"How is this possible? Isn't he just a useless Chunin? How could he awaken the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan?!" Torune Aburame's expression changed dramatically.
He and Fū Yamanaka, as Danzo's close confidants, were the highest-ranking operatives in Root.
Of course, they knew a thing or two about the Uchiha clan's secrets.
There was only one explanation for the Sharingan before them, one that defied all logic.
"Fū!" Torune Aburame and Fū Yamanaka exchanged a look.
"Do it!"
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
Fū Yamanaka was the first to attack, her hands pressing against the air, directly activating the secret technique of the Yamanaka clan.
At the same time, Torune Aburame's mouth moved, and he spat out a cloud of black mist.
"Secret Technique - Poison Dust Technique!"
The sudden attack shocked everyone.
Shizune's face changed, and she shouted urgently, "Kai, be careful! That black mist is filled with nano-sized poison insects. If you inhale them, you'll die for sure!"
"Don't worry!" Kai raised his head abruptly, his nine-tomoe Rinnegan spinning wildly.
The chakra surrounding him, filled with an aura of disaster, suddenly surged back towards him like a tidal wave.
"Kid, you're overconfident. As long as the poison dust gets within a meter of you..." Torune Aburame's smile faltered.
The poison dust, blowing towards Kai, was stopped three feet away by an invisible crimson aura.
In the next moment, the swirling chakra in the air transformed into a terrifying skeleton.
The already cramped cave was completely filled with it.
A pair of eyes, burning with crimson flames, emanated a captivating aura.
Pshh!
The poison insects, rushing towards Kai, were instantly engulfed in flames.
They turned to ash and scattered on the ground.
Susanoo activated without hesitation!
Looking at the horrifying skeleton, its blood-red energy ribs, and the flames dancing in its sunken eye sockets, sent chills down everyone's spines.
"How is this possible? You were supposed to be under Fū's control!" Torune Aburame's expression changed drastically.
Not only was he shocked by Kai's Susanoo, but he also had no idea how their unbeatable combination attack had been broken.
"Heh, did you forget? Our Uchiha clan excels not only in Fire Release but also in Genjutsu," Kai sneered.
"What?!" Torune Aburame's expression changed dramatically. He tried to move, but discovered that his entire body was bound by an invisible chain.
"I, I can't move. When did you cast Genjutsu on me?!"
"What's wrong? Just now you're afraid?," Kai sneered, "Too late!"
Roar!
Susanoo roared, its bony right hand striking out like lightning towards the two of them.
"No!"
"If you want me dead, then you die too!"
Torune Aburame's face contorted. Unlike Fū, his body was bound, but he could still give orders to his parasitic insects.
"Secret Technique - Insect Explosion Technique!"
The poison insects covering his body instantly stirred. Torune Aburame's body quickly swelled with numerous bumps.
Boom!
The insects exploded instantly, sending a powerful shockwave rippling through the air. The emerald green poison gas dispersed with the wind.
"Everyone, be careful! Don't inhale the poison!" Shizune cried out.
But soon, they found themselves spinning in circles. When they regained their senses, they were still inside the cave.
Only this time, there was no trace of the battle or the insect explosion.
They quickly looked towards Kai, only to find Torune Aburame and Fū Yamanaka kneeling on the ground, laughing foolishly.
Their strange appearance clearly showed that they were still trapped in genjutsu.
"This… This is some kind of genjutsu. It instantly controlled the minds of all of us. The battle just now was all an illusion."
"Two Jonin were unknowingly pulled into a genjutsu, and they still can't break free. This is terrifying..."
A sharp-eyed ninja instantly saw what was happening.
However, seeing Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame laughing like fools, they felt a chill run down their spines.
They knew that if Kai had been in a bad mood, he could have easily killed them all.
It wouldn't have been a problem! They were on the battlefield, and they were prepared to die.
But to die in such a way, where they didn't even know how they died, was unacceptable!
"Alright, those who kill shall be killed. They wanted to kill me, so I killed them. That's only fair, right?" Kai said, as if he had just done something insignificant, and surveyed the scene with a critical eye.
He then walked slowly towards Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame.
"Yes, Kai is right. Root's people are too cold-blooded. They dared to attack their comrades. Even if word gets back to Konohagakure, they won't escape punishment."
"It's better to deal with them than to let them stay in the team, like a fishbone stuck in your throat!"
"Torune Aburame and Fū Yamanaka are no longer trusted by the team. We're leaderless. Kai, you're incredibly strong. We beg you to lead us."
The ninjas in the cave all echoed in agreement.
Kai couldn't help but smile.
There was no shortage of fence-sitters anywhere.
But the only thing that satisfied him was that these people never suggested abandoning their teammates or attacking him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have minded taking them out as well.
"Kai, you can't kill them!" Shizune suddenly pleaded, "Danzo holds a grudge. If you kill Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame, you'll definitely be branded a rogue ninja."
"I don't want anything to happen to you..."
As soon as these words were spoken, many people in the cave's expressions changed.
They had heard rumors about Root's methods.
However, Danzo's status was undeniable, and many people dared not speak out, although they were angry.
Besides, Danzo's hostility towards the Uchiha clan was clear to all.
"You don't want anything to happen to me?" Kai smiled and looked at Shizune.
Shizune froze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and finally nodded with gritted teeth, "I don't want anything to happen to anyone."
"So that's it. Looks like I misjudged the situation." Kai chuckled, "Since you've spoken, Shizune, I'll let them live for now. But they can't escape punishment. Let's lock them up for now."
"Everyone has put their faith in me, so I won't refuse. We'll rest here for three days, and then we'll take the initiative to attack in three days." Kai looked at Shizune and said, "In my eyes, comrades are never abandoned."
"Unless you step over my corpse!"
"Someone, take them away."
His calm words sent a shockwave through everyone in the cave.
In their eyes, Kai had always been a shy and timid person.
But now, everything they saw completely shattered that image.
Whether it was using genjutsu to instantly defeat Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame, or taking the initiative to attack now.
In their eyes, Kai was always standing up for his comrades.
This gave them, as his comrades, a sense of inexplicable security.
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