"D-Dead!!"
At the valley's exit, the two remaining Root members froze, their pupils constricting as they watched their two captains' bodies fall from the cliff—cleanly severed into four segments.
They had considered the possibility of failure.
But never—not even once—had they imagined the battle would end like this.
The enemy had only used two sword strikes…
Thud—
The bodies of Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune hit the valley floor. Thanks to the natural resilience of a shinobi's physique, the corpses hadn't been reduced to pulp.
After Torune's death, his corpse was quickly covered in a layer of dark purple insects.
Tiny particles danced in the air—almost invisible to the naked eye. These were nano-scale poison bugs, massing together and gradually contaminating the surroundings.
If Torune's corpse were left to rot here, within minutes the swarm would spread, rendering the area a barren wasteland.
Uchiha Yu looked down calmly at the dark-purple-black corpses now illuminated by firelight.
He then channeled earth and water chakra through his feet into the ground, gathering the natural energy from nearby plants and concentrating it at the roots of a tall nearby tree.
Rustle—
With a sound of shifting soil, thick roots coiled and twisted like serpents in the night.
Yu manipulated the roots to wrap around a sealing scroll, then used them to collect and contain the two halves of Aburame Torune's corpse.
This elite shinobi of the Aburame clan belonged on the battlefield—not in some ambush mission.
Even in death, Torune's body held great tactical value.
Once the sealing was complete—
The tree roots receded.
Yu casually absorbed the scroll containing Torune's body into his storage space.
He glanced at the interior of the 100-cubic-meter space—
And to his surprise—
The corpses of the monk and Asuma were still perfectly preserved, showing no signs of decay.
It was now clear: this storage space had extremely powerful preservation and anti-decomposition functions.
Rising to his feet, Yu gave a flick of his black blade Dark Moon, channeling Wind Release chakra through it. The resulting pulse scattered the nano-scale bugs in the air that had tried to approach him.
Then, he stepped over Yamanaka Fu's corpse and began walking toward the two Root members stationed at the valley's exit.
"Damn it!!"
The two Root members, after a brief moment of shock, showed no hesitation. They gripped their blades tightly and charged at Uchiha Yu with reckless determination.
Near the caravan's wagons—
The Elder of the Tsuchigumo Clan and Hotaru watched helplessly as Yu walked past them.
Their faces were pale with despair.
The rest of the caravan members, following Sosens' earlier example, clutched their heads and crouched down beside the wagons.
They had doubted Sosen at first.
Then they began to understand Sosen.
Now—they had become Sosen.
Because that was Uchiha Yu.
A newly listed S-rank missing-nin of Konoha.
No one in the caravan had expected that the figure who intercepted them on the plains was the same man who had dared assassinate Konoha's higher-ups, massacre civilians, and become the most wanted fugitive in the entire shinobi world.
Just as the rumors claimed, this Uchiha rogue squad really had appeared in the Mount Katsuragi region.
Yu met the charge of the two Root members with detached calm.
Hotaru furrowed her brows, her beautiful face pale as snow, breath catching in her throat. As Yu passed her by, the only sound she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.
She never could have imagined—
That the man who had just been sitting across from her, his face hidden beneath a dark hood—
Would be the exact same flawless young face from the S-rank wanted posters.
The face of Uchiha Yu.
The battle between Uchiha and the Root Organization had ended.
Previously—
When Tamao, Minami, and Izumi led the team up the cliff, they were stunned to discover that besides Root operatives, a large number of other ninja had been lying in ambush.
Yet even so, the battle was utterly one-sided.
This fight forced Kurenai Yuhi and Nonoyu to completely reevaluate the strength of this Uchiha group.
Every member had awakened three tomoe Sharingan.
Through the pain and trials of their escape, their ocular power had reached new heights. Their combat ability far surpassed that of typical jōnin.
Tamao and the others charged into the enemy ranks like tigers among sheep, swiftly cutting down the Root-aligned ninja.
At the rear of the group—
Uchiha Mikoto frowned slightly, her gentle and elegant face tinged with frustration. She squeezed the bloodstained kunai in her hand to steady her emotions.
She had deliberately stayed at the back, hoping to go all out against the Root members and unidentified enemy ninjas—planning to burn out the last of her life force in a final stand.
Before she died, she at least wanted to help clear some enemies for the younger members of the clan.
But as soon as the fighting started…
She only managed to kill one ninja before Tamao and the others had effortlessly swept through the rest like chopping vegetables.
Looking out at the devastated cliffside, Mikoto sank into troubled thought.
Ever since the battle against White Zetsu, she had already resolved to sacrifice herself for the clan.
Someone like her—who had once betrayed the clan—
Had no right to go on living.
Now that the Uchiha were nearing the chaotic borders between the smaller shinobi nations, it meant their path of escape was almost complete.
Her chance to secretly die in battle—to protect Yu and atone for her sins—was growing slimmer.
"I'll try again next time… If it doesn't work, I'll wait until everyone is safe—then do it myself."
Mikoto's eyes softened. She gripped the kunai Yu had given her and had no intention of returning it.
Once she helped this group of clansmen escape safely—
She would complete her journey of redemption, and use this blade to end her life.
Thud—thud—thud—
Corpses tumbled down the cliff one by one, dull thuds echoing through the valley, marking the end of the battle.
In the valley—
Every member of the Tsuchigumo merchant caravan, including the Elder and Hotaru, wore an ashen expression as they heard the heavy crashing of bodies below. Each impact seemed to tug at the rhythm of their own hearts.
In unison, they turned their eyes toward Sosen's back.
Only now did they finally understand—
How wise Sosen had truly been. Back on the plains, when he decisively dropped to a crouch with his hands over his head—
That simple move… had hidden such profound wisdom.
Surrendering bravely… now seemed like a different form of courage!
Had they reported this Uchiha rogue team earlier—
They'd likely be joining those three foolish bodyguards in reincarnation right about now.
"I was wrong. I misunderstood this kid…"
The Great Elder of the Tsuchigumo clan stared at Sosen's back, sighing inwardly, overwhelmed with guilt.
Sosen looked at the endless stream of corpses falling from the cliff into the valley, his face pale as he genuinely sighed: "These people died so horribly… may there be no Uchiha in heaven."
As he thought this, he glanced toward the valley's exit—only to be shocked to find that in mere moments, Yu had already effortlessly cut down the tall ANBU operative who had kicked him earlier.
Sosen suddenly felt much better inside.
Another ANBU ninja had been pinned to the cliff wall by Yu's black blade. His mask was torn off, blood gushing from his mouth, looking like a fish nailed to a chopping board—waiting to be butchered.
Shhhk—
The Uchiha regrouped, quickly forming a perimeter around Yu for defense.
"Big bro, you were spot-on! Besides a few Root operatives on the cliff, there were over thirty unidentified ninja lying in ambush."
Tamao's baby face was smeared with blood, but he grinned brightly.
"Were they all eliminated?" Yu asked calmly.
At that moment, he withdrew his black blade from the body of a Root operative disguised as ANBU. The man's pupils clearly bore the imprint of his own Mangekyō.
"Yup! Not one left alive!"
Tamao replied enthusiastically.
Yu gave a slight nod, turning his gaze toward a Root member pinned against the cliff wall, inwardly noting that although there were no survivors… the mission rewards hadn't been triggered.
"Did you set ambushes on the other two mountain paths as well?" Yu asked coldly.
As he spoke, the red glow of the Yasakani imprint flashed in the last Root member's pupils. Unable to resist the command, he spoke the truth:
"Yes. On both left and right mountain paths, we have two more Root operatives. Each brought twenty hired ninja from other villages and bounty hunters."
Yu continued, "Are there any other Konoha pursuit squads nearby?"
"I don't know."
Yasakani allowed for mental control, but not mind reading. Still, it could compel a target to speak the truth.
Yu no longer looked at the man.
He slowly turned around.
The next instant—
A dull, sickening crack echoed from the Root member's chest. His heart had burst. The red glow faded from his eyes, life extinguished.
The Uchiha frowned.
All of them turned toward Izumi, who was huddled among them, face flushed with embarrassment.
In their minds, they all recalled what Izumi had said earlier:
"I… I think all three paths are fine!"
°°°
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