Uchiha Kiyo completed the mission and returned to the camp, but on the way, he encountered an unexpected attack.
In fact, it wasn't entirely unexpected. To be precise, it was a deliberate assassination.
An assassination targeting Uchiha Kiyo!
At the moment of the ambush, upon seeing the familiar attire of Konoha's Root operatives, Uchiha Kiyo immediately understood the situation.
The first factor was his whereabouts.
For a mission lasting a month, he couldn't move completely undetected. He had to report his progress every other day.
The mission information wasn't exclusive to Orochimaru—other high-ranking officers on the frontlines could see it as well. Additionally, mission records were also kept in Konoha, where both the Hokage and other key figures could review them.
This meant that tracking Uchiha Kiyo's movements wasn't particularly difficult.
Then came the motive.
Ten days ago, his clone successfully infiltrated Konoha by concealing himself within a caravan's supply crates, later using the Body Flicker Technique to blend in.
According to the intelligence gathered, Danzo had been released six months prior.
The previous attack on his squad by Root operatives, which had been thwarted by Uchiha Kiyo, was clearly Danzo's doing. The mission's failure had humiliated him and solidified his animosity toward Uchiha Kiyo.
For the past six months, Uchiha Kiyo had been assigned short-term missions. Even if Danzo had access to his mission details, there wasn't enough time to mobilize an assassination team. This time, however, was different—Uchiha Kiyo had been away from the village for over half a month, giving Danzo the perfect opportunity to act.
As for the consequences?
Danzo wasn't worried in the slightest.
After all, his role in Nawaki Senju's death had only resulted in a one-year confinement. And now, he had grown even bolder.
Having unlocked the Three Tomoe Sharingan, he had even dared to eliminate members of the Anbu Training Division. The Third Hokage was already losing trust in Uchiha Kiyo—if Danzo had him eliminated, he doubted his old friend would take any real action against him.
"Three Jōnin? Heh, Danzo really thinks highly of me!"
Looking at the three Root Jōnin in front of him, Uchiha Kiyo felt a surge of anger.
"All this talk about Konoha's interests is utter nonsense!"
Danzo was deploying three high-level shinobi not to protect the village—but to eliminate a perceived threat.
However, now that they were here, they wouldn't be leaving.
Taking down three Jōnin would be enough to inflict a serious wound on Danzo's forces.
His black pupils turned scarlet, and the three tomoe in his Sharingan began to spin around the central black dot.
Uchiha Kiyo activated his Sharingan.
Compared to a single tomoe, the Three Tomoe Sharingan granted a massive boost in perception, significantly enhancing his vision.
Within a 500-meter radius, Uchiha Kiyo could detect even the slightest disturbance.
Even blind spots posed no issue—his fusion of mental perception and Sharingan analysis allowed him to construct a detailed view of his surroundings. This technique, which he had developed after initially mastering the Three Tomoe Sharingan, functioned similarly to the Byakugan's field of vision.
Though not as powerful as the Hyūga's Byakugan, it came with one crucial advantage—no blind spots.
Instead of attacking immediately, Uchiha Kiyo observed the area carefully, confirming that these were his only three opponents.
Apparently, his lack of immediate reaction irritated his attackers.
"Three of us against one brat, and he's not even panicking?"
The central Root Jōnin—a tall shinobi—finally lost patience and launched the first attack.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"
With the Sharingan's heightened perception, Uchiha Kiyo saw the jutsu being prepared before the seals were even completed.
Recognizing the technique instantly, he reacted accordingly.
Thick, spear-like pillars of earth shot up from the ground, but Uchiha Kiyo dodged them with ease, maneuvering through the attack before the spears could reach their full extension.
Upon closer inspection, he scoffed at the jutsu.
"So thick… what's the point?"
The Earth Dragon Spear technique was supposed to pierce its targets, yet these spears were so thick that their penetrative power was laughable.
"The whole point of a spear is to pierce. If you're going to use this technique, at least make it sharper."
Perhaps this Root operative simply wasn't skilled in its proper use.
Or maybe... he wasn't expecting Uchiha Kiyo to critique his jutsu mid-battle.
While Uchiha Kiyo evaded, the enemy advanced with a blade in hand, closing the distance for a melee confrontation.
"…Seriously? Is Danzo an idiot?"
"Does he not know my specialty is taijutsu?"
Without hesitation, Uchiha Kiyo pulled out a kunai and met his opponent head-on.
At fifteen, he was still growing rapidly. His constant physical training had strengthened his body to an absurd degree.
Even compared to elite Jōnin like Might Guy, Uchiha Kiyo's raw physical strength was formidable.
The only major difference between them lay in technical skill and the Eight Gates Technique.
Might Guy had honed his taijutsu to perfection, while Uchiha Kiyo still relied more on brute force.
But that didn't matter.
His kunai, reinforced to withstand his strength, clashed against the enemy's blade.
The Root Jōnin had been confident at first. After all, how strong could a fifteen-year-old possibly be?
That confidence shattered the moment their weapons connected.
A surge of power shot through the blade, forcing the enemy shinobi to stagger back several steps.
Uchiha Kiyo didn't give him time to recover.
He pressed forward aggressively, his kunai striking like lightning.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the battlefield.
With each strike, Uchiha Kiyo dominated the exchange, forcing his opponent onto the defensive.
The other two Root operatives, watching from a distance, quickly realized what Danzo had meant by "his strength is impressive."
But it was already too late.
Desperate, they called out to their ally.
"Earth Formation—!"
The tall shinobi understood immediately.
Using his legs, he twisted his body, absorbing a blow to his back, and attempted to retreat.
Uchiha Kiyo, however, had already anticipated the move.
Chakra burst from the soles of his feet as he accelerated forward.
"Ghkk—!"
A kunai pierced through his enemy's chest.
The Root Jōnin's eyes widened in disbelief.
He turned his head slightly, as if to glare at his teammates.
"Why… didn't you warn me sooner…?"
As his consciousness faded, he realized his comrades had prioritized their own survival over his.
With a final shink, Uchiha Kiyo pulled out his kunai, letting the lifeless body collapse onto the ground.
The remaining two Root operatives immediately launched their prepared attacks.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
The combined fire and wind jutsu surged forward, engulfing Uchiha Kiyo in a massive inferno.
For a moment, silence filled the battlefield.
But then, a voice—calm and unbothered—came from behind them.
"Danzo sent three Jōnin just for me... I wonder how many more he has left?"
Before they could react, everything went black.
Two heads fell to the ground.
Uchiha Kiyo sheathed his kunai, surveying the battlefield.
"The Body Flicker Technique is useful—especially when no one expects it."
With the area secure, he began cleaning up the scene.
"I should avoid using it too frequently… otherwise, my enemies might start preparing countermeasures."
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