"Please leave… as if you saw nothing, alright?"
The three Root members spoke in dark tones as Naruto stood in front of them, blocking their path to the ANBU.
Naruto glanced at the long purple hair of Yue Xixian, her most distinctive feature, and replied seriously:
"That won't work. If you're planning to kill your comrade, I can't just walk away without asking why… right?"
One of the Root members muttered:
"That makes sense. We're hunting a traitor of the village."
Naruto didn't budge.
"What proof do you have that the person in front of you is a traitor?"
Suddenly, the Root ninja's expression changed. He raised a strange long blade and said impatiently:
"This is troublesome… let's just kill him too."
Behind the rocks, Inuzuka Hana and Uchiha Izumi covered their mouths in horror.
"Wait!"
The leader of Root stared at Naruto.
"That kid… he's a Jinchūriki."
The one who was about to attack froze instantly.
"Damn it! Just our luck… running into him of all people!"
Rumors of Naruto slaughtering Root members had already spread. Nearly a fifth of their casualties were said to be caused by him alone.
Now, all Root members had orders to stay away from Naruto.
Everyone knew—he could explode like a ticking bomb.
The leader quickly explained:
"It's not that this person is a traitor… it's the scroll in her hands. It proves who the real traitor is. Hand it over, and we'll leave immediately."
Yue Xixian struggled to speak:
"What are you planning to do with the information about Dō?"
The Root ninja sneered, raising his blade.
"Is that even a question? Enemies of the village deserve to be erased. We maintain order in Konoha… according to the dark code."
Yue Xixian shouted back:
"You have no right to judge! This information must be handed to the Hokage! He will decide fairly!"
A female Root member laughed coldly.
"Fair judgment? How naïve. There's only one fate for traitors."
Yue Xixian clenched her teeth:
"Even traitors have their reasons! The Hokage will investigate everything fairly!"
Listening to both sides, Naruto began to feel something was off.
This scene… felt strangely familiar.
He sank into his consciousness and called out:
"Kurama?"
The Kurama chuckled.
"So… you finally figured it out?"
Naruto frowned.
"How many people are watching?"
Kurama replied lazily:
"Five. A four-man team… and your captain, Yamato."
Naruto cursed inwardly.
So this was the third test, specially arranged for him.
No wonder the ANBU ran straight toward him.
This was the same kind of test used by Hiruzen Sarutobi on Itachi and Shisui.
On one side: Root, choosing to eliminate the "traitor" for the village.On the other: ANBU, insisting on reporting to the Hokage for judgment.
In short… it was a test of which side Naruto would choose.
Naruto felt speechless.
"Something's wrong with that old man… I'm still just seven years old."
Then he remembered—
Itachi had faced a similar test at that age.
Realizing this, Naruto calmed down.
He didn't need to win.He just needed to show his stance.
At first, Naruto even considered using the Sharingan to save Yue Xixian—playing the hero.
But now…
Too many "heroes saving beauties" end badly.
And revealing the Sharingan now?
Neither Hiruzen nor Danzō would tolerate that.
Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Damn it, Kurama… you almost got me killed."
Kurama mocked him:
"You're the one who used my power to flirt. I'm the mighty Nine-Tails, not your dating tool. Besides… didn't you plan to infiltrate the Akatsuki anyway?"
Naruto sighed.
"That requires equal strength. Going now would be suicide."
Still…
Now that he understood everything, Naruto wasn't afraid anymore.
He stepped forward and shouted at the three Root members:
"Enough! I stand with the Hokage! If you want to kill her… go through me first!"
His eyes turned blood-red.
Green chakra surged around him.
With a roar—
Naruto charged straight at the three Root members.
The three Root ninjas:
"???"
What the hell?!