The hissing sound filled the air, a grating hiss... sssshhh like sandpaper on stone.
A writhing mass of snakes, tangled like a ball of yarn, lay scorched and severed. Though dead, their bodies twitched and convulsed under lingering nerve impulses, creating a chilling symphony of friction and hisses that made the skin crawl.
At opposite ends of the writhing snake pile, Sasuke and the trio of Mitarashi Anko, Morino Ibiki, and Shiranui Genma stood in silence, eyes locked, each waiting for the other to open the gate to the Root base.
Seconds ticked by.
Their gazes shifted from anticipation to impatience, finally settling into visible confusion: Come on, open the door already!
The Root ninjas were no slouches in combat, but their efficiency in handling this situation was laughably slow.
For once, Sasuke, Anko, and the others were in rare agreement, though no one spoke. Before words could break the silence, three figures in dark Anbu uniforms, faces hidden behind intricately patterned masks, flickered through the trees with rapid leaps.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Their forms blurred into afterimages, moving without any ninjutsu enhancement. Purely through physical prowess, their speed rivaled Sasuke's when boosted by Lightning Release.
More heavy hitters, Sasuke noted.
The trio landed in unison, their synchronized movements producing only the faintest sound. This effortless coordination caught Morino Ibiki's attention, his eyes gleaming with recognition.
Ninja team compositions were meticulously designed. A standard team of three to four ninjas, when perfectly coordinated and complementary in skill, could take on an opponent a rank above them. Three Genin could equate to a Chunin, three Chunin to a Special Jonin.
Judging by their speed and synergy, these three were clearly a top-tier Jonin team, their combined strength on par with an elite Jonin.
Ibiki, Anko, and Genma were all Jonin-level in their own right, but they weren't a cohesive unit with complementary abilities. They paled in comparison to this tightly knit Root squad. Had Ibiki chosen to help Anko gang up on that Uchiha earlier, the arriving Root team might've crushed them.
Good call, Ibiki thought, quietly relieved, his respect for Root's ninjas climbing another notch.
"Uchiha Sasuke—"
The lead ninja, his face hidden behind a bear-shaped mask, spoke first. His towering frame dwarfed even Ibiki's ironclad bulk, and his gravelly voice rasped like sand scraped across stone. This was Banzo, the iron-blooded instructor of Root's training division.
Behind him, a ninja in a purple butterfly mask—Cho—stood slightly to the right, while Arashi, with a short blade strapped to his back, took the left wing, forming a loose triangular formation.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, his hand resting on the faintly warm hilt of his sword, eyeing the trio cautiously.
His Sharingan had been active the whole time, and the chakra signatures of these three blazed brightly—clearly Jonin-level. Root's Jonin are practically cabbages, they're so common, he mused. His earlier guess was spot-on: Jonin were merely mid-tier in Root. That female ninja he'd just defeated? Clearly not a big deal.
Sasuke mentally downgraded Anko's threat level, his brief moment of pride evaporating.
"By order of the higher-ups, we're here to escort you into Root. But a word of advice: don't use your eye techniques here. It'll get you killed," Banzo warned, his voice low, avoiding direct eye contact with Sasuke's Sharingan.
Since its inception, Root's primary target had been the Uchiha clan. Countermeasures for the Sharingan were ingrained in their training, especially since Danzo's use of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami was an open secret. Sasuke's active Sharingan would put any Root ninja on edge, their already unstable mental states teetering toward paranoia.
Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly as he noted the clear divide between Banzo's trio and Anko's group—definitely not on the same side. With a nod, he heeded the warning and deactivated his Sharingan, his eyes returning to their natural black.
On the other side, Anko, Ibiki, and Genma grew more confused.
They'd overheard that these ninjas were sent by someone named Yato, but why did it seem like they didn't know Banzo's group?
"We're here on the Hokage's orders to discuss matters regarding the Chunin Exams with Lord Yato," Ibiki said, stepping forward to clarify their purpose before Anko could stir up trouble.
So they're not Root ninjas… and they mistook me for one? Sasuke pieced it together, a wave of exasperation washing over him as he recalled the earlier chaos.
"Yato—" Banzo's trio froze for a second. During their recent meeting, Hikari had worn a crow-shaped mask and instructed them to address her as Yato in the presence of outsiders.
So it was about the Chunin Exams.
"Arashi, Cho, standard protocol," Banzo ordered.
"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.
Cho stepped back slightly, hands clapping together to channel chakra. Arashi pulled several rolls of bandages from his sleeve and tossed them to the group. "The base's location is top-secret. Blindfold yourselves tightly. Saves us the trouble of doing it for you—and trust me, we're not gentle."
"Root's rules are something else," Anko muttered, tempted to snap back. But after her earlier defeat at Sasuke's hands, and now facing this clearly stronger trio, she bit her tongue and grudgingly tied the bandage over her eyes.
If the hothead was complying, the others followed suit.
Ibiki nodded understandingly, wrapping the bandage around his eyes twice. Genma didn't hesitate, securing his blindfold without a word.
When it was Sasuke's turn, he hesitated, gripping the bandage. He trusted Hikari completely, but this shadowy, powerful Root organization was another matter.
"You don't need to," Banzo said, noticing Sasuke's reluctance and gesturing for him to skip it. "Orders from above."
Sasuke, pleased with the special treatment, pocketed the extra bandages. Ever since training under Kakashi in swordsmanship, the former Konoha rich kid had learned the sting of tight finances. Chakra-conducting metals, blade maintenance, high-protein diets, and medicines for fatigue and injuries all demanded a fortune, forcing him to pinch pennies.
Arashi checked the blindfolds on Anko, Ibiki, and Genma, giving an OK gesture once satisfied. Cho, hands still clasped, released a wave of chakra. "Don't resist. I'll guide you into the Root base through a genjutsu."
As soon as Cho spoke, Sasuke watched Anko's trio dash into the forest depths. Despite their blindfolds, they moved with ease over rough terrain, vanishing into the trees in seconds.
"Let's go, Uchiha," Banzo said, giving Sasuke a long look, as if recalling another encounter with a lightning-wreathed girl. With Cho and Arashi, he sped after the others.
Zzt! Zzt!
Electricity crackled around Sasuke's legs as he followed, leaving behind the writhing pile of snakes.
---
Root Base, Third Sublevel
The narrow, oppressive corridor was lined with rough, cold walls etched with countless curse-seal patterns. Orange wall lamps, spaced evenly, cast flickering light that barely illuminated the path.
At the corridor's end stood a vermilion gate.
Anko and the others, still blindfolded and under genjutsu, moved forward. Sasuke, taking in the mysterious Root base, gained a new appreciation for its secrecy. No wonder he'd never heard of this place—the entrance was concealed by a barrier, disguised as a leaf-covered mound. Without Cho dispelling the seal, he could've scoured the forest and found nothing.
"You'll have plenty of time to look around later. The boss is waiting," Arashi said, glancing back at Sasuke with an unreadable expression.
Arashi had never liked the rebellious Uchiha clan, even harboring some disdain. But Danzo's role in pitting the Uchiha against the village was undeniable, and now he was Root's most wanted traitor. Arashi, Banzo, and Cho had all taken part in the Uchiha massacre, numbed by Danzo's brainwashing at the time. Facing a survivor like Sasuke stirred complex emotions, softening Arashi's usual cold demeanor.
"Got it," Sasuke replied, unaware of their history. Assuming their friendliness stemmed from knowing Hikari, he kept things polite to avoid causing trouble.
"Release!" Cho called, sweat beading on his forehead. Maintaining a genjutsu over three Jonin-level ninjas was no small feat, even with prior warning.
"Ugh!"
"Where are we—"
Anko, Ibiki, and Genma snapped out of their daze, fumbling slightly with their blindfolds still on.
"You can remove them now," Banzo rasped, his voice like a file on iron.
The trio's memories clicked into place, calming their brief panic. They unwrapped their blindfolds.
Anko squinted, scanning the secretive Root base, her curiosity mirroring Sasuke's.
"You're here at a bad time. Root's in the middle of a critical meeting," Arashi said, his tone icy as a winter breeze when addressing Anko's group. "Once we enter the meeting hall, no looking around, no talking, and definitely no reckless moves."
"You—" Anko started, ready to demand Yato's presence, but Genma swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth. Ibiki, used to dealing with Root, stepped forward to negotiate.
"Is Lord Danzo attending the meeting too?" Ibiki asked, forcing a faint smile. Root ninjas usually came to him masked, fetching death-row prisoners, so he only knew Danzo, Root's leader, by reputation. Sensing the trio's hostility, he hoped dropping Danzo's name might earn some leverage.
But in an instant—
The three Root ninjas turned their gazes on Ibiki, their eyes glinting coldly through the dark hollows of their masks.
"You know Danzo?" Banzo's voice grated like a saw, a lingering scar from a throat injury he'd sustained shielding Danzo from a Fire Release jutsu twenty years ago. Danzo's ruthless actions—punishing Banzo and the entire training division over a few children's antics—had shattered years of loyalty. The pain in his throat, the executed children, all fueled Banzo's murderous intent toward Danzo.
Arashi and Cho stared at Ibiki with unmasked killing intent, their aura coiling around him like a venomous snake, making his skin prickle.
"I—" Ibiki, a master at intimidating prisoners, felt an unprecedented weight, as if one wrong word would plunge him into an abyss.
"Just met him once!" he blurted, sensing the lethal edge in Banzo's tone and backing off from name-dropping.
A faint breeze stirred the sealed corridor, distorting the lamplight on the walls.
"A word of warning," Cho's voice echoed through the hallway. "If any of you are close to Danzo, speak now. Otherwise, you might end up staining the meeting hall's floor."
"Ow!" Genma yelped, yanking his hand back as Anko bit him. Free to speak, she voiced her confusion. "Isn't Danzo your leader?"
The old man with the cane, who'd once interrogated her in Root's prison, was a lifelong shadow in her mind.
"Not anymore," Arashi snapped, his killing intent raw. The darker the hero Danzo had been in war, the deeper his betrayal stung now.
Banzo stepped past Arashi and Cho, looming over Ibiki. The lamplight cast his massive frame larger, enveloping Anko's trio in shadow. "Danzo betrayed the village, harmed fellow ninjas, and fled. He's now a Konoha S-rank rogue ninja. A ten-thousand-ryo bounty for information, fifty thousand and an A-rank secret technique for aiding in his capture."
Fixing his gaze on Ibiki's scarred face, Banzo leaned closer, voice low. "Shelter him, and you'll face death by a thousand cuts—as a lesson to others."
"No connection!" Ibiki waved his hands frantically, distancing himself from Danzo.
Banzo's eyes shifted to Anko, who shook her head so vigorously her high ponytail whipped Genma, forcing him to squint. "That's for the best," Banzo said, disappointed. "One last piece of advice: don't mention his name carelessly in Root."
Anko, Ibiki, and Genma nodded like bobbleheads, not daring to utter Danzo's name again. Sasuke, witnessing it all, nodded too, mentally noting the name. Fifty thousand ryo and an A-rank technique? That guy's worth a fortune.
The eerie breeze in the corridor faded, the flickering shadows on the walls settling. Banzo glanced at a shadowed corner, then toward the vermilion gate. "Let's move. Don't keep the boss waiting."
"Uh, one quick question," Anko said, raising her hand like a student in ninja academy. "Who's Root's leader now?"
Tap, tap, tap.
Banzo's trio strode toward the gate, their steel-soled shoes clacking sharply against the floor.
"Lord Yato doesn't like to be kept waiting," Banzo said.
"Move it!" Arashi added.
Anko and the others exchanged glances, finally grasping who this mysterious Yato was.
None of them noticed Sasuke's eyes widen in shock.