The morning air in Konoha was crisp, filled with the scent of dew-soaked earth and the distant smoke of breakfast fires. Villagers bustled to begin their day, children ran through the streets laughing, and shinobi prepared for their missions.
On the surface, it was peaceful. Too peaceful.
Because I knew the shadows were moving.
Ever since the note, I hadn't walked a single step without feeling eyes on me. Kakashi trained until his body nearly broke. Obito shouted at him daily. Rin tried to hold us all together. To them, life carried on.
But for me?
The system whispered constantly.
[Warning: Persistent Surveillance Detected.]
[Threat Level: Moderate to High.]
I was being watched. Not just by one pair of eyes, but by many.
A Mission Too Simple
Our assignment today was insulting in its simplicity: delivering sealed documents to a nearby outpost. No ambushes, no dangerous terrain, just a walk and a handoff.
"Again with this?" Obito groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "We're not academy brats anymore! At least give us bandits or something!"
Kakashi didn't respond, only checked the straps on his gear. Rin sighed, patient as always.
But my attention wasn't on them. It was on the treeline ahead. Too still. Too quiet.
The system pulsed faintly in the back of my mind.
[Anomaly Detected: Unknown Presence.]
I tightened my grip on the scroll case. "Stay sharp," I muttered.
Kakashi glanced at me, his single visible eye narrowing. "What did you notice?"
I shook my head quickly. "Nothing definite."
Because how could I explain it? That the shadows had been following me specifically? That Root was watching, waiting?
The others wouldn't believe me. Not yet.
Isolation
We completed the delivery without issue. No attacks, no interruptions. On the way back, Obito and Kakashi bickered about who was the better kunai thrower, while Rin laughed softly at their antics.
For a moment, it almost felt normal.
And then, at the fork in the road, I felt it.
A tug. Not physical—something deeper, pulling at my instincts. The others turned down the main path back to the village, but I slowed. My chest tightened.
[Directive: Deviate.]
[Analysis Module Activated.]
I stopped. "You guys go ahead," I called out. "I'll catch up. I need a moment."
Obito looked back, frowning. "A moment for what? You can't just—"
Kakashi cut him off. "Fine. Don't take too long."
Just like that, they were gone, their voices fading into the distance.
The forest around me grew silent.
And that's when I knew.
They were here.
The First Move
I didn't see him at first. I only felt the shift—the faintest brush of killing intent, subtle enough that only someone looking for it would notice.
Then he stepped out of the shadows. Masked. Root.
I froze, heart hammering. My hand instinctively moved toward a kunai, but I didn't draw it yet.
He didn't speak. He didn't need to. His very presence screamed one thing: Show me what you can do.
The air between us grew heavy. Then, without warning, he moved.
Faster than I could track, a blur of motion as he closed the distance. My body reacted before my mind did—I rolled aside, drawing my kunai in the same motion. His blade sliced through the space I'd just occupied, silent and deadly.
I slashed back, aiming for his midsection, but he parried with ease, the sound of steel on steel sharp in the stillness. His counter came instantly—a kick toward my ribs. I twisted, barely avoiding the worst of it, though pain blossomed along my side.
[Analysis Module Engaged.]
Pattern Recognition: 32%]
My vision sharpened. His movements weren't random. They were testing—fast, efficient, but restrained. He wasn't trying to kill me. He was measuring me.
The Dance of Blades
The Root operative struck again, relentless. Kunai flashed, his strikes clean, precise, meant to exploit openings. But the system pulsed with every motion.
[Prediction: Left strike, 0.4 seconds.]
I moved before he did, my blade intercepting his. His masked face tilted slightly, as if acknowledging the surprise.
We traded blows in silence. No shouts, no wasted breath. Just the rhythm of combat—clash, step, dodge, counter.
But I was being pushed back. His skill was overwhelming, his speed inhuman. My arms ached, my breath came short.
Still, I refused to yield. Each time the system's predictions grew sharper, my counters quicker. I adapted, little by little.
And that was when I saw it.
A faint hitch in his movement. The slightest delay in his step. An opening.
I lunged, kunai aimed for his throat—only for him to vanish.
One moment he was there. The next, gone.
The Verdict
I spun, scanning the trees, heart pounding. Nothing. Silence.
Then, on the ground where he had stood, a slip of paper fluttered.
I stooped, picking it up with trembling fingers. The message was short, written in the same precise hand as before.
"Potential acknowledged."
[Quest Update: Root of Shadows – Stage 3 Initiated.]
[Status: Classified as Target of Interest.]
My stomach twisted.
They weren't trying to kill me. Not yet. They wanted to see what I was worth. And now, they knew.
I crushed the note in my fist, forcing my breathing to steady.
"Fine," I whispered to the empty forest. "If you're watching, then keep watching. I'll be ready."
The shadows gave no answer. Only silence.
Returning to the Team
By the time I caught up with the others, my side still ached from the kick, but I hid it well.
"About time," Obito grumbled. "What were you doing, taking a nap?"
I forced a small smile. "Something like that."
Kakashi's gaze lingered on me longer than usual, sharp, questioning. But he didn't say a word.
And Rin, sweet Rin, only smiled, unaware that the shadows had nearly swallowed me whole.
Author's Note
And there it is 👀 — Root has tested the MC directly.
Important details in this chapter:
Root didn't send multiple operatives, just one highly skilled member to silently gauge the MC.
The fight wasn't a full battle—Root restrained themselves, making it more of a combat exam than an assassination.
The note confirms it: MC is now a Target of Interest. Root sees his potential.
This escalation means the shadows won't stop—they'll keep pressing him, more and more, until a breaking point.
Next chapter will show how MC hides his injuries and paranoia from his teammates while Root begins to tighten the noose.