The sky gradually darkened, shrouded in heavy mist.
In the autumn forest, fallen leaves turned brittle and yellow, and the sturdy branches of towering trees stood bare, exuding a unique sense of tranquility.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Figures cloaked in black, their faces hidden behind masks, darted swiftly across the treetops. Their pure black capes billowed in the wind like wings, faintly glinting with the cold sharpness of a blade.
Silent, elegant, and—
Boom! Boom!
Thick smoke rolled, and the ground trembled.
Frightened birds flapped their wings, soaring into the sky, while various beasts stampeded outward in all directions.
Ahead of the dust and smoke…
A seemingly delicate figure sprinted across the ground.
Her boots pounded the earth, flipping the soil with such force that leaves and dirt exploded outward, carried by surging energy.
Brutal, frenzied—like a ferocious beast rampaging through the jungle, her style was the polar opposite of the light, composed Root members gliding above.
Ryoma Aburame frowned, observing the petite girl below.
Whether in Root or the Anbu, or even as an ordinary ninja, the first rule of conduct was stealth—never revealing one's presence.
She, however, was utterly incapable of that.
With a superhuman weight exceeding 500 pounds, combined with the breakneck speed of a ninja's march, each step she took unleashed force measured in tons.
Fragile branches couldn't withstand such power, and even the ground buckled, leaving deep craters in her wake—a glaring trail through the forest.
For a ninja like him, skilled in infiltration and reconnaissance, this was hard to stomach.
A freak like her belonged on the front lines of a battlefield or strapped to an operating table in the experimental division, not in Root, where assassination and intelligence-gathering were the focus.
Boom!
Crackle! Crackle! Lightning flashed.
Activating Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Hikari smashed through a massive tree blocking her path.
Her body's momentum was too great—once she gained speed, crashing through obstacles was far simpler than wasting energy on sharp turns.
Crash!
The thick trunk, scorched black by lightning, toppled as its massive canopy smashed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Whoosh!
Ranmaru, about to leap onto a branch, saw the giant tree collapse and slammed on the brakes, veering to a nearby tree instead.
Looking ahead…
The girl, wreathed in flickering lightning and trailing smoke, charged forward, toppling every tree in her path, carving a crude road through the forest.
Ranmaru's eye twitched, his mouth opening as if to say something.
Slap! Slap!
Iwaguma, landing beside him, patted his shoulder.
Understanding the gesture, the defiant Ranmaru sighed in resignation and followed Iwaguma as they pressed on.
His injuries from their last mission had only just healed, and he had no desire to end up back in the experimental division for treatment.
The nurse who bandaged him mentioned that Hikari was studying medical ninjutsu under Chihaya Toru in the experimental division, progressing at an alarming rate. If he got injured again, there was a chance that monster would be the one treating him.
He couldn't afford to cross her.
Just imagining Hikari, stone-faced in a white coat, tending to his wounds sent a sharp, stabbing pain through his right ribs, like a stitch in his side.
"Stop!"
Ryoma Aburame's voice cut through.
The group halted instantly, standing in place awaiting orders.
Boom!
Hikari screeched to a halt, toppling yet another tree before barely reining in her heavy body. She shook off the splintered wood chips, her feet surrounded by gouged earth.
Was this girl an elephant in disguise?
Cho, watching silently, groaned inwardly, at a loss for words.
Ignoring the monstrous girl below, Ryoma Aburame glanced at the dimming sky. Countless insects crawled from his clothing, buzzing outward in a swarm that looked like a dark cloud from afar.
"Cho, scout the area."
Cho nodded, closing her eyes and forming a "Rat" hand seal.
In that silent moment, Hikari's vision shifted to a 360-degree god's-eye view, extending infinitely outward. Though her running was loud and her fighting style bold, she never forgot she was an exceptional sensory ninja.
Through her Byakugan, she saw Cho's body emitting blue chakra ripples, spreading outward. When the ripples struck an object, they traced a unique path back to her.
It was likely a sonar-like sensory ninjutsu, its precision unclear, but its range—about 400 to 500 meters—was far inferior to the Byakugan.
Hikari mentally noted Cho's technique.
Her vision expanded further.
Within a one-kilometer radius, there wasn't a single soul besides them.
Her thunderous sprint had scared off every beast and venomous snake in the area, leaving the withered forest eerily silent.
The Land of Lightning was far from the Land of Fire. Though they'd been marching all day, they were still within Fire Country borders, barely past its central region. Danger was unlikely here.
At this pace…
Hikari calculated they'd need at least two more days to leave the Land of Fire.
To avoid towns and defenses and reach the southwestern border of the Land of Lightning, they'd need to exit through the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, passing through the Land of Rice Fields and a vast, uninhabited primal forest.
That would take another four days.
With two days reserved for the mission, returning to the Hidden Leaf would take about ten days total. The experiment to filter life force through Sharingan chakra could only be done by her, and she wondered if her main body had made progress with Hashirama's cells.
"Captain, no anomalies detected," Cho reported, retracting her chakra.
Ryoma Aburame nodded. His caution was habitual; he didn't expect danger here. With their elite lineup, 99% of the ninja world's threats were nothing to them.
Besides, he glanced at Hikari.
Any potential danger would've been scared off by this terrifying girl.
"Everyone, rest here."
"Yes, sir!"
The group dispersed, each attending to their tasks.
Five Special Jonin set up steel wires, traps, and sealing-triggered jutsu in the surrounding forest. Two climbed to the treetops to find lookout points, while the remaining five erased the trail they'd left to prevent enemy tracking.
Looking at the toppled trees and deep craters Hikari had left, they worked silently, without complaint, using ninjutsu to swiftly cover her tracks.
Iwaguma formed hand seals and slammed his palms to the ground, raising a yellowish stone house from the earth.
Yamato's Two-Bedroom Jutsu?
Hikari's eyes lit up.
She'd thought it was a Wood Release exclusive, but it was apparently a shared Root secret. With Iwaguma's Earth Release and Yamato's Wood Release, they were practically a construction crew.
Rumble.
The stone house lacked Yamato's flair, resembling a plain, lidded box.
A door-shaped hole was carved into the front wall, with a square vent on the right serving as a window.
While others continued erasing Hikari's blatant trail, Ryoma Aburame and Iwaguma entered the house. With nothing to do, Hikari, Ranmaru, and Cho followed.
The sky was already dark, and the stone house's interior was even dimmer and spartan—a true bare-bones shelter. But in the wilderness, with no other refuge, it was practically a mansion.
Ranmaru unfurled a scroll from his sleeve.
"Release!"
Poof!
Four candles appeared in his hand. Lighting them with a firestarter, he placed them in the room's corners, instantly brightening the space.
Iwaguma, Cho, and Ryoma sat against the wall, pulling out ration pills and water. Ryoma spread a map on the ground, studying it under the candlelight.
"You not eating?" Cho asked, removing her mask. Her plain face would blend into any crowd. She popped a ration pill into her mouth and chewed.
Ranmaru and Iwaguma swallowed their pills with cold water, their expressions calm, clearly used to the unpalatable rations.
"Not hungry," Hikari said, eyeing the ration pills with unease.
Since waking on the battlefield where the Taketori clan was wiped out, she'd survived by scavenging ration pills from her fallen clansmen to restore her chakra, ultimately outlasting two Mist Anbu to survive.
Back then, she was like a stray dog, relying on her clan's "carrion" to stay alive.
Now, just half a year later…
She'd absorbed tailed beast chakra twice, mastered the Eight Gates, Lightning Release Chakra Mode, all five elemental releases, sealing techniques, and medical ninjutsu. She no longer had to scrape by like a desperate animal.
Scanning the surroundings with her Byakugan, Hikari stood and headed outside.
"No leaving the team during a mission, Yato," Ryoma Aburame said, setting down the map marked with red circles, his purple eyes coldly fixed on her.
"I'm getting some real food."
Cough, cough!
Ranmaru, mid-sip, choked on his water. Cho and Iwaguma stared at their ration pills, unsure whether to eat or not.
Nodding, Ryoma Aburame returned to his map and said flatly, "Bring me some."
Hikari waved and strode into the forest.
Cho and Iwaguma exchanged a glance, pocketing their ration pills and pretending to rest, sated.
Inside, Ranmaru alone kept chewing his ration pill, cheeks puffed, eyes clear and oblivious.
Outside…
The twelve Root ninjas were still erasing Hikari's trail.
They wiped footprints from branches, filled her craters with Earth Release, and covered them with weeds. The felled trees couldn't be restored, so they cut down nearby ones to obscure the scene.
Hikari maximized her Byakugan, scanning for prey within a ten-kilometer radius.
Spotting the largest wild boar, she slowed her pace to avoid adding to the team's cleanup work.
In a few bounds, she reached the boar.
Lightning crackled at her fingertips as she tapped its head.
Zap!
The boar, rummaging in the dirt, stiffened, limbs splayed, eyes closed, and a mysterious smile on its lips as it toppled like a log.
The electric arc faded.
Wind chakra sprayed from her hand's tenketsu, peeling the boar's skin inch by inch.
She slit its belly, removed the innards, and used Water Release to flush out the stench and blood. Sprinkling salt and spices from a sealing scroll, she prepared the meat.
Slap!
Hikari patted the pork.
Wind Release seeped into the pores, shredding tough sinew. Then, scorching Fire Release chakra, using a precise Empty Rift technique, cooked the meat from within.
Sizzle!
The skin shrank, and fragrant oil dripped from the meat.
Slap, slap, slap!
She patted the entire carcass.
In minutes, the Fire Release roasted the pork through.
Tearing off a piece…
The meat was evenly cooked, bubbling with oil and dripping juices. The savory aroma, mixed with fried spices, was mouthwatering.
Hikari removed her mask and took a bite, her eyes lighting up.
The scalding pork was tender, almost melting, with savory oil and salty freshness flooding her mouth. It had the texture of lean meat but was softer than fat.
The heat, flavor, and texture were perfection.
Once she defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, she'd open a barbecue stall next to Ichiraku Ramen.
She'd lounge in a comfy chair, munching skewers, watching Naruto's kids save the world.
Sounded nice.
Carrying the several-hundred-pound roast back to the stone house…
The Root members had finished cleaning her trail. Maskless, they sat under trees, chewing ration pills.
Root's strict hierarchy wasn't just talk.
So young…
Hikari studied their faces—teenagers, boys and girls. Her Byakugan saw their robust chakra but fading green life force.
Root's brutal training honed obedience and, like the Eight Gates, squeezed out life force through harsh regimens to rapidly build combat strength.
But this method was cruder and more ruthless than the Eight Gates.
Years of such training left their bodies riddled with damage. Most wouldn't live past their thirties before collapsing entirely.
"Eat this!"
Holding the massive roast, she set it before them. The twelve youths spat out their ration pills without hesitation, slicing the meat with kunai.
They devoured it eagerly, seemingly savoring every bite.
Hikari fell silent.
Their faces showed no emotion, only cold emptiness—like soulless machines.
They weren't accepting her kindness or rejecting the ration pills out of dislike. They were following her order, the deputy captain's command to "eat meat."
That was Root.
Shaking her head, Hikari carried the remaining roast into the stone house.
Inside…
A stone table, four stone stools.
Cho, Iwaguma, and Ryoma Aburame sat around the map, studying it intently, as if it held earth-shattering secrets.
Ranmaru huddled in a corner, back hunched, feigning sleep.
Seeing Hikari enter with the fragrant roast, Ryoma Aburame sniffed, rolling up the map and tucking it away.
The three looked up at her.
"Table's already cleaned," Cho said, licking her lips with a smile. Iwaguma stayed silent, but his bobbing Adam's apple betrayed his hunger.
"Tch."
Iwaguma built the house, Cho was good at communication, and Ryoma was the captain. Hikari, at a loss for words, set the steaming roast on the table and sat on the stool prepared for her.
The four shared the meal in sync.
After tasting the pork, the three paused, then tore into it with increased fervor.
The savory aroma filled the stone house. Ranmaru, pretending to sleep, furrowed his brow and turned away.
His stomach, bloated from ration pills soaked in water, churned with hunger and fullness, unable to quell the exhaustion of a day's march.