A look of shame appeared on Sasuke's face.
Yao was right. Earlier, the Root ninja had indeed told him there was news about Uchiha Itachi.
Upon hearing those four words, "Uchiha Itachi," Sasuke left with the Root ninja immediately without saying another word.
And then he fell into the trap and was brought here by the Root ninja.
"It seems I was right, my foolish little brother!"
Yao shook his head, too lazy to even scold him, and looked at Shimura Danzo:
"Lord Danzo, if you wanted to see me, sending someone to inform me would have sufficed. Why go to such great lengths?"
"If Lord Danzo invites me, could I possibly refuse?"
"Is that so?"
Danzo's voice was cold, but his tone was filled with mockery. "Would an Uchiha brat be so obedient?"
He obviously didn't believe Yao would cooperate obediently, nor was he willing to waste time on such hypocritical pleasantries.
Setting up this trap today was precisely to obtain what he wanted in a situation under his absolute control.
Danzo slammed his cane heavily on the ground and got straight to the point:
"I am very curious. How did you, a naturally evil Uchiha brat, master Wood Release?"
"Wood Release is the power of the First Hokage! How did you obtain it? Tell me everything you know!"
This question had been plaguing Danzo, and tempting him!
He had originally thought Uchiha Yao was Orochimaru's perfect experimental subject.
But after confronting Orochimaru, he discovered that wasn't the case; Orochimaru had never been in contact with Yao before.
Danzo became even more curious, desperate to figure out Yao's secret.
As long as he could master this secret and thereby master Wood Release, he could become the Hokage of Konoha.
Facing Danzo's interrogation, Yao smiled. "The secret of Wood Release?"
"Lord Danzo, you're about to die soon anyway. Even if you knew the secret of Wood Release, what meaning would it have?"
"Impudent!"
"Audacious!"
The surrounding Root ninja shouted in anger, killing intent overflowing.
"Hmph! Sharp-tongued! Truly a naturally evil clan!"
Danzo snorted coldly, his voice becoming even colder. "You will never learn reverence and obedience!"
He seemed to lose patience and raised his left hand in a gesture.
A Root ninja nearby immediately stepped forward and handed a gleaming ninja sword to Danzo.
Danzo took the sword and pressed the tip against Sasuke's throat.
The sharp edge pressed tightly against the skin; with just a gentle push, it could sever Sasuke's trachea and arteries.
Sasuke trembled all over, but bound by the cursed seal, he couldn't move an inch. His eyes were full of humiliation and grief.
However, Danzo didn't even look at Sasuke. His single eye stared fixedly at Yao:
"Uchiha Yao... my patience is limited!"
"Now, tell me all the secrets of mastering Wood Release!"
Danzo applied force with his wrist, piercing the skin with the tip of the blade. A trickle of dark red blood flowed down Sasuke's neck.
"Otherwise..."
"I will kill Uchiha Sasuke right in front of you!"
"Let you watch with your own eyes as your last blood relative in this world dies tragically because of your arrogance and concealment!"
"Heh!"
Facing Danzo's naked threat, Yao couldn't help but laugh.
The next second!
He appeared abruptly beside Sasuke and threw a punch at Danzo.
Doing such a boring thing in front of a Flying Thunder God user?
"What?!!"
Danzo didn't even see clearly how Yao appeared before his whole body was blasted away by a punch.
"Flying Thunder God Technique... It really is the Flying Thunder God Technique!!"
While in mid-air, Danzo let out a roar mixed with shock and rage.
This Uchiha brat not only mastered Wood Release but even mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique!
Yao raised his left hand.
"Release!"
The writhing black cursed seal patterns quickly melted and faded away.
Sasuke's body relaxed, and he immediately regained his ability to move.
"Go!"
Yao grabbed Sasuke's arm and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Whoosh!
The two vanished from their original spot.
Almost at the same instant, they appeared at the other end of the stone bridge, escaping the encirclement of Danzo and the Root ninja.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
A piece of wood emerged from Yao's body and grew into a Wood Clone.
"Take Sasuke and leave!"
The Wood Clone nodded and disappeared from the Root base with Sasuke.
Sasuke was too weak right now; staying here would only make him a burden. It was better to let the Wood Clone take him away.
As long as "Second Pillar" (Sasuke) wasn't here, Yao would have absolutely no worries.
On the other side.
Danzo slammed into the rock wall behind him, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The intense pain in his body twisted Danzo's old face as his single eye stared fixedly at Yao across the bridge.
"You brat... when... when on earth did you learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"
"And Wood Release... just how many secrets are hidden on you?"
Danzo's voice was hoarse.
For someone who craved power as much as he did, he hungered for the secrets on Uchiha Yao too much.
He wished he could pry open Uchiha Yao's head and take a good look inside.
"You have too many questions, Lord Danzo. Besides, I have no interest in answering a dead man's questions!"
Yao clapped his hands together, his chakra exploding: "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Rumble!
The stone bridge beneath his feet trembled violently and cracked. Brownish-yellow trees and vines, like awakening ancient pythons, frantically burst through the hard stone bridge surface, rising from the ground.
The surrounding rock walls!
The dome of the underground space!
Even every inch of the land was furiously spewing out trees!
They intertwined, entangled, and expanded, instantly forming a primeval forest full of oppressive force.
Swiftly filling and swallowing the entire vast underground space!
Huge flower buds bloomed, releasing a strange scent.
The forest roared!
Vines danced like angry dragons, sweeping straight towards Danzo and the Root ninja.
"Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Danzo's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sternly: "Careful! The pollen is toxic! Hold your breath! Do not inhale it!"
Root ninja were well-trained; their reactions weren't slow. They immediately held their breath or covered their noses and mouths with cloth.
"Too naive!"
Yao's voice echoed through the forest as those python-like vines and wooden tentacles whipped, entangled, and pierced from all directions.
Although these Root ninja were notorious and fierce.
To be honest.
Their strength was mixed, and not all of them were top-tier experts.
Under the pervasive vine attacks, their performance was barely satisfactory.
"Ah!"
One Root ninja failed to dodge and was whipped across the waist by a vine.
The terrifying force shattered his bones and internal organs directly. He let out a scream and collapsed, ceasing to breathe.
Another barely dodged a frontal whip, only to be pierced straight through the shoulder by a sharp wooden spike attacking from the side.
Under the severe pain, his breathing became disordered, and he inhaled a small amount of the drifting pollen.
His body instantly stiffened, his eyes glazed over, and he fell to the ground, paralyzed by the poison.
Others tried to use Wind Release or Fire Release ninjutsu to clear a path.
But in front of the madly growing forest, it was like a drop in the bucket, and they were soon overwhelmed by even more vines...
In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Root elites were either dead or injured.
Only that old fogey Danzo and a scant few others retained their combat power.
The situation reversed instantly!
Seeing his subordinates suffer heavy casualties, Danzo's expression remained indifferent, not angry at all. A glint flashed in his exposed single eye.
"Such strong combat power, such skillful control over Wood Release, and such massive chakra reserves!"
"Without a doubt!"
"He is the main body!"
A sharp glint flashed in Danzo's eyes as he shouted lowly: "Fu!"
"Understood!"