Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

"Don't cause unnecessary trouble, and don't kill anyone!"

Kakashi quickly said, "Once you find Tenzo and Iruka, retreat immediately."

Qingwu grunted in response, but it was unclear whether he had actually heard him. He then slammed his palm on the ground and shouted, "Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"

Three centaur leaders appeared in the narrow passage.

Issue instructions.

The centaur leader strode quickly toward the three forks in the road ahead.

Kakashi frowned, his Sharingan scanning the surroundings. "This will alert the enemy."

Qingwu strode toward the middle fork, casually tossing out, "We're all in here now, what's there to worry about? I just want to find the person as soon as possible."

With Iruka and Tenzo in the hands of the Root, every minute that passed would likely bring them more torment; how could he possibly have the patience to investigate?

The sound of centaur hooves broke the deathly silence of the underground base.

Soon, the sounds of fighting came from the passage on the left.

Qingwu changed direction without hesitation and instantly passed by.

Kakashi gritted his teeth and followed the sound.

The stone walls were cold and damp, with water droplets condensing on them all year round. The floor was slippery and damp underfoot. The two walked quickly, one in front of the other.

"puff--"

When Qingwu and Kakashi arrived, they saw a centaur leader being pierced and killed by a ninja sword while being surrounded by several Root members.

The centaur leader's corpse turned into emerald green specks of light and disappeared from the spot.

Qingwu's eyes remained unwavering as he made his move.

Roots spread from his hands, darting about like venomous snakes.

"careful!"

One of the roots cried out in alarm and hurriedly swung his knife to cut it, but these roots were extremely tough, and the knife's slashing was obviously ineffective against the numerous roots.

"Use Fire Release—Ah!"

These roots underestimated the speed of the root tendrils, and in a short time, they were all tightly wrapped around the limbs by the root tendrils.

Qingwu suddenly pulled his hands together, and several crisp cracking sounds of bones breaking were accompanied by muffled groans.

Kakashi rushed up from behind, instantly appearing on the other side, and his ninja sword precisely sliced ​​open the wrist of a Root ninja who was secretly forming hand seals in the shadows.

Kakashi glanced at the several wounded Root ninjas, sighed inwardly, and said:

"Don't waste time, find Tianzang and Iruka first."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kakashi looked up and stared ahead.

A dozen or so figures had appeared ahead of the passage at some unknown time.

The leader removed his mask, revealing a cold, scarred face—it was Terai.

"Kakashi, Jonin of Qingwu, you have trespassed into the Root's forbidden area and injured my subordinates. Do you intend to betray the village?"

“Tenzo should be in their hands.” Kakashi reminded them in a deep voice, then shouted to the front, “Terai, don’t jump to conclusions. You were the ones who injured him first.”

As he spoke, he pointed to his injured shoulder.

Qingwu was preoccupied with finding someone, and that's when he noticed Kakashi's shoulder was bandaged.

Without saying a word, he stepped forward and cast a water-based spell, [Heal], to help Kakashi recover from his knife wound. "Captain, you're too much of a rule-follower."

"Huh?" Kakashi was startled.

Qingwu continued walking forward, her voice cold: "Hand over the person!"

"Hand them over?" Terai sneered, raising his hand and waving it around. The dozen or so Root members behind him instantly dispersed, surrounding the two. "A obstructed official business and attacked Root members; he is a criminal."

Terai stared at the two men inside the encirclement and said coldly, "I'd like to ask you two, what is your status in coming here to demand someone?"

He deliberately emphasized the word "identity," his eyes revealing a calculating intent.

However, this time he didn't encounter Kakashi, but rather—Qingwu!

"Your identity doesn't matter, you can be my rogue ninja."

Qingwu's words were calm and even, yet they carried a resolute determination that made Terai pause in surprise.

"The important thing is, I must take the people with me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qingwu continued walking straight towards the temple well without stopping.

Terai snapped out of his daze, the astonishment in his eyes instantly turning into a sinister glint, and he shouted sharply, "You're asking for death! Take them down!"

Qingwu's movements were even faster.

"Boom, boom—!!"

A dozen or so dwarves suddenly appeared in the middle of the base, wielding warhammers and instantly breaking through the encirclement.

"It's that kind of summoning beast again. Be careful, it can't be killed by ordinary ninjutsu."

"There are too many, spread them out!"

Hearing the shout from the root, Qingwu's eyes grew even more dangerous. He had used the [Natural Contract] on a dwarf warrior named Tianzang, so it seemed...

"boom--!!"

A sudden burst of scorching air exploded outwards, and a raging wall of fire rose out of thin air, illuminating the dim passage.

They forcibly separated Terai from the other dozen or so Root ninjas.

despair!

Qingwu grabbed Sijing by the neck and lifted him into the air. "Where is he?"

If it weren't for Kakashi following behind him, giving him pause, he would have already charged through the enemy lines instead of only injuring without killing anyone.

Terai's feet left the ground, and he desperately tried to pry Qingwu's wrists off the ground with both hands. His face turned red, and his eyes were full of astonishment... I was completely powerless to fight back.

Chapter 172 Straight Face Hidden

"Where is the man?"

Qingwu's voice was cold and devoid of any warmth. With a slight tightening of his fingertips, he pinched Sijing so hard that a muffled gurgling sound escaped from his throat.

"Don't be impulsive, he is Danzo's capable subordinate."

Kakashi sounded anxious, fearing that Qingwu would escalate the situation beyond repair.

Qingwu ignored Kakashi; all he wanted to know was where Iruka and the others were being held.

Seeing Terai's eyes roll back and his face turn increasingly bluish-purple, he relaxed slightly and pressed him again in a deep voice:

"Where is the man?"

The members of the Root were all marked with the "Seal of the Extinction of the Tongue" by Danzo, a fact that Qingwu knew, but he did not believe that everyone was unafraid of death.

Moreover, Terai is a squad leader in Root and holds a high position. His reaction confirms my suspicion that this scheme was indeed set up for him by Danzo.

At this moment, the fiery demon wall gradually died down, and the separated roots immediately swarmed up.

“Captain!” Qingwu said in a deep voice.

Kakashi's Sharingan spun rapidly, and the blue light of the Lightning Blade flashed in the dim passage, blocking all of the dozen or so Root units.

A relieved smile appeared on Qingwu's lips. He was able to stop the Root ninjas even with his "summoning beast".

However, it is important that Kakashi refused to side with him, even though he might be labeled a "traitor to Konoha."

Turning back, Qingwu tightened her grip again, "I'm giving you one last chance. Where are Iruka and Tianzang being held?"

Terai convulsed, his throat gurgling with broken breaths, and his fingertips pointed laboriously into the depths of the passage.

"very good!"

Qingwu abandoned Sijing and sped towards the depths of the passage without looking back. "Captain, I'm leaving this place to you."

Kakashi was alarmed upon hearing this. He was with Qingwu, so at least he could keep an eye on things.

Qingwu's previous words bothered him. What if he really became a rogue ninja? Then... should he take action against Qingwu one day?

Thinking of that terrible possibility, Kakashi became more ruthless in his actions, wanting to break through quickly.

However, when Terai gets up from the ground, it is destined that Kakashi, who has reservations, will be entangled.

……

Qingwu did it on purpose.

With Kakashi around, he couldn't really unleash his full potential.

Yes, he could become a rogue ninja without any scruples, or rather, directly occupy the Death Forest and "establish himself".

Kakashi is different.

Kakashi is not alone; he has the Hatake clan behind him, is a disciple of the Fourth Hokage, and is also Naruto's guardian.

To put it bluntly, Kakashi said he disagreed with what he was doing, but he still stood up for him against Root without hesitation—that's enough!

Their bond, forged in the Shadow Guard for over a year, was well worth it.

His killing of Root members alone and his actions together with Kakashi have completely different implications.

He doesn't care about his reputation or whether he's labeled a traitorous ninja.

But he... didn't want to drag Kakashi into this!

So he deliberately left the trouble to Kakashi, thinking that if he made a big fuss later, he could leave Kakashi a way out.

The chill in the depths of the passage grew stronger, and a hint of resolute determination crept into the fierceness in Qingwu's eyes.

...Two minutes later, the passage ahead suddenly widened, and the view opened up before us.

Beyond the passage lies a vast underground space.

The towering stone walls gleamed with a cold luster, and the air was filled with a faint smell of blood and mildew.

A hunched figure leaning on a cane slightly raised his head, looked at the boy crossing the passage with one eye, and a calculating sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.