"You have grown quite well, boy, fighting and even winning against so many Root ninjas at such a young age. Your future is limitless. I am sure Aiko would be very happy for you in heaven," Minoru said once again, fog on Kaida since he 't do anything to those ins.

  "Thanks, Grandpa. I lear from my big brother," Kaida said.

  "Well, I was the one who taught him, so you ily learned from me," Minoru said.

  "Please tell him the full detail, sir. I learaijutsu from Minoru Sama," Shisui said.

  "But brother, you never use Taijutsu," Kaida asked, a little fused.

  "Exactly," Shisui said, nodding his head.

  Smack

  "I only taught you that because yenius father had already taught you most things. Also, why would you focus on Taijutsu whesu is superior?" Minoru said after giving Shisui a smack for his funny remark.

  Hahahahaha (Kaida)

  "Now tell me what you wao do with these people," Minoru asked.

  "Uncle, we will go back to Konoha and talk about how to proceed with the head. Until then, please keep them here," Shisui said.

  "We? Am I also supposed to go back?" Kaida asked.

  "Of course, or do you want to live with yrandpa now?" Shisui asked.

  "I would love to, but I have some missions to plete before that," Kaida said.

  "Are you out of your mind? One of the most deadly anizations in the world is after your life, and you want to go on some bandit extermination mission?" Shisui asked, and then tinued, "I thought you were the intelligent one among us."

  "Brother, Danzo sent a Jonin and six in after me. This team should be able to handle a Joni alone me, so there is no ce that he would have sent a bigger team than this. Sihey are dead, I should be safe for now. Also, if I go back to the vilge, doesn't it more or less inform them that the ninja they had sent after us are in trouble or dead?" Kaida asked.

  "Well, I ow see why you think he is the smarter between you two," Minoru said with a smile.

  "Kaida, Danzo is a grandmaster in Fuinjutsu, and from what we have deduced from such a long fight against him, he has developed some type of seal from which he get informed if any of his subordinates die. As soon as we kill them, there is a search party sent to search for them. But if we just capture them alive, Danzo waits for some time before releasing a search party," Shisui said.

  "That means when ture them alive, Danzo doesn't know that his subordinate is missing until he doesn't report, even when his time limit for the mission is exceeded," Kaida said.

  "Correct, so by now, Danzo should know that his subordinates are dead, and sihey were sent after you, you would be their first suspect already. That's why you should e back to Konoha with me," Shisui said.

  "Brother, I think you have given me more reason to remain out of the vilge. If they think I am after the death of their ninja and am still out of the vilge, they may think I may have killed most of them using some underhaactid that those three in who are alive must be chasing after me. So we will get more time to plot a good pn," Kaida said.

  "Hahaha, are you really Aiko's child? If she was in your shoes, she wouldn't have been this cool-headed until now, but you are analyzing the situation quite skillfully. Good job," Minoru said, and then turo Shisui and said, "Don't worry about the boy; his security will be my responsibility until you e back."

  Shisui became visibly rexed after hearing that. Since Minoru was ae jonin himself and an Uchiha, there were very few people in Konoha who could go toe-to-toe against him in a fight.

  "Then I will leave him in your care," Shisui said, and then turo Kaida and said, "Don't get carried away and make things difficult for Minoru Sama."

  Kaida nodded his head, and then Shisui went back the way he came.

  "So you are pnning to tinue your missiht?" Minoru asked.

  "Yes, Grandpa. Sihat was the main reason I came out of the vilge, I want to practie of the things I learned i few months," Kaida said.

  "As you wish. Just wait for some time; I will quickly lock these guys up," Minoru said and picked up two of the in, dragging them ihe hideout.

  "Do you need any help, Grandpa?" Kaida asked, pnning on carrying the st in inside.

  "No, boy. I do it myself. Also, nobody is allowed to e ihis base without the head's permission," Minoru said.

  "Oh! Then I will wait here," Kaida said and sat back at his chair.

  After log the in and inf the ninjas in the base that he would be out of the base for some time, Minoru came out of the base and asked, "Do you want to take some more rest, or are you ready to leave?"

  "I am very much ready to leave, Grandpa, but Grandpa, you please don't help me during my mission and only interfere if Root makes a move?" Kaida asked.

  "Don't worry; if you want that, you will be even uo see me during your missio's go," Minoru said, and then they both left the base a on their way.

  As soon as they started moving, Minoru silently vanished into the shadows, and even though Kaida could feel that someone was looking at him, he couldn't sense Minoru at all.

  'I still have a long way to go,' Kaida thought.

  ...

  (Root headquarters just after the Jonin died)

  'What? How even Hiro die? I refuse to believe that a nine-year-old child fight and win against a Jonin who is personally trained by me,' Danzo thought, then it clicked to him.

  There was a case in which this situation would make perfect sense. He quickly called his assistant ninja and asked, "Does Shisui also left the vilge with Kaida?"

  "No sir, we have been keeping an eye on the Uchiha pound as you have ordered. Shisui is still in his house, most likely sleeping," the Root ninja replied.

  Danzo dismissed the ninja.

  "This doesn't make sense. How a nine-year-old actually kill four Root ninja? Either they entered someone else during their mission, or that boy used some sort of trap to kill my ninjas. But sihree of them are alive, they must have avoided the trap. Should I send reinfort?" Danzo said to himself, then shook his head.

  "If they want any help, they could easily get it from any nearby base. Let's wait for some time before taking any a," Danzo thought, but his day was ruined.

  Losing a Jonin was huge, even during wartime. No matter how many ninja Konoha had, Jonin were not in abundahey were the peak of power among ninjas, just below Kage-level ninjas. And very few could reach that level in their lifetime.