Chapter 128: Time to Settle the Score

"Quick! Protect the villagers!"

Kakashi was the first to react, shouting orders to the nearby conscious shinobi.

Swish—

Might Guy, Asuma, and the other elite jōnin immediately sprang into action.

At the back, Ryo observed the chaotic scene. Next to him, Hoopa curiously asked, "Ryo, what are they playing? Hoopa wants to play too!"

Ryo's mouth twitched. "This isn't a game. If you want to play, do it later."

He ignored Hoopa's pout and instead turned to Cynthia, who had succumbed to the genjutsu.

Seeing her fast asleep with her eyes shut, he sighed.

With a burst of psychic energy, he forcefully disrupted the illusion affecting her.

"Hmm?"

Cynthia rubbed her eyes in confusion before glancing at Ryo. "Ryo, did I fall asleep just now? I feel so tired."

"You were caught in a genjutsu."

"Genjutsu?"

Cynthia blinked in surprise. As she listened to the sounds around her, she turned her gaze toward the battlefield. "What's going on? Wasn't everything normal just a moment ago? Even the match looked fine."

"No time to explain. Summon Garchomp and protect yourself."

Hearing the urgency in Ryo's voice, Cynthia wasted no time, swiftly releasing Garchomp from its Poké Ball.

Ryo then handed Hoopa over to her. "Cynthia, take care of Hoopa. Find a safe place and stay put. Don't get involved."

"Huh?"

Cynthia frowned. "And what about you?"

"Me?"

Ryo shook his head slightly. "I have things to do. Just keep yourself safe. With Garchomp around, you'll be fine as long as you don't attract trouble."

Saying that, Ryo turned toward Gardevoir.

Understanding his intent, Gardevoir nodded, and in an instant, both Ryo and the Pokémon disappeared.

Cynthia stood there, dumbfounded.

He just left? Without explaining anything?

"Ryo! No! Hoopa wants to play too!"

Hoopa, cradled in Cynthia's arms, puffed its cheeks in annoyance as it watched Ryo vanish.

Without hesitation, it threw its golden rings into the air, slipping through one of them and escaping Cynthia's grasp.

"Hoopa!"

Cynthia's eyes filled with concern, but it was too late.

As soon as Hoopa entered the ring, the portal vanished, leaving her with no way to follow.

Without teleportation abilities of her own, she could only watch helplessly.

After a brief pause, she sighed. "Forget it. I need to find a safe place first."

With chaos unfolding below, she had no intention of staying.

"Garchomp, let's go."

She hopped onto Garchomp's back.

Just as they were about to take off, Diancie hesitated. "Cynthia, shouldn't we go after Hoopa?"

Diancie understood that Hoopa wasn't particularly strong at the moment. Leaving it alone could be risky.

Cynthia gently patted Diancie's head. "Don't worry. Hoopa can protect itself, and it's probably gone to find Ryo. We don't need to worry."

With that, she turned to Garchomp. "Let's go, Garchomp. We need to find a safe place."

"Roar—!"

Garchomp nodded and took off into the sky.

As it ascended, Kakashi caught sight of them.

His brow furrowed slightly but, given the situation, he didn't dwell on it.

Instead, his gaze shifted to Naruto, who lay snoring on the ground.

Shaking his head, Kakashi crouched down and shook Naruto awake.

Then he called over Shikamaru and the other Konoha genin. "Shikamaru, you take charge. Stop the Sand genin from causing any more trouble."

Shikamaru frowned, clearly annoyed, but after a brief sigh, he nodded.

"Such a drag... But I guess I can't slack off now."

Seeing that everything was in order, Kakashi vanished in a blur.

—

Meanwhile, on Ryo's side.

He had already arrived at the entrance to the Root headquarters.

When the chaos in Konoha began, he immediately decided to take advantage of it to deal with Danzo.

To be precise, ever since Pokémon had become widespread among civilians, he had planned to take out Danzo today.

After all, he hadn't forgotten the trouble Danzo had caused.

If left alone, that man would continue stirring up problems.

And now, with the Akatsuki making a move, Ryo was even more convinced that Danzo had to die.

He couldn't afford to let this menace continue lurking in the shadows.

Without hesitation, Ryo pulled out two Poké Balls.

He tossed them forward, summoning Dragonite and Espeon.

"Roar—!"

"Espeee—!"

The two Pokémon looked around curiously.

Ryo gave a simple command. "Dragonite, Espeon—let's go pay an old friend a visit."

Without waiting, he stepped forward into the Root headquarters.

Dragonite, Gardevoir, and Espeon followed closely behind.

This time, he wasn't just here for a visit—he was here to destroy Root and eliminate Danzo.

With Danzo's numerous lives and his network of Root shinobi, Ryo knew this would be no easy task.

That's why he brought Dragonite.

And Espeon?

That was just for fun.

Though Espeon had reached level 65 over the past month, it still wasn't strong enough to face elite jōnin.

But real combat experience would help it improve.

Swish, swish—

Just as Ryo stepped inside, several Root shinobi appeared, blocking his path.

Their eyes were cold and calculating. "Mr. Ryo, this is the Root headquarters. Outsiders are not permitted entry. Please leave."

"Oh?"

Ryo's expression remained neutral. "Why? Is there something here that shouldn't be seen?"

The Root shinobi stiffened but kept their stance. "Mr. Ryo, please leave immediately."

"Heh—"

Ryo let out a cold chuckle and fixed them with a sharp gaze. "And if I don't?"

The shinobi hesitated before responding. "If you refuse to leave, we will be forced to take action."

Ryo laughed.

A deep, amused laugh.

Then his expression turned ice-cold. "I'd love to see you try."

Without sparing them another glance, he sidestepped the group and continued deeper into the base.

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