Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh
The bushes not far away rustled twice. Uchiha Katsumi and the two Root members instantly drew the kunai from their waists. One of the Root ninja even reached into his ninja tool pouch, fingers brushing against the cold surface of several explosive tags.
All three held their breath, eyes fixed on the source of the sound.
Then, a large white rabbit poked its nose out of the bushes and hopped into view.
The three let out a quiet sigh of relief. This was Uchiha territory—although all three were jōnin, they were painfully aware of one thing:
If they were discovered here, escape would be nearly impossible.
That was why every movement of grass put them on edge.
If anyone found them, they would have to kill first—tear out the eyes afterward. Rumor had it that someone had once presented Lord Danzō with two Sharingan and instantly became a favored subordinate, no longer forced to gamble his life on every mission.
Within Root, there was an unspoken rule:
Bringing back a Sharingan earned Danzō's favor—and freedom from Root.
If Viper weren't an undercover agent embedded in the Uchiha Clan, especially during such a sensitive period, the two Root operatives would have already taken his head and gouged out his eyes.
"It's just a rabbit… tch." One of the Root ninja even pulled a carrot from his pack.
The rabbit didn't approach immediately. It watched them warily, then, sensing no hostility, hopped over and began nibbling the carrot.
Suddenly, the female Root ninja smiled. She picked up the rabbit and gently stroked its fur.
Viper and the other man smiled faintly at the scene and were about to resume their discussion—
When the woman suddenly stiffened.
She stared into the rabbit's eyes.
They were red.
And within those crimson pupils was the unmistakable Mangekyō pattern—Uchiha Madara's eyes.
In less than a second, her body stopped responding to her will.
Her consciousness was sealed within herself, forced to watch helplessly as another took control.
The woman gently set the rabbit down.
The rabbit hopped back toward the forest and vanished without a trace.
She rose to her feet. Because of the Root mask covering her face, the change went unnoticed.
She walked silently to the male Root ninja's side.
"All done?" he teased. "You're still the same—always soft toward small animals. Viper just told me about today's intel. The Uchiha are about to rebel, and time's tight, so—"
Thunk.
A kunai pierced straight through his chest from behind.
The man's pupils shrank violently.
He turned his head with difficulty, staring at Fox from the corner of his eye.
"W-Why…?" he whispered.
He couldn't understand it.
For three years, they had partnered together. He had protected her countless times. He loved her.
Why would Fox kill him?
The despair crushed him harder than the pain. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to pull the kunai out and turn around.
Only then did he see tears streaming down her face beneath the mask.
Confused, he reached up and removed her mask.
What greeted him were blood-red pupils bearing a terrifying pattern he had never seen before.
He understood immediately.
She was being controlled.
But his heart was already destroyed—there was no saving him.
With the last of his strength, he gently caressed Fox's face.
"So… this is my fate," he murmured. "You… must live on."
His eyes lost focus. His body went limp, collapsing into Fox's arms.
Inside Fox's mental space, no matter how she screamed or struggled, she couldn't reclaim control. She could only watch as her own hands murdered the man she loved.
Viper was frozen in shock.
"Sister Fox… why did you kill Brother Wolf?" he asked hoarsely.
He had seen Gray Wolf's feelings with his own eyes. How could such a pair end like this?
Fox didn't answer.
Because Gray Wolf had removed her mask, her exquisite face was now fully exposed to Viper.
She tossed Gray Wolf's corpse aside and charged straight toward Uchiha Katsumi.
One step. Two steps.
She accelerated.
Katsumi snapped back to his senses. Seeing Gray Wolf's fate, he knew better than to hesitate. He drew the Uchiha-issued tachi and slashed at Fox.
Clang!
Kunai and tachi collided, sparks bursting into the air.
"Fox, have you lost your mind?!" Katsumi roared. "You killed Brother Wolf, and now you're attacking me?! Don't forget—we all serve Lord Danzō!"
Fox ignored him.
Her hands blurred through seals.
Body Flicker Technique!
A gust of wind erupted as she vanished and reappeared behind Viper, lunging forward with her kunai aimed straight at Katsumi's heart.
Poof!
Smoke exploded.
Where Katsumi had stood was now nothing but a wooden log.
Substitution Technique!
"Die!" Madness filled Katsumi's eyes. He didn't know why Fox had turned on them—but he knew one thing.
If he didn't kill her, he would die.
He couldn't die. Absolutely not.
He poured all his strength into a crushing downward strike—
And then he saw it.
Fox was smiling.
Between her index and middle fingers was an explosive tag.
Katsumi's face drained of color as he saw chakra surge into it. The black script turned crimson.
BOOM!
A violent explosion tore through the night.
Flames surged skyward, swallowing both Fox and Katsumi.
The blast alerted nearby Uchiha patrols. Three Uchiha jōnin immediately rushed toward Naka Shrine.
At the scene—
Fox had been blown apart, her remains scattered across the ground.
Katsumi lay half-destroyed, his internal organs exposed, life barely clinging to him.
His mind was blank.
Why…?
Why did this happen?
Why did Fox go mad?
As his consciousness began to fade, despair filled his heart—
Then footsteps approached.
Uchiha Ran emerged calmly from the forest, a tachi in his hand, its tip dragging lightly along the ground.
"How does it feel," Ran asked coldly, "to be killed by your own comrades?"
Katsumi turned his head toward the voice.
Everything finally made sense.
He coughed weakly. "I lost… but tell me… how did you know I was a traitor?"
"Ask the Sage of Six Paths after you're dead," Ran replied indifferently.
He gripped the tachi with both hands and thrust it straight into Katsumi's throat.
Katsumi let out a muffled groan. Strangely, relief flashed through his eyes.
Ran's expression was icy.
He twisted the blade and slashed.
Slash!
Uchiha Katsumi's head flew from his shoulders.