Chapter 68: Ino-Shika-Chō, United as One!
Chapter 68: Ino-Shika-Chō, United as One!
Yakushi Nono'o's expression froze, and the color instantly drained from her beautiful, oval face. She subconsciously wanted to take a few steps back, to get away from Nara Keisuke. However, a pair of strong, steady arms wrapped firmly around her slender waist, preventing her from retreating even half an inch.
"Sister Nono'o, what are you trying to do?" Keisuke asked, holding her waist, his tone a mix of confusion and surprise.
"Keisuke, I didn't mean to hide my identity from you," Nono'o said, struggling slightly. Finding herself unable to break free, she could only answer in this very embarrassing position. "Konoha, bathed in sunlight, and Root, buried deep in the darkness, are two completely different..."
"What on earth are you thinking about, Sister Nono'o!" Keisuke's arms tightened slightly, pulling her directly into his embrace. "I don't care if you're a Root ninja or not, and I don't care what you've done in that dark organization. To me, Yakushi Nono'o is just a friend who's like an older sister."
"Keisuke..." Nono'o looked at him, her eyes complex as he stood so close. For her, having her "Root ninja" identity exposed by Keisuke wasn't the most critical part. The most critical part was that she had been hiding it from him for so many years. Although it was with good intentions, it could still be seen as a form of "deception"!
And yet, the close and generous attitude Keisuke was showing now...
"What nonsense," Nono'o said, turning her face away and biting her lip, trying hard not to look at his face. "I'm the older sister..."
Keisuke gazed at the nun's side profile, at her fair and smooth skin, her pert and delicate nose, the fleshy curve of her full pink lips as they were gently bitten by her pearly white teeth. He couldn't help but lean in and gently kiss the bright sunlight that fell upon her cheek.
Feeling the soft, moist touch on her cheek, Nono'o turned her head in surprise. Her hazel-green almond eyes rippled with deep astonishment, and a trace of an indescribable emotion.
"Keisuke, you—"
"Can it really only be as a sister?" Keisuke tightened his embrace on the nun. Instead of retreating, he moved closer again. Their foreheads touched, their noses brushed, and their warm, moist breaths intertwined.
Some words can only flow into the depths of the heart when spoken mouth to mouth.
"Hah..." Her face flushed, Nono'o lifted her long, slender neck. Her translucent pupils, which were usually so clear and serene, were now filled with a moist, hazy light. Her tender pink lips also took on the lovely color of March peach blossoms.
Keisuke licked his lips. "Sister Nono'o, leave Root, okay?"
Her mind a complete mess, Yakushi Nono'o could no longer hear his words clearly. But it seemed that no matter what he said now, she would only respond with one word—
"Okay."
In a secluded building near the Kikyo Orphanage.
"These are the two Root ninja who just attacked us." Nara Keisuke pointed a hand at the one person and one corpse in the room, about to turn his head to explain his plan to Nono'o. "And this is also how you can leave Root, Sister Nono'o—Sister Nono'o?"
In the corner of the room, Nono'o was shrinking back, looking at Keisuke with a mixture of vigilance and shyness, looking just like a small, helpless, and pitiful little golden rabbit.
Keisuke said helplessly, "I'm not some kind of demon. Why are you looking at me like that, Sister Nono'o?"
"Some boys look handsome and cute, obedient and sensible..." Nono'o pouted, unable to resist retorting. "But he'll also forcefully kiss people. It's very scary."
"Sister Nono'o." Keisuke was both amused and exasperated. "The one who was holding onto me later and didn't want to let go—"
"Shut up!" Nono'o stomped her foot, skipping over the topic that made her face burn. "What was that plan you were talking about?"
Keisuke was just about to explain, but a memory suddenly flowed into his brain. "The Clan Heads are about to arrive."
"The Clan Heads?" Nono'o was slightly taken aback. "The clan heads of the Nara clan?"
Keisuke shook his head gently. "More than that."
The two waited for a while. Two black shadows suddenly flashed past the window. Nara Shikaku and Nara Shikano entered the room together.
"Keisuke, are you alright?" The old clan head looked at Keisuke first, subconsciously ignoring the blonde nun at his side. The new clan head beside him had a similar look of concern. Keisuke was the most outstanding genius of this generation of the family, crucial to the clan's future development plan, and no harm could come to him. Both the old and new clan heads had a common understanding on this point!
"I already explained when I notified you with the [Shadow Doppelganger] just now." Keisuke walked to Nono'o's side and pointed at the one person and one corpse not far away. "I'm fine. It's just these two attackers who have a problem."
Seeing Keisuke's calm and composed performance, the worries in the two clan heads' hearts were finally put to rest. They looked in unison at the two ninja on the ground.
"To be able to use the Mind Body Switch Technique, and an even more advanced Puppet Curse Mark Technique, this is definitely a member of the Yamanaka clan!" Nara Shikano first looked at the barely-breathing kunoichi, then at the other corpse. "Wind-nature chakra is relatively rare in Konoha. Aside from a few special cases, Wind Release ninja are basically concentrated in two clans. The Shimura clan, and... the Sarutobi clan."
Yakushi Nono'o's brow furrowed lightly. She was about to step forward to reveal the two's true identity as "Root ninja" to the two Nara clan leaders. But just then, Keisuke suddenly reached out his right hand and held her hand. Nono'o turned her head to look. Keisuke's fingers gently tapped the nun's palm a few times, while also making a gesture for silence.
'Could it be that... Keisuke and these two have some special plan?'
Nono'o realized what was happening and decided to keep quiet. She tried to pull her arm with force, wanting to withdraw her hand from Keisuke's. Unfortunately, this action only made Keisuke hold her hand even tighter.
Secretly watching the "communication process" between these two, Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku exchanged a look of tacit understanding.
"Ahem, that's right," Nara Shikaku coughed lightly. "And this special attire. In Konoha Village, only Anbu Black Ops ninja would dress like this."
Anbu? Nono'o's lips moved. Isn't it Root?
Keisuke timely asked, "Clan Head, have the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans been notified?"
"Of course," Nara Shikaku nodded seriously. "The three Ino-Shika-Chō clans are united as one. For a ninja from the Yamanaka clan to attack and assassinate a child of the Nara clan, and right here in Kikyo Castle... such an appalling incident must be reported to the other two clans."
While they were talking, two more figures flickered over from a distance. The current head of the Yamanaka clan: Yamanaka Inojin. A clan elder of the Akimichi clan: Akimichi Torifu. Although the latter was not the head of his clan, in his youth, Torifu had served as a member of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama's, personal guard unit and had followed him into battle for many years. In a sense, Akimichi Torifu was the current "biggest name" of the three Ino-Shika-Chō clans.
Yamanaka Inojin was a spirited old man with short, golden hair. As soon as he walked over, he flipped over the mask on the face of the still-living Yamanaka kunoichi and immediately recognized her identity. "This is indeed a ninja from our clan, Yamanaka Rin." Inojin's voice was low, his expression ashamed. "She joined the Anbu many years ago. I never thought such an incident would happen today."
The alliance of the Ino-Shika-Chō clans was formed back in the Warring States Period. The abilities of the three parties complemented each other well, and conflicts rarely occurred. Let alone an adult ninja from one clan attacking and assassinating a young junior from another...
"Inojin, there's no need for such self-blame," Nara Shikano reminded him. "First, use your secret technique to check the minds of these two and see what mission they received. We must first confirm and secure the evidence."
Yamanaka Inojin nodded seriously. He was also an elite Jonin who had refined his spiritual secret techniques. Checking a ninja's memories was a simple matter for him. Even from a corpse, Inojin could easily obtain the information he wanted.
Akimichi Torifu stood quietly to the side, playing the role of a "mascot." Although the Akimichi clan was not involved in today's incident, the Ino-Shika-Chō clans advancing and retreating as one was no joke!
Not long after, Yamanaka Inojin finished probing the memories of the two ninja, including the one who had already died.
"This deceased Anbu ninja is named Shimura Shin, a ninja of the Shimura clan," Inojin relayed the intelligence to the others present. "The two of them did indeed receive orders from the village's higher-ups to take action..."
"Then there is no need to say anything more." Nara Shikano nodded. "Let's all go to the village together and ask Lord Hokage for an explanation! For the Anbu, which is directly under the Hokage's command, to lay a hand on the village's youth... I would like to ask, what exactly is going on!"
Akimichi Torifu, being the largest and strongest, was responsible for the corpse of the Wind Release ninja named "Shimura Shin." Yamanaka Inojin silently carried the unconscious Yamanaka Rin on his back. Nara Keisuke and Yakushi Nono'o followed behind the great figures, leaving Kikyo Castle and hurrying towards the village.
Shimura Danzō, still lurking in the incomparably dark base of Root, probably never dreamed that a storm of counter-attack from the Ino-Shika-Chō was now rushing towards him...
(Author's Notes:)
Yamanaka Inojin is an original character. His name comes from Ino and Sai's child—Yamanaka Inojin. Yamanaka Inojin is also translated as "Inohito."
(End of Chapter)
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you