A Way Out of a Dead End!

Almost every member of the Anbu had other people's blood on their hands, and Danzo's Root was even more so.

Ordinary ninja could hardly withstand the killing intent the Root Anbu unleashed without restraint, much less Kurenai and Shizune, who had yet to graduate from the Ninja Academy.

They clenched their teeth, barely managing to quell their trembling by biting their lips until the pain stung.

The two Root Anbu approached, their faces expressionless.

"Whoosh, whoosh!" Shizune hurled the Senbon in her hand at them!

"Clink, clink, clink!" The one in front easily knocked the Senbon aside with a Kunai in one hand.

The other formed Hand Seals behind him, then vanished.

Body Flicker Technique!

Kurenai hurriedly raised her Kunai.

"Pssh!"

The enemy's blade pierced Kurenai's body, but-

"Genjutsu: Mirage Technique!"

The pierced illusion vanished, and Kurenai herself appeared behind the enemy, then-

Her body flew into the air.

"Earth Release: Rising Rock!"

A sharp rock jutted out of the ground and sent Kurenai's frail body flying in an instant.

"Kurenai!" Shizune cried out in alarm. The next second, another Root Anbu swept her to the ground with a Konoha Whirlwind.

"Cough, cough!" Neither girl could get back up.

Reality was that cruel. No matter how determined Kurenai and Shizune were, they faced the Root Anbu, and a vast, insurmountable gulf lay between the two sides.

"Stay down and behave," a Root Anbu said indifferently. The girls' persistence left them completely unmoved.

One of the Root Anbu passed the two girls and walked up to Shunren, about to reach out and grab him.

But just then, Shunren, who had been lying unconscious on the ground, sprang up. The blood covering his face made him look exceptionally fierce.

"Yin Release: Projection!"

Blade in hand, he slashed fiercely at the enemy before him.

Caught off guard, his opponent had no choice but to raise an arm to block.

"Pssh!" An arm was sliced clean off and sent flying!

"Damn it!!" Shunren had endured and lain in wait, all so he could use the last bit of strength he had left to land a fatal blow. He had not expected the enemy to decisively sacrifice an arm and retreat at once.

Shunren was about to lunge forward in pursuit, but after taking only two steps, he felt his legs grow as heavy as lead. His body swayed, and his steps were so unsteady that he could barely stand.

"Whoosh!" The other Root Anbu immediately charged in and slammed him to the ground with a flying shoulder strike.

"Crack!" Unable to be maintained, the sword in his hand turned to smoke and dust and dissipated. This time, Shunren was not enduring and lying in wait; he truly could not move even a finger!

The Root Anbu who had lost an arm went limp and sank into a crouch. He tore his clothes to bandage himself. He showed no anger at Shunren's sneak attack, merely saying in a slightly low voice, "I miscalculated. I didn't expect him to be able to counterattack in such a weakened state. His mental fortitude is tougher than I imagined!"

"He certainly is an excellent prospect, and also extremely dangerous." With his companion's crippling by a sneak attack as a warning, the last uninjured Root Anbu did not approach Shunren recklessly. He took four Kunai from his pocket and said coldly, "I'll cut the tendons in all four of your limbs first, then take you back to Lord Danzo."

Shunren's expression turned utterly grim. He tried to struggle to his feet, but it was futile. As he was now, never mind moving his body, he could not even shout a word. His physical strength was truly exhausted!

His opponent watched him for quite a while before saying with certainty, "It looks like you're not pretending you can't move this time. Still, to be safe, I won't approach you recklessly."

The Root Anbu held a Kunai and made a throwing motion.

"Swish!"

"Clink!" As the Kunai flew,

a Senbon struck it, barely knocking it off course. "Rip!" The side of the Kunai's blade grazed Shunren's arm, leaving a bloody line.

"Sorry, Shunren." Shizune gritted her teeth. She was skilled with throwing weapons, but her strength was limited. Even though she had hit the Kunai, she could not knock it down completely. Shizune wanted to stand and fight, but the earlier kick had sprained her legs, leaving her completely unable to move.

The Root Anbu glanced at her, then abruptly threw a Kunai at her.

Shizune grabbed her backpack, which she used to carry medicine, and held it up as a shield.

"Ugh!" She grunted as the Kunai pierced the bamboo-basket backpack, its tip stabbing into her wrist. At the same time, the force knocked her petite body to the ground. Once down, however, she could not get back up.

Her opponent picked up another Kunai.

"Hyah!" Behind him, Kurenai came stumbling toward the enemy, Kunai in hand.

"Smack!" He first knocked the Kunai away, then threw a punch.

The heavy punch struck her squarely in the abdomen, and Kurenai closed her eyes in unwillingness.

"I was already holding back," the Root Anbu said mildly, stating an even crueler fact.

The Root Anbu's mission was to kill students with no potential worth developing and low-skilled Chunin teachers, while sparing the outstanding students who passed the practical combat test. Shunren and the others had evidently passed the assessment as well.

It was precisely because of this that the Root Anbu had been constrained in dealing with Shunren and the others. Otherwise, even without using Ninjutsu, casually throwing a few Explosive Tags would have been enough to leave them dead without a burial place.

The Root Anbu ninja had their personalities and emotions erased. They were indifferent to the lives of their companions and even their own; in their eyes, there was only the mission. Shunren's Zangetsu had killed four of their companions in one stroke, and he had even cut off one man's arm in a sneak attack afterward. Yet even after all that, they felt no hatred toward Shunren, mechanically obeying the mission Danzo had given them.

How pitiful, how lamentable!

If he had to become like that, he would rather die!

Perhaps because he had resolved to die, Shunren mustered a surge of strength from who knew where and forced his body upright.

Projection!

It failed.

With neither Chakra nor the strength to raise his arms, Shunren grinned fiercely and opened his mouth, preparing to bite with his teeth!

The Root Anbu before him remained expressionless. But just then, he slowly lowered the Kunai he had raised and turned his gaze toward his companion whose arm had been cut off.

The man pressed the palm of his one remaining arm against the ground and said calmly, "Twelve. Judging by how they move, they should be Anbu under the Hokage's direct command. They also have a sensory ninja. Retreat immediately!"