Heaven Without Uchiha

"D... dead!!"

At the valley exit, the pupils of the two Root Organization members contracted sharply. Their faces were wooden as they watched the bodies of their two captains fall from the cliff, split into four pieces.

They had imagined the consequences of failure.

But they had never imagined this.

The battle would end in such a manner, with the opponent using only two sword strikes...

Clatter--

Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune's bodies fell to the valley floor. Because ninja physiques possessed a certain degree of resilience, the corpses were not smashed to pieces.

After Aburame Torune died, his corpse's surface was covered by deep-purple venomous insects.

Tiny particles danced in the air, difficult to detect with the naked eye. They were nano-scale venomous insects that, after gathering in swarms, gradually contaminated the air.

If Aburame Torune's corpse were left to rot in this area, it would take only a few minutes for the insects to spread and turn this place into barren land.

Ingetsu's expression remained calm as he looked down at the two sections of the corpse, black with a purplish tinge beneath the firelight.

At the same time, he condensed the Earth and Water Attribute Chakra within his body and injected it into the ground beneath his feet, gathering the Natural Energy of the nearby plants into the roots of the nearest large tree.

Whoosh--

The sound of earth breaking rang out. Gnarled roots curved and crawled through the darkness like agile snakes.

Ingetsu controlled the tree roots, making them coil around a sealing scroll and contain Aburame Torune's two body segments.

This elite ninja of the Aburame Clan should have been used on the battlefield, not in this kind of ambush.

Even after Aburame Torune's death, his corpse still possessed tremendous value.

The sealing was complete.

The roots receded.

Ingetsu casually absorbed the scroll containing Aburame Torune's corpse into his Storage Space.

He glanced at the hundred-cubic-meter space.

He unexpectedly discovered something.

Chiriku and Asuma's corpses had been preserved perfectly, without the slightest sign of decay.

This showed that the Storage Space possessed extremely powerful functions, such as freshness preservation... and anti-corrosion.

Ingetsu rose and shook Black Sword Dark Moon in his hand, releasing Wind Release Chakra to scatter the nano-scale venomous insects in the air that were trying to attach themselves to and approach him.

He stepped over Yamanaka Fu's corpse and walked toward the two Root Organization members at the valley exit.

"Damn it!!!"

After their shock, the two Root Organization members showed no unnecessary emotion. They calmly faced everything, gripped the Tachi in their hands, and charged fiercely at Uchiha Ingetsu.

Near the caravan wagons.

The Great Elder of the Tsuchigumo Clan and Hotaru watched helplessly as Ingetsu walked past them.

The two of them looked ashen.

The other caravan members imitated Zong Quan's earlier actions, clasping their hands over their heads and crouching beside the wagons.

They had questioned Zong Quan earlier, understood him just now, and had now become him.

That was Uchiha Ingetsu!

Leaf Village's newly appointed S-Rank Missing-nin.

The caravan members had never expected that the people who had hijacked them on the plains would be the figures who dared to assassinate Leaf Village's higher-ups and slaughter civilians, the focus of the entire Ninja World in recent days!

This Uchiha renegade squad was indeed in Katsuragi Mountain, just as the rumors claimed.

Ingetsu calmly faced the charging Root members.

Hotaru's brows drew tightly together. Her pretty face was deathly pale, and her breathing had stopped. When Ingetsu passed by her, all she could hear beside her ears was the sound of her own heartbeat.

She had never imagined it.

The face beneath the hood of the black-clothed man who had previously sat across from her would perfectly overlap with the handsome, flawless young man in the S-Rank Missing-nin wanted poster.

The cliffs on both sides of the valley.

The battle between the Uchiha and the Root Organization had ended.

Earlier.

After Tamao, Nanfeng, and Izumi led the others up the cliffs, they were shocked to discover that, besides the Root Organization members, a large number of ninjas were also lying in wait there.

However, the battle was still completely one-sided.

This battle made Kurenai Yuhi and Nonō reevaluate the strength of this Uchiha group.

Every member possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

After being tempered by sorrow during their flight, their Eye Power had increased to the greatest extent, and their combat strength far exceeded that of ordinary elite jonin.

Tamao and the others charged into the ninjas from the Root Organization. Like fierce tigers among sheep, they swiftly brought the battle to an end.

At the rear of the group.

Uchiha Mikoto's brows were faintly furrowed, and gloom showed on her gentle, beautiful face. She squeezed the bloodstained kunai in her hand to ease the emotions in her heart.

Mikoto followed at the rear of the group. She had originally intended to fight to the death against these Root Organization members and unidentified ninjas, burning away her own life.

Before dying, she wanted to eliminate more enemies for these younger clansmen. But after this brief confrontation...

She had killed only one ninja, while the others had been easily cut down by Tamao and the rest as if chopping vegetables.

Mikoto looked at the devastated cliff and fell into deep thought. Ever since her last battle with White Zetsu, she had decided to sacrifice herself for these clansmen.

A sinner like her, who had brought shame upon the clan.

Had no right to live.

As the group drew closer and closer to the chaotic territory where the small countries of the Ninja World clustered together, it meant that the Uchiha group's flight was about to end.

Mikoto's chances to use battle to conceal her intentions from Ingetsu and sacrifice herself for the clan were also becoming fewer and fewer.

"I'll look for another opportunity next time... If all else fails, I'll wait until the clansmen are safe and do it myself."

Mikoto's gaze gradually softened. She tightly gripped the kunai Ingetsu had given her and had no intention of returning it.

After escorting these clansmen to safety in their defection.

Once she completed her journey of atonement, she could use this kunai to take her own life.

Bang--bang--bang--

One corpse after another rolled down from the cliff. Dull sounds successively rang out in the valley, announcing the end of the battle.

In the valley.

All the members of the Tsuchigumo caravan, including the Great Elder and Hotaru, wore grim expressions as they heard the corpses crash heavily to the ground. Those sounds seemed to pull at the rhythm of their hearts.

Everyone stared in unison at Zong Quan's back ahead of them.

Only then did they understand.

How shrewd Zong Quan had been earlier. When he had straightforwardly clasped his hands over his head and crouched on the plains, it had actually contained such great wisdom.

Being brave enough to surrender... now that they thought about it, this was indeed another form of courage!

If they had reported this Uchiha renegade squad just now, they would probably have gone to be reincarnated alongside those three foolish guards.

"I was wrong. I misunderstood that boy!" The Great Elder of the Tsuchigumo Clan stared at Zong Quan's back, sighing inwardly as his guilt reached its peak.

Zong Quan watched the corpses continuously fall from the cliff into the valley, his face pale. He sincerely sighed:

"These people died so horribly. May heaven be free of Uchiha!"

As he thought this, Zong Quan looked toward the valley exit and was astonished to discover that, in the blink of an eye, Ingetsu had already effortlessly slain the tall ANBU ninja who had kicked him earlier.

Zong Quan suddenly felt much more at ease.

Another ANBU ninja had been pinned to the wall by Ingetsu's Black Sword. His mask had been removed, and he spat blood, like a fish pinned to a chopping board awaiting slaughter.

Swish--

The Uchiha returned to the group and came to Ingetsu's side, taking up defensive positions.

"Big brother, your guess was spot-on. Besides a few Root Organization members, around thirty unidentified ninjas were also hiding on the cliffs."

Tamao's baby face was smeared with blood as he grinned, revealing a bright, sunny smile.

"Did you eliminate them all?"

Ingetsu asked calmly.

Meanwhile.

He pulled his Black Sword from the Root Organization member dressed as an ANBU. The imprint of Yachihoko had already appeared in the other man's pupils.

"Yeah, not a single one left!"

Tamao said excitedly.

Ingetsu nodded and stared directly at the Root Organization member leaning against the cliff wall, thinking, Not a single one left, but the mission reward still hasn't arrived...

"You also set up ambushes on the other two mountain paths?" Ingetsu asked coldly.

As he spoke, the Yachihoko imprint in the remaining Root Organization member's pupils flashed with red light. Unable to control himself, he revealed the truth:

"Yes. On the mountain paths to the left and right, two of our Root Organization members are lying in wait. Each of them has brought twenty hired ninjas from other villages and bounty hunters."

Ingetsu continued asking, "Are there any other pursuit teams from Leaf Village nearby?"

"I don't know."

Yachihoko could control the mind, but it could not read it. However, by manipulating the spirit, it could make the controlled person reveal the truth.

Ingetsu did not look at the other man again.

He slowly turned around.

The next instant, a muffled sound like an exploding heart came from the Root Organization member's chest. The red light in his pupils dimmed and vanished, and he lost all signs of life.

The Uchiha frowned deeply.

They all looked at Izumi, who was shrinking bashfully among them, and could not help recalling what she had said:

"I... I think all three paths are passable!"