Watching Roy approach at an unhurried pace, Katru felt a surge of delight.
Roy looked like nothing more than a Chunin, or perhaps a Special Jōnin at most.
And given Natsume's reaction, Roy was clearly important.
He was probably some kind of successor the Uchiha were grooming.
Young people with a clan backing them always got cocky, acting as if they owned the world and knew no limits.
Today, he would use Roy as his bargaining chip to escape!
"Lightning Style: Lightning Armor!"
Katru immediately activated his enhancement-type Lightning Style technique.
It not only increased his defense, but also boosted his speed and attack power.
"Bang!"
When Roy came within ten meters, Katru shot forward.
He aimed straight for Roy's chest and thrust out a knife-hand strike.
"Pfft..."
As Katru pierced Roy's chest, a smug look spread across his face.
Then he grabbed Roy and held him tight.
"You..."
"Shhk!"
Before Katru could finish, a kunai plunged into his body.
Roy then slipped free of his grasp in a bizarre manner and kicked him in the head.
"Hm?"
Katru landed on the ground, still unable to understand how Roy had escaped his hold.
His face showed utter bewilderment.
Could it have been... a genjutsu?
But...
Before he could think further, Roy began walking toward him again.
The strange sight made Katru wary.
There was something off about this young ninja.
"Die!"
Katru abandoned the idea of using Roy as a hostage. He needed to put his doubts to rest.
The best way was to kill Roy outright.
He was just some reckless kid. What could he possibly do?
"Fire Style: Explosive Scorching Flame!"
After Roy hurriedly formed a few hand seals, Katru was already right in front of him.
In the next instant, Roy transformed into a terrifying blaze that engulfed Katru.
"Boom!"
A tremendous explosion rang out.
"S-rank ninjutsu?"
Feeling the force of the blast, Uchiha Natsume was stunned.
Roy didn't have enough chakra to cast an S-rank technique!
Besides, with an S-rank technique that exploded from its own center, Roy himself could easily be caught in the blast.
When the dust cleared, Katru had lost consciousness and lay in a huge crater.
Roy stood there with a calm expression, his clothes perfectly clean.
"Uh..."
For a moment, Uchiha Natsume felt his earlier worry had been unnecessary.
"Captain Natsume, it's taken care of."
"Big brother Nishiki, go tell the others to make plenty of noise when they fight."
"Don't just do the job quietly, with no one knowing about it."
Roy spoke slowly.
"Got it."
Uchiha Nishiki nodded, then disappeared.
"Roy, you really know how to keep your cards close to your chest!"
"Was that ninjutsu just now an S-rank technique?" Uchiha Natsume asked in amazement as he walked over.
"It wasn't an S-rank technique. What I used just now was a transformation technique."
"Then I used fifty Explosive Tags," Roy said with a smile.
"Fifty Explosive Tags?"
"How did you... Could that technique just now protect you from harm?"
Uchiha Natsume looked at the spot where Roy had been standing.
There had clearly been nothing protecting him, and the blast should have covered the entire area.
Katru had used Lightning Armor, yet the explosion had knocked him unconscious.
What kind of transformation technique could let Roy emerge unscathed from an explosion that powerful?
"More or less. Let's hurry and help the others."
"By the way, if you have any Explosive Tags, could you give me some?"
"I'm running low," Roy said with a smile, looking at Natsume.
"You... Fine."
"I only have thirty. Who carries around a huge number of Explosive Tags for no reason?"
"You should use that technique less. One little mistake, and you could get caught in the blast yourself."
"Let's go."
Natsume handed Roy the Explosive Tags, then led the other two and Roy toward the next location.
Inside the Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window.
"Lord Hokage, are we really not going to intervene?" An Anbu member knelt behind Sarutobi Hiruzen and asked in confusion.
Although the Anbu were responsible for protecting the Hokage, they were also supposed to deal with unrest like this within the village.
The Military Police Force had already mobilized almost everyone, while the Anbu were still waiting for orders.
It felt very strange.
"The Military Police Force has it covered. There's no need to worry."
"Leave."
After speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and returned to his seat.
"Danzo, it seems this plan is going to fail."
After saying that, Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped watching what was happening outside.
This was a contest between Danzo and the Uchiha. It had nothing to do with him.
Meanwhile, a group of ninjas appeared outside the Uchiha Compound.
"Those fools were so easy to lure away."
"They protect the village, yet can't even protect their own clan."
"I wonder how they'll feel when they see their clan in ruins."
The ninja at the head wore a strange mask.
Every ninja there wore the same kind of mask.
They wanted to keep their identities hidden.
"Move!"
The man swept his hand forward, and the group charged straight into the Uchiha Compound.
Terrifying ninjutsu and surging chakra soon wreaked havoc throughout the Uchiha Compound.
Under the ninjas' powerful attacks, the houses and buildings were no match for them.
In little more than ten minutes, the entire Uchiha Compound had been reduced to ruins.
"Sir, we haven't found a single body!" one of his subordinates hurried over and reported as the lead ninja congratulated himself on completing the mission with ease.
"What?"
"Where are the Uchiha?"
"What about the women and children who can barely fight?"
The lead ninja looked horrified.
They hadn't come here just to destroy the clan compound!
They were supposed to take away every Uchiha left behind in the compound—even the bodies.
Yet things had turned out like this.
"What a bold bunch!"
"It seems some people have forgotten why the Uchiha name is hated."
Just then, a dignified voice rang out.
The ninjas looked behind them in alarm.
Uchiha Fugaku stood there with several powerful Uchiha, watching them with amused expressions.
Their scarlet Sharingan made the ninjas feel as if they had fallen into an icy abyss.
"We're finished..."
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