It was now deep into the night.
No moon, no stars hung in the sky—just pitch black. The only light came from Ichiraku Ramen and a dim streetlamp nearby.
In this setting…
Seven or eight masked ninjas stood silently, exuding an eerie, bone-chilling atmosphere.
Sasuke's heart pounded with shock.
"Anbu?" he uttered cautiously.
After becoming a ninja, you learned the basics, including about Konoha's Anbu—a special assassination and tactical unit answering directly to the Hokage.
No names, no identities, only codenames, masked faces.
Most crucially—
That man, the one Sasuke loathed with every fiber of his being, had once been Anbu.
But why were they here?
Sasuke's gaze shifted to Shen Mo.
This mysterious merchant might be the reason.
"What's wrong, clients?"
Shen Mo still wore a smile. In his arms, Haimaru opened her mouth slightly, baring sharp fangs, though her cute appearance held no trace of menace.
"Come with us," the first Anbu ninja said, stepping forward, his voice distorted under the mask.
Sasuke's expression flickered.
As expected, they were after this mysterious merchant.
No!
If they took him away, then he…
"Reason?" Shen Mo's expression didn't waver.
"No reason," the ninja replied, taking another step.
Shen Mo noticed his mask differed from the others—not animal-shaped but adorned with intricate patterns.
The "Root" within Anbu?
Now that was interesting.
Shen Mo had known they were tailing him since he left Tsunade's house. He'd activated a simple minimap function—low-cost, highly practical.
Tsunade knew too.
Her invitation earlier wasn't just flirtation—it was an offer of protection.
The answer, of course, was obvious.
"I'm just a merchant."
Shen Mo kept smiling, rising slowly, as if oblivious to the atmosphere, speaking leisurely:
"To me, people are either clients or troublemakers. Which are you?"
"Enough talk!"
The ninja seemed to lose patience, his form vanishing in a flash.
Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply.
Where!?
He barely turned before freezing.
The ninja was already behind Shen Mo.
So fast!
Sasuke's fists clenched tight. He couldn't track the speed—was this an Anbu ninja's strength?
Clang—!
A sharp impact rang out.
The ninja's hand-chop slammed into a thin, pale golden barrier.
A talisman from a xianxiaworld—Diamond Talisman.
"What's that?"
A low exclamation came from the side.
But in an instant…
The other Anbu ninjas surrounded Shen Mo, weapons drawn, staring at him warily.
No one spared Sasuke a glance.
Not even a look.
Sasuke's fists tightened, his body trembling slightly, as if stung.
That nightmarish day…
He'd been ignored by that man, as if too weak to even warrant killing!
Power!
Sasuke's eyes burned with deep yearning.
Shen Mo glanced at him, his smile growing faintly wider.
To the Anbu, this demeanor screamed confidence.
"No record of you at the village gate," the failed attacker said, stepping back, his raspy voice justifying to the others. "You sneaked into Konoha. Resist, and we'll treat you as a spy—kill on sight!"
The moment his words fell, the other Anbu's gazes sharpened.
Their orders…
Were to bring Shen Mo to the Hokage. But… this speaker was their squad leader.
Kill on sight?
Shen Mo stayed silent, looking at the encircling ninjas, a flicker of regret crossing his mind.
He should've bought Professor X's mutant ability to read their thoughts.
But… no matter.
It was bound to happen.
"Why does every world have such foolish troublemakers?" Shen Mo sighed faintly, as if musing to himself. "You reap what you pay for—that's the world's truth. Want to change destiny without spending? Such troublemakers, really…"
"Attack—!"
Cutting Shen Mo off, a low shout rang out, and all the ninjas moved as one.
The Root squad leader inhaled deeply.
Chakra surged wildly, his hands weaving signs at blinding speed.
Earth Style: Sand Binding Coffin!
Countless grains of sand erupted from the ground, coiling toward Shen Mo like serpents. Though a Sand Village technique, this Root ninja wielded it with uncanny agility.
Simultaneously…
The others unleashed their arsenal.
Kunai, Wind Style, long blades—every attack sealed Shen Mo's escape routes.
Even Sasuke, not the target, felt the overwhelming pressure.
No dodging, no evading!
This was Anbu's coordinated might!
Yet Shen Mo didn't dodge.
As if he hadn't reacted.
He let the sand engulf him, forming a small mound. If crushed now, strangled…
Sasuke's gaze turned desperate.
A rare chance to grow stronger, gone!
Then—
A low voice drifted into everyone's ears.
"Truly… ignorant!"
In an instant…
The sand encasing Shen Mo shattered.
Inside, Shen Mo stood, still wrapped in the pale golden barrier, not a thread of his clothes touched.
Then, he took a heavy step forward.
Boom—!
A roar like a volcanic eruption exploded—not in their ears, but in their minds. Their heads went blank, the world vanishing. In that white void of consciousness, only one thing remained.
A pair of golden eyes, gazing down on the world with boundless majesty!
Dragon Might from a qihuanworld!
Everyone, Sasuke included…
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Unable to stand.
Unable to look.
When they came to, they'd collapsed to the ground, heads bowed, as if facing not a man but something else—a colossal, indescribable beast from prehistory!
They didn't know what it was.
Yet they couldn't resist the primal fear from their very existence!
Every cell in their bodies seemed to wail!
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