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Yahiko completely broke down, almost pounding his chest in frustration as he flung the venomous snake out of the tree hollow with sheer panic!
Seeing this, White Zetsu immediately leaped out, catching the snake mid-air and placing it on the trunk of another tree. He then jumped back into the hollow and began scolding Yahiko furiously:
"You idiotic brat! How dare you just throw things outside like that!?"
"What now!?" Yahiko snapped back.
"You fool! When you throw a snake outside, it might crush some plants. Any experienced ninja can easily spot traces of disturbance and track you down without much trouble. The Root operatives from Konoha are definitely capable of doing that!"
The three children stared blankly, their jaws dropping. What kind of logic was this!?
Flinching slightly, Konan chimed in with a muttered comment:
"Just what kind of monsters are these ninjas?"
Nagato, who usually remained silent, delivered a precise blow to the smugly lecturing White Zetsu:
"Hey, pale guy, didn't you already send out a bunch of your clones around the area? Wouldn't you have warned us before we were discovered anyway?"
White Zetsu froze, veins popping on his forehead as he roared at Nagato:
"You damn brat! I'm not some 'pale guy'—my name is White Zetsu! And even if I did send out clones, does that mean you three can slack off so carelessly!? At this rate, you'll all be dead sooner than later! I can't believe Madara-sama picked you three useless brats!"
Before White Zetsu could continue his tirade, Yahiko interrupted, curiosity written all over his face as he cut him off:
"Hey! You keep mentioning 'Madara-sama.' Who exactly is this Madara? Is it the same ninja uncle who taught us before!?"
Without Uchiha Madara's permission, White Zetsu wasn't allowed to reveal his identity—even if the kids had already guessed. So, with an arrogant turn of his head, he scoffed:
"I don't know!"
The three kids exchanged glances, black lines forming on their heads. This guy… talk about being obvious!
Amidst the commotion, disaster struck without warning!
With a sharp "Zzzt!" sound, a short blade crackling with electricity pierced through White Zetsu's chest!
The lightning-infused chakra scorched his body, leaving him unable to move as he struggled to turn his head toward the figure behind him.
Dressed entirely in black, only the eyes visible, the Root operative stood there emotionlessly, gazing past White Zetsu at the three terrified children whose faces had gone pale.
Through gritted teeth, White Zetsu managed to choke out:
"No wonder my clones didn't react... It's an elite jonin! The Root division of Konoha... They actually sent an elite jonin just for a little kid from the Uzumaki clan..."
With a "Shhlick!" the electrified blade was yanked out of White Zetsu's back, and he collapsed lifelessly in front of the children. His bulging eyes and gaping mouth signaled his impending death.
The three kids watched in horror as White Zetsu lay dying before them.
Over the past few days, they had relied entirely on White Zetsu's protection to survive. Though he was loud and annoying, they had grown grateful to him for keeping them alive. But now, they were forced to watch him die.
Even in his final moments, White Zetsu stubbornly spat out his last words:
"Listen up, Root ninja! These three brats are Madara-sama's chosen ones! If you dare lay a hand on them, Madara-sama will raze Konoha to the ground!"
With that, White Zetsu transformed into a rapidly growing tree!
Most astonishingly, the tree grew outward, its flexible branches piercing through the hollow and carrying the still-stunned trio out of the tree hollow. In doing so, it temporarily blocked the Root operative, giving the children one last chance to escape!
The three kids were ejected onto the ground, trembling with fear.
Yahiko was the first to snap out of it. Scrambling to his feet, he grabbed Nagato and Konan by the hands and ran for their lives!
"Zzzt!" The tree that White Zetsu had turned into was sliced apart by the Root operative's lightning jutsu. A short blade crackling with electricity was hurled directly at the fleeing trio!
With a loud "Thunk!" the blade struck Yahiko in the back. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground—but with a puff of smoke, he transformed into a log!
A simple substitution technique.
Ignoring Nagato and Konan, the Root operative swiftly retrieved the blade and leaped after the other two without hesitation.
Sure enough, two more puffs of smoke revealed that Nagato and Konan had also turned into logs—a basic substitution technique once again.
The trio's feeble tricks had only delayed the Root operative for a brief moment. Pursuing relentlessly, the operative quickly closed in on the three fleeing children!
The Root ninja's objective was clear: the red-haired Nagato. As for the other two, they were expendable.
With a flash of electricity, the blade pierced Konan's back. To Nagato and Yahiko's horror, the tip emerged from her chest, drenched in blood!
"Konan!" ×2
Reaching out weakly toward Nagato and Yahiko, she murmured their names before collapsing into a pool of blood.
Before Nagato could fully process the shock, the electrified blade slashed across Yahiko's neck. His expression froze as his head rolled off his shoulders!
Nagato felt the world shatter around him. With a crazed howl, he lunged backward like a desperate wolf pup!
But the Root operative remained emotionless, quickly incapacitating Nagato with a swift strike to the back of his neck. The unconscious boy was then tucked under the operative's arm and carried away, leaving behind two small lifeless bodies…
…
Ka-chak!
The world shattered like a mirage, revealing Uchiha Madara standing beside the three unconscious children. Shaking his head, he sighed deeply.