The air was thick with the metallic stench of blood.
Silence blanketed the underground chamber.
Danzō's venomous gaze locked onto Uchiha Yuan. His face twisted in fury.
"Damn Uchiha brat!"
He had not expected Yuan to act so decisively—so mercilessly. Beneath his rage, a flicker of fear surfaced.
In that split second earlier, Yuan had flashed between Aoba and Shikata like lightning.
Both hands, sharp as blades, had swept outward—cleanly severing their heads.
The precision, the speed… It reminded Danzō of someone.
Konoha's White Fang. Hatake Sakumo.
The thought only deepened his hatred.
"Uchiha Yuan has been confirmed as a traitor!" Danzō roared. "Kill him!"
"Yes, Danzō-sama!"
Root operatives surrounding the platform vanished in unison, reappearing around Yuan in an instant.
Killing intent surged like a tidal wave.
Dozens of kunai tore through the air from all directions.
At the same time, Root swords flashed, blades striking from every conceivable angle toward Yuan's vital points.
Yuan calmly raised his hand and caught a kunai aimed at his face.
With a flick of his wrist, he threw it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
His single kunai struck another midair—both ricocheted into two more. In mere heartbeats, a chain of metallic collisions echoed as every incoming projectile was deflected away.
"Incredible Uchiha throwing technique!"
ANBU stationed outside had rushed in. The first squad to arrive witnessed the scene, their leader exclaiming despite himself.
More ANBU flickered into position.
Danzō turned sharply toward the ANBU captain wearing a Yellow Flash mask.
"You sealed his chakra! How did he break free?!"
The cat-masked ANBU hurriedly formed hand seals.
Below, glowing sealing formulas flared briefly across Yuan's body.
"How is this possible?" the masked ANBU muttered in disbelief. "Did he shatter the restraints with pure physical force?!"
Danzō saw it too—the seals still intact. His expression darkened further.
Such monstrous physical strength… Is his taijutsu like Might Duy's? Independent of chakra?
The cat-masked ANBU asked cautiously, "Danzō-sama, what exactly occurred here?"
Danzō's voice was icy. "Uchiha Yuan has defected. You are ordered to capture him immediately."
"Yes."
The ANBU captain whispered instructions to a subordinate, who vanished at once—likely to inform the Hokage Tower.
"Everyone—move! Capture the traitor Uchiha Yuan!"
Slash!
A Root shinobi swung his blade from behind—only to cut through empty air.
In his final moment, he saw Yuan flash past him like a streak of light.
The world spun.
Then he saw it—his own headless body, blood erupting skyward.
Almost simultaneously, another Root operative leapt high, delivering a downward strike.
Yuan caught the blade between two fingers and drove a brutal kick into the man's chest.
Boom!
The shinobi flew like a cannonball, crashing into a stone wall dozens of meters away. His chest was visibly caved in.
Yuan scanned the battlefield, lips curling in a faint smile.
Only six Root operatives remained.
They stood at a distance, weapons raised—fear evident beneath their masks.
Corpses littered the ground. Severed limbs lay scattered.
Yuan stood at the center like a demon of slaughter.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
ANBU reinforcements descended, forming a dense perimeter.
Four shinobi stationed themselves at the corners and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Four Violet Flames Formation—Activate!"
A violet barrier erupted, sealing Yuan within.
The cat-masked ANBU watched gravely. He had witnessed Yuan's terrifying prowess—his movements ghostlike, his attacks unstoppable.
"Uchiha Yuan! Surrender!"
Yuan examined the shimmering purple barrier, then looked at the ANBU captain with a light smile.
"So this is the Four Violet Flames Formation. I wonder how many punches it will take to break."
"You're welcome to try."
Yuan's smile deepened.
The ground beneath him shattered.
Boom!
He stepped forward and drove a punch into the barrier.
The purple light flickered violently. Shockwaves rippled outward.
The four ANBU maintaining the formation trembled simultaneously, suppressing pained groans.
—
Hokage Tower.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, listening as Ibiki delivered the interrogation report.
The stack of transcripts lay before him.
Pipe between his lips, Hiruzen frowned deeply.
Ibiki had reported Danzō's intent to conduct memory searches.
As Orochimaru's teacher, Hiruzen knew his most brilliant disciple always planned meticulously.
This "exposure" of human experimentation…
Rather than being cornered, Orochimaru may well have chosen to abandon Konoha of his own will.
He was intelligent enough to see the tide turning against him.
But Hiruzen was certain of one thing—
Though Orochimaru had left…
He had not left without preparations.
Some people die…
But they don't die completely.
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