One Person Challenges the Root

Sasuke's face showed shame.

Yao was right—the Root ninja had indeed told him earlier that there was news about Uchiha Itachi.

The moment Sasuke heard the name Uchiha Itachi, he followed the Root ninja without a second thought.

And then he fell for it, getting led here by the Root ninja.

"Looks like I wasn't wrong, my foolish little brother."

Yao shook his head, too lazy to scold him further, and turned his gaze to Shimura Danzō:

"Lord Danzō, if you wanted to see me, you only needed to send word. Why go to such trouble?"

"When Lord Danzō summons, could I possibly refuse?"

"Is that so?"

Danzō's voice was cold, but his tone dripped with mockery: "Would a brat of the Uchiha clan really be so obedient?"

He clearly didn't believe Yao would cooperate willingly, nor did he want to waste time on such hollow pleasantries.

The trap today was set to obtain what he wanted under absolute control.

Danzō's cane struck the ground heavily as he cut straight to the point:

"I'm very curious—how does a naturally evil Uchiha brat like you master Wood Release?"

"Wood Release is the power of the First Hokage! How did you obtain it? Tell me everything you know!"

This question had plagued Danzō and tempted him!

He had assumed Uchiha Yao was Orochimaru's perfect experiment subject.

But after confronting Orochimaru, he found that wasn't the case—Orochimaru had never encountered Yao before.

Danzō grew even more curious, desperate to uncover Yao's secret.

If he could grasp that secret, master Wood Release, then he could become the Hokage of Konoha.

Facing Danzō's interrogation, Yao smiled: "The secret of Wood Release?"

"Lord Danzō, you're about to die. Even if you knew the secret of Wood Release, what meaning would it have?"

"How dare you!"

"Insolent!"

The surrounding Root ninjas shouted in fury, killing intent spilling out.

"Hmph! Sharp-tongued! As expected of a naturally evil clan!"

Danzō snorted coldly, his voice turning even more sinister: "You people never learn reverence and obedience!"

He seemed to lose patience, raising his left hand to make a gesture.

A nearby Root ninja immediately stepped forward, handing a gleaming Ninja Sword to Danzō.

Danzō took the sword and pressed its tip against Sasuke's throat.

The sharp blade clung to the skin; a single push would sever Sasuke's trachea and artery.

Sasuke trembled all over, but under the curse mark's restraint, he couldn't move an inch, his eyes filled with humiliation and grief.

Yet Danzō didn't even glance at Sasuke, his single eye fixed on Yao:

"Uchiha Yao... my patience has limits!"

"Now, tell me every secret of how you mastered Wood Release!"

Danzō's wrist pressed down, the blade tip breaking skin as a bead of crimson blood trickled down Sasuke's neck.

"Otherwise..."

"I'll kill Uchiha Sasuke right before your eyes!"

"I'll make you watch as your last blood relative in this world dies because of your arrogance and concealment!"

"Heh!"

Facing Danzō's blatant threat, Yao couldn't help but laugh.

The next second!

He appeared abruptly at Sasuke's side, driving a fist toward Danzō.

Doing something so pointless in front of a Flying Thunder God User?

"What?!"

Danzō hadn't even seen how Yao appeared before he was sent flying by the punch.

"Flying Thunder God Technique... it really is the Flying Thunder God Technique!!"

Midair, Danzō let out a roar of shock and fury.

This Uchiha brat had not only mastered Wood Release but even the Flying Thunder God Technique!

Yao raised his left hand.

"Release!"

The writhing black curse mark patterns rapidly dissolved and faded away.

Sasuke's body relaxed, and he immediately regained his ability to move.

"Let's go!"

Yao grabbed Sasuke's arm and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Shwoosh!

The two vanished from their spot.

Almost in the same instant, they reappeared at the other end of the stone bridge, escaping the encirclement of Danzo and the Root ninja.

"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"

A piece of wood sprouted from Yao's body, growing into a wood clone.

"Take Sasuke and leave!"

The wood clone nodded, grabbed Sasuke, and disappeared into the Root Base.

Sasuke was too weak right now; staying here would only make him a burden. It was better to have the wood clone take him away.

As long as the Second Pillar wasn't around, Yao had no more worries.

On the other side.

Danzo slammed into the rock wall behind him, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

The intense pain twisted Danzo's aged face, his single eye fixed on Yao across the bridge.

"You little brat... just when... when did you learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"

"And Wood Release... just how many secrets are you hiding?"

Danzo's voice was hoarse.

To him, who craved power desperately, the secrets hidden within Uchiha Yao were something he desperately desired.

He wished he could crack open Uchiha Yao's head and take a good look inside.

"You ask too many questions, Lord Danzo, and I have no interest in answering the questions of a dead man!"

Yao clapped his hands together, Chakra erupting: "Wood Release: Flowering Tree Descent!"

Rumble!

The stone bridge beneath their feet violently trembled and cracked. Brownish-yellow trees and vines, like awakened ancient pythons, madly burst through the hard rock surface, rising from the ground.

The surrounding rock walls!

The dome of the underground space!

Even every inch of the ground surged with sprouting trees!

They intertwined, coiled, and expanded, instantly forming a primeval forest full of oppressive pressure.

Swiftly filling and devouring the entire vast underground space!

Huge flower buds bloomed, emitting a strange scent.

The forest roared!

Vines danced like furious dragons, directly sweeping toward Danzo and the Root ninja.

"Flowering Tree Descent!"

Danzo's expression shifted drastically, and he barked sharply: "Careful! The pollen is poisonous! Hold your breath! Don't inhale it!"

The Root ninja were well-trained; none of them were slow to react. They immediately held their breath or covered their mouths and noses with cloth.

"How naive!"

Yao's voice echoed through the trees as the python-like vines and wooden tendrils whipped, coiled, and pierced from all directions.

These Root ninja were notorious and fearsome.

But to be honest.

Their strength was uneven; not all of them were top-tier experts.

Against the relentless vine attacks, their performance was lackluster.

"Ah!"

One Root ninja failed to dodge in time and was struck across the waist by a vine.

The terrifying force shattered his bones and internal organs. With a scream, he went limp and stopped breathing.

Another barely avoided a frontal strike but was pierced through the shoulder by a sharp wooden spike that came from the side.

Under the intense pain, his breathing faltered, and he inhaled a small amount of drifting pollen.

His body instantly stiffened, his gaze went unfocused, and he collapsed, poisoned and paralyzed.

Others tried to use Wind Release or Fire Release ninjutsu to clear a path.

But before the madly surging forest of trees, it was like trying to put out a blazing cart with a cup of water—soon, they were swallowed by even more vines...

In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Root elites were either dead or wounded.

Only that old geezer Danzo and a handful of others retained any combat strength.

The tide of battle had reversed in an instant!

Seeing his men suffer heavy casualties, Danzo's expression remained cold, devoid of anger. A sharp glint flashed in his exposed single eye.

"Such strong combat power, such masterful control over Wood Release, and such an immense amount of Chakra!"

"Without a doubt!"

"This is the real body!"

A sharp gleam flickered in Danzo's eye as he barked in a low voice, "Wind!"

"Understood!"