When restraint shatters, true power awakens.
The Land of Grass—a small nation wedged between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth—had never truly controlled its own fate.
Within a dense forest, four figures flickered through the trees.
"Up ahead is an Iwagakure outpost. Stay sharp."
The speaker was a Root jōnin squad leader, Utatane Itamine. Clad in standard Root attire, a bird mask concealed his face.
Their mission was to retrieve intelligence from a Konoha spy embedded within Iwagakure.
"Stop. Hide!"
—whoosh!
The four figures vanished into the forest.
Watching. Waiting.
"…Something's wrong."
From the shadows, Itamine scanned the surroundings, alert. It was too quiet.
"This area is usually patrolled by Iwa shinobi… Why is it empty today?"
The unease deepened.
Then—
—whoosh!
Dozens of kunai, each wrapped with explosive tags, rained down from all directions.
They had been discovered.
"Scatter!"
Boom—!
Explosions roared as flames surged skyward.
From the forest, over a dozen shinobi emerged—red uniforms, Iwagakure headbands. They slammed their hands onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
The terrain shattered, turning into a rushing tide of loose earth that swallowed everything in its path.
The Root shinobi—elite survivors of countless battles—stabilized quickly. Dodging. Countering.
Then they struck back.
Despite being outnumbered, their coordination was flawless.
The battle balanced.
Suddenly, Itamine leapt from a towering tree, dodging incoming shuriken mid-air as his hands flew through seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Seven—eight blades of compressed wind tore through the battlefield.
Slice—!
Two Iwa chūnin were cut clean in half.
Blood sprayed. Instant death.
Itamine—a top jōnin of the Utatane clan, favored by Koharu and personally trained by Danzō after awakening Wind Release.
"AAARGH!"
An Iwa jōnin roared in fury. His squad—mostly chūnin, valuable assets—and now two were gone.
His killing intent surged.
He charged.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon!"
The ground trembled, rising into a massive dragon over ten meters long. It roared and lunged.
But Itamine was too fast.
He slipped past effortlessly.
As if anticipated, the Iwa jōnin formed more seals.
"Earth Release: Swamp Flow!"
"Damn it!"
The ground beneath Itamine liquefied, locking his legs in place.
The earth dragon closed in, its fanged maw descending.
But Itamine's hands flashed.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
A storm of slicing wind erupted, shredding the earth dragon before surging toward the jōnin.
"What—?!"
No time.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
Three layered walls rose instantly.
But they shattered—like paper.
The remaining wind blades tore through flesh.
The Iwa jōnin was ripped apart.
Blood poured. Bones exposed.
Dead.
The difference was overwhelming.
Root shinobi were monsters forged in death.
Even outnumbered, they dominated.
With Itamine joining the others, the tide collapsed.
Within five minutes, every Iwa shinobi lay dead.
"Leave no survivors."
"Yes."
Cold. Efficient.
Throats slit. Hearts pierced.
The forest reeked of blood.
When it was over, they didn't leave.
They waited.
For one person.
Yakushi Kabuto—a spy within Iwagakure.
This outpost was isolated. Reinforcements were far. Even if they came, Root would hunt them instead.
"Squad leader, you're incredible!"
A Root shinobi couldn't hide his admiration.
Itamine, favored by Danzō—even considered for a future position as his personal guard.
Then—
footsteps.
Tap. Tap.
A figure emerged.
Black hair. Uchiha attire. Arms crossed.
Eyes—deep.
Uchiha Fugaku.
Itamine's gaze sharpened.
"Captain Fugaku… why are you here?"
Fugaku—the head of the Military Police. Leaving the village required Hokage approval.
Root had received no such intel.
Which meant—
he came on his own.
Dangerous.
Fugaku's voice was cold. Sharp.
"I'm here… to hunt Root."
A beat.
Then—
laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Itamine sneered.
Young. Arrogant.
Even if he couldn't win, he believed he could escape.
"Kill him."
A Root member hesitated.
"…Squad leader, that's Fugaku. Maybe we should—"
Slap!
The man was struck across the face.
"You doubt me?"
Silence.
Fear.
"Kill Uchiha Fugaku!"
"—Kill!"
They charged.
All of them.
At once.
Then—
Fugaku's eyes changed.
Three tomoe twisted, merging into a pinwheel.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
He spoke softly.
"Shackles."
Everything froze.
The Root shinobi were locked in place—like puppets.
His left Mangekyō ability—Shackles.
Within its range, everything but himself ceased for three seconds.
Three seconds—
was enough.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A sea of flames erupted—roaring, devouring.
Screams—cut short.
Bodies—consumed.
Ashes—scattered.
Fugaku stood amidst the inferno, eyes cold.
"Dare touch the Uchiha…"
"Root or ANBU—"
"The result is the same."
One jōnin. Three elite chūnin.
Gone.
The price had been paid.
And Danzō—
would feel it.
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