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When Ye Dou deliberately suppressed his chakra output, even the Root ninja could feel the sudden drop in pressure.
"His attacks are weakening. His chakra is nearly depleted. Now's our chance—strike while he's down!"
One Root ninja barked coldly, his voice laced with cruelty, as if Ye Dou was already a corpse lying at their feet.
However, his bold words only served to unnerve the others. His loud declaration broke the usual silence of Root operations, and he didn't even make the first move—just stood frozen atop a tree branch.
The rest of the Root team exchanged wary glances. Not a single one acted. Instead, they gripped their weapons tighter, cautiously eyeing Ye Dou, ready to retreat at a moment's notice.
How many times had this happened?
Each time they tried to eliminate him, it was the same result—someone was counter-killed. They couldn't even leave a scratch on his skin.
What the hell is going on?
This night was utterly insane. They were elite Root operatives—trained in assassination, infiltration, and emotionless efficiency—and yet they were being slaughtered by a single man. His combat prowess was reminiscent of Konoha legends like the White Fang and the Yellow Flash.
Watching his subordinates freeze up, surround but not attack, Shimura Danzo could no longer suppress his fury. His voice boomed:
"Are you all just here to spectate? I gave you an order—kill him!"
Though reluctant, the Root operative named Aburame Takeru braced himself. Orders were absolute. He took a deep breath and lunged forward, chakra flaring.
Ye Dou, however, wasn't reckless. Knowing his chakra reserves were running low, he fought while retreating, baiting the Root ninja into a trap. Hidden shadow clones worked in tandem from the darkness, triggering the pre-set traps with flawless coordination.
At the same time, Ye Dou's sharp eyes tracked the battle unfolding across the battlefield.
Susanoo.
It was a towering green behemoth—Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan technique. Its defense was absolute, its offense devastating.
But the stronger the jutsu, the greater the chakra cost. And time was wearing on. Shisui had been maintaining the Susanoo for too long.
Indeed, Shisui was beginning to reach his limit.
Despite his considerable chakra pool, maintaining a fully-formed Susanoo was beyond even his endurance for extended periods.
But chakra exhaustion was only part of the problem.
The stinging pain in his eyes had worsened—a sign of overusing his Mangekyō Sharingan. If he pushed further, he risked complete blindness, or at the very least, temporary loss of his ocular power.
And he knew Danzo would never give him time to recover.
"Can't stall any longer. I have to get back to the clan—stop the Uchiha from escalating things with the village!"
His thoughts turned sharp. Susanoo, responding to his will, charged forward, brandishing its glowing war spear.
"MOVE!"
Danzo's face twisted as he jumped back in fear. The power of Susanoo wasn't something ordinary shinobi could withstand. It was like watching a titan swat at insects.
With a single swing, Susanoo's spear cleaved through the massive trees surrounding them, slicing them cleanly in half. The sheer wind pressure from the attack threatened to blow the ninjas off their feet.
If that had been a direct hit, they'd be nothing but bloodstains.
As Susanoo swept its spear again, Danzo's forces retreated frantically, anchoring themselves with chakra to trees and the ground to withstand the storm-like blast.
Before they could regroup, a glowing core formed in Susanoo's chest.
A split second later, dozens of green chakra arrows burst forth, shooting through the battlefield like a rain of death.
"Susanoo: Yasaka's Barrage!" Shisui shouted, abandoning restraint.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Crimson blood splattered across bark and soil. Screams tore through the forest as the piercing arrows devastated the ranks of Root shinobi.
With the brief window created, Shisui hurled smoke bombs and disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
He couldn't stay—not with chakra reserves so low, and not with Danzo and this unknown assassin still hunting him.
He still had unfinished business. He couldn't die here.
Unbeknownst to him, hidden in the treetops, one of Ye Dou's shadow clones silently recorded his escape route. The clone dispelled itself a moment later, sending the intel to Ye Dou.
On the other side of the battlefield—
Ye Dou, who had anticipated this moment, acted instantly. As the fog and smoke settled, he dismissed the remaining Root ninja. With a flick of his foot, he launched himself off the ground in pursuit of Uchiha Shisui.
Aburame Takeru and the others watched his retreating figure with relief. None dared follow.
Until—
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" Danzo's furious roar pierced the silence. "Pursue them! Use your sensor jutsu and track their chakra signatures! Report their position!"
Tonight had been a disaster. The losses were staggering. Danzo's face darkened, his heart burning. He had invested far too much. He couldn't return empty-handed.
Meanwhile—
Ye Dou caught sight of Shisui's fleeing figure and activated the seal on both hands.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Puffs of smoke erupted. Shuriken appeared in his palms. Without hesitation, he hurled them at Shisui's silhouette.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"So fast!" Shisui narrowed his eyes.
He'd always known Ye Dou wasn't an ally. But he hadn't expected the man to close the distance this quickly.
Instinct taking over, Shisui drew kunai with one hand while his bleeding Sharingan locked onto the incoming projectiles. He weaved between them, deflecting those he couldn't avoid.
By the time the last shuriken clattered to the ground, Ye Dou was already in front of him—sword in hand, slashing without mercy.
"You're not getting away. Those eyes—hand them over!"
Shisui's patience snapped.
"You want my eyes? Then come and take them—Susanoo!!"
It was ironic. These eyes had always been his burden, and now, even his enemies sought to take them from him.
But if he was going to fall, he'd make sure they'd have to pry them from his corpse.
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