Root Attack

The newborn morning sun was slightly blinding.

Anko instinctively closed her eyes, taking a good while to recover.

She gradually adapted to the outside environment.

Having stayed in the underground laboratory for nearly half a month.

Coming back out, it felt as if the world had changed.

She tidied her hair and tied it behind her head.

Her black eyes scanned the surroundings, and many anomalies she hadn't noticed before now appeared clearly before her.

Some were arrangements left by her teacher, with several small snakes stationed near the base to monitor the movement around them.

Several ninjas hidden in the shadows were clearly harboring ill intent.

She swept her gaze over them calmly, roughly judging their strength—a team consisting of one Jonin and three Chunin; if she acted now, there would likely be some who escaped.

Upon learning that her teacher had made certain preparations.

To avoid alerting the enemy, she left as if she knew nothing.

The Root ninjas hidden in the dark did not grow suspicious; they never expected that Anko's strength could undergo such a drastic change in a short time, allowing her to discover them all.

After waiting for Anko to leave, the few of them quietly revealed themselves, exchanged glances, and stealthily slipped into the laboratory.

"Sengen, you go take care of that Uchiha clansman."

"The rest of you, come with me to find Kinoe!"

The Root Jonin leader commanded.

The purpose of their mission was to seize the Wood Release test subjects in Orochimaru's possession, along with some related data.

And incidentally, resolve a problem regarding the Uchiha clan.

Danzo did not want to see the Uchiha and Orochimaru colluding too much.

Lest unnecessary trouble arise when dealing with the Uchiha clan in the future.

At the lowest level of the laboratory.

Inside a lounge.

Sengen was holding a syringe, examining it repeatedly.

Inside was the First Hokage Serum.

It was a sample he had intercepted during the early preparation stages of the First Hokage Cells transplant experiments; Orochimaru should have discovered his little trick, but he hadn't stepped in to stop it.

The massive stimulation caused by the qualitative change in Anko's strength had a great impact on him.

He couldn't help but advance his plans.

I must put increasing my strength on the agenda as soon as possible.

After the Nine-Tails incident, not long after the Third Hokage took office, Orochimaru defected.

With my current value, Orochimaru will definitely take me with him...

But there is no guarantee I can survive Konoha's pursuit; in any case, I cannot pin all my hopes on Orochimaru.

Many thoughts flashed through Sengen's mind.

He had originally planned to develop a forbidden jutsu to improve his body's talent based on the perfect Cursed Seal after it was researched, allowing his current body to possess the talent to absorb Natural Energy.

But now, there was no time.

Orochimaru hadn't returned for a long time; it was highly probable he was being held up by matters outside.

This was the best opportunity for him to conduct independent research.

But—it could also be a trap left by Orochimaru to force him to reveal his trump cards.

The First Hokage Serum had been stripped of the vast majority of cells detrimental to the body, leaving only a portion of blood components specifically designed to enhance and stimulate the body's immune response, which could maximize the fusion of the First Hokage Cells' power while minimizing the body's side effects.

Sengen made brief preparations, barricaded the door, and then plunged the syringe directly into his arm, the serum flowing into his body along the needle.

A wave of intense heat surged from within.

The anticipated side effects did not appear.

Instead, a scorching sensation flooded his entire body, burning him from head to toe as if he were being roasted by fire.

Not long after, the Chakra in his Dantian began to riot, triggering a chain reaction.

The cells in his body began to refine Chakra involuntarily.

One drop, two drops...

The liquid formed by the Chakra condensed in the Dantian area, gradually increasing.

At the same time, a coolness washed over his eyes.

His temples bulged slightly, and under the constant scouring of Chakra, it felt as if something was about to break through the soil.

"Hoo..."

"Not bad. The First Hokage Cells are truly too exceptional; even a tiny amount of serum can produce such a significant impact. If I were to perform a full transplant... I wonder if my body could withstand it."

"My chakra alone has doubled. The changes in my physical constitution aren't immediately apparent, but this is likely because the First Hokage Cells have stimulated the cells within my body, creating a massive boost."

"Changes in the cells can indeed promote a qualitative transformation in chakra."

A smile curled at the corners of the lips of Uchiha Ao.

In just one month, he had transformed from a Genin who barely met the chakra standards into an elite Genin level.

He was nearing the amount of chakra Anko possessed before the experiments.

Popping drugs was, as expected, a shortcut.

It was just a pity that it was a one-time thing; there was no way to inject it repeatedly.

Uchiha Ao set the syringe down.

His ears twitched slightly.

He heard a commotion coming from outside the door.

He was the only person capable of moving freely inside the laboratory; the others were either test subjects locked in the dungeon or deformed cripples resulting from failed experiments...

It was impossible for them to make such normal footsteps.

Who is it?

Uchiha Ao stood up instantly, his right hand drawing a silver metal scalpel from his ninja tool pouch. He gripped it in a reverse hold and quietly crept to the wall behind the door.

He pressed his ear against the wall, held his breath, and watched the movement outside the door.

Creak.

The door moved slightly.

Someone was pushing it, but it was blocked by the bolt.

The sound was very faint; if one weren't paying attention, it would be hard to notice.

Uchiha Ao's expression was solemn, his calm gaze fixed on the movement of the bolt.

A small blade poked in from outside the door.

It gently pried at the bolt.

Thud...

The bolt fell to the floor.

The door opened.

A foot wrapped in white bandages stepped inside.

In that instant.

Uchiha Ao moved.

The silver scalpel in his hand flew out instantly, aiming straight for the foot that had stepped in.

Clang!

A sound of metal clashing rang out.

The flying scalpel was blocked by a pitch-black kunai and knocked to the ground.

Then, a face covered by a Rabbit Mask appeared at the edge of the door.

"Yo... quite alert. A Genin actually managed to catch my movements..."

The other party let out a scornful sneer.

He stepped fully inside and closed the door behind him.

The kunai spun continuously on his fingertips, and the gaze beneath the mask was full of mockery, like a cat playing with a mouse.

In his eyes.

Uchiha Ao was already a dead man.

"Root?"

Uchiha Ao spat out the word, staring intently at the other party's movements, his hand hidden behind his back quietly forming several hand seals.

"You even know about us? You brat actually know quite a bit... No wonder you were able to gain the favor of Orochimaru."

"It's just a pity that you offended someone you shouldn't have."

The Root Chunin said with surprise.

"Give up the struggle, and I can give you a quick death."

He noticed the other party's small movements and didn't give him any chance to resist.

He lunged forward suddenly. Uchiha Ao instinctively reached out, a pale blue Chakra Blade condensing in his hand, but the other party dodged it with ease.

The gap in strength.

It was enough to make one despair.

He was merely a Genin, possessing a vast wealth of experimental experience from his past life in his mind, but his combat experience was essentially zero.

No matter how impressive the knowledge in his mind was, or how cautious and prudent he tried to be.

Facing this experienced Anbu Chunin, he had no way to cope.

The strength he had just gained could not be immediately converted into combat power.

Pfft!

A kunai stabbed into his body.

At the very last moment, Ao used all his remaining strength to twist his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike to the heart.

The kunai pierced his arm instead.

Enduring the excruciating pain, he suddenly reached out both hands and grabbed the opponent tightly.

Then, his spirit gave a violent jolt!

Soul Tremor.

"Spirit Transformation Technique!"

The hand seals he had already completed manifested, and the technique channeled his Chakra to erupt at this very moment.

It pulled his soul right out of his body.

Bang!

In an instant, his soul collided directly with the opponent's body.

Pfft!

The moment the spirit bodies collided.

The opponent's soul, caught completely off guard and without any resistance, simply dissolved away.

Following this, both of them collapsed limply onto the ground, losing all signs of life.