As the pillar of flames disappeared, I looked away, extending my senses outward to locate every single escaping Root ninja. It didn't take long to find them, although it seemed my preliminary headcount was incorrect. There were still sixty enemies scattered around the district, likely waiting for any potential escapees. They were low-priority targets unless they attempted to enter the district.
However, the twenty-four who were fleeing the fight were close enough to pursue immediately. I could also sense what I presumed were a few more survivors hiding in their homes.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and called back all the cherry blossoms and having them reform into a sword as I jumped into the air, running at full speed and using Hirenkyaku whenever possible to catch up quickly.
Fortunately, I had the advantage of moving unobstructed through the air, while they had to evade obstacles, which dramatically limited their speed. They were in full retreat, trying to reach the perimeter defense teams, likely hoping to use them as backup for another attack.
Little did they know that the Uchiha clan was gone, hidden beneath a stone altar in a place only accessible by Sharingan.
Their attack might be doomed to fail, but it would still be unfortunate to let them regroup. There could still be someone troublesome among them, and I did not want to take that chance just to gather them all in one place.
Picking them off one by one would be the safest plan, preferably before they could contact the other teams. Those teams would be next on the chopping block.
I noticed three of them stop in a small park, or was it a playground? It looked like a mix of both. The reason for their sudden halt was even more interesting: almost invisible to my Haki, two cats were attempting to fight the fleeing team.
"Sage cats? I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing," I thought, quite fascinated.
Given all the small changes in the timeline I had witnessed so far, a new sage creature was certainly possible. I faintly remembered Itachi mentioning cats living in the Uchiha district, but I couldn't recall him ever talking about a summoning contract or anything similar.
Unfortunately for the cats, they were outmatched, even after one of them grew significantly larger, perhaps to the size of a lynx. Their luck would soon change, however, as I was getting very close while their fight continued.
I quickly caught the first Root member, gripping his arm tightly as crystals began to grow from it. He yelped in surprise but didn't manage to do anything else before being completely consumed.
"This at least gives me some chakra to play with," I mused quietly before dashing toward the next enemy.
My next target was engaged with the smaller cat, which was actually a young kitten. It was very small, nowhere near adolescent, much less adult.
Honestly, calling it a fight was an insult. The tiny kitten couldn't inflict any real harm but was managing to be quite annoying and dodge him effectively.
Thanks to the cat's distraction, he had no idea I was even there until it was too late. With another firm grip and a fraction of a second of direct contact, I transformed him into another ninja-shaped crystal statue. I turned to finish off the last Root ninja, but upon looking his way, I found he was already dead. His neck had been crushed by the jaws of the other feline.
The larger cat suddenly collapsed to the ground and dramatically shrank in size until it was as small as the other one.
Both cats remained on guard, despite my intervention. I understood their skepticism, but it was a bit frustrating since I had little time to waste.
Thankfully, their distrustful gaze faded quickly, and soon I had a little kitten brushing against my hand. It seemed the cat distribution system operated the same way across different universes.
"For fucks sake, I can't leave them here like this..." I groaned.
The cats seemed to grasp my predicament, as the one still able to move decided to perch on my shoulder. I picked up the other one, emptied the inner pocket of my poncho, and gently placed the exhausted kitten inside for now.
I could charge it with chakra like this, but using my own chakra to help a young sage creature could be risky, or outright dangerous if done improperly.
"Well, hold on tight, you two. It looks like we're going hunting together," I said, preparing to leap into the air again.
I would have to think about names for them later; for now, that could wait. There were still five teams to track down, and I was eager to collect a few hunting trophies.
Once again, I jumped into the air, soaring above the trees and houses as I blitzed through the night. I heard a sound from the cat on my shoulder that seemed to express either surprise or joy.
It didn't take long to catch up, but this time, they sensed me approaching in time. One team continued to flee, while the other four positioned themselves on the roof of a small shrine near a district square.
As I closed in, I opted to drop down onto the roof and run normally; there was no need to tip them off about my airwalking technique.
I took my time approaching, landing on the roof of a building that overlooked the square. It was unlikely I would catch the last team before reinforcements arrived. All I needed now was a good chakra refill, and this looked like a promising location for a fight.
I set both cats down on the roof.
"Go hide somewhere. It will all be over soon," I urged them. However, they both seemed eager to do anything but hide, even though one of them could barely move, even after a small chakra refiill.
"I can't carry an injured cat into a fight. Hide now!" I said more sternly, and they reluctantly obeyed, choosing to hide in a small alley leading to the square. I just knew those two would undoubtedly get into trouble again.
I stood up again, looking toward the sixteen Root ninja.
"Not a single one of them seems strong; average Chunin levels of chakra across the board," I murmured quietly, feeling confused.
Root was supposed to be a branch of Anbu, the elite of the elite, not... this.
"Is it because of the conditioning? Is all ambition and drive truly beyond their comprehension?" I pondered internally.
Many such questions swirled through my mind as I stepped into their line of sight. They tensed but did not move. I was fairly certain they were expecting someone like Fugaku to be hunting them down, not a small kid.
A single drop of rain fell onto my head, followed by many more. The rain was finally here.
"At least it will wash all the blood away," I thought, steeling myself for another fight.
"The sensor has to die first, so let's see if I can find him," I muttered to myself just before jumping. I leaped into the air from the roof, letting myself fall. At the moment my feet were supposed to touch the ground, I rapidly changed my position.
"Hirenkyaku!" I intoned before vanishing from their sight, stopping my quick movement on the opposite side of the square.
I quickly pinpointed one Root ninja directing others to look my way.
"Bingo!"
I blurred again, landing on another roof, almost in the opposite direction from my previous position. This time, I did not hesitate and blitzed toward them, weaving hand seals and hoping to catch as many as possible with my first attack.
Gathering chakra was paramount right now, and they were close enough together for my jutsu to work quite effectively.
I came to a stop right in the middle of their formation, directly next to the sensor.
"Cryslat Release: Crystal Spike Enclosure!" I exclaimed the moment I stopped moving. Dozens of crystal spikes erupted from the shrine roof, impaling eight Root members and crystallizing them instantly.
The other eight jumped away to avoid being impaled, but they made a fatal mistake. They believed they were safe once they got out of range of the spikes. Unfortunately for them, airborne targets have a hard time dodging.
"Flying Crystal Needles!" I announced shortly after they left the ground. Many large crystal spikes split into smaller projectiles and raced toward the retreating enemies. Only two managed to evade the fate of becoming pincushions for crystal needles, and they were preparing a counterattack.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!" one of them shouted, while the other strengthened it with a wind jutsu, a name of which escaped me.
I simply jumped up, easily evading their combined attack thanks to Hirenkyaku. Without such potent jutsu, I would have no doubt been in trouble.
I paused in mid-air, allowing them to believe they had gotten me, and observed them as they approached the remaining crystal spikes, completely unaware that I was standing on the air right above them.
Before I could drop down to finish off the surprisingly easy fight, I noticed a small black streak racing toward them. One of the cats seemed eager to fight again.
"Really, why not just listen to me..." I groaned silently as I watched the small ball of fur impact one of the Root members directly in the neck. However, instead of the slight neck twitch I expected, the impact caused the unfortunate man's neck to bend at an unnatural angle, vertebrae breaking through the skin along the cat-induced bend.
"Okay, enough surprises. I can only handle so many in one night!" I exclaimed in bewilderment, drawing the attention of the last enemy ninja.
He looked up, displaying what I assumed was surprise, but it didn't last long. I quickly used Hirenkyaku to get into close range and grabbed his face, rapidly crystallizing him.
I looked towards the small cat, which sat next to the ninja it had killed, looking very pleased with itself.
"Nice job... I guess, but please go hide; way more of them will be here soon," I said, with the little feline nodding its head in response.
"No jumping in to help. I would hate to hit you by accident," I finished, but the cat was already gone by the time I finished speaking.
"This is going to become a thing, isn't it?" I murmured quietly, already dreading the future with those two little troublemakers.
However, I didn't have much time to ponder. Not long after I cleaned up the square, which meant siphoning the chakra from the dead Root ninjas and disposing of their bodies, I sensed movement.
Most of the remaining teams were indeed converging on my position. Over sixty people in total still remained; still, nobody who posed a real threat. If nothing else, I should still be much faster than any of them.
I sat atop the shrine where the Root teams had gathered before our brief encounter, Senbonzakura in hand.
"This is bullshit. Itachi might need my help, and I'm stuck here, taking out faceless grunts instead of confronting Danzo with him," I complained out loud to myself.
As I mused, the first teams arrived just outside of my line of sight.
I stood up, sword in hand, and focused on the largest group of enemies. Although I was being surrounded, their numbers meant little against me, especially if they were significantly weaker.
Only a few minutes passed, the rain intensified, and I sensed every last Root ninja who was moving toward me had arrived. In total, I counted fifty-six people staring me down like a wolf pack would stare at a young bison. Unfortunately for them, I was not impressed by their synchronized gaze.
"I'll just get this over with quickly. I wonder-"
It was time to try something I hadn't really attempted before.
You see, all ninjas possess formidable willpower, or at least most of them do, it's something of a requirement for the job. Willpower, spirit, bravado, drive, and daring are traits that make large bursts of Conqueror's Haki less effective to use. However, these traits did not matter against the Root. Their insane type of training had broken their spirit, ambition, and individuality, which meant that there was a possibility that…
A soft hum swept across the entire square, like an invisible force gently combing through the air, reminiscent of a spring breeze. As it passed over each Root ninja, the atmosphere of the would-be battlefield changed instantly.
The previously gentle hum transformed into a maddened crackling, akin to an angry lightning bolt trying to release itself. The ground shook beneath the sudden pressure, forcing many of my adversaries to their knees.
Finally, a small, almost invisible shockwave emerged from me as I unleashed the full force of my Haki, allowing it to act freely instead of restraining it tightly. It sang like a bird finally released from its cage, and it expressed its appreciation through power.
The roof of the shrine cracked, and the screeching of wood filled my ears for a few seconds. But that was not the only thing damaged by the force of my spirit.
The ground around the shrine shook violently as the shockwave passed; small rocks were thrown about, and bricks from the pavement came loose. Then it reached the dazed, and in many cases, kneeling Root members.
The shockwave crashed into them violently, seeming to phase through their bodies as if they weren't even there. The effect, however, was undeniable. Every single one of my would-be attackers fell prone, some onto the roof beneath their feet, others to the ground below, leaving not a single ninja standing to fight.
I could do nothing but look around in disbelief. I had no idea a burst of Haki could be this devastating.
"It seems that I was truly doing it wrong. All this time I could've just... let it flow freely," I whispered to myself, finally realizing the critical flaw in the way I had been using Conqueror's Haki.
It had to flow without any restrictions, just like its perfect wielder; it wouldn't be controlled, it thrived on freedom.
"Time to get rid of them too," I thought, moving quickly to finish the job with paralyzing seals at the ready.
Konoha had already lost too much. I couldn't afford to kill even more potential allies... after deconditioning, of course.
As I was finishing up, the two little cats approached me again, observing my handiwork. One of them was still walking slowly and had a slight limp.
"C'mon, let's go," I said simply, offering to carry them once more.
They looked at each other and nodded in a surprisingly uncatlike manner. But they were both perched on my shoulders in no time. Thankfully, they were so small that their weight was barely noticeable.
"I really need to name these two," I thought aloud while wrapping up with the last Root member.
I took all their weapons and placed a few paralyzing seals on each of them. They should be found soon after this is over, hopefully.
"Let's go help Itachi. With some luck, he's already finished with Danzo," I considered.
It was an assumption, but Itachi was strong, and Danzo did not have the Sharingan arm. In my mind, there was no way Itachi could lose, especially after that large pillar of flames.
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that this night, early morning actually, was far from over, even though the sun would be rising soon.
I took off again, soaring high above the buildings and into the air.
"Hirenkyaku!" I exclaimed, mainly to warn the cats to hold on tight. The scenery blurred as I continued jumping through the air toward Itachi's chakra signature.
As I scanned a larger area, however, I noticed many more chakra signals approaching the Uchiha district, this time from the direction of the Hokage Tower.
"Those better not be more Root ninjas..." I grumbled under my breath, but I still created a Shadow Clone to confirm their identity. There were also a few signatures heading toward both Itachi's and Danzo's locations.
Leading the last group was immensly large signature, one that dwarfed anyone else in the village, and one I recognized all too well: Hiruzen Sarutobi was heading into the Root base alongside his bodyguards, an elite team of Anbu.
"Why did I tempt fate by hoping it was over?" I lamented aloud, confusing the two little passengers on my shoulders.
"This is going to suck major dick." I thought to myself while trying to devise a way out for Itachi.
"Hiruzen will get there first, no doubt. He'll arrive in only a few minutes. I just have to hope he doesn't kill Itachi before we can talk." I sighed and increased my speed again, using Hirenkyaku as often as I could. Heavy rain slowing my travel even more.
At least I confirmed from my clone that the forces entering the Uchiha district were indeed regular troops. It was up to the Uchiha survivors to talk to them. But most importantly, it seemed that the clan would indeed survive.