Shisui's Escape!

"BOOM!"

A massive fireball exploded, followed by a deafening roar that tore through the sky. Scorching flames billowed out from the point of impact, sweeping across the heavens!

With a light flick of his sleeve, Danzo dispersed the heat wave rippling toward him. He narrowed his eyes, watching the sea of fire spread, not daring to advance.

The explosive storm came and went in a flash. After leaving the ground in utter ruin, the raging flames gradually weakened until they dissipated entirely.

As the storm faded, the slightly gloomy sky returned to clarity, leaving behind only a scene of devastation.

"Lord Danzo, Shisui is gone!"

Seeing that the spot where Shisui had been standing was now empty, a member of Root immediately reported.

"Shisui is heavily injured; he cannot have gone far. Pursue him!"

Never expecting Shisui to use the force of the fireball to escape, Danzo's face turned livid as he waved his hand. His cold shout echoed through the surroundings.

"Yes!"

As Danzo's command fell, over a dozen Root members vanished instantly.

Tearing off the bandage covering his right eye to reveal a milky, sightless orb, Danzo suddenly opened his tightly shut left eye.

To inflict heavy injuries on Shisui, Danzo had used Izanagi to evade Shisui's previous attack, but his right eye had been permanently blinded.

He had expected to finish Shisui off and immediately claim his eyes, but he had not anticipated Shisui escaping with the help of Susanoo. This was something the arrogant Danzo found difficult to accept.

Lifting his head slightly, Danzo's withered face was now twisted with madness and ferocity.

"Shisui, I will obtain your eyes, no matter what."

The dense forest was deathly quiet; the occasional bird flying through the trees did little to disturb the stillness.

However, the secluded atmosphere did not last long before it was shattered by a disheveled figure.

The figure kicked off a tree trunk, performed a mid-air somersault, and landed on one knee, bracing himself with both hands against the ground.

"Cough!"

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Shisui felt his vision blurring. If he did not receive treatment soon, his life would come to an end.

Shisui was fighting with all his might to escape, not out of fear of death, but because he had to prevent Danzo from obtaining his Mangekyo Sharingan. At the same time, he needed to pass the power of his eyes to the Uchiha Clan. The two people he trusted most were Sasuke and Itachi.

"No matter what, I must see Itachi and Sasuke..."

He murmured softly, cast a glance at the pitch-black forest behind him, and endured the pain to lunge forward, his figure darting into the woods ahead.

Following Shisui's departure, the area slowly fell back into silence. About five minutes later, three shadows burst out from the dense forest.

"This must have been left by Shisui. He is just ahead, let's pursue!"

Carefully scanning the surroundings, a Root member spotted bloodstains on the ground and spoke in a low voice.

Nodding, the other two members immediately followed him as they flew forward.

In the forest, Shisui's figure flashed rapidly between tree trunks. Each time his toes tapped against the bark, he utilized the momentum to propel himself a great distance.

However, three figures were in hot pursuit behind him. Their speed was superior to Shisui's, and as a result, the distance between them was closing.

"Damn it, I didn't expect the people from Root to track me so quickly!"

Glancing back at the three figures in pursuit, Shisui gritted his teeth and complained under his breath. If not for his injuries, 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 attached with Explosive Tags and threw them rapidly to prevent Shisui from fleeing further.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

The sound of air being torn apart sent a chill through Shisui's heart, and he dodged by pure reflex.

"BOOM!"

As flames splattered in mid-air, a massive explosion echoed throughout the entire forest, startling the beasts that were preparing to rest and sending them scurrying in panic.

At the other end of the forest, hearing the loud blast, Sasuke and Itachi, who were leaping across the tree trunks, suddenly stopped.

"Brother, there is a situation over there. Let's go!"

Knowing that a battle must be taking place where the explosion occurred and fearing it might be Shisui, Sasuke urged.

"It's very close!" Itachi nodded, then said softly, "Sasuke, be careful later. Do not rush in recklessly."

The severe injuries Sasuke had sustained last time still left Itachi feeling lingering fear, so he did not want Sasuke to suffer any harm.

"Don't worry, Brother! I won't hold you back."

Smiling slightly, Sasuke instantly activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Knowing that Danzo's subordinates were all elite ninja, he would certainly not be careless.

Seeing that Sasuke had activated his Sharingan, Itachi said no more, and the two accelerated, rushing toward the direction of the explosion.

As the sound of the explosion gradually faded, the forest fell back into silence once more.

Three members of Root landed on the ground and began a meticulous search, confirming that Shisui, who had not been killed by the Explosive Tag, was nearby, though they did not know where he was hiding.

Eyes darting constantly around the eerie silence, Tuorong felt his thoughts shift slightly; logically, Shisui, unable to escape, should have emerged to fight and stall for time, as every passing moment worked against him. After all, the recent explosion would only draw more members of Root to the scene.

However, just as Tuorong's mind wandered, movement stirred in the bushes below, and a Kunai suddenly shot out.

"Is he there?!"

The moment the bushes moved, Tuorong sensed it immediately and easily dodged the Kunai. Guessing that Shisui was hiding inside, he slowly approached the thicket, intending to launch a surprise attack.

"Ah..."

Yet, before Tuorong had taken more than a few steps, a shrill scream rang out; he saw his companion not far to his right being stabbed and brought down by the suddenly appearing Shisui.

"Earth Style: Earth Binding!"

Not expecting Shisui to be so fast, Tuorong clapped his hands together and hurriedly formed hand seals.

"Damn it!"

Having killed a member of Root in a flash, Shisui had intended to leave immediately, but a pair of hands formed from mud suddenly erupted from the ground, tightly gripping his ankles.

Under normal circumstances, Shisui could have easily evaded this restraint with his Body Flicker, but his chakra was completely exhausted; otherwise, he would not have had to rely on taijutsu and sneak attacks to kill his enemies.

This is truly the end now...

He tried to struggle free from the grip of the earthen hands, but Shisui found it completely futile, and despair gradually began to fill his heart.

"Shisui, stop struggling and go in peace!"

Seeing Shisui's legs trembling with effort, Qinyu, another of Tuorong's teammates, suddenly pulled out a Kunai, stomped his foot, and charged rapidly toward Shisui.