Launch the Surprise Attack

"This is it!"

Silently landing on a tree branch like a cat, the weasel looked ahead at the park Hanzō in the forest.

"... Genjutsu barrier?"

The Sharingan with its Mitsudomoe swirled, and the park, which had been a normal sight just moments before, suddenly distorted and changed. Passersby vanished like Utakata, and the tall trees transformed into pale blue walls of light, obscuring his view and preventing him from seeing the details inside.

"Genjutsu! What a headache!"

"Look there!"

One of the sharp-eyed subordinates pointed to the bushes on the outskirts of the park, where a human-shaped outline could be faintly seen from a high vantage point.

"... There's no smell of blood," someone said.

"They're Police Force patrol officers..." someone else said.

The Root has absorbed the elites from various families in the village, making it a place teeming with talent. The group that Itachi brought out also had their own strengths and were not ordinary combat personnel.

"... The Chakra very chaotic; it must be Genjutsu. Deputy Chief, what should we do?"

At that moment, I felt a slight vibration under my feet.

"An earthquake?"

"Ah! Impossible, there's no such thing as a light earthquake... It's more like... than an earthquake..."

"It looks like someone is fighting, shaking the earth... Looks like we've struck gold, the true form has been discovered."

Itachi took over the conversation, staring intently at the barrier in front of him.

He was doing his best to analyze and identify the barrier in front of him; with his powerful eyes, he could see all the changes in the barrier.

Rushing into a barrier is a foolish move. We don't even know what type of barrier it is. What if it's a barrier with the power to retaliate? Touching it carelessly could lead to trouble, and it wouldn't be surprising if it took your life.

"... The barrier should be fine; it's probably the type that's inward-facing only. Also, note that this is a double barrier. There's a Genjutsu barrier on the outside, and it's this thing that's deceiving the senses of the people around. Don't approach rashly. Wait until I dispel the barrier before you follow."

"Yes, Deputy Chief."

"Oh, right, remember to control the situation and don't let anyone unrelated get close, especially after the Genjutsu barrier is broken. There will probably be quite a few curious guys coming over, so send them all back then."

"Learn."

After giving his instructions, Itachi pinched his brow; the slight tingling sensation made his mind even clearer.

He leaped onto the road and walked step by step along the winding bluestone steps toward the park.

His scarlet eyes gleamed with an eerie light, his pupil power reaching its peak. The black Tomoe swam nimbly like fish, and his pupil power gradually penetrated the barrier with his gaze, attacking it in a brutal and crushing manner.

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and the outermost Genjutsu barrier was broken.

The illusion in the park vanished instantly, and a pale blue cuboid abruptly appeared in the forest.

"Good heavens, such a large barrier! The caster must be no ordinary person. Everyone be careful and be ready to support the Deputy Chief at any time."

"You don't need to tell me. By the way, should we wake up those idiots who are under the Genjutsu?"

Suddenly someone asked.

"Forget it! I don't want to be dragged down; it could kill someone."

"Wow! You're still as mean as ever!"

The group of skilled fighters at the Root were whispering and rambling, but they all had their ears perked up, their eyes wide, and their noses twitching behind their masks. They were ready for battle.

"Hey, seriously?! We were found out so quickly?"

"... That's normal! After all, it's their territory, and that damned natural disaster has incredibly sharp senses; it probably discovered some loophole!"

At the edge of the barrier, two White Zetsu horses, only their heads peeking out, hid in the grass, watching Itachi's every move.

They watched as the weasel steadily made its way up the gravel path in the park.

"What do we do next? The Genjutsu barrier has been broken. The Sharingan is terrifying. The next barrier won't be able to defend against it. Should we set up a new barrier?"

One of the White Zetsu asked its companion.

"Set up a barrier? What a load of rubbish! What time is it? What's the point of setting up a barrier? These are just Uchiha brats coming. Aren't you going to get out of here and wait to die? The calamity is coming soon. We might as well die, but... I want to taste that fried meat pie again before I die!"

"Hey, hey, this is so embarrassing..."

White Zetsu, standing next to him, twitched his eye.

"...Forget it, let's go! Let's find that idiot Scorpion. I really don't understand why we had to take that useless piece of trash with us. He can't even handle a kid. What good will he do if we bring him back?"

"Ha! We're just following orders, so shut your mouths and get to work! Maybe then we'll get another fried meat patty... By the way, we don't need to eat, right?"

He asked, puzzled.

"I like the taste, is there a problem?"

"That's not a problem, the key is we don't even have excretory organs, you'd just throw it up if you ate it..."

The air fell silent instantly, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.

"Um... sorry, I said something unnecessary."

It was White Zetsu had spoken earlier, who apologized first, and the topic suddenly shifted to such a heavy-handed manner for some reason.

"Hmm, it's fine, people will find out sooner or later anyway."

A gentle breeze blew, causing the bushes to rustle and slightly dissipating the awkward atmosphere.

"Let's hurry and go find Scorpion."

"Good!"

The two White Zetsu were about to leave in a hurry.

Just then, a soft murmur reached my ears.

"Don't be in such a hurry to leave, gentlemen. Now that you're in Konoha, why don't you make the most of your time as guests?"

Suddenly, the bushes and ground in front of the White Zetsu twisted and turned into a hazy blood-red color, making it impossible to distinguish up from down from left from right, with only a pervasive blood-red light.

His body was stuck in the blood-red mud, unable to move, and right before their eyes, his hands were handcuffed with crimson shackles.

"Genjutsu!"

Without a second thought, it was immediately clear that they were under Genjutsu.

"Untie!!"

The White Zetsu instinctively tried to break the Genjutsu, but after several attempts, the crimson world before them remained unchanged, and the blinding crimson light tinged their pale bodies with a reddish hue.

"I can't break it, such a powerful Genjutsu."

White Zetsu roared, trying to communicate with his companions.

However, his companion seemed not to hear anything, and was slowly swallowed up by the blood-red mud.

The distance between them, though so close, felt like an eternity.

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, his companions suddenly sped away like lightning, disappearing from sight as if heading towards the ends of the earth.

"What exactly is this?"

White Zetsu was in a daze, his mind was a little dizzy, and without realizing it, even thinking became difficult. His eyelids kept sliding down, and even those who didn't need sleep started to feel sleepy. (To be continued)