In that instant, Qianyu had already delivered his final verdict to "Kinoe."
A verdict containing only one word.
Death.
Kinoe's expression changed violently.
But the fact that he had earned Shimura Danzō's trust meant he was far from ordinary.
Though still young, he had endured countless trials within Root. His combat instincts, discipline, and battlefield experience were leagues beyond those of an average shinobi.
The moment Qianyu's words fell—
Kinoe struck first.
"Wood Release: Piercing Tree Barrage!"
In a flash, seals formed.
From his arms, shoulders, and even his back, thick wooden vines and branches erupted violently, firing forward like spears—fast as lightning—aimed straight at Qianyu.
It was the first time Aoki and Yamafū had witnessed Wood Release firsthand.
Shock and awe flashed across their faces.
Yet neither of them felt even the slightest worry.
Because in their eyes—
Their captain was invincible.
Unbeatable.
Qianyu sneered.
In the next instant, a katana appeared in his hand, already engulfed in blazing lightning.
Crackle—!
BZZZZ—!
The roar was deafening, like a thousand birds screaming at once, as if the air itself were being torn apart.
BOOM!
Qianyu's Lightning Release blade cleaved through every wooden spear effortlessly, the impact exploding outward and shredding the Wood Release technique into countless splinters.
At the same time—
The four Root operatives behind Kinoe charged in.
Aoki and Yamafū laughed coldly.
"You think you're worthy of fighting the captain?"
They dashed forward, two against four, intercepting the Root shinobi head-on.
After everything they had endured, both their Sharingan, combat experience, and killing intent had advanced dramatically.
Once an Uchiha's dōjutsu awakened alongside true battle intent—
They could crush any shinobi of the same tier.
Without exception.
Qianyu moved.
He became lightning itself.
A thunderous impact shook the ground as he descended, blade raised, slashing straight at Kinoe.
Kinoe reacted instantly, slamming his palm into the earth.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Rows of wooden pillars burst from the ground, rising and interlocking into a dome-shaped barrier around him.
But—
BOOM!
The barrier shattered instantly.
Wood splinters exploded into the air.
Lightning tore through.
Though only grazed, Kinoe's leg was blasted open, blood spraying violently as flesh tore apart.
He barely managed to evade at the last moment, retreating in agony.
Fear flooded his heart.
The man before him—
Was a demon.
A god of slaughter.
Such overwhelming power, such merciless killing intent—
It was utterly inhuman.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear Barrage!"
"Water Release: Rushing Torrent!"
Even now, Kinoe reacted flawlessly.
Jagged stone spears erupted in every direction, turning the battlefield into a deadly forest of spikes, while high-pressure water blasted toward Qianyu like cannon fire.
Qianyu swept his blade casually.
All stone spears were pulverized instantly.
He shifted once—barely—
And the torrent missed completely.
Then—
He vanished.
Like a ghost.
Like lightning.
Like an illusion.
He reappeared directly in front of Kinoe.
The blade thrust forward.
Too fast to dodge.
BOOM!
Kinoe's chest was pierced clean through as lightning detonated outward, leaving a massive hole where his heart should have been.
But—
Qianyu scoffed.
"Cheap trick."
The body collapsed—transforming into wood.
A Wood Clone.
A technique even more deceptive than Shadow Clones.
Even Uchiha Madara had once been fooled by Hashirama's Wood Clone.
But Qianyu had already seen through it.
His perception rivaled Madara's—if not surpassed it.
Believing he had succeeded, Kinoe launched his final attack from behind.
"Wood Release: Tree Binding Eternal Burial!"
RUMBLE—!
A colossal tree erupted beneath Qianyu's feet, its trunk instantly thickening, vines and branches exploding outward, wrapping, binding, suppressing—
Completely engulfing him.
"Captain!"
Aoki and Yamafū shouted instinctively.
Kinoe gasped for breath, hands locked in seals.
"This technique suppresses chakra and physical power!"
"Uchiha Qianyu—no matter how strong you are, you won't escape!"
"Become nourishment for the earth!"
The Wood Release surged violently.
Everything went still.
Kinoe finally relaxed.
The remaining Root operatives sneered.
"You underestimated Captain Kinoe's Wood Release!"
"That's the power of the First Hokage!"
Then—
SPLASH.
A lightning-wreathed blade pierced straight through Kinoe's chest—from behind.
"What—?!"
"Captain!"
Kinoe's eyes went blank.
His body seized as pain and paralysis overwhelmed him.
He twisted his head weakly.
"You… you are…"
Qianyu's voice came calmly.
"Just a basic Shadow Clone."
"You wanted to play tricks—I played along."
"Now you're dead."
BOOM.
Lightning exploded.
Kinoe's heart, chest, and upper body were obliterated.
Nothing remained but a hollow cavity.
Blood flooded the ground.
Kinoe collapsed.
The man who would one day be known as Yamato—
Would never exist.
"Captain!"
The remaining Root operatives screamed, but with Kinoe dead, they were completely overwhelmed by Aoki and Yamafū.
Qianyu watched silently, allowing them to finish the fight.
He was sharpening them.
Ding!
[You freed Kinoe from the fate of being a human experiment. Great Virtue! Merit Points +200]
Qianyu calmly invested the points into his dōjutsu.
Moments later, Aoki and Yamafū each finished off one Root operative.
The final two exchanged glances—
And fled.
The Root base was close.
If they reached it, they might survive.
They didn't.
Aoki and Yamafū pursued mercilessly.
Just as their blades rose—
"Stop."
A voice echoed from the entrance of the Root base.