Tiger Roar

Swish.

Without a word, Dan took a step and was already over ten meters away, his powerful fist smashing directly towards Aburame Ryoma.

His fist writhed, the Yin Release Phantom Body Technique activated once more.

Aburame Ryoma indeed fell for the genjutsu, frozen in place.

But the next second.

With a "bang," Dan felt his fist hit nothing but air.

Upon closer inspection, Aburame Ryoma's body had, at that moment, transformed into countless small black insects, pouring out from under his hood, sleeves, and pant legs.

They swarmed onto Dan.

Insect Clone Technique.

This was a trap set by Aburame Ryoma.

Soon, half of Dan's body was covered in the black Kikaichū. They clung to his skin, attempting to pierce it with their sharp mandibles and inject poison.

Dan remained unfazed, merely shaking his body casually. His muscles vibrated, releasing Chakra.

Like a rooster shaking its feathers.

With this simple shake, the Kikaichū on his body were all stunned, killed, and fell to the ground with a rustling sound.

Aburame Ryoma's attack was not over.

In the forest, countless insects surged from all directions, forming layers upon layers, surrounding Dan like a black tidal wave.

So it turned out.

The four Root members earlier were merely meant to stall Dan, giving Aburame Ryoma time to hatch his swarm and prepare his ultimate move.

Although Dan possessed an Iron Body.

His greatest weakness was fighting solely with his physical body, without mastering wide-area attack techniques, such as the Uchiha's Fire Release ninjutsu.

This was because he was a ninjutsu insulator.

Aburame Ryoma had seized upon this point, employing the Insect Swarm Tactic, preventing Dan from defending with his fists and feet.

These insects would charge forward relentlessly, completely submerging Dan, burrowing into his body through his nose, mouth, ears, and even eyes.

Until they had devoured him completely.

Facing the deadly situation created by the enemy.

Dan suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and pulled his entire abdominal cavity upwards.

He formed a Vacuum Abdomen.

The next second.

"Roar!"

He let out a sudden roar that echoed through the entire mountain forest, startling countless birds.

Hum.

Following Dan's roar, a sound wave instantly spread out from him in all directions, sweeping over the insect swarm.

Tiger Roars in the Forest.

Dan used a unique vocalization method, incorporating the vibration of his own Chakra, to transmit destructive energy in the form of sound waves, further amplifying the spell's power by causing the surrounding air to resonate.

This was similar to the ninjutsu used by the ninjas of Otogakure in the original work.

The biggest difficulty with this Howling Technique was that it required the user to possess extremely powerful vocal cord muscles; otherwise, their throat would be ruined before they could even master it.

For Dan, this was naturally not a problem.

Whether it was his Triceps, Biceps, or Uniceps, down to his Sphincter Muscle, and up to his Laryngeal Muscle, he had devoutly followed the revelations of the Muscle God and trained them to the extreme.

Utilizing all 639 muscles in his body, Dan could always fight in inconceivable ways, catching his enemies completely off guard.

Buzz buzz buzz.

Wherever the tiger's roar wave passed, the ground was as if it had been plowed. Wave after wave of Kikaichū were flipped onto their backs, countless of them killed by the shock.

The surviving Kikaichū army also seemed to have received some kind of order, quickly turning around and disappearing into the depths of the forest like a receding tide.

Aburame Ryoma had fled.

"What a cautious fellow, worthy of the Aburame Clan."

Dan remarked.

The Aburame Clan might not be famous, but in Dan's opinion, they were a group that should never be underestimated.

This clan's Kikaichū techniques integrated offense, defense, medical treatment, poisoning, and reconnaissance, making them truly versatile. Their clan members were also meticulous and preferred to ambush from the shadows.

In the original work.

Uchiha Shisui was poisoned by an Aburame ninja's "Fruit Fly" insects. By the time he reacted, the poison had spread throughout his body, leaving him no choice but to jump off a cliff.

Uchiha Obito was also attacked by Aburame Torune's nanolevel poisonous insects, forcing him to abandon an arm.

In the battle that just occurred.

Aburame Ryoma had been hiding in the shadows, observing Dan's abilities while preparing his killing blow. He didn't reveal his true form until the very end when he retreated.

It could be said he was extremely cautious.

However.

Dan was also cautious.

He likewise didn't reveal too much of his strength, especially his substitution and time-stop jutsu. If Aburame Ryoma had seen through them, it would have been troublesome later.

It was time to leave this place.

Dan gathered the corpses of the four Root Ninjas together and took out a scroll he carried with him, unfurling it on the ground.

This type of scroll was specifically for storing bodies. As long as Chakra was injected into it, the sealing technique could be activated.

"Bang!"

As the bodies turned into white smoke and entered the scroll, Dan swiftly departed in one direction.

Konohagakure, Root Base.

Danzo and Uchiha Itachi, one old and one young, had been waiting for nearly an hour.

Danzo sat on a chair, eyes closed, calmly resting. He wasn't worried about any accidents.

Itachi stood beside him, his gaze fixed intently on the direction of the base entrance. Although he didn't believe his uncle would die so easily, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

Moreover, as time passed, his anxiety grew.

"Itachi, are you still clinging to illusions?"

Danzo's voice suddenly rang out.

He saw through Itachi's naive fantasies and ruthlessly shattered them:

"The old man sent out an elite Root squad. Among them are members specifically capable of countering Uchiha Dan's abilities. Furthermore, Ryoma also went. You should know what that means, right?"

Itachi trembled upon hearing this, his body swaying for a moment, almost unable to stand.

He hadn't expected Danzo to be so ruthless.

Putting aside the so-called elite squad, Aburame Ryoma was Root's second-in-command. He had served as Danzo's bodyguard alongside Orochimaru, and his strength was comparable to the Sannin.

Only now did Itachi realize:

His uncle was likely in grave danger this time.

Danzo was satisfied with Itachi's reaction. He pretended to sigh and continued, "Although I promised to hand over Dan's body to you, if Ryoma makes a move, your uncle might not even have a complete corpse. Alas, I can only hope Dan doesn't resist too fiercely. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Itachi was almost despairing, his face ashen.

In such torment.

After an unknown amount of time, a figure appeared at the entrance of the Root Base. Aburame Ryoma had finally returned.

"Lord Danzo." As soon as Aburame Ryoma returned, he knelt on one knee and lowered his head.

"Speak."

Danzo frowned upon seeing this, suddenly feeling a faint sense of foreboding.

Aburame Ryoma looked up, glanced at Itachi beside him, hesitated for two seconds, and then reported truthfully:

"We... failed."

What?!

Both Danzo and Itachi were greatly shocked.

Silence.

Since Aburame Ryoma spoke, the Root Base fell into a deathly silence. No one spoke.

Crack, crack.

Danzo clenched the cane in his hand, veins bulging on the back of his hand. His brow was furrowed, and he was on the verge of an outburst.

The atmosphere was heavy, suffocating.

At this moment, Itachi came back to his senses. He bowed politely to Danzo and said in a cold tone, "Lord Danzo, the Anbu still has matters to attend to. I will take my leave now."

After speaking, without waiting for Danzo's reply, he turned and left directly.

He didn't leave Danzo any face at all.