Chapter 10: Will the Third Really Trust an Uchiha?
Splat!
Blood sprayed everywhere, drenching the Root shinobi's head and face.
But his eyes were filled with panic, devoid of any joy at completing his mission.
His short blade felt like it had struck thick cowhide. What should have been a clean severing strike was stopped halfway.
He jerked his head up to see the Nine-Tails jinchuriki had somehow awakened. His entire body was now wreathed in fiery red chakra, churning and surging like boiling magma. Three long energy tails whipped wildly behind him, cracking the ground wherever they passed, sending debris flying everywhere.
Their eyes met. He only saw a pair of bestial pupils filled with savagery.
Those vertical pupils contained no human emotion whatsoever, only the most primal killing desire.
The instant those eyes locked onto him, the Root shinobi felt like prey caught by a natural predator, his blood freezing in his veins.
The Nine-Tails jinchuriki had lost control!
"Die!"
He screamed, urgently throwing his full body weight forward, desperately pressing the blade downward.
But Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra acted like an impenetrable shield, firmly blocking the blade. No matter how much force he applied, it wouldn't budge.
The neck wound that had been slashed open now sprouted writhing new tissue, emitting wisps of white smoke as it healed instantly.
"ROAR!"
Naruto threw his head back with an explosive howl. His small hand swept forward as a massive fox-shaped energy claw manifested on his arm, tearing through the air with a sharp shriek, so fast it left only a red afterimage.
The Root shinobi couldn't even react before the fox claw pierced through his heart.
A blood-red heart was gripped in the fox claw's palm, still faintly beating. After a brief display, the claw clenched forcefully.
Splat!— Blood plasma sprayed everywhere, drenching Naruto's head and face before sliding down the chakra cloak to pool on the ground.
"Awooo..." Smelling the familiar blood scent, the Nine-Tails within Naruto couldn't help but grow excited, howling wildly at the sky.
The howl was deafening, carrying the ancient Tailed Beast's unique oppression. Surrounding trees shook violently under the sonic assault, leaves falling like rain.
But after finishing its call, it looked down only to see a pair of familiar blood-red eyes staring coldly at it.
The Mangekyo pattern in those Sharingan slowly rotated, like an abyss ready to absorb its consciousness, making it feel once again that terrifying suppression etched deep in its memory.
"DAMN UCHIHA!!!"
Poor Nine-Tails only managed to curse once. Before it could pounce to fight desperately, its vision blurred and it was back in its familiar cage.
"Ah... Uchiha again!!!"
Experiencing once more the helplessness before the Sharingan and the contempt and disdain embodied in those eyes, the Nine-Tails erupted in fury. Like it had lost all reason, it frantically threw itself at the cage bars, biting and clawing.
But the sealing formula emitted blinding red light, rendering all its attacks meaningless, leaving only its impotent roars echoing through the consciousness space.
Outside, having lost the Nine-Tails chakra's protection, Naruto's stamina was severely depleted. His body swayed before he collapsed again, falling unconscious.
Watching the Nine-Tails jinchuriki who'd been instantly subdued, Yasushi nodded with satisfaction.
With these eyes as support, collecting the Ten-Tails in the future should be considerably easier.
He'd only known before that the Sharingan naturally countered Tailed Beasts, but had never practiced it. Now with this small test, he knew the reputation was well-deserved.
He turned back to look at Yamanaka Fu who'd collapsed from backlash, taunting him: "Well, Yamanaka Fu, your plan was excellent. You saved me considerable time."
"Without your help, killing all six of you would have required quite a bit more effort!"
His voice carried cold mockery. His Sharingan flickered with sinister light in the shadows, as if appreciating prey's final struggles.
The surrounding flames hadn't fully extinguished, casting his silhouette like a messenger from hell.
However, Yamanaka Fu could no longer respond.
Suffering repeated secret technique backlash, even as an elite jonin, Yamanaka Fu couldn't withstand it.
He now lay on the ground, moonlight illuminating his deathly pale face. Those once-sharp eyes had begun to glaze over.
His body twitched involuntarily, blood continuously pouring from all seven orifices. He was barely breathing, not far from death.
But Yasushi still didn't dismiss Susanoo. Instead, he remotely swung its arm to strike down at the fallen Yamanaka Fu. Simultaneously, his Sharingan watched Fu's every movement closely, fearing he might suddenly unleash a forbidden jutsu like "Reaper Death Seal" for mutual destruction.
"Itachi, you truly are cautious!"
Seeing "Uchiha Itachi" wouldn't take the bait, Yamanaka Fu couldn't help but sigh, his heart darkening.
His actual specialty was the Mind Clone Switch Technique, using puppets to ambush enemies secretly. Because the technique was so concealed, it often produced "first-sight kill" effects against foreign village enemies with formidable power.
But facing "Uchiha Itachi," someone from the same village who knew him inside out, he didn't even have a chance to use it before suffering complete defeat.
As they say, in shinobi battles, intelligence always comes first.
As a Root shinobi, he naturally wasn't afraid of death. He only regretted failing to complete his mission.
"My apologies, Danzo-sama. I can no longer follow you."
A flash of determination crossed Yamanaka Fu's eyes. His ninja attire suddenly began emitting blinding red light.
That was explosive tags' glow!
With a flash of fire, his body rapidly expanded, swelling into a massive fireball within moments.
BOOM!
Light instantly illuminated the entire night sky. The explosion's shockwave swept outward, ripping up the earth itself.
Searing air waves instantly carbonized surrounding trees, debris scattering like violent rain.
Even Susanoo's descending palm was knocked aside by the explosion's force, failing to achieve results.
After several breaths, the explosion's power subsided, leaving only a large crater. Yamanaka Fu had been completely obliterated.
"Tch! Truly Root's style!"
Yasushi's gaze swept around, confirming Yamanaka Fu was truly dead rather than having used substitution jutsu or similar methods, before dismissing Susanoo's protection.
He searched carefully again but found no Root information transmission methods.
The shinobi world had too many intelligence transmission means. Even within the same village, he couldn't know everyone's methods completely.
Especially Root, who always acted secretively—information transmission was naturally paramount.
By Root's habits, the intelligence should have already been sent back to the village by now, right?
Using insects or summoned beasts?
Whatever!
As long as the intelligence was transmitted.
Who knows who'll come in the next pursuit wave.
Come then! Uchiha clan jutsu, Uchiha clan genjutsu, Uchiha clan Sharingan, Uchiha clan Mangekyo, plus Uchiha clan Susanoo—who can say I'm not Uchiha Itachi!
This intelligence was bought with six lives. Who dares not believe it?
Well, Third Hokage, let me see whether you truly trust that other Uchiha so much!
Yasushi briefly cleaned the battlefield before grabbing the unconscious Nine-Tails jinchuriki and continuing toward the Land of Rain.