"It's finally broken!"
When the outermost barrier was partially destroyed, not only the Ninja outside, but even Vegapunk felt a wave of relief.
The moment he relaxed, he let out a soft grunt. Moments later, Hancock, wiping the corner of her mouth, nestled back into his arms and gently pressed her hand to his chest.
"Stop that!" Vegapunk quickly caught Hancock's hand as she channeled pure Yang Release Chakra into him.
Normally this was playful intimacy between Hancock and Vegapunk; the potent Yang Release Chakra stimulation let him recover stamina fast. But now he had business to attend to and couldn't afford to indulge.
Hancock was obedient. At his words she simply stayed pressed against him, idly watching the images on the projection.
Once Vegapunk's barrier fell, every Root Ninja charged into the inn. With a thunderous boom the building shattered.
The faster the masked Ninja rushed in, the faster they came flying back out. Amid roars of fury, a dozen ashen-faced, muscle-bulging Ninja gave chase.
"Damn it, what's going on?! Where did these Ninja come from? Where are Vegapunk and the others?"
Several Root Ninja struggled desperately against the Cyborgs Vegapunk had created. Compared with Root, the Cyborgs were even colder and more ruthless—Root Ninja feared no death, but the Cyborgs didn't even grasp the concept.
In ability, though the Cyborgs lacked the original's combat experience, they possessed pre-programmed battle routines. Without flashes of inspiration, their performance was flawlessly stable. Coupled with physiques already superior to Root Ninja, they had the upper hand across the board.
Two of the strongest among them not only wielded instant Ninjutsu, tremendous strength, and enhanced Chakra, but also carried a faint additional aura.
Vegapunk had given them a simplified Senjutsu Chakra modification, opening a port to absorb Natural Energy.
Under normal conditions, the emotionless Cyborgs wouldn't actively draw in Natural Energy; only in combat did they continually absorb it.
As the fight dragged on, the Natural Energy within them would accumulate, their power growing stronger. Yet because they were crude, disposable products, Vegapunk hadn't invested much effort or resources. They could absorb Natural Energy but had no way to close the port.
If the battle lasted too long, the overwhelming Natural Energy would cause an internal energy clash and self-destruct—Vegapunk had deliberately set the method as an explosion. In other words, they would detonate with Tailed Beast Ball-level force.
Vegapunk estimated they could endure at least one or two hours of fierce combat. Once that threshold passed, the two human bombs would blow sky-high, enough to turn all of Konoha into rubble.
Before that happened, however, as they absorbed Natural Energy, the two Cyborgs would keep growing stronger—both their Ninjutsu and physical power soaring.
"Looks like Konoha Village will collapse long before those two explode!"
Watching the projection with a smile, Vegapunk remarked as the two—already near Kage-level—absorbed more and more Natural Energy, their strength and jutsu power surging, quickly wiping out most of Root.
Yet the Root Ninja hand-picked by Danzo were no pushovers. They might pale against near-Kage powerhouses in raw might, but in bizarre and unpredictable Ninjutsu they surpassed them.
As long as one hadn't reached Six Paths Level and begun to turn body and Chakra into energy, a Ninja remained a frail human, strong in offense but weak in defense. Killing a superior foe with some powerful or strange jutsu was hardly rare.
Of the dozen or so Cyborgs Vegapunk had modified, four or five were already dead, including one of the two strongest human bombs who'd perished with Aburame Muta of the nano poison bugs, never fully displaying its power.
"Damn it, retreat! Pull back now!" Yamanaka Fu, protected by several Root Ninja, shouted and prepared to withdraw.
The Yamanaka Clan excelled at mental abilities but offered little in direct combat. Since this mission was to search Vegapunk's memories, Fu enjoyed the tightest protection and could still issue orders intact.
With Root Ninja nearly wiped out, the disparity in strength only widened. Retreat now, and some of Root's strength could be preserved; hesitate, and total annihilation awaited.
So even when Fu saw an unconscious Vegapunk being carried off by a tall Ninja, he entertained no thought of snatching him back.
"Damn, where did these Ninja come from? How did they sneak into Konoha?! Are all those Uchiha Military Police blind?"
"If only I hadn't pulled the Anbu and the guard Ninja away; one signal and reinforcements would've come!"
He ground his teeth, but his retreat was swift, quickly breaking free of the fight.
The Cyborg Ninja did not pursue. One tall Ninja carried "Vegapunk" while the others formed a protective ring and hurried away... In the distant Hokage Building, Third Hokage watched through his crystal ball.
"Strange—why can't I lock onto those Root Ninja's Chakra? Has Danzo done something?"
"No, I can't see any Chakra in that entire area! Could the barrier be causing it? Yet it affects the whole district, even the vicinity—remarkable sealing knowledge!"
A boom reached him; Third Hokage's brows knitted. "Root made its move? But such a racket..."
"If they were spotted from the start, the plan's odds of success... probably aren't good."
Even as he spoke, he strained his Telescope Jutsu; the crystal ball flickered, revealing Root Ninja being cut to pieces on the battlefield.
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