Misdirection

"Well, is that so strange?"

An put on a deadpan expression like Itachi, his face emotionless. His Sharingan eyes were cold as frost, and his voice was flat and dull, devoid of any emotion.

"I have worked with Danzo before, so I know his character well. He would definitely kill the donkey the moment it finishes grinding the mill."

"Danzo cannot be trusted, the Third Hokage cannot be trusted, and everyone in the Village cannot be trusted. The only thing I can rely on is sufficient strength."

"I already possess the Mangekyo Sharingan. As long as I add the endless Chakra of the Nine-Tails, I will be invincible. Even the Village will no longer be able to pose a threat to me."

"Is this reason so hard to guess?"

Damn it!

How could it be Uchiha Itachi?

Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Ryoma exchanged glances, both of them furrowing their brows.

Itachi was a renowned genius youth in the Village. Both of them were well aware of his prowess and knew that this was not an enemy who could be easily defeated.

However, as members of Root, they had to complete their mission, even if it meant losing their lives.

Their eyes met, and a tacit understanding was reached in silence.

Aburame Ryoma stepped forward, shielding Yamanaka Fu behind him. He made a gesture, and his two teammates immediately leaped forward, forming hand seals in unison.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

A spark ignited, then rapidly expanded into a massive fireball. The fire borrowed the momentum of the wind, spreading rapidly and surging toward Uchiha An like a blanket covering the sky.

The scorching flames roared and rolled through the air. Wherever they passed, vegetation instantly withered and charred, and the ground cracked under the intense heat.

The heatwave generated by the Combined Ninjutsu caused the scenery in the distance to begin to twist and distort, as if the entire space were burning.

Yet, An merely curled his lip in disdain. "Heh, boring little tricks."

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, who were most adept at using Fire Style, he knew very well that most of the time, Fire Style was used to obstruct an enemy's line of sight, conceal movements, force the enemy to reposition, or control the rhythm of the battle, rather than to inflict direct damage.

But he had no interest in wasting time here. Ending the battle quickly and seizing the time to enter the Land of Rain was his top priority.

Otherwise, the endless waves of Konoha pursuers would arrive one after another, and they could easily drag him to his death within the borders of Konoha.

Therefore, he did not dodge at all. Instead, he quickly formed hand seals to return the favor.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

A Fire Dragon roared out from his mouth, colliding head-on with the incoming wind-fire Combined Ninjutsu.

The same ninjutsu, when used by different people, can have vastly different effects.

If Uchiha An were still just an ordinary Jonin, he would have been completely crushed by this clash of ninjutsu.

But now that he possessed the Mangekyo, bolstered by his formidable Chakra, the power of the Fire Style he unleashed had multiplied countless times over.

The Fire Dragon and the fireball remained deadlocked for a brief moment before the Fire Dragon rapidly overwhelmed the fireball.

After devouring the wind-fire Combined Ninjutsu, the crimson Fire Dragon surged in size several times over. The original sea of flames now served entirely to bolster Uchiha An, the scorching heat causing the surrounding space to twist and warp.

The violent torrent of fire swept over the Root members with the force of a landslide. Wherever it passed, the earth cracked, rocks melted, and the searing heat waves churned the ground into layers of soil, consuming everything in its path.

The forest where the group had been hiding burst into flames, crackling loudly as sparks flew in every direction like falling stars.

The night sky was dyed a deep crimson. Billowing smoke rose into the air like a hideous beast, with flames filling the heavens and black smoke permeating the atmosphere.

The high temperature caused the very air to ignite, creating a suffocating inferno.

Yet, Uchiha An did not let his guard down in the slightest. His eyes, already opened to the Three Tomoe, were scanning the sea of fire rapidly.

This level of Fire Style was not enough to kill a Jonin.

Sure enough, a sharp shout rang out from within the blaze.

"Wind Style: Tornado Technique!"

A massive tornado suddenly erupted from the center of the fire. The wild winds and fire Chakra collided violently, producing a deafening roar. The rotating airflow forcibly tore a gap through the flames, carving a path through the inferno.

Then, shadows flickered. All six individuals broke out from the fire. Aside from some scorch marks on their ninja gear, making them look somewhat disheveled, they were completely unharmed.

Now!

Uchiha An tapped his feet repeatedly, his body flashing forward like a bolt of lightning. He left a trail of scorching heat waves in his wake as he shot straight toward Aburame Ryoma, who was in the lead.

In this environment filled with flames, the insects were at their most vulnerable. Taking this opportunity to eliminate him first was the best strategy.

Aburame Ryoma was a veteran of many battles and had long been prepared for this. Calmly, he raised his hands, and swarms of insects poured out from his sleeves.

The dense mass of insects formed a moving curtain. Tens of thousands of Kikaichū beat their wings, emitting a hair-raising buzz as they descended upon Uchiha An like a cloud of death.

"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"

But the moment his insects emerged, Uchiha An performed hand seals again at lightning speed, his movements leaving only afterimages.

Scorching Chakra gathered rapidly in his throat, and a point-blank Fire Style was spat out from his mouth.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Pfft!"

The swarm was instantly ignited by the Fire Style. As the two collided, a crackling sound erupted, and charred insects fell like raindrops. The air was filled with the pungent, nauseating stench of burning protein.

After crushing through the swarm, the torrent of flames showed no signs of slowing down. It continued to surge forward like a raging tide, completely engulfing Aburame Ryoma. The incandescent light of the fire instantly illuminated the entire battlefield.

But once the flames passed, Aburame Ryoma's figure immediately transformed into a mass of pitch-black insects, clinging tightly to the fire.

While emitting a final hum, these insects sacrificed their lives to secrete a special mucus, extinguishing the flames and forcibly carving out a small safe zone within the sea of fire.

"Tsk, an Insect Clone, huh!"

Uchiha An frowned. He swept his eyes across the area, but failing to spot Aburame Ryoma reappearing, he simply stopped searching and charged directly toward the two teammates behind him.

The two men were holding kunai, fully on guard. Seeing the enemy charging over, they both threw their kunai forward while simultaneously leaping to the sides.

With a sweep of his Three Tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha An spotted the Explosive Tags well-hidden behind the kunai.

Good tactics, but useless against an Uchiha!

He casually swatted the two kunai away, letting the Explosive Tags detonate in mid-air, but immediately caught sight of Yamanaka Fu, who had been hiding behind the pair all along.

By now, Yamanaka Fu had finished weaving his hand signs. His hands were pressed together in front of his chest, forming a heart-shaped seal, aimed directly at the charging Uchiha An.

"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Technique!"

"Damn it!"

An felt a jolt in his heart. His body stiffened, slipping out of his own control.

His left hand rose, tossing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki toward the opposite side. At the same time, from the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of movement. Aburame Ryoma, who had previously vanished, suddenly reappeared. With a flick of his large sleeves, clusters of insects descended to cover his body.