Speed and strength are both inferior to mine… but because he has the Sharingan, he's reading every move I make…
Recalling the brief exchange just now, Yamanaka Kaze looked a little helpless. Even so, he refused to admit defeat and charged at Uchiha Jiyue once again.
The two clashed—fist for kick, blow for blow—locking into a fierce close-quarters scuffle.
It didn't take long for Kaze to notice something was off.
"Wait… why is he using my moves against me?!"
Seeing Jiyue fight with more and more momentum, Kaze quickly backed off, waving his hand.
"Alright, enough! If we keep going, I'm gonna lose!"
"Huh? That's it? You're done already?"
Jiyue wasn't quite satisfied yet, but since Kaze himself conceded, he could only stop.
"But seriously, Kaze… if you could last just a little longer, you wouldn't be this quick to fold!"
"Oh!"
Kaze just shrugged indifferently at the jab, but under the tree, Aburame Togen suddenly started coughing for no apparent reason.
"Don't tell me this guy's mind went somewhere dirty?"
Jiyue gave him a puzzled glance, but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, how could a kid like Togen possibly know about those… "not-for-publication" things the author can't write about?
After that brief bit of physical sparring, the three boys seemed to get along a lot better. Soon, they were talking about heading to the big public bath outside the base.
And of course—
This had nothing to do with competing over anything, but purely to be in their best condition for the morning's lesson.
During their trainee phase, they weren't given missions. Their daily schedule consisted of essential morning training and evening study, plus an 8 a.m. class where a jōnin taught them things like kunai throwing, chakra refinement, and jutsu casting techniques.
In the afternoons, they would be led by a member of Root for real combat drills.
Not long after—
The trio arrived at the large bathhouse to the north. By now, it was already packed with people.
Finding a relatively quiet corner, they ignored the curious and odd stares from their peers, quickly stripped down, and jumped into the warm pool tucked in the corner.
Kids in the Naruto world sure are precocious…
Jiyue let out a sigh, glancing around at the relaxed conversations and laughter. His eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.
The atmosphere's so… easygoing.
This was completely unlike the cold, ruthless image of Root operatives in Aoki Hiroshi's memories.
Could it be… Did I come to the wrong place?
Or maybe even Root shinobi have a side that enjoys life like ordinary people…?
As he pondered this, a loud, brash laugh suddenly rang out from outside.
"Aheh-heh! Only been a day—did you brats miss your old man?!"
The moment the voice dropped, a wave of unease swept through the children in the bath. Even the adults' faces grew tense.
Who's this…?
Jiyue turned his head curiously, spotting a square-faced man with a body like chiseled muscle pulling aside the curtain and striding in.
Once inside, the man grinned and made his way toward the pool, his steps confident and unhurried.
As he passed certain kids, he deliberately stopped to chat.
"Ah~ Little Winter Melon, haven't seen you in a few days—your head's getting rounder!"
"Yo! Isn't this Little Seagull? Better give it your all in this afternoon's combat class, you hear?"
"Hmm? Who's showing me their butt? Oh—it's Little Nitpicker. Never mind then."
"…"
Like a lion surveying his territory, the man strode past everyone, chest out, radiating dominance.
Not a single person dared talk back.
"Huh?"
Just as he was about to step into the pool, his gaze landed on the three boys in the corner. A teasing tone crept into his voice.
"Well, well, three newbies, huh?"
"Let me think…"
He rubbed his chin, sizing them up from head to toe, then broke into an insolent grin.
"From now on, you're Little Toothpick, Little Bug, and Little Pinky."
"Little Toothpick? Hahaha!"
Kaze glanced at the water-covered Jiyue, then at Togen beside him, bursting into laughter.
"So who's Little Toothpick, then?"
"You," the square-faced man replied flatly, leaning against the pool's edge without even a hint of expression.
"Me?"
Kaze froze for a moment, then clenched his teeth.
"You bastard! Who are you calling Little Toothpick?!"
"That's right. You, Little Toothpick~" the man said without even lifting his head.
"That's it, I'm gonna—!"
Furious, Kaze teamed up with an equally irritated Jiyue and Togen, lunging at him together.
Splash!Whack!
Water exploded into the air.
But the man showed not the slightest fear at their combined assault—if anything, his lips curled into a grin.
The next instant—
A crushing wave of violent pressure burst from him.
The warm bathwater parted instantly, and the spray blasted all three boys back into the corner.
By the time they staggered to their feet, he had already dressed and was standing at the doorway.
"If you can't even muster the will to kill me, you think you can stand against me? Laughable."
With that, he lifted the curtain and strode out.
"Phew…"
"He's finally gone!"
The "little white rabbits" in the bathhouse all let out a collective sigh of relief.
Figures… when you're meant to have bad luck, you'll have bad luck…
Watching the swaying curtain as the man left, Jiyue shook his head in frustration.
Never thought that in the infamously grim and ruthless Root, there'd be a guy like him—a walking comedy act. Guess the world is full of surprises…
Still… judging by the wariness in those adults' eyes, this guy's probably one of Danzō's trump cards. If I get the chance, it'd be best to take him out…
With that thought, Jiyue quietly stepped out of the pool, dressed, and headed outside.
At 8 a.m—
Everyone gathered in the base's main hall, listening to a Root member wearing a green-patterned mask lecture.
His voice was unusual—every time he spoke, it sent a tingling sensation through the listeners, like a faint electric shock.
His speech was also calm and deliberate.
Aside from the painfully boring subject matter, there wasn't much to complain about.
"Mhm, mhm!"
After another round of nodding at the instructor beside the blackboard, Kaze suddenly noticed something odd about the two sitting next to him—Togen and Jiyue.
A closer look revealed that, despite sitting straight in his protective gear and sunglasses, Togen was already secretly asleep.
As for Jiyue, he was even more blatant. Head tilted to the side, eyes shut, sleeping like a log.
That practiced ease… this was not his first time!
So that's it…
The teacher wasn't looking at me earlier after all!
Then why bother being so eager to respond? What a waste of energy!
Kaze suddenly felt like a devoted lover being played by a scumbag. Moments later, he too joined them in catching up on sleep.
Unfortunately, that was the final straw—the camel's back-breaking grain of sand. The masked Root member slammed his chalk down in fury.
That's it! We're done here! Now we move on to the Q&A session!
You there—the black-haired brat in the middle! Stand up and answer a few questions!