Ever since seizing the opportunity to strip Danzo of his position, Uchiha Akihito had been contemplating how to completely eliminate him.
Danzo was the architect behind the Uchiha clan's destruction.
Only by uprooting both Danzo and Root could Akihito truly rest easy.
But dealing with Danzo was no simple matter.
Though the Third Hokage had publicly distanced himself, in truth the upper echelons of Konoha still shared interests with Danzo.
Akihito needed an opportunity.
And now—
Danzo's attempt to strike at him in the shadows was exactly that.
Bait Cast Under the Moon
After briefing Fugaku on several key arrangements, Akihito deliberately left the village alone under the pretense of a mission.
It was bait.
If Danzo dared move, Akihito would seize the tail of the snake.
At the slightest investigation, Root's rot would be exposed beyond repair.
The moment Akihito departed his home, Root operatives monitoring him relayed the message.
"Target has departed."
"Assassination unit, prepare."
Under the bright moonlight at the Fire Country border, Akihito paused at the national boundary.
"This is your last chance, Danzo," he murmured.
Almost immediately—
Two masked squads burst forth, surrounding him from both sides.
"By order of Lord Danzo, eliminate the traitor to Konoha!"
Akihito smiled faintly.
"So you're not even hiding the name this time."
"You dare attack the Hokage's Advisor. Have you considered the consequences?"
The Root captain sneered.
"We serve the darkness that protects peace. Titles mean nothing."
The indoctrination ran deep.
Akihito sighed.
Phase One: The Trap
Sixteen elite Root shinobi.
Nearly a quarter of Danzo's total strength.
Not amateurs—each at least Special Jonin level.
Akihito activated Fire Release Chakra Mode, his body transforming into blazing elemental form.
Weapons rained down.
Kunai pierced through him harmlessly.
The Root captain signaled.
"Execute Plan A."
Shadow-imbued chakra blades pinned Akihito's shadow.
His body froze.
"Shadow Imitation… so Nara blood in Root too," Akihito observed calmly.
"Not just that," the captain grinned.
A Root operative stepped forward.
"Mind Transfer Technique."
Akihito's body went limp.
Control seized.
"Release the shadow bind. Make him kill himself."
Under forced control, Akihito leapt—
Neck aimed at a blade.
Impact.
Flames erupted.
No blood.
The captain's expression changed instantly.
"Fire Clone! We've been deceived!"
The real Akihito had already substituted during the first smoke cover.
Root's carefully layered coordination—Nara restraint plus Yamanaka possession—
Had eliminated nothing but a clone.
Phase Two: Counterstrike
Akihito burst from underground.
Crimson three-tomoe Sharingan spinning.
"One-Sword Style — Slash Wave!"
A crescent blade of compressed chakra tore across the battlefield.
Two Root operatives were instantly gravely wounded.
"Execute Plan B!" the captain roared.
Aburame insects swarmed.
Inuzuka-style Fang Over Fang spun violently.
Summoning beasts lunged.
Illusions triggered—
"Temple of Nirvana."
White feathers drifted from the sky.
Akihito didn't even blink.
The illusion shattered instantly under his Sharingan.
He chuckled.
"Using genjutsu against a Uchiha… admirable desperation."
Close-Quarters Clash
The Root captain charged personally.
A taijutsu and kenjutsu specialist.
Durable. Aggressive.
Intent on pinning Akihito for coordinated assault.
Blades collided.
Sparks erupted.
But in Fire Chakra Mode, Akihito's form burned with both offense and defense.
Physical strikes dissipated against living flame.
Root's formation began collapsing.
Their intel had been thorough—
But incomplete.
They knew of his elemental immunity.
They knew of his Sharingan.
What they did not grasp—
Was the gap in raw power.
True Combat Power
Akihito's voice cut through the chaos.
"You came prepared."
"But you misunderstand one thing."
His Sharingan shifted—
Mangekyō patterns flickering briefly in the moonlight.
The pressure in the air changed.
Oppressive.
Crushing.
Several Root members staggered as killing intent pressed down like a mountain.
"Compared to the Raikage and Killer B…"
"You are nowhere near enough."
Flames surged outward in a violent spiral.
Fire Release Chakra Mode intensified—
Heat warping the air itself.
Weapons melted mid-flight.
Aburame insects burned to ash.
The Root captain's pupils shrank.
This—
This was not merely "elite."
This was Kage-tier power.
No.
Beyond standard Kage level.
Under the moonlit border of Fire Country,
Root's ambush had become a massacre.
And for the first time—
Uchiha Akihito's true combat strength was laid bare.
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