Falling Star Flash!

As Chakra surged.

Suspended in midair, Uchiha Hikari began to emanate a Dark Red Aura. The Aura rapidly linked and shifted, forming rings of dense bones, meridians, and flesh.

That Dark Red greatsword also appeared in midair, gripped firmly by Susanoo's massive hand.

Compared to its other forms, Susanoo's third form was not the most stable, but it was the most powerful form while still ensuring sufficient endurance. Against a scheming old bastard like Danzo, she naturally had to go all out, like a lion hunting a rabbit.

Then...

Uchiha Hikari took a deep breath and raised her greatsword, its tip pointing downward.

During her time training at Korin Tower, she had not activated Susanoo again. However, she had repeatedly envisioned techniques in her mind that could complement this body.

And the move she was about to use now was one she had conceived back then. Its name was...

"Falling! Star! Flash!!"

At that moment!

Uchiha Hikari mobilized all the "qi" and Chakra within her body, turning them into thrust directed diagonally backward. Her entire body, along with the Susanoo enveloping her, plummeted at high speed from a hundred meters in the air toward the Root Base below!

Her speed was so great that her body tore through the air, producing a blinding trail of sparks. In an instant, those sparks ignited into crimson flames of light, wrapping around Susanoo!

Like a falling meteor!

The next moment...

BOOM—!!!!

First, the Dark Red greatsword plunged into the ground like a hot knife through butter!

Then the entire blazing Susanoo, carrying the shriek of torn air, slammed into the ceiling of the Root Base!

In an instant, the impact force of hundreds of tons erupted. Massive cracks spread frantically from the point where the sword tip struck, slithering outward like serpents!

The entire ceiling shook. A huge hole formed within seconds, followed by large chunks of rock collapsing inward. Violent winds swept flames through the area, uprooting shrubs within dozens of meters and hurling them far away!!

Rumble...

Terrifying shockwaves spread in every direction.

The flames roiled!

Aboveground, the affected area was still fairly limited. Only swathes of trees had been knocked down, igniting into a sea of fire beneath the wash of crimson flames.

Underground, however, the upheaval spread through the excavated caverns in all directions. Cracks began to appear along the pillars of the Root Base, stones of every size fell like rain, dust and rubble filled the air, and countless clamorous sounds merged together. The entire underground complex looked ready to collapse at any moment.

"W-what happened?!"

"That disturbance... could it be the Nine-Tails..."

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Inside the Root Base.

Several Root members who had heard the commotion rushed out. Looking upward in terror, they saw a towering Dark Red figure, as massive as a high-rise building, slowly descending through the shattered ceiling as though a god of legend had descended into the world.

After that violent impact, Susanoo's body had become somewhat damaged. Many parts were even beginning to dissipate, but the skeleton within remained intact, revealing another figure wrapped inside it.

It was a long-haired girl dressed in black.

Her skin was fair and her features delicate, but her eyes were crimson like flames, radiating a magnificent color that seemed to burn fiercely!

"That is..."

"Sharingan!!"

After a moment of hesitation, the Root ninja chose to attack.

But just then, the nearly dissipated Dark Red body became solid once more. Its battered form was restored by Chakra, and its armored arms crossed over one another, sheltering the black-haired girl within. Every kunai, shuriken, blade, and sword was blocked, unable to harm the girl in the slightest.

"Heh."

Uchiha Hikari folded her arms within Susanoo, several Root members reflected in her eyes.

"I'll give you a chance to live. Go call out Shimura Danzō."

"...You think you can see our lord whenever you please?!"

"This is the Root Base, not a place where you can run wild! Leave at once!"

One Root ninja who seemed to hold a higher rank shouted angrily.

His face was hidden behind a mask, but the fear in his heart was still evident from the hand clutching a kunai, trembling slightly.

Uchiha Hikari let out a leisurely sigh.

"Since you don't want to live, I suppose I'll have to send you to your deaths."

"Fire Release... Great Fire Annihilation!!"

She exhaled a stream of fire.

Then it transformed into towering flames!

Compared to the batch of Root members who had tried to assassinate her in the forest last time, the few stationed inside the base were all rather weak. One froze in place, while two others tried to use Water Release ninjutsu to block the attack. But in the next second, they were swallowed by flames. Before they could even scream, they were burned into charred bones.

Then Uchiha Hikari casually raised a hand and swung it. Controlling Susanoo's arm, she smashed a Root member trying to flee against the wall, reducing him to a pile of mush.

"Looks like I'll have to find him myself."

Uchiha Hikari glanced at the maze of corridors and hidden passages around her, frowned, formed hand seals, and created Shadow Clones.

With a puff of smoke, seven or eight "Uchiha Hikaris" appeared on the spot, then quickly scattered in every direction.

Meanwhile, her real body slowly advanced straight ahead within Susanoo's protection.

During this time, several more Root ninja burst out of rooms and fought the clones.

Unlike ordinary clones, Shadow Clones had physical substance. Aside from having their Chakra divided, all their other abilities were replicas of the original body.

That meant...

Uchiha Hikari's Shadow Clones possessed the same powerful regenerative ability as she did, and they also contained "qi." As long as they were not killed in a single blow, they could continue fighting. The remaining people in the Root Base were basically only at Chūnin level, perhaps not even officially part of Root, so they were knocked down with just a few punches and kicks.

During this process, the doors of several laboratories were also smashed open, revealing the bottles and jars inside, human subjects immersed in pale green liquid, and large amounts of experimental materials.

Soon.

The Shadow Clone that had ventured deepest into the base was destroyed, sending back the memories it had seen before its "death."

"Found you at last... Danzo!"

Uchiha Hikari narrowed her eyes, immediately dispelled all her clones, and charged forward at full speed in Susanoo form!

Along the way, she smashed through three or four walls in succession. Amid swirling smoke and dust, she arrived at the corridor where that Shadow Clone had vanished. Almost at the same moment she burst through the wall, several voices rang out from the far end of the corridor—

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

"Wind Release: Thousand Faced Wind!"

"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"