As the shouting ceased, the pungent smell of sulfur in the air slowly faded. Dust settled little by little, and the remaining Root ANBU fixed their eyes on the entrance to the secret chamber.
When their vision finally cleared, a massive dark-blue chakra barrier stood before them.
Inside it, Uchiha Ran stood with his arms crossed, gaze calm and indifferent.
Fu Yamanaka froze on the spot.
What… was that?
That enormous chakra construct—solid, oppressive, absolute. Even standing there without moving, it made one's heart sink.
The same thought surfaced in every Root ninja's mind at the same time.
Is this really something we can fight?
Ran sighed lightly.
"Are you done?"
He lifted his eyes and continued coldly,
"If so, then it's my turn."
The next instant, killing intent erupted.
Susanoo surged forward, and the massive chakra tachi swept out in a wide arc.
Slash.
In less than a breath, more than thirty Root ninjas were cut down.
Blood splattered, screams cut short. Terror and disbelief were frozen on their faces as they fell.
Fu Yamanaka's pupils shrank violently.
What kind of power is this…?
With a single swing, nearly half of the force he had brought was wiped out.
"Run!" Fu shouted hoarsely. "Run now! This thing isn't something we can deal with!"
But the moment the words left his mouth, Susanoo's giant hand shot out and grabbed him.
"Fu!" Aburame Torune shouted, forcing himself up despite his injuries. He ripped off his gloves, swarms of poisonous insects pouring out as he rushed forward.
He exhaled poisonous gas, trying to use Susanoo as a medium to affect Ran directly—
—but the gas was completely blocked.
His attempt failed.
Ran noticed and casually flung the hand holding Fu straight toward Torune.
One was smashed violently into the wall, organs compressed by the impact.
The other was crushed by Susanoo's grip, then thrown aside, slamming into the ground and losing consciousness.
The remaining Root ninjas stood trembling, teeth chattering as they stared at Ran.
Ran looked back at them.
"Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
He paused, then added calmly,
"Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you—Danzo Shimura is dead. He sealed himself."
The words hit like thunder.
The Root ninjas froze.
Danzo… was dead?
Did that mean… they were finally free?
Their gazes subconsciously shifted to their tongues.
The Tongue Curse Seal of Sealing was still there.
As long as that seal remained, they still couldn't speak about Danzo, couldn't expose anything, couldn't even think of rebellion without risking instant death.
Ran had anticipated this reaction.
"This," he said, "is the hand seal to解除 the Tongue Curse Seal of Sealing."
Susanoo lifted the chakra tachi and deliberately carved a series of hand signs onto the wall, one by one, clearly and precisely.
Then Ran turned around and left the Root base together with Yakushi Kabuto, without looking back.
The Root ninjas stood there in stunned silence.
They looked first in the direction Ran had departed—then at the hand signs carved into the wall.
Something long dead stirred in their chests.
Freedom.
They didn't know whether the hand signs were real.
But they knew one thing—they had already had enough of this life.
For years, they had lived under oppression far worse than the Hyuga Branch Family.
The Hyuga Main Family used the Caged Bird Seal as restraint and punishment.
Danzo Shimura?
If you failed to meet his expectations—or simply displeased him—
The Tongue Curse Seal of Sealing would activate, and you would die instantly. No explanation. No justice.
Long-suppressed resentment finally found an outlet.
A young Hyuga Branch Family member stepped forward first.
He followed the hand signs on the wall and channeled chakra.
"T-Tongue Curse Seal of Sealing… Release!"
The moment he spoke, a burning pain surged through his tongue. He hurriedly opened his mouth.
A black hexagram-like seal peeled away, turning into smoke and drifting out.
About a minute later, the pain vanished.
There was no longer any mark on his tongue.
His eyes widened.
"Danzo Shimura is a traitor!" he shouted instinctively. "He coveted the Hokage position—absolutely unforgivable!"
Nothing happened.
No pain. No backlash.
Instead, his entire body felt lighter than ever.
"Hahaha—it worked! It really worked!"
Laughing wildly, he sprinted out of the Root base.
Ten years.
Ten years of darkness, obedience, and silence.
Now, freedom was finally within reach.
His success ignited the hearts of the others.
One after another, the remaining Root ninjas formed the hand seals and released their Tongue Curse Seals.
Some laughed hysterically.
Some cried with red-rimmed eyes.
But for all of them, the invisible chains around their souls had finally shattered.
Before long, only two people remained in the base.
Fu Yamanaka and Aburame Torune.
They had both regained consciousness some time ago, but had remained silent, watching their former comrades leave one by one.
Complex emotions flickered through their eyes.
Danzo Shimura was dead.
Root was finished.
If they had spoken out earlier, they might already have been torn apart by those who had just been freed.
Now, with no one left, they looked at each other and silently followed the hand signs on the wall.
The Tongue Curse Seal of Sealing dissolved.
After a long silence, Aburame Torune spoke first.
"Fu… do you think we were really wrong?"
"Why did everyone who worked, talked, and laughed with us… leave so decisively?"
Fu Yamanaka didn't answer immediately.
He, too, felt that Danzo Shimura had gone too far.
But gratitude—the gratitude of being recognized, valued, and given opportunity—had bound him more tightly than chains.
With the Yamanaka clan's hierarchy, he would never have stood out.
If not for Danzo Shimura, where would Fu Yamanaka be today?
Seeing Torune's confusion, Fu finally spoke slowly.
"Maybe… it's a difference in position."
"The two of us were raised by Danzo-sama from childhood and entrusted with important tasks. That's gratitude."
"But they're different."
"Many of them were outstanding shinobi, transferred here directly after being recommended. The first thing Danzo-sama did… was place the Tongue Curse Seal on them."
"Those who disobeyed were erased."
"So… their choice makes sense."
Fu sighed.
Aburame Torune fell silent.
After a long time, he asked softly,
"Then… what kind of person do you think Uchiha Ran is?"
Fu froze.
He looked at Torune in disbelief.
"Torune… don't tell me you're thinking—"
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