The three sides faced off, none making the first move.
Uchiha Kiyo was still restoring his chakra, and the Sand ninja weren't in any hurry. They were close to their camp—dragging out the battle only increased their advantage as reinforcements would eventually arrive.
As his chakra reserves filled, Uchiha Kiyo wasted no more time. He popped another soldier pill into his mouth.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
With a surge of chakra, the ground trembled violently. A towering wall of earth shot up in front of the Sand ninja, its structure quickly closing in around them, forming a massive prison-like formation.
"Fifteen hundred chakra consumed... manageable. I've still got a thousand left."
Calculating his chakra usage, Kiyo swiftly formed more seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Spear!"
A barrage of sharpened earth spikes erupted from the ground. The Root ninja barely had time to react—while they managed to evade fatal hits, each suffered wounds from the sudden attack.
Kiyo's chakra levels plummeted to just three hundred. Rather than using more ninjutsu, he shifted to close combat.
He rushed toward the nearest Root ninja, gripping one of his own earth spears and swinging it down with overwhelming force.
Boom!
The impact sent the rat-masked Root ninja flying. Blood seeped from beneath his mask—he had sustained internal injuries from the sheer force alone.
Standing his ground, Uchiha Kiyo steadied his breath, his Sharingan analyzing every movement of his enemies.
"Cough... cough..." The rat-masked ninja struggled to rise, his weak voice rasping from beneath his mask.
"He's too strong," he warned his comrades. "Don't engage him in close combat."
Despite the caution, the dog-masked ninja took action, forming hand seals.
Kiyo reacted instantly—thrusting forward with his earth spear.
Slash!
The tip sliced through his opponent's left arm, forcing him to retreat.
The remaining two Root members moved in unison, attempting to overwhelm Kiyo.
But with his superior strength, the insight of his Sharingan, and his precise combat skills, Kiyo held his ground. Instead of being overwhelmed, he slowly gained the upper hand.
As he fought, his mind pieced together the bigger picture.
The Root ninja weren't just here for him.
If Danzo had sent these operatives, then Nawaki and Sarutobi Shō were targets too.
And given that this was an ambush…
There were more waiting ahead.
"Damn it... Danzo!"
A dark fury bubbled within Kiyo.
"When I get strong enough, I'll be the first to kill you!"
Determined to finish the fight quickly, he abandoned his earth spear, drawing his kunai instead.
With a flicker, he activated the Body Flicker Technique.
Compared to his earth spear, the kunai was faster and sharper. Combined with his Sharingan and Body Flicker mastery, Kiyo became a ghost on the battlefield. The Root ninja barely managed to keep up as he left cut after cut across their bodies.
Of course, Kiyo didn't escape unscathed either. He sustained his own injuries, but with his Mystical Palm Technique, he healed himself mid-battle, ensuring his performance didn't drop.
After spotting an opening, Kiyo flicked multiple kunai, each embedded with explosive tags.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions forced the remaining two Root operatives to retreat. With them momentarily distracted, Kiyo pressed the attack on the dog-masked ninja.
In a swift movement, he hurled a kunai—piercing deep into the man's thigh.
As his opponent staggered, Kiyo advanced, swinging his kunai downward.
The Root ninja barely blocked with his blade, but his movements were sluggish due to his leg wound. The impact knocked him backward.
Seizing the moment, Kiyo lunged.
His kunai should have found its mark—but the Root ninja narrowly evaded a fatal hit.
Still, the battlefield had already changed.
Hundreds of kunai now littered the ground.
Kiyo, feeling his chakra replenished once more, initiated his plan.
"Body Flicker Substitution Technique!"
With a sudden flash, he appeared behind the monkey-masked Root ninja.
Before the man could react, Kiyo's kunai plunged into his back.
The ninja's body twitched, his consciousness fading as he collapsed lifelessly.
Kiyo wasted no time. He executed the technique again, appearing behind the last Root ninja.
With one swift motion—another silent kill.
The final survivor, the heavily wounded rat-masked ninja, watched in horror as his comrades fell one by one.
His trembling hands reached for a signal flare.
Kiyo's expression remained cold as he swiped at the ninja's wrist, knocking the flare away.
Without hesitation, his kunai found its mark, silencing the final Root ninja.
Just as he finished, a loud cracking sound echoed behind him.
The Sand ninja had finally broken through his earth wall.
Kiyo turned, his Sharingan spinning.
Analyzing the situation, he made a decision.
He had to find Nawaki first.
The Sand ninja, still in shock from witnessing four Special Jōnin slaughtered, hesitated. Their strongest Special Jōnin gritted his teeth, signaling for his men to follow Kiyo from a distance until reinforcements arrived.
Kiyo ignored them, sprinting at full speed.
Two more soldier pills were forced down his throat.
His body protested—the pills were effective when paired with his self-healing technique, but the toll on his stomach was brutal.
Meanwhile
Nawaki and Sarutobi Shō had managed to break through the initial ambush, pushing another kilometer forward.
However, more Root ninja had appeared, sending their hopes crashing down.
Sarutobi Shō made a call.
"Nawaki, we split up."
Nawaki hesitated.
"Also," Shō added, "watch out for traps. We're still near the Sand camp, and this place is crawling with them."
With no other option, they split—running in opposite directions.
Three Root ninja chased after Shō.
One pursued Nawaki.
Kiyo's Perspective
His chest tightened.
A deep sense of unease gripped him—something was wrong.
He didn't even glance back at the Sand ninja pursuing him.
Speeding up, he pushed his Body Flicker to its limit.
Arriving at the fork where Nawaki and Shō had separated, Kiyo made his decision.
"Damn it... they split up!"
Nawaki only had one pursuer—he should be able to handle it.
Shō had three chasing him—he needed help first.
Kiyo raced forward.
But the deeper he went, the more dread crept into his heart.
The battlefield ahead showed heavy signs of battle. Blood splattered the terrain.
Minutes later, Kiyo found him.
Sarutobi Shō's lifeless body lay crumpled on the ground.
Kiyo clenched his fists.
He forced down his emotions, sealing the body into a scroll.
That's when he sensed it—further ahead, another battle.
One of the chakra signatures was unmistakable.
Nawaki.
He was still fighting.
Kiyo threw every remaining soldier pill into his mouth.
His Body Flicker exploded beyond its previous limits.
Ignoring the pain in his legs, he pushed forward.
Then—he saw it.
He saw Nawaki.
But just as he was about to call out—
The air changed.
Everything slowed.
A surge of unbearable heat.
A suffocating pressure.
Then—
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion engulfed the area.
The blast wave sent Kiyo flying.
His body rolled uncontrollably across the ground.
But his mind only had one thought.
Dead. They're all dead.
A shattering realization.
The only real friends he had in this world—
Gone.
A storm of emotions erupted inside him.
His Sharingan spun wildly.
The tomoe shifted.
Fused.
And in that moment, Uchiha Kiyo awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
His mind blanked, filled with only one thought.
Kill.
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