It was morning in the streets of Konoha—yet not a single villager could be seen.
The silence was suffocating. Not even a stray dog lingered. The whole street felt cut off from the world itself.
Shion scanned the surroundings. This resembled the Root's usual methods during covert missions—darkness, silence, a barrier sealing the area.
Judging from the intelligence he'd received from Itachi, it seemed Danzō had finally lost his patience. Or perhaps because Itachi hadn't yet returned from the survival exercise with his report…
Well, a barrier like this was convenient enough.
"You aren't ANBU, are you? The Hokage's ANBU masks look nothing like yours. If you don't identify yourselves right now, I'll treat you as enemy shinobi who've infiltrated Konoha."
As he spoke, Shion casually drew a kunai. He glanced at Izumi beside him and added, "Step aside, Izumi. Let your big brother squash a few rats. It'll only take a moment."
Izumi looked at the two masked men opposite her. This wasn't like the Academy instructors they had just sparred with—these two had real blood on their hands.
She slowly retreated, kunai in hand, guarding herself. No matter what, she couldn't drag him down.
They looked like ANBU, but Shion had said they weren't. That could only mean one thing…
From the shadows, the faint image of a black cat flickered—and vanished in smoke.
"You don't have the right to know who we are," one of them said flatly. "All that matters is your decision. Come quietly, or I'll break your limbs and drag you along."
The other sneered. "Such arrogance, for a brat still in the Academy. When your bones snap, I can't wait to see your face twisted in pain."
Their blades hissed free of their sheaths. One Root operative flickered forward—but just before he moved, Shion was already in motion.
Swish!
The kunai cut down with brutal force, slicing through armor as if it were paper, biting deep into flesh.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed. A hideous wound opened from shoulder to hip.
Thud.
With just one strike, the first Root operative collapsed to the ground.
Through labored breaths, he muttered, "Im… impossible…"
Shion stood over him as though he hadn't even exerted himself. "Jōnin are background extras, chūnin are barely passable, and genin are the ones who shatter heaven and earth. So then… what do you call an Academy student like me?"
Swish!
The second Root operative appeared behind him in a flash, sword slashing down. "Turning your back to the enemy? You really are an arrogant brat!"
Crash!
Steel cleaved the ground. The Root operative froze, immediately leaping back in alarm.
Too fast!
That flicker—just like before. There was no way a mere child could use such a technique!
Shion, unhurried, stooped to pick up the fallen Root's sword. Straightening, he looked at his wary opponent. "No need to be so tense. Even if you're unidentified intruders, I'll only maim you."
He held the blade with casual ease, but the invisible pressure radiating from him nearly crushed the Root shinobi's lungs.
Impossible!
This was just an Uchiha child who hadn't even been on a mission—how could he radiate such killing intent? And that speed… that instant flicker…
Then he saw them—Shion's eyes.
Not the ordinary crimson of the Sharingan, but something entirely different.
Swish!
Shion's voice whispered behind him, "See them? What do you think? Do you believe you can withstand their power?"
Before the Root shinobi could react, Shion's blade descended.
Splurt!
His arm dropped to the ground, a gaping wound pouring blood in torrents. Not a single drop touched Shion.
In the blink of an eye, Shion was back in his original place, as if he had never moved.
Thud!
The pain and blood loss drove the man to his knees, sweat soaking his pale face.
Impossible… An Uchiha child? How could he be this strong?
Those eyes—those were not ordinary Sharingan. And Root's intel clearly stated: Uchiha Shion had never awakened the Sharingan at all.
What the hell was going on?
Shion's tone was flat. "Two unidentified intruders daring to target an Uchiha's eyes within Konoha… but tell me—how did you know mine had awakened?"
The man clenched his jaw, but the blood loss wracked his body with spasms. Finally, consciousness slipped away, and he collapsed.
Two Root operatives. Two swings. That was all it took. Under Shion's divine sense and his mastery of Shisui's Flicker, they hadn't even managed a substitution.
And then—Shion's senses pricked. A presence, already in position.
Will it matter?
This was nothing more than a cat toying with mice. Another lesson waiting to be taught.
"Uchiha Shion," a woman's voice called from behind. "If you don't want your sister hurt, mark yourself with this curse seal and come with us."
Shion turned.
Ten steel wires stretched taut around Izumi, and a female Root operative held her blade pressed to one. One push, and the wires would cut Izumi to ribbons.
Shion sighed. "This scene again? Didn't I see this trick just days ago? Pathetically outdated. I was going to spare you—but now you've left me no choice but to kill you."
Splurt!
Thud.
Her head rolled to the ground before she even realized it.
With the power of the Sage's body and the Flying Thunder God seal etched on Izumi, no such crude trap could ever threaten her.
And the only one who even saw this final moment was the headless corpse itself.
The other two had already fainted.
"B-Brother…" Izumi whispered.
Shion smiled, pulled her from the circle of wires, and ruffled her hair. "Scared?"
Izumi glanced at the corpse nearby. Her heart pounded, but she shook her head. "Not if you're here."
Shion nodded. "If you really become a shinobi, you'll see this kind of thing often. But remember, Izumi—if you don't want to be a shinobi, that's fine too."
His words left her in deep thought, while Shion turned his gaze back to the deathly silent street.
This barrier was no small feat—it meant someone outside was maintaining the jutsu.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of a cane striking the ground echoed.
An old dog wrapped in bandages approached, leading a pack of masked hounds.
"Uchiha Shion," the old voice rasped. "Why have you slain Konoha's Root operatives? Do you know the crime you've committed?"