They didn't dare to be careless in the slightest. Without their usual numbers or reinforcements, their top priority was the safety of Lord Danzo. Not a single one of them could afford to slack off.
They were exposed in the open, while the assassin moved in the shadows—a situation that put them at a severe disadvantage.
Worse yet, the strength of the attacker was clearly far from ordinary.
Not only did the enemy possess an exceptional ability to conceal their presence,
But they had also taken down a highly capable jonin-level ninja in an instant. That alone was enough to shake even the most elite of Root operatives.
Meanwhile, Tian Yu—
Had once again used his concealment mask to suppress his presence to the absolute limit.
He now crouched silently in a concealed position not far from the Root team, observing the situation carefully without making any rash moves.
His earlier lightning-fast ambush strike—
Had already achieved the exact result he'd been aiming for.
Shimura Danzo was now fully engulfed in fear and suspicion!
Mission accomplished.
Tian Yu calmly calculated his next move.
While his current strength was formidable—especially in terms of taijutsu—
He could comfortably exchange several blows with even upper-jonin-level opponents.
In the case of a premeditated sneak attack, killing a jonin like the one just now posed no real difficulty.
But after such a strike—
Danzo's remaining guards had become hyper-vigilant, and Tian Yu knew he wouldn't get a second chance so easily.
At present, his greatest advantage—
Lay in the concealment mask's ability to completely suppress his chakra and presence.
Direct confrontation would be unwise.
As an assassin, his job now was to maintain constant pressure and keep Danzo's paranoia escalating.
If he could just keep Danzo from attending to the Uchiha matter, that alone would be a victory.
The Tian Yu currently present—
Was merely a shadow clone.
His goal was to strike intermittently and apply enough psychological pressure on Danzo to paralyze him with anxiety.
Meanwhile, his real body—wearing a second concealment mask—had already made his way toward the Uchiha clan compound…
Stealth Mask Abilities:
1. Completely mimics another person's appearance for 3 minutes.
2. Fully conceals the user's chakra and presence for up to 10 minutes.
Limitations:
Cooldown time: 1 minute (During cooldown, the user cannot switch masks or reapply the ability.)
If Tian Yu simply suppressed his presence and tried to steal the Sharingan by stashing them into his Acceptance Ring while invisible, the Root ninjas would instantly sense the anomaly. His identity would be exposed immediately.
These Root ninjas were not only stronger than average jonin—they were hand-picked by Danzo and trained in paranoia and ambush countermeasures. Even with the mask, a slip-up would be fatal.
Thus, there was only one feasible path to obtaining the Sharingan—
Disguise himself as Shimura Danzo and take them right under their noses.
But that meant—
He had less than three minutes to pull it off.
…
Uchiha Clan Compound—
"Lord Danzo, what brings you here?"
The voice came from a Root captain stationed nearby, who immediately approached with the utmost respect.
"I'm here to check on your progress," Tian Yu replied, calm and composed, perfectly mimicking Danzo's cadence and tone.
The Root captain responded promptly:
"Lord Danzo, we've collected almost all the corpses of the Uchiha clan members who bore Sharingan. They're gathered in one place."
"However, the body of Uchiha Fugaku—the clan head—has yet to be located."
"Oh?" Tian Yu narrowed his eyes. "Then why haven't you found it yet? I want every last Sharingan from the Uchiha clan secured."
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
"Where are the collected Sharingan now? Take me to them."
Under the effect of the concealment mask, Tian Yu's transformation into Shimura Danzo was flawless in appearance—
Even a Kage-level ninja would be unable to see through the illusion within the three-minute time limit.
But mimicking chakra and habits was another matter—
He could imitate Danzo's aura only to a limited extent, not his distinct behavioral patterns.
The Root captain's expression briefly tightened.
Something felt… off.
But he couldn't quite place what.
Glancing around, he realized that Danzo had arrived alone. With furrowed brows, he asked hesitantly:
"Sir, where are your guards?"
Tian Yu's expression remained unchanged. His voice turned icy:
"Since when do I have to report my every move to you?"
"N-No, sir. I meant no disrespect," the Root captain immediately lowered his head.
Tian Yu continued coldly, "Hmph. You forget your place. I've sealed every one of you with the Curse of the Tongue just to prevent questions like this. Speak again out of turn, and you'll regret it."
That did it.
The Root captain's suspicion immediately dissolved.
Only Danzo knew about the Curse of the Tongue Seal—a secret security measure he applied to all Root members.
To even mention it confirmed Danzo's identity beyond doubt.
'What's wrong with me today… doubting Lord Danzo?' he scolded himself silently, feeling a cold sweat run down his back.
He quickly bowed, "Yes, Danzo-sama! I'll take you to the collection site right away."