Uchiha Yoru smiled faintly.
"All right. You all know the plan now, so let's move."
"Oh, right. Let me guess. Both of your squads received secret missions—one to monitor me and the other to delay me, correct?"
The six ninja either looked confused, wore false smiles, or maintained ordinary smiles. Not one of them revealed the slightest flaw.
"Forget it. I don't care anyway."
"As long as you can keep up with my speed, I'll allow you to complete your secret missions."
"As long as you can keep up..."
Before he even finished speaking, Uchiha Yoru disappeared.
This was the first time Uchiha Yoru had run at full speed since forming his Golden Core.
Everything was different.
Earth-spirit natural energy supported his feet, allowing every step to draw several times more force from the ground.
Wind-spirit natural energy surrounded his body. Although he raced forward at tremendous speed, he didn't stir so much as a speck of dust, and the wind couldn't move a single strand of his hair.
Uchiha Yoru seemed to glide through the air without experiencing the slightest wind resistance.
As a result, his speed continued rising until it quickly surpassed the limits attainable by the human body.
Yet he didn't leave the slightest trace behind.
This left the six Konoha ninja pursuing him utterly bewildered.
By the time the Ino–Shika–Chō trio spent most of the day crossing the Land of Fire and entering the Land of Rain, they had completely lost any possibility of tracking him.
Afterward, their tracking target became the faster Root squad pursuing him ahead.
The trio had an extremely difficult time crossing the chaotic Land of Rain.
They cautiously avoided all kinds of ninja and spent an entire day before approaching the Land of Wind without serious incident.
By then, Nara Shikasuke even suspected that Uchiha Yoru wasn't ahead of them at all.
Perhaps he had changed routes at some unknown moment and completely shaken them off.
However, after they reunited with the Root squad, one Root ninja disproved that suspicion.
By the time the Ino–Shika–Chō squad entered the Land of Wind's great desert, it was already late at night.
Yamanaka Kaoru unexpectedly discovered that they had caught up with the Root squad.
He informed Nara Shikasuke, then added, "The Root ninja seem to be waiting for us. I don't know what they're planning."
Nara Shikasuke nodded.
"We all need to be careful. Root ninja tend to behave rather recklessly outside the village."
Akimichi Hiroshi and Yamanaka Kaoru both nodded in strong agreement.
The Nara clan displayed only moderate combat ability and generally served in supporting roles.
However, everyone in their clan was intelligent.
They were dispersed throughout various units as strategists and possessed exceptionally broad sources of information.
Because the Yamanaka clan specialized in secret soul techniques, Yamanaka ninja formed the backbone of most intelligence departments.
There were even many Yamanaka ninja within Root, granting them access to considerable secret intelligence.
The Akimichi clan was extraordinarily close to those two clans, practically forming a single family.
Naturally, they also knew a great deal.
The Ino–Shika–Chō clans understood Root's existence and behavior very clearly, so all three raised their vigilance.
However, the reunion proceeded smoothly.
The Root squad didn't attempt anything strange.
Akimichi Hiroshi couldn't resist asking, "You waited here for us because you lost the target, didn't you? Did that Uchiha really change routes?"
A Root ninja replied, "The target did not change routes. He is still ahead of us."
Akimichi Hiroshi questioned him.
"How do you know? We haven't discovered a single trace along the way. What clues do you have?"
The Root ninja extended his right hand.
Dense swarms of kikaichū emerged and covered the entire limb.
It turned out that he came from the Aburame clan.
As insect users, Aburame ninja could be called exceptionally versatile.
The Aburame clan's reconnaissance techniques were particularly unique.
Almost every Aburame ninja possessed their own special skill, making their methods extremely difficult for outsiders to understand or defend against.
The Root ninja from the Aburame clan flicked his finger, causing bright electrical sparks to flash among the black kikaichū.
After carefully sensing the sparks, he explained, "Everyone possesses the potential for Lightning Release chakra."
"Every person constantly emits fluctuations of Lightning Release chakra, and every individual's fluctuations are unique."
"Of course, those fluctuations are extraordinarily weak. Humans cannot perceive them."
"Only my insects can sense such faint Lightning Release fluctuations, memorize the unique frequency belonging to each person, and track it across great distances."
"The Lightning Release fluctuations left along this entire route belong to the target."
"He traveled this way."
Akimichi Hiroshi asked again, "Really? Then why can't you catch him? You people are extremely fast."
The Aburame Root ninja explained, "Because the target is faster."
"The distance between him and us has been steadily increasing since the beginning."
Akimichi Hiroshi shook his head.
"In that case, we can't catch him. Shikasuke, what should we do next?"
Nara Shikasuke spread both hands helplessly.
"There's nothing else we can do. Continue tracking him and reach the Land of Demons as quickly as possible to confirm Uchiha Yoru's situation."
Then Nara Shikasuke looked toward the Aburame Root ninja.
"Why were you waiting for us here?"
Another Root ninja answered, "Because the target performed an unusual action at this location. We need your mind to determine what happened."
Nara Shikasuke's eyes lit up.
"What kind of unusual action?"
The second Root ninja pointed toward a rock nearby.
"The target used a ninjutsu on that rock."
The Aburame Root ninja continued, "Afterward, he began advancing through jumps, moving from this rock to that one."
Following the Root ninja's pointing finger, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio saw another rock several hundred meters away.
Their expressions immediately became incredulous.
Apart from powerful combat ability, the ninja profession was known for exceptional agility.
No matter their height, weight, or physique, all ninja were excellent athletes who could run quickly and jump both high and far.
But no matter how far ninja could jump, no one had ever heard of one leaping more than one hundred meters.
A single leap covering several hundred meters could hardly be called jumping anymore.
It was clearly flying—or at least gliding through the air.
Nara Shikasuke murmured, "Could that ninjutsu be some kind of powerful secret technique?"
Yamanaka Kaoru approached the rock and carefully sensed the faint chakra residue.
He discovered that the chakra traces had been left at least one day earlier and had barely penetrated the stone.
Yamanaka Kaoru's heart sank.
This proved the Aburame Root ninja was correct.
Uchiha Yoru's speed was far greater than they had imagined, and his control over chakra was also beyond belief.
Although the chakra residue was extremely faint, only one day had passed.
Yamanaka Kaoru quickly reconstructed the ninjutsu's framework in his mind.
"It wasn't a Wind Release secret technique that assisted jumping," Yamanaka Kaoru announced loudly. "It was the Summoning Jutsu. He performed a summoning here."
"Moreover, the scale of the Summoning Jutsu was very small. The summoned target wasn't large."
Nara Shikasuke shook his head, then nodded.
"It was probably the Cat Sage from the Cat Castle. Uchiha Yoru possesses only that one summoned beast."
"I've heard that the Cat Castle's ninja-cat clan originated from the desert. They never become lost within great deserts and can locate hidden sources of water."
"He probably used the Summoning Jutsu here to obtain the Cat Sage's assistance in various ways."
The second Root ninja nodded.
"So that explains everything except why he can jump so far."
"Waiting for the Ino–Shika–Chō squad was indeed worthwhile."
He looked toward Nara Shikasuke.
"Then what should we do next?"
The question instead left Nara Shikasuke bewildered.
He asked in return, "You intend to travel together with us?"
The Root ninja answered seriously, "Yes. We will travel with you."
"We have already confirmed that the target is far too fast. We cannot possibly catch him."
"Moreover, the remaining route lies entirely within the Land of Wind. Konoha possesses little knowledge of this region..."
Nara Shikasuke chuckled and interrupted.
"I understand. Without detailed intelligence, unexpected incidents are more likely to occur."
"If all six of us remain together, we will be better able to handle emergencies."
"Fine. We'll travel together."
"What do we do next?"
The Root ninja looked at Nara Shikasuke.
"Until we reach the Land of Demons, every action will be decided by you."
"That is the primary reason we waited for you."
This ninja had actually surrendered command authority!
Nara Shikasuke and his two companions exchanged glances.
All three displayed incomprehensible astonishment.
This wasn't Root's style.
After Mitokado Homura became Root's leader, its behavior had indeed lost some of the madness it possessed during Shimura Danzō's era.
However, it remained arrogant, self-centered, and devoid of humanity.
Root's distinctive dark style hadn't changed significantly.
Instead, it had infected its commander, Mitokado Homura, making him increasingly gloomy and vicious.
The power of darkness truly possessed a bewitching, corruptive influence.
Although Nara Shikasuke was surprised, since they had handed him authority, he wouldn't act politely.
He ordered the Root ninja, "We depart immediately. We need to make up as much time as possible."
"Yes!"
"Additionally, from this moment onward, we will travel at night and rest during the day."
"We'll rest every day between ten in the morning and four in the afternoon until we leave the Land of Wind."
"Yes!"
The six ninja arranged themselves into a traveling formation.
Following one Lightning Release fluctuation after another at Uchiha Yoru's landing points, they pursued him at full speed.
They advanced rapidly, and the surrounding environment gradually changed.
Rocks and coarse gravel completely disappeared.
Everywhere they looked was filled with yellow sand.
They had entered the heart of the great desert.
However, the ninja had no attention to spare for the changing environment.
The distance between each landing point Uchiha Yoru left behind continued growing.
It had now reached an interval of two thousand meters.
After nine o'clock, the Root ninja from the Aburame clan suddenly signaled everyone to stop.
After examining the surroundings for some time, he told them, "It's gone."
Akimichi Hiroshi froze.
"What's gone?"
Nara Shikasuke instantly understood what the Root ninja meant.
Pointing toward the sky, he asked in astonishment, "Did he truly fly away?"
The Root ninja shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But we have already traveled more than five kilometers beyond the most recent trace."
"There should be nothing farther ahead."
Nara Shikasuke sighed deeply.
"Although it is unbelievable, he probably flew away."
He turned toward Yamanaka Kaoru.
"Do you sense anything? Could he have used a flying ninja tool similar to those of the Sky Ninja?"
"The Sky Ninja who attacked Konoha during the previous war?"
Yamanaka Kaoru shook his head.
"Probably not. I cannot sense the slightest trace of chakra."
"It wasn't ninjutsu or a ninja tool."
Nara Shikasuke frowned and thought for a moment.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Senjutsu."
"Although it is difficult to understand, it can only be senjutsu."
"An Uchiha ninja with a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan is already remarkable."
"Yet he can also jump this far, even fly, and uses the power of senjutsu to do it."
"What a monster."
"Then again, a ninja who has the courage to curse the Hokage to his face would naturally be a monster."
"But a monster like this... is simply too excessive."
Nara Shikasuke's gaze gradually flickered.
He quietly complained, "The Third Hokage really gave us such a 'wonderful' mission."
When referring to the Third Hokage, he deliberately omitted the habitual honorific "Lord."
This was partly a natural reaction to Shikasuke's displeasure and partly a test directed toward his companions and the three Root ninja.
To his surprise, no one paid attention to it.
Even the normally rigid Yamanaka Kaoru, who placed great importance on etiquette, merely frowned slightly.
Clearly, he accepted Nara Shikasuke's change and agreed with no longer addressing the Third Hokage as "Lord."
The Root ninja's reactions were even more exaggerated.
Their faces permanently maintained their strange smiles, clearly because they wore some kind of soft disguise mask.
Naturally, they couldn't reveal any genuine expressions.
However, their subtle movements similarly reflected disappointment and dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage.
Nara Shikasuke became even more astonished.
He knew that after Lord Orochimaru's return, everyone had seen the problem through the nearly direct comparison between them.
The Third Hokage had grown old.
He was no longer the convincing "Professor" he had once been.
However, even the Root ninja displaying similar reactions caused Nara Shikasuke's heart to tremble violently.
He silently resolved that once he returned to the village, he had to hold a serious discussion with the clan head.
It was time for the Nara clan to change its position.
They could no longer place everything upon the Third Hokage.
They needed to make preparations in advance.
No matter how intense his thoughts became, Nara Shikasuke revealed nothing unusual.
He waved his hand.
"Continue advancing."
"Since we can no longer track him, we will proceed toward the Land of Demons according to the plan."
...
While the six Konoha ninja struggled through the great desert, Uchiha Yoru had already flown into the Land of Demons and slowly descended before the shrine where the mission would take place.
Miwa Masayo jumped down from her caretaker's shoulder.
She stretched upon the ground and said with satisfaction, "Yoru's flying is wonderful, meow. It's fast and steady, and we don't have to endure wind or rain, meow."
"It simply took me a little while to master it."
Uchiha Yoru smiled.
"You call that slow? It took me only two hours to master high-speed flight."
"Otherwise, wouldn't I have had to float here slowly like a balloon?"
"Hmph. When this cat learns to fly, I definitely won't take so long, meow."
"Fine. I look forward to seeing it."
As they spoke, they reached the shrine's entrance and explained their purpose to the elderly shrine maiden guarding the gate.
Before long, an official wearing clothing with distinct priestly characteristics emerged from within.
When he saw Uchiha Yoru dressed in a gray-blue coat, he froze for a moment.
Then he looked to either side.
Only after confirming that no one else was present did he ask, "Are you truly a ninja from Konoha?"
Uchiha Yoru nodded and handed over the mission documents.
The official examined them but continued staring suspiciously.
He muttered, "Why does a Konoha ninja resemble a wandering ninja and not wear a forehead protector?"
"Could he be an impostor?"
Uchiha Yoru understood bureaucratic games extremely well.
When facing the Third Hokage, he could use them skillfully enough to make the man deeply uncomfortable while leaving him unable to say anything.
Therefore, he couldn't be bothered arguing with such a bureaucrat.
He directly ordered, "Take me to the priestess."
The calm voice entered the official's ears.
His mind immediately became hazy, and every thought stopped.
Only one voice echoed inside his head.
"Take this person to the priestess."
Those words possessed irresistible power.
The official immediately turned around and led Uchiha Yoru deeper into the shrine.
The priestess was the national leader of the Land of Demons.
She also controlled extraordinarily powerful sealing techniques.
In the past, the Land of Demons had been able to stand on equal footing with the Land of Whirlpools in sealing arts.
Now, it had become the strongest in the shinobi world, possessing power comparable to that of the Five Kage.
In this country without a daimyō, she combined the positions of daimyō and Kage.
Her status was extraordinarily exalted.
This shrine was therefore equivalent to a combination of the Fire Temple and a daimyō's palace.
Its internal defenses were fairly impressive.
Large numbers of armed soldiers stood guard, while many ninja secretly maintained vigilance.
Uchiha Yoru's hypnosis technique was simple.
Naturally, those ninja could immediately see that the guiding official's eyes had lost focus and that he had clearly been hypnotized.
But before they could do anything, they saw a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan.
Then darkness consumed their consciousness, and they knew nothing more.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Sharingan really is useful, meow."
"Indeed. The body of the Uchiha clan is a remarkable Immortal Body."
"As long as its potential is fully activated, it truly becomes nearly invincible."
"Meow? An Immortal Body? Didn't you say only the Senju and Uzumaki clans possess Immortal Bodies, meow?"
"Oh, that is a concept from the old senjutsu system."
"It is far too narrow. Merely possessing one hundred times more chakra is enough to be called an Immortal Body? What kind of nonsense is that? The standard is far too low."
"By my standards, only Senju Hashirama possessed a true Immortal Body."
"His vast life force and healing power can be called the Three-Marrow Jade Body."
"Of course, within the Uchiha clan, only Uchiha Madara and I can be considered to have activated our Immortal Bodies."
Uchiha Yoru spoke freely as though no one else were present.
Within several hundred meters around him, everything was enveloped by the power of his illusion.
Every person inside the area was under his control.
Apart from Miwa Masayo, no one would remember a single word he said.
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