Rei Dares to Act Where Itachi Wouldn't!

The Root operatives intercepted Uchiha Rei at a rather opportune location.

Though only two blocks from the Uchiha Clan Compound, the area was dim, devoid of any lights or patrolling clan members. It was precisely a blind spot where the Uchiha Clan's vigilance was weakest.

The streets near the Uchiha Clan Compound were already cleared of villagers. The entire block had sunk into silence and darkness, as if deliberately forgotten.

Konoha's finances were never wasted on "unimportant" matters; the higher-ups had clearly made their decision long ago.

Darkness was the most fitting destination for the Uchiha.

As long as Uchiha Rei was killed in an instant, and Uchiha Sasuke was taken away with lightning speed, everything could be resolved quietly and cleanly before the Uchiha Clan could even notice.

The four Root members ahead were ready to strike at any moment.

The Root Captain stepped forward, his gaze icy, his voice low:

"Uchiha Rei, I'll give you one last chance. If you continue to obstruct us, you will be an enemy to all of Root."

Uchiha Rei glanced at him, the corners of his mouth curling into a half-smile, tinged with mockery. "How strange... you speak as if that old geezer Danzo can truly represent all of Konoha."

He shook his head slightly, thinking to himself:

If that old guy wasn't so tough and had a spare life, I would have sent him to see the Sage of Six Paths long ago. And yet today, it's his subordinate, a petty Root grunt, acting so arrogant in front of me?

"A ninja must complete their mission. This is the principle Third Hokage taught us, and it is the Will of Fire I uphold," Uchiha Rei said calmly, yet with unshakeable resolve.

The Root Captain's brow furrowed. Without another word, he gestured with his hand, and the four operatives instantly launched their assault, killing intent exploding in the night.

The captain charged headfirst, his Kunai slicing through the darkness, aimed directly at Uchiha Rei's throat. The other three, however, had their sights set on Sasuke, their movements swift, their figures darting like ghosts.

"Killing Uchiha Rei isn't important," the captain mused inwardly. "As long as we can take Sasuke, the mission is complete."

They knew they were extremely close to the Uchiha Clan Compound, and time was of the essence; they couldn't afford a prolonged fight. If they could just hold Uchiha Rei off for a moment, they could escape successfully.

However, just as the captain's Kunai was about to strike its target, a cold wind swept up from below.

"Konoha Style Taijutsu, Konoha Whirlwind."

Before he could finish speaking, Uchiha Rei's right leg shot up, sweeping out with a whistling sound, like a hurricane hitting the face!

BANG!

The Root Captain didn't even have time to react before he was sent flying, smashing hard against the stone wall.

Immediately after, Uchiha Rei's figure appeared, blocking in front of Sasuke. His gaze was stern, his killing intent like needles.

The remaining three Root members hadn't even landed before their formation was cut in half by his second wave of attacks.

The first kick disrupted their formation, and the second followed, sweeping out like a tornado through the night, kicking the three to the ground.

"This, this is... Taijutsu?" a downed Root ninja's mind was greatly shaken.

The intelligence held by Root clearly indicated that Uchiha Rei had already been poisoned, his strength drastically reduced, with only Genin-level Chakra.

But this speed and explosive power, these precise footwork and strength... even a Jonin would find it difficult to resist!

The opponent's Chakra was already very low. If the opponent were at full strength, how powerful would he be? He could probably match Root's strongest elite Jonin.

"Konoha Whirlwind."

It was developed by ninjas specializing in Taijutsu in Konohagakure. As it is a purely Taijutsu move, it is minimally affected by Chakra.

"He actually used this?" The Root Captain gritted his teeth. As he stood up, his expression was so grim it looked like water was about to drip from it.

He finally realized Uchiha Rei's strength.

The same Ninjutsu, in the hands of different ninjas, often displayed vastly different power.

Uchiha Madara's Fire Release was a great fireball, while others' Fire Release was a small flame.

Uchiha Rei was the same. Through countless days and nights of training, he had honed his Taijutsu to the extreme.

His Chakra reserves were three times that of an ordinary Jonin, and twice that of Konoha's elite ninja, Kakashi Hatake.

And in terms of Taijutsu, he was second only to that Azure Beast of Konoha, Might Guy. Far surpassing the Uchiha Clan's prodigy representative, Itachi.

"Every training session never deceived myself."

"Without a Kekkei Genkai, without secret techniques, I can still reach this point."

"...This is what a ninja is."

In just one round of engagement, the outcome was decided. Among the four Root ninjas, only the captain was still barely standing.

Uchiha Rei had excellent dynamic vision, possessing both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. His Konoha Whirlwind was always a lock-on.

With just one attack, he had kicked down the other three Root members, rendering them incapable of fighting.

At this moment, Sasuke stood behind him, looking at that back. At that moment, he suddenly felt that the back in front of him was taller and more reliable than his brother's.

"The opponent's Chakra reserves are already very low..." the Root Captain calmly analyzed. "As long as we drag this into a protracted battle, the advantage will be ours."

With a thought, he waved his right hand, throwing a black smoke bomb. With a muffled "bang," the smoke exploded, turning into a dense black cloud that instantly engulfed the entire street.

The night wind stirred slightly but was powerless to disperse this man-made darkness. The black smoke spread rapidly, swirling and permeating every corner of the street. Vision was completely obscured, as if falling into an endless mist.

Uchiha Rei stood in place, slowly closing his eyes, quietly sensing the subtle vibrations in the air. Soon, his brow furrowed slightly.

The smoke had lasted too long. It was clearly not just the effect of an ordinary smoke bomb.

"Using Genjutsu in front of me?" A slight smile curved his lips. "Even Uchiha Itachi wouldn't dare to show off his Genjutsu in front of me. Such a petty trick."

He could feel the Chakra fluctuations layered within the smoke. They were crude and chaotic, like a group of apprentices imitating a master's doodle, comical and foolish.

He slowly exhaled and said, "Genjutsu, huh... it is indeed the most troublesome for me."

"The current Root members are all like monsters," he said, raising his head with a smile on his face.

Uchiha Sasuke stood to the side, his heart trembling upon hearing these words.

He subconsciously gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on Uchiha Rei's back. Those words clearly sounded like he was showing weakness, like he was scared. Sasuke even began to wonder if Rei intended to give up.

"Is... is he scared too?" The thought flashed through Sasuke's mind. In the darkness, even he would feel fear, but he would never speak of it. Yet Uchiha Rei said it so naturally.

However, before he could finish thinking, Uchiha Rei moved.

"Konoha!"

With a low shout, Uchiha Rei swept his right leg out horizontally, like a black blade slicing through the night sky. His kick stirred up a violent gust of wind, and the air around his leg actually formed a dark vortex!

"Whirlwind!"

The thick smoke was blown away by this kick, like dark clouds torn apart in a downpour. In an instant, the smoke became uncontrollable, forcibly gathering and twisting. The Genjutsu structure hidden within the smoke instantly collapsed, like a body whose nerves had been severed.

A sharp pain shot through the Root Captain's mind, his vision went black, and dizziness washed over him.

"What?" Before he could react, the black figure had already closed in.

Uchiha Rei planted his left foot on the ground and violently lifted his right leg upwards from bottom to top!

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

The Root Captain didn't even have time to react before he felt his abdomen struck by a heavy hammer. A "crack" echoed, the sound of broken ribs reverberating within him. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth, and his body was sent flying like a rag doll, crashing heavily into the center of the street.

BOOM!

Dust billowed, the paving stones cracked, and a deep pit appeared. The Root Captain's body was embedded within it, his life or death unknown.

Silence fell upon the street, like death. Only the wind, whistling through the tiles, moaned.

Uchiha Sasuke stood frozen, his eyes wide open. He had never witnessed such a clean and decisive fight. He had claimed to be "so scared," yet he had incapacitated the Root members with a single kick each.

What kind of existence was this seemingly harmless big brother...

Even though he said he was scared, he took down the Root members with one kick each.

Not far away, sharp footsteps echoed again from the end of the street.

The previous smoke bomb was also a signal flare for the Root. Reinforcements were arriving soon.

And at almost the same time, the Uchiha Clan's guard squad also arrived at the scene.

The two groups of people, one on the left and one on the right, landed on either side of Uchiha Rei and Sasuke, respectively.

Their gazes did not fall on Uchiha Rei, but were all locked onto Uchiha Sasuke.

After a moment of silence, the two groups spoke in unison:

"Please hand Uchiha Sasuke over to us."

On one side was Konoha's Root, and on the other were members of the Uchiha Clan. The atmosphere instantly became tense, like a spark about to ignite the fuse on a powder keg.

Uchiha Rei stood in front of Sasuke, still wearing a relaxed smile on his face, and sighed softly, "Making me choose again... How annoying, I have trouble making decisions."

He said it lightly, but without a trace of warmth.

Sasuke tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Actually... you could let me go with the clan members..."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Rei merely lowered his head and smiled, his gaze gentle, yet tinged with sarcasm.

"When did you ever think the clan was reliable?" His voice was soft, but it pierced straight to the heart. "If the clan were truly reliable... then why hasn't your brother returned to this day?"

Sasuke froze, unable to speak.

"The Uchiha here are not from your father's faction. They are the Hawk Faction, a more extreme and radical existence. They are interested in you not because of who you are, but because of whose brother you are."

"If you fall into their hands, it's no different from falling into Root's hands."

He looked up at the stars in the night sky, his tone as usual, yet as firm as iron: "Don't worry, I will personally hand you over to the person who should receive you."

"The most important thing for a ninja is to complete their mission."