"A bloodline power…? What terrifying chakra."
Kurenai instinctively stepped back as the black sphere pulsed with silent pressure. She'd never felt anything like it.
Within a breath—
Ayato flicked his wrist.
The orb vanished.
The distant hill trembled—
BOOM—?
Or rather, it didn't.
No explosion. No debris. No earth cracking.
The small mountain simply ceased to exist.
Erased cleanly from reality.
Kurenai's breath hitched.
"Y-You… did you just eliminate Root!?"
Killing Root operatives was a capital offense under normal circumstances.
Ayato says in a casual apologetic tone:
"My bad, my bad.
I saw people sneaking around all day and thought they were enemy nin.
If someone kidnapped the Nine-Tails brat, it'd be a huge loss for the village."
His voice cooled.
"Besides… what kind of respectable village spies on three brand-new genin? It's embarrassing."
Kurenai pressed her fingers to her forehead.
"...You're going to get in trouble. But with your strength, I doubt you care."
Ayato flashed a lazy smile.
"I really don't."
No matter how much Danzo raged, he couldn't punish Ayato openly. Root was already crossing the line by stalking Naruto.
Kurenai gave a final sigh and glanced toward the woods.
"Looks like Team 7 is about to move."
"I'll head out. My squad's waiting for lunch at the barbecue place."
She turned to leave.
"Bring me a take-out set," Ayato said. "The highest-grade meat. You're paying."
"You—! Who asks like that!? Do you know how expensive your appetite is!?"
Her voice cracked. "You once ate my entire two-months' savings in one sitting!"
"Then save up. Take me out a few more times and I might fall for you."
"Dream on, you shameless man."
Ayato tossed her a charm.
"If you and Hinata ever get in danger, cry loudly and call my name. The hero will arrive."
Kurenai caught it and stomped away, muttering:
"Scoundrel."
Ayato stretched.
"Alright, little brats. Your grand plan ready yet? I'm getting sleepy."
Then—
whoosh
A shadow appeared soundlessly behind him.
"Signs of the Rat, Horse, Monkey, Boar, Tiger…"
Sasuke's hands moved rapidly, weaving seals with speed that would impress most jōnin.
Ayato didn't even turn around.
"Another Fireball? Your seal speed's too slow. I could counter a dozen times before you finish."
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing fireball roared toward him.
Ayato's gaze drifted down.
"And Naruto… you're two seconds late."
The earth cracked open and several Naruto clones burst from underground, latching onto Ayato like clinging koalas.
"Got you!"
Sasuke smirked. "You can't dodge now!"
"Smart… but meaningless."
The fireball consumed all of them.
Naruto's clones poofed into smoke.
The forest shook.
Naruto and Sakura anxiously watched from hiding.
"Did… did it work?"
Smoke billowed.
A silhouette stood inside.
Ayato stepped out, waving away the soot.
"Cough—too smoky."
Sasuke froze.
"H-He tanked it… without a scratch!?"
Ayato brushed off the ash.
"I told you—hit me, and then what?"
But Sasuke revealed a cold smile.
"Who said I was done?"
He jerked his hands—
Thin steel wires shot out of the burned soil, wrapping tightly around Ayato's legs.
Sasuke's voice trembled with excitement:
"Caught you!"
Ayato widened his eyes theatrically.
"A trap hidden in the fireball? How frightening."
Of course he'd seen the wires from the start.
But letting a kid's trap work was part of being a "good teacher."
Sasuke pulled with everything he had—
But Ayato didn't move an inch.
Not even a wobble.
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