Tenzo's body tensed once again.
The question struck like a poison-tipped kunai, aimed precisely at his deepest secret.
"Since when… have you been able to use such an amazing ninjutsu?"
Akashi Sora's voice was clear, carrying the innocent, guileless curiosity unique to a teenager.
But to Tenzo's ears, it was no different from an interrogation.
Wood Release.
That word was taboo.
It was a brand burned into the depths of his soul, the sole reason for his existence.
And the highest-level secret he, as a "Root" tool, was absolutely forbidden from mentioning to outsiders.
The air around them seemed to freeze.
The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently, casting their silent shadows long and thin across the wooden walls.
Tenzo wore a mask, so his expression was unreadable, but his sudden rigid posture said everything.
Sora waited a full ten seconds.
No answer.
Perfect—a textbook "Root" response.
Sora mentally gave Tenzo a thumbs-up for his professional discipline, while his facial expression shifted just right—from curiosity to a touch of embarrassment and flustered awkwardness.
"Ah… um, sorry! Did I ask something I shouldn't have?"
He quickly waved his hands, leaning back slightly, looking like a kid who'd just realized he'd said the wrong thing.
"I was just… just so surprised! Really! I've never seen such a miraculous jutsu before—one that can make trees grow into a house! It's way cooler than using Earth Release to make a wall or something!"
His tone was sincere, even a little rambling, successfully transforming the image of an "intelligence probe" into that of a wide-eyed "ninjutsu enthusiast."
Tenzo's tense shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.
He still didn't speak, but the aura keeping others at bay softened just a fraction.
"Man, I'm so jealous."
Sora smoothly changed the subject, resting his chin on one hand with a wistful expression.
"I only know some offensive ninjutsu. I can't do any of these high-level techniques that improve quality of life."
He sighed, as if lamenting his own inadequacy.
"Every time I'm out on a mission and have to sleep in the wild, my back and waist ache like crazy. If I could use this jutsu, I could summon a big bed anytime, anywhere! No more sleeping on cold, hard ground."
His words cleverly reframed Wood Release's "strategic value" into mere "convenience for daily life."
As expected, Tenzo seemed more receptive to this angle.
From his perpetually silent throat, a few words finally emerged.
"…Just for missions."
His voice was dry, devoid of emotion.
But—he spoke!
This was huge progress!
"That's still an insanely useful mission need!" Sora immediately climbed the pole, his eyes lighting up again. "Tenzo-nii, are you tired? Want me to give you a back massage? Controlling such a big house must take a lot out of you, right?"
"…"
Tenzo opted for silence once more and subtly shifted his body away.
Just as Sora was about to press further—maybe steer the conversation toward "can this jutsu make other things, like traps?"—
A faint whoosh cut through the air.
Akashi Sora's amber eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, his muscles instantly coiling. He didn't even need the Sharingan; the sensory prowess from the Uzumaki Sage Body had already locked onto the trajectory of the kunai shooting from the darkness.
This wasn't an ordinary sneak attack. The kunai was incredibly fast, angled cunningly, aimed straight for the back of his head—clearly intended to kill in one strike.
"Tenzo-senpai, watch out!"
He barked a low warning, twisting his body sharply to the right while slapping backward with his left hand, deflecting the kunai's path just enough.
The kunai grazed past his ear and buried itself deep into the wooden wall behind him. The explosive tag on its end hissed faintly.
Instead of ducking under the table, Sora quickly crouched into a half-squat, eyes sharp as he scanned the direction the kunai had come from.
"Northwest, thirty meters out—ambush behind the trees!"
His voice shed its usual lightness, now filled with the calm decisiveness of the battlefield.
Almost simultaneously with Sora's shout, Tenzo moved!
Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Sora, hands blurring through seals.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Boom!
A thick wooden wall erupted from the ground, perfectly positioned in front of the explosive tag. The violent blast was completely absorbed—no spark escaped.
"System, record," Sora silently commanded, confirming the disc had been logged.
But this was only the beginning.
From the dark forest, several black shadows burst forth, their tachi glinting in the moonlight as they attacked the wooden house from all sides!
Their target was clear: the ninjas inside!
"Seven enemies, chakra signatures laced with lightning nature—well-trained!" Sora quickly reported the situation while flinging three kunai from his right hand in a triangular spread toward the two closest foes.
Though just standard throws, enhanced by chakra, their speed and accuracy far exceeded normal. The two leading attackers were forced to dodge, stalling their advance.
"Tenzo-senpai, I've got cover!"
Tenzo's hands flew through seals again.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Countless thick roots and vines spread wildly outward from the house at the center!
Like living pythons, they precisely coiled toward every incoming enemy.
One attacker mid-leap was instantly bound by several vines, bones creaking as he was squeezed.
Another tried to slash the approaching roots with his tachi, only to leave shallow white marks—the blades couldn't cut through.
"Aaaargh!"
Screams rose one after another.
In mere breaths, all the attackers were tightly bound into helpless bundles by the Wood Release creations, dangling in mid-air, unable to move.
Throughout the entire process, Tenzo hadn't even shifted his position.
And beneath Sora's "serious" expression, deep in his consciousness, the system interface was already flooding the screen.
[High-concentration source energy fluctuation detected! Meets criteria for "concept code" collection!]
[Recording initiated…]
[Recording complete!] [Obtained disc: Wood Release Secret Technique: Deep Forest Emergence (Small-Scale)]
Success! Another one! And it's an area-control skill!
"Captain Kakashi, Kaede-senpai—the enemies are subdued. Please confirm!" Sora's voice returned to its usual energetic tone.
The wooden house door opened, and Kakashi and Yamanaka Kaede appeared in the doorway.
They had clearly been roused by the explosion and fighting.
Seeing the chaotic tangle of vines outside and the seven or eight black-clad figures hanging helplessly in the air, both paused for a moment.
Kakashi's gaze swept the scene, finally landing on Akashi Sora. His visible eye held a faint, almost imperceptible approval.
Yamanaka Kaede looked surprised—she clearly hadn't expected the usually carefree boy to react so swiftly and accurately in a critical moment.
Kakashi said nothing more. He shunshined in front of one bound black-clad figure and yanked off the mask.
An utterly ordinary face, no village forehead protector.
"Rogue samurai? Or bounty hunters?" Yamanaka Kaede walked over, frowning as she analyzed.
Kakashi didn't answer. He reached into the man's tool pouch and searched—then froze.
He pulled out an object.
A distinctively shaped kunai—three-pronged, etched with intricate patterns.
The moment they saw it, everyone's expression changed.
Yamanaka Kaede's face grew grave.
Even Tenzo's perpetually calm aura rippled slightly.
Even Akashi Sora knew what it was.
A specially designed standard weapon from the Hidden Cloud—typically issued only to elite units.
Kakashi slowly stood, holding the kunai up for all to see. His voice dropped lower.
"It seems our whereabouts have been exposed."
"These aren't rogue samurai."
Kakashi's gaze swept over the "enemies" dangling from the Wood Release vines around the house.
"They're Cloud's advance reconnaissance team. I didn't expect them to have penetrated this deep already."
As soon as Kakashi finished speaking, faint rustling came from the forest again.
This time, it wasn't a lone kunai—several stronger chakra signatures were rapidly approaching.