Misleading

"Hmm, is that so strange?"

An put on the same deadpan expression as Itachi, his face blank, his Sharingan cold as ice, and his voice stiff and flat, devoid of emotion.

"I've worked with Danzo before. I know exactly what kind of person he is. He'll definitely kill the donkey once it's done grinding the mill."

"Danzo can't be trusted. The Third Hokage can't be trusted either. No one in the village can be trusted. The only thing I can rely on is sufficient strength."

"I already have the Mangekyō Sharingan. As long as I add the Nine-Tails' endless Chakra, I'll be invincible. Even the village won't be able to threaten me anymore."

"Is that really such a hard reason to guess?"

Damn it!

How could it be Uchiha Itachi?

Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Ryoma exchanged a glance, both of them frowning deeply.

Itachi was a well-known genius in the village. The two of them knew very well how formidable he was, and they knew he would not be an easy enemy to defeat.

But as Root members, even if it cost them their lives, they had to complete their mission.

Their eyes met, and without a word, they reached a tacit understanding.

Aburame Ryoma stepped forward a few paces and shielded Yamanaka Fu behind him. With a gesture from him, his two teammates immediately leaped forward and formed hand seals at the same time.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

A spark lit up, then rapidly expanded into a massive fireball. Borrowing the wind's force, the flames swiftly spread, surging toward Uchiha An like a sky-covering tide.

The blazing flames roared and churned through the air. Wherever they passed, grass and trees were instantly scorched black, while the ground cracked under the searing heat.

The heat wave produced by the Combined Ninjutsu twisted and distorted even the distant scenery, as though the entire space were burning.

Yet An merely curled his lip in disdain. "Heh, what a boring little trick."

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, the clan most skilled in Fire Style, he knew very well that most of the time, Fire Style was used to block an enemy's vision, conceal one's movements, force the opponent to reposition, and control the rhythm of battle—not to deal direct damage.

But he had no interest in wasting time with them here. Ending this fight quickly and entering the Land of Rain as soon as possible was the top priority.

Otherwise, Konoha's pursuers would come endlessly, one after another, and could drag him to death within Konoha's borders.

So he did not dodge at all. Instead, he rapidly formed hand seals as well and answered in kind.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

A fire dragon howled out from his mouth and collided head-on with the incoming wind-fire Combined Ninjutsu.

The same Ninjutsu could produce vastly different results in different hands.

If Uchiha An were still an ordinary Jōnin, he would have been completely crushed in this clash of Ninjutsu.

But now, he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan. Empowered by his overwhelming Chakra, the power of the Fire Style he unleashed had multiplied countless times over.

The fire dragon and fireball struggled against each other briefly before the dragon swiftly began forcing the fireball back.

After devouring the wind-fire Combined Ninjutsu, the crimson fire dragon swelled several times in size. The flames that had originally filled the sky had now become Uchiha An's aid instead, and the blazing inferno began warping the surrounding space.

The violent torrent of flames swept over the Root members with the force of a landslide and tsunami. The earth cracked, rocks melted, and scorching air currents ripped up waves of dirt from the ground. Everything was swallowed whole.

The forest where they had been hiding moments ago rapidly burst into flame, crackling as sparks scattered in every direction like shooting stars.

The night sky was dyed scarlet. Billowing smoke rose into the air like savage beasts, while flames filled the heavens and black smoke spread everywhere.

The intense heat set even the air ablaze, creating a suffocating hell of fire.

But Uchiha An did not lower his guard in the slightest. His Three Tomoe Sharingan was already open, sweeping rapidly across the sea of flames.

Fire Style of this level could not kill a Jōnin.

Sure enough, a sharp shout came from within the blaze.

"Wind Style: Tornado Technique!"

A massive tornado suddenly erupted from the center of the fire. Wind and fire Chakra collided violently, producing a deafening blast as the spiraling airflow forcibly tore open a gap in the flames, carving out a passage through the inferno.

Then shadows flashed, and all six of them broke out of the fire. Aside from scorch marks on their ninja uniforms that made them look somewhat disheveled, they had not suffered any injuries.

Now!

Uchiha An tapped off the ground in rapid succession, using Body Flicker to shoot forward like lightning. Scorching air currents trailed in his wake as he charged straight toward Aburame Ryoma at the front.

In an environment so thick with flames, insects were at their most vulnerable. Taking the chance to deal with him first was the best course of action.

Aburame Ryoma was battle-hardened and had long prepared for this. Unhurriedly, he raised both hands, and swarms of insects poured from his sleeves.

The black mass of insects formed a moving curtain. Tens of thousands of Kikaichū beat their wings with a bone-chilling buzz, pressing down on Uchiha An like clouds of death.

"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"

But the moment his insects emerged, Uchiha An formed hand seals again at high speed, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.

Scorching Chakra rapidly gathered in his throat, and he immediately spat out a close-range Fire Style attack.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Pfft!"

The insect swarm was instantly ignited by the Fire Style. Their collision produced a crackling explosion as charred insects fell like rain, and the pungent stench of burnt protein filled the air, nauseating everyone who smelled it.

After smashing through the insect swarm, the torrent of flames did not slow in the slightest. It continued surging forward without pause, swallowing Aburame Ryoma's figure completely like raging waves. Blazing white firelight instantly illuminated the entire battlefield.

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

As they released their final buzzes, the insects secreted a special mucus at the cost of their lives, extinguishing the flames and forcibly opening up a small safe area within the sea of fire.

"Tch, an Insect Clone?"

Uchiha An frowned. His eyes swept around, but he did not find Aburame Ryoma reappearing. He simply stopped searching and charged directly toward Ryoma's two teammates behind him.

The two men held Kunai and remained fully alert. Seeing the enemy rush over, they both threw their Kunai forward, while their bodies leaped away in opposite directions.

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

A good tactic, but useless against an Uchiha!

He casually knocked the two Kunai away and let the Explosive Tags detonate in midair. But then he saw Yamanaka Fu, who had been hiding behind the two men all along.

Yamanaka Fu had already completed his hand seals. His hands were clasped before his chest, forming a heart-shaped seal as he faced the charging Uchiha An.

"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Technique!"

"Damn!"

An's heart jolted, and his body immediately stiffened, no longer under his control.

With a flick of his left hand, he threw the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki he was holding toward them. At the same time, from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure flash past. Aburame Ryoma, who had vanished earlier, suddenly appeared. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, clumps of insects poured down toward his body.