The cold wind seemed to freeze, and the air was thick with a heavy killing intent.
In Uchiha Shao Yu's Mangekyo vision, Danzo's group became clearer and clearer, unknowingly approaching the rocky depression filled with hidden death, step by step.
The dead silence was instantly shattered!
When Danzo's group was less than ten meters from the outer rocky area of the depression, a Root Jonin guarding the flank seemed to kick something extremely thin.
His reaction was by no means slow; the moment he sensed something wrong, his body instinctively retreated while he shouted a warning.
"Ambush!"
However, it was still a half-beat too late.
"Boom!!!"
A deafening explosion suddenly rang out! Flames and thick smoke instantly engulfed the Jonin's position! An Explosive Tag trap was triggered! This served as a signal, and immediately after—
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!"
"Whiz, whiz, whiz—!"
Countless pre-set Kunai, Shuriken, and Senbon connected to Explosive Tags or mechanisms shot out like a torrential rain from all directions, rock crevices, and withered grass, covering the large area where Danzo and the others were.
Simultaneously, eerie smoke rose from several key positions as the Genjutsu traps set by Uchiha Rei and Mei activated, attempting to interfere with the enemies' perception and judgment.
"Defend!"
Danzo's raspy voice remained clear amidst the explosions. He had already drifted back several yards like a ghost the moment the warning was issued. Tapping his cane on the ground, a pale green Wind Release Chakra shield expanded in front of him, deflecting or blowing away the stray Kunai and explosion fragments flying toward him.
The six Root Jonin he brought also displayed incredible quality.
Despite the surprise attack and their formation being slightly rattled, they made the correct response almost at the same time the traps were triggered.
Either using Body Flicker to retreat, performing Substitution Jutsu, or directly parrying with Ninjutsu and weapons.
"Clang, clang!" "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
The light of Ninjutsu intertwined with the sounds of metal clashing and explosions.
Most of the attacks were neutralized or avoided by these Jonin through their rich experience and extraordinary strength.
However, the density and suddenness of the traps still yielded results.
The Root Jonin who first stepped on the Explosive Tag trap, despite his quick reaction, was still caught by the core power of the explosion.
One of his lower legs was severed at the knee in the fire, leaving it a bloody mess! He groaned, losing his balance and falling to the ground. The intense pain instantly drained most of his combat effectiveness, leaving him to roll on the ground through gritted teeth, trying to find cover.
The other five Jonin were also injured to varying degrees; some had their clothes and skin sliced by Kunai, some were shaken by the shockwaves of the explosions, and some were momentarily disoriented by the Genjutsu, but these were all minor injuries that did not affect their fighting capability.
"As expected of the elites under Danzo..."
Uchiha Renka and the others hiding in the shadows felt a chill in their hearts.
Such a dense trap ambush only managed to incapacitate one person and lightly wound five others; the opponents had stabilized their footing almost instantly.
But this was only the beginning.
Just as Danzo steadied himself, his single eye scanning the surroundings to find the specific locations of the ambushers.
"Hum—!"
A terrifying pressure, soul-shuddering and filled with an ominous and destructive aura, descended from behind him without warning.
The hair on Danzo's body stood on end instantly! An unprecedented sense of fatal crisis felt like ice water being poured over his head!
He didn't even have time to look back; he could only frantically pour all his Chakra into the Wind Release shield and the cane in his hand, while twisting his body violently to the side.
However, it was too slow!
A Susanoo several meters tall, with only its upper body and a pitch-black skeletal giant arm condensed, appeared out of thin air behind Danzo like a demon god crawling out of hell.
Within the sockets of that hideous skull, the cold crimson light of Uchiha Shao Yu's Mangekyo Sharingan burned.
Uchiha Shao Yu descended from the sky. The pitch-black skeletal fist, wrapped in destructive energy fluctuations and carrying a violent will to crush everything, smashed down like a hammer of divine punishment toward Danzo Shimura, who had just steadied himself and was caught between breaths.
"No—!"
A look of absolute horror erupted in Danzo's remaining eye. He recognized what this was! The legendary... Susanoo of the Uchiha?!
How could this possibly appear on such a young Uchiha?!
Danzo had seen this thing before; when he was very young, he had seen a man named Uchiha Madara. That world-destroying power was something he could never forget, and even Sensei Tobirama was incredibly wary of it.
But he hadn't expected that after so many years, he would see this power again in the brat before him.
Damn it, is it another Uchiha Madara?
He must be killed here!
"Boom—!!!"
The loud noise was deeper than the previous explosions, yet more heart-shaking, as if the entire depression vibrated.
The pitch-black giant fist smashed squarely onto Danzo's position. There were no fancy techniques, only the purest overwhelming power.
Dust mixed with ice, snow, and gravel soared into the sky, and a huge crater appeared on the ground.
At the bottom of the crater, only a blurred pile of pulp remained, barely recognizable, along with shredded clothing and the wreckage of a cane.
Danzo Shimura, the Darkness of Konoha and the leader of Root, seemed to have been instantly crushed into powder by this sneak attack that transcended common sense.
"Lord Danzo?!!"
The five Root Jonin (six including the one with the severed leg) who had just steadied themselves from the trap attack and were still in shock, all had their eyes nearly bursting with rage and cried out in horror.
Their Lord Danzo, who was powerful, mysterious, and almost infallible in their minds, was actually... actually insta-killed in a single exchange? What was that black monster?
Even the ambushing Uchiha clan members were so shocked by this sudden and terrifying strike that their hearts almost stopped! Was that Lord Shōba's true power?
Too strong!
However, inside the protection of the black Susanoo, Uchiha Shao Yu's face showed no sign of relaxation or joy at having killed a powerful enemy.
His Mangekyo Sharingan stared intently at that pile of flesh.
"Izanagi... as expected."
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he didn't even give the four shocked Root Jonin any more time to react.
The black Susanoo's skeletal giant fist rose again without pause. Like playing whack-a-mole, it smashed down fiercely with a sharp, wicked wind toward two of the Jonin who were closer and still seemed to be in a state of shock and distraction.
"Get away!!" The other Jonin shouted in desperation, but it was already too late.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two more sickening thuds rang out. The two Root Jonin didn't even have time to scream before they were smashed into two clouds of blood mist by that absolute power, leaving no remains.
In the blink of an eye, Danzo was "dead," two Jonin were insta-killed, and the remaining two intact Jonin along with the one with the severed leg were chilled to the bone.
"Kill!"
At that moment, Uchiha Shao Yu's cold command echoed through the depression.
"Sharingan!" "Fire Release!" "Move."
Having been poised for action for a long time, Uchiha Renka, Rice Fire, Tekka, Chikage, Rei, Mei, and several other Chunin burst out from their respective ambush points like tigers released from a cage.
The crimson light of the Sharingan pierced the darkness. Ninjutsu, Kunai, and Shuriken poured toward the three Root Jonin—whose hearts were shaken and morale was on the verge of collapse—like a violent storm. They intended to take advantage of this perfect opportunity, while the enemies were in mental disarray and had lost their leader's command, to surround and kill them all at once.
The battle situation seemed to tilt instantly toward the Uchiha side.
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808