The slaughter continued.
Sougen and his group had already left Matsutake Pavilion, but the Root ninjas still charged at them fearlessly, undeterred by the threat of death, blocking their escape. Human lives had become the cheapest commodity here, and the scarlet blood mixed with the gray ashes of the fallen, creating a muddy path for their advance.
There were four of them in total, with Sougen at the front, acting as the spearhead to break through the tight web of Root ninjas.
"Uchiha Style: Grand Fire Sword!"
This overwhelmingly powerful move couldn't be blocked by any ordinary means. Even the strongest Root ninja, who specialized in Earth Release Hardening Jutsu, couldn't withstand the sword's flame, which was hot enough to melt steel. The intense heat incinerated the target instantly, leaving only ashes to be blown away by the wind.
Right behind Sougen was Shisui. Even though they had agreed to overthrow the Third Hokage together, Sougen still wasn't willing to fully trust Hyuga Hiashi with his back. Hiashi and his bodyguard remained at the rear of the group.
However, just because Hiashi was at the back didn't mean he was taking it easy.
Hiashi's Byakugan provided 360-degree field of vision, making his information-gathering ability superior to the Sharingan. He spotted enemies coming from above, below, and all around, even identifying those using secret techniques. He alerted Sougen about their moves ahead of time.
"Left front!" Hiashi shouted.
"Genjutsu: Shiranui!"
Sougen's Sharingan flared with power, locking eyes with an enemy hiding in the bushes ahead. His powerful ocular jutsu invaded the opponent's mind, and illusory flames that didn't exist in the real world began burning them mentally. The pain was so intense that it rendered the enemy helpless. A shuriken followed, finishing them off.
"Careful! Left rear, right—" Hiashi's warnings abruptly stopped.
He had encountered a tough opponent: a master swordsman using Wind Release. Being from the same village, the Root ninja knew how to deal with the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and Gentle Fist techniques. Hiashi was forced into a difficult battle and had to focus solely on fighting, unable to provide more intel to Sougen.
Hiashi wasn't the only one struggling. His bodyguard, a jōnin, was also locked in a tough battle, worse off than Hiashi, with several injuries. Without help from Hiashi or Shisui, he likely wouldn't have survived to make it out of Matsutake Pavilion.
But now, even Shisui was facing multiple elite jōnin-level opponents.
The Root ninjas attacking Shisui fought fearlessly, using self-sacrificing tactics that put Shisui in a difficult position. Some Earth Release experts assisted from a distance, altering the terrain to limit Shisui's agility and his ability to use his Body Flicker Technique effectively.
"Tch!" Sougen clicked his tongue in frustration.
After dealing with the enemies on his flanks, he quickly surveyed the battlefield, taking in the situation.
He had to admit, Danzo's Root ninjas were no pushovers. They were all highly skilled and battle-hardened, fighting without fear of death. Their teamwork was seamless, advancing and retreating with precision. Among them were also several users of secret techniques.
"This can't go on!" Sougen thought grimly.
He still had enough strength to continue fighting, and Samehada could replenish his chakra as needed. However, Shisui and Hiashi didn't have the same endurance for prolonged battle. If they couldn't quickly end the fight or break through the encirclement, Hiashi would likely perish here.
Before, Sougen wouldn't have cared about Hiashi's fate. But after the meeting at Matsutake Pavilion, he realized the Hyuga clan—more specifically, Hiashi—harbored deep hatred for the Third Hokage. Letting Hiashi die here would be a waste, especially when the opportunity to overthrow the Third Hokage was so rare.
Still, saving Hiashi and turning the tide of the battle wouldn't be easy—at least, not without using the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
——— Discover more novels at NoveI-Fire.ɴet
"Lord Ryoma, the entire Kuroi Squad has been wiped out. The Tsuruta Squad has been wiped out. The only survivor from the Nozawa Squad is their captain, gravely injured… Seventeenth Squad… Twenty-Ninth Squad…" A Root ninja in a mask reported the mounting casualties to Aburame Ryoma.
Even though Ryoma had anticipated heavy losses for this operation, seeing the staggering number of dead stirred a ripple of emotion within him. However, the calm returned to his heart quickly. He had fought in the brutal wars of the ninja world, where battles were like meat grinders. These losses were nothing compared to that. Still, losing so many valuable subordinates stung.
"How are things looking now?" Ryoma asked his teammate from the Yamanaka clan, Yamanaka Shohei.
"Uchiha Shisui, Hyuga Hiashi, and Hyuga Masashi's chakra levels have dropped significantly. However, Uchiha Sougen's chakra remains at the same level as when the fight began. His sword, Samehada, is replenishing his chakra as he fights. We still don't know how long that will last."
This mixed news made Ryoma frown.
As expected, the biggest problem was Uchiha Sougen.
A prolonged battle would have little effect on him. If they had more time, Ryoma wouldn't have minded sacrificing more men to slowly wear down Sougen's spirit. But time was against them. This wasn't a remote location in the wilderness; they were in Konoha.
Even though the Third Hokage was keeping the Hyuga clan occupied, the various clans in the village weren't blind or deaf. Sooner or later, someone would notice the commotion.
They had to finish the fight before they were discovered.
"Shohei, Juri, prepare to move."
The urgency of the situation left Ryoma no choice but to personally join the fight. He wasn't second-in-command of Root just because of his management skills; it was because he was the strongest fighter in the organization.
"Isn't it too early to act?" Yamanaka Shohei asked, hesitating. He was Ryoma's teammate and an expert in the Yamanaka clan's mental techniques. As a leader of Root's Yamanaka members, Shohei had a son named Yamanaka Fū, who wasn't part of this mission but had stayed behind at the Root base.
"Now is the time. If we wait any longer, someone might interfere," Ryoma said, spreading his arms as swarms of insects poured from his sleeves like dark clouds.
Their other teammate, a woman named Juri without a family name, picked up her brush and began painting on a blank scroll. With just a few strokes, lifelike ink animals appeared on the paper. Moments later, the creatures sprang to life, breaking free from the scroll. Tigers and leopards landed on the ground, while eagles soared into the sky.