Boom!
A gigantic fireball exploded. A deafening roar followed, and scorching flames swept out from the blast point, surging across the land!
Danzo flicked his sleeve, dispersing a wave of heat that had spread toward him. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the flames roll outward, not daring to advance.
The blast came and went quickly. After wreaking havoc on the ground, the surging flames gradually weakened until they finally vanished completely.
As the storm subsided, the slightly gloomy sky cleared once more, leaving only devastation behind.
"Lord Danzo, Shisui is gone!"
Seeing that there was no one where Shisui had been, a Root member immediately reported the news.
"Shisui is seriously injured. He couldn't have gotten far. After him!"
Danzo hadn't expected Shisui to use the fireball's force to escape. His face turned livid as he swept out a hand and barked an order that rang through the area.
"Yes!"
As soon as Danzo spoke, more than a dozen Root members disappeared.
Danzo pulled away the bandage covering his right eye, revealing the whitened, blind eye. His tightly shut left eye snapped open.
To seriously wound Shisui, Danzo had used Izanagi to evade Shisui's earlier attack, but his right eye was now permanently blind.
He'd thought he could finish Shisui off and replace his eye right away, but Shisui had escaped with Susanoo. Danzo's pride made this impossible to accept.
Danzo lifted his head slightly. His withered face was now twisted with fury and madness.
"Shisui, I'll have your eyes, no matter what."
The dense forest was very quiet. A few birds occasionally flew through the trees, but they barely disturbed the stillness.
The tranquil atmosphere didn't last long before it was broken by a battered figure.
The figure kicked off a tree trunk, flipped through the air, then landed on one knee, both hands braced against the ground.
"Ptooey!"
Shisui spat out a mouthful of blood. His vision was already blurring, and without prompt treatment, he wouldn't survive much longer.
Shisui had fled with all his strength, but not because he feared death. He had to stop Danzo from getting his Mangekyō Sharingan, and he also needed to pass the power of his eyes on to the Uchiha Clan. The two people he trusted most were Sasuke and Itachi.
"No matter what, I have to see Itachi and Sasuke..."
He murmured the words, glanced back into the pitch-black forest, then forced himself through the pain and surged forward. In an instant, he shot into the trees ahead.
After Shisui left, the area gradually fell silent. About five minutes later, three figures suddenly shot out of the dense forest.
"This should be Shisui's. He's just ahead. Let's go!"
After carefully surveying the area, one of the Root members spotted blood on the ground and spoke in a low voice.
The other two nodded and immediately followed him forward.
Shisui's figure flashed rapidly between the trees. Each time his toes touched a trunk, he used the momentum to propel himself a great distance forward.
But the three figures behind him pursued in the same way. They were faster than Shisui, and the distance between them steadily shrank.
"Damn it! I didn't think Root would catch up so quickly!"
Shisui glanced at the three figures chasing him and grumbled through gritted teeth. If he hadn't been injured, he could have dealt with them in a minute.
"Attack!"
Seeing that Shisui was within range, one of the Root members pulled out several kunai fitted with Explosive Tags and swiftly hurled them, hoping to stop Shisui from escaping.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
The tearing sound in the air made Shisui's heart tighten. He dodged on instinct.
Boom!
Flames burst through the air, and a deafening explosion echoed across the forest. The startled beasts that had been settling down scattered in a panic.
At the other end of the forest, Sasuke and Itachi were leaping from tree to tree when they heard the explosion and abruptly stopped.
"Brother, something's happening over there. Let's go!"
Knowing that there must be a battle where the explosion had gone off, Sasuke reminded him, worried that Shisui might be involved.
"It's close," Itachi said with a nod. "Sasuke, be careful. Don't rush in recklessly."
Itachi still felt shaken by the serious injuries Sasuke had suffered last time, and he didn't want Sasuke to get hurt again.
"Don't worry, Brother. I won't hold you back."
Sasuke smiled faintly and instantly activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. He knew Danzo's subordinates were all elite shinobi, so he wouldn't let his guard down.
Seeing that Sasuke had activated his Sharingan, Itachi said nothing. The two of them sped up and headed toward the explosion.
As the sound of the explosion gradually faded, the forest fell quiet once more.
The three Root members landed on the ground and began searching carefully. They were certain Shisui hadn't been killed by the Explosive Tags and was nearby; they just didn't know where he was hiding.
One member, named Tuorong, kept his eyes trained on their surroundings. The eerie silence made him uneasy. By rights, Shisui should have emerged to fight, since he had nowhere to run. Delaying only worked against him. The explosion would bring more Root members soon.
But just as Tuorong's thoughts ran wild, something stirred in the undergrowth below. A kunai suddenly shot out.
"Is he there?!"
Tuorong noticed the movement in the bushes right away and easily dodged the kunai. Guessing that Shisui was hiding inside, he slowly approached the undergrowth, preparing to launch a surprise attack.
"Argh..."
But before Tuorong had taken more than a few steps, a piercing scream rang out. A companion not far to his right had been stabbed by Shisui, who had suddenly appeared.
"Earth Style: Earth Binding!"
Shocked by Shisui's speed, Tuorong quickly brought his hands together and formed Hand Seals.
"Damn it!"
After swiftly killing one Root member, Shisui had intended to leave at once. But a pair of hands made of earth suddenly rose from the ground and seized his ankles.
Shisui would normally have been able to evade the binding with his Body Flicker Technique, but his chakra was already depleted. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to rely on Taijutsu and a surprise attack to kill his opponent.
"This is really the end..."
He tried to wrench himself free of the earthen hands, but it was no use. Despair gradually filled Shisui's heart.
"Shisui, stop struggling. Just accept your fate!"
Seeing Shisui straining against the binding, Tuorong's other teammate, Qinyu, suddenly pulled out a kunai. He planted a foot on the ground and charged toward Shisui.