground.
Susuki, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught Shion instantly.
Without another word, he lifted Shion into his arms in a princess carry.
"I hate you! I hate you! I want to walk on my own!", Shion's fists pounded against Susuki's chest.
Susuki said steadily, "No matter what, I will not leave Lady Shion's side, this is my duty."
When she was tired from pounding, Shion hugged Susuki and began to cry, "Wuuu… Susuki-nee…"
"I don't want to leave here, I miss Mother…"
Susuki stayed silent, knowing it was normal that a person's life could change so drastically in one night and that Shion couldn't bear it.
It was better to cry it out than to hold it in.
Since the employer wasn't moving, Kakashi and the other two didn't move either.
This scene was perfectly normal. After all, Shion was only seven years old, and they couldn't push her.
Along the way they hadn't encountered enemies, and apart from Hayama, their guard wasn't especially high.
Suddenly, there was a ripple behind Kakashi, and a hand reached for him.
"Kakashi, be on guard!", Hayama shouted loudly, instantly drawing his sword, "Vacuum Sword!"
At the instant of drawing, a fierce blast of wind pressure flew toward Kakashi.
Warned in that instant, Kakashi also drew his weapon and slashed back.
But his weapon passed straight through Obito's body.
Obito's other hand swung forward, just about to touch Kakashi.
At that moment, the Vacuum Sword's wind pressure from Hayama struck Kakashi directly, pushing him away from Obito's side.
When the wind pressure hit, Kakashi held his weapon defensively in front of him, and was only shoved without injury.
"Who's there?"
Obito hadn't expected his near-certain sneak attack to be noticed.
He slowly revealed his figure, not recognizing Shion and Susuki.
But seeing that Shion had a bodyguard by her side, he guessed she might be a noble from the Land of Demons out for refuge.
None of that mattered. After all, what he wanted was Kakashi's Sharingan.
He didn't know how Kakashi's Sharingan was being maintained, and had come to check whether it was his own eye.
Though the chance was slim, even if it wasn't, he could still gain a fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Heh…", Obito let out a cold laugh and didn't answer Kakashi's words.
He pulled out chains, and in a blur of movement lunged at Kakashi.
Kakashi's three-man team reversed their positions, surrounding Obito.
Seeing Obito attack, Hayama and Kakashi met him head-on.
But the weapons of both who held them passed right through Obito's body.
They had seen this once before; though they had pulled their strikes this time, they still didn't know the principle of Obito's technique.
Obito hooked his hands, and the chains floating behind him retracted toward Hayama.
Hayama blocked, but unexpectedly the chains passed right through him too.
The chains passed him and quickly wrapped around Kakashi.
What surprised Kakashi was that the chains had suddenly become solid, tightening around him.
At this moment Tenzo had already formed hand seals, and countless vine-like saplings sprouted from the ground to entangle Obito.
Obito stepped on Kakashi, shifted upward, and released the chains from his hands.
In an instant, Kakashi was bound to the ground by chains.
Obito only glanced back once, and the immense pupil power made Tenzo freeze in place.
"Instant Body Sword!", Hayama formed seals, his whole body turning into leaves swept up by a gale, flying toward Obito.
But Obito had already turned intangible, and Hayama could only pass through his body.
Yet Hayama's target wasn't Obito.
It was Tenzo.
All the leaves swirled together into a human form, Hayama appeared beside Tenzo.
He slapped toward Tenzo.
Obito turned, spreading his hands, and a large number of wooden spikes instantly shot at Tenzo.
Hayama could only pull Tenzo behind him while sending chakra into his body at the same time.
Whether Tenzo could wake up, he didn't know.
He swung his weapon, cutting down the wooden spikes, they were extremely hard, clanging against his long weapon.
At this moment, Tenzo suddenly opened his eyes.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Seeing the danger, Tenzo immediately performed Wood Locking Wall, a row of wooden planks curved up from the ground, enclosing the two inside.
Seeing this, Obito's lips curved into a cold smile.
Because from the ground inside the wooden wall, a black Zetsu face suddenly popped up.
Countless tree spikes erupted from the ground.
Though Tenzo's hands instantly turned into wooden strips to defend, he was still pierced by the spikes.
On the other side, Hayama's weapon was also restricted by the terrain.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.