The Might of the Gale Sword!

"Sigh, it's over..."

Watching the sharp Kunai thrust toward him, Shisui prepared to close his eyes in despair.

However, at that very instant, a figure suddenly appeared before Shisui, eyes shifting to reveal the three-tomoe Sharingan.

"Itachi!"

Gazing at that familiar back, Shisui was momentarily stunned, and then, ecstasy instantly flooded his despair-stricken face.

"Oh no, it's Itachi!"

Qinyu was also struck with terror upon seeing Itachi. Clearly, he had not expected Itachi to appear so suddenly at this critical juncture.

"Ah!"

Just as Qinyu was reeling in shock, his body was suddenly pierced by giant wedges, and the Kunai that was about to touch Itachi froze in mid-air.

"Is this a Genjutsu?"

Although he knew this was Itachi's Genjutsu, Qinyu remained motionless, feeling the visceral, realistic pain.

The Genjutsu Qinyu was currently trapped in was none other than Itachi's Tsukuyomi-like Binding Technique.

The characteristic of this technique was that within the mental world constructed by the caster, the victim would feel as if wedges were being driven into their limbs, completely stripping them of bodily freedom while simultaneously inducing the illusion of physical pain!

The Binding Technique could restrain an opponent's movements; it required no hand seals, only eye contact with the Sharingan to activate.

"Shing!"

Seeing Qinyu bound by his Genjutsu, Itachi drew the blade from his back and swiftly pierced Qinyu's heart.

Having entered the Anbu, Itachi naturally possessed the resolve to kill decisively. If he did not eliminate Qinyu, it would certainly be disadvantageous for Itachi if Danzo discovered who had rescued Shisui.

"Qinyu!"

Seeing Qinyu struck down by Itachi, Tuorong, who was maintaining the binding technique, shouted in panic.

"You'd better worry about yourself!"

A low voice rang out as Sasuke suddenly appeared behind Tuorong, his blade slashing down fiercely.

Tuorong was considered an excellent ninja; perhaps sensing the impending danger, he stomped his foot against the ground and shifted his body unnaturally to the left, successfully dodging Sasuke's attack.

However, because Tuorong had moved, he could no longer maintain the binding technique, and the earthen mound beneath Shisui's feet instantly crumbled.

The moment the earth shattered, Shisui collapsed, weak and limp, but fortunately, Itachi caught him just in time.

"Sasuke, let me handle him!"

Worried that Sasuke was no match for Tuorong, Itachi immediately called out.

"Brother, you take care of Shisui; I'll handle this!"

Giving Itachi a faint smile, Sasuke responded with confidence.

Hearing Sasuke's words, Tuorong grew angry and snapped, "Brat, do you dare look down on me?"

Although he wasn't certain he could defeat Itachi, the fact that a brat who looked only six or seven years old like Sasuke wanted to kill him made Tuorong feel deeply insulted.

"Enough talk, come on..."

His Sharingan began to spin, and Sasuke gripped his blade tightly, stomped his foot hard against the ground, and charged toward Tuorong.

I'll capture Itachi's younger brother later and use him to threaten Itachi into handing over Shisui...

A brilliant plan flashed through his mind, and Tuorong sneered. Suddenly, rock condensed around his right arm, manifesting a thick, stony limb.

After using the Rock Fist Technique, Tuorong did not retreat in the face of Sasuke's assault. Instead, he took a step forward, his rock fist carrying a powerful force as he met the sharp blade head-on.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of collision rippled out from where the two clashed.

Seeing his attack blocked by Tuorong's rock fist, Sasuke did not lose heart and continued to slash with his blade. Tuorong remained vigilant, using his rock fist like a shield for tight defense.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

As the two engaged in this dazzling display of attack and defense, the crisp sounds of collision rang out in rapid succession.

As the battle grew more intense, Tuorong, who had initially been dismissive due to Sasuke's age, began to feel slightly alarmed.

He had not expected Sasuke's attack speed to be so fast. If he continued to defend like this, he would struggle; after all, wielding the heavy rock arm was extremely draining.

I need to end this quickly. If the other guys from Root find out I've been held up by a brat for so long, I'll likely become the laughingstock of the organization.

With this thought flashing through his mind, Tuorong's expression gradually turned ferocious.

"Clang!"

After knocking the blade away with his fist again, Tuorong used the Body Flicker technique to suddenly appear behind Sasuke.

"Brat, it's over!"

Confident that one punch would knock Sasuke unconscious, Tuorong swung his fist down with all his might.

"Sasuke, watch out!"

Given the momentum of Tuorong's strike, if it connected, Sasuke would likely be severely injured, if not killed, and lose his ability to fight. Seeing this, Shisui and Itachi, who were watching the battle, both shouted a warning.

"Bang!"

As the massive rock fist collided with Sasuke, his body instantly transformed into a log amidst a puff of white mist.

"Substitution Technique?"

Staring at the log, a flash of confusion first crossed Tuorong's eyes, but his pupils immediately constricted to pinpricks. A look of horror flooded his face, making it appear exceptionally unsightly.

"Uchiha Style: Gale Sword!"

With a low shout, Sasuke, having deceived Tuorong with the Substitution Technique, appeared behind him and brought a Flame Blade down hard upon his body.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a shrill scream, Tuorong collapsed heavily to the ground, his pale face, still frozen in a mask of lingering terror, exposed to the gaze of everyone present.

"Sasuke, you've grown a lot!"

Itachi nodded with gratification at Sasuke's performance just now.

"Sasuke... your use of the Gale Sword was excellent!"

Ignoring the pain in his body, Shisui took a deep breath and smiled at the approaching Sasuke.

"Shisui, I'm sorry, we're late."

Looking at the pale, blood-soaked Shisui, Sasuke's eyes turned red, his voice slightly hoarse.

Before he could respond, Shisui's body suddenly trembled violently, and a large amount of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Brother, do you know anyone in the Uchiha Clan who can use medical ninjutsu?"

Knowing that Shisui's condition was extremely critical, Sasuke asked urgently.

"Let's go, find Izumi!"

Hearing Sasuke's words, Itachi hoisted Shisui onto his back and left without a moment's hesitation.

Not knowing who the Izumi mentioned by Itachi was, Sasuke hurried to follow.

After Itachi and Sasuke left, the area returned to silence, with only the lingering scent of blood serving as evidence of the fierce battle that had taken place.

This silence did not last long before it was broken by the sound of figures cutting through the wind from the bushes. Moments later, numerous members of Root flew in.

Finally, the figure of Danzo slowly appeared on the ground. He stared at the three corpses in disbelief, and after a long while, he drew a sharp breath.

"Lord Danzo, Qinyu was caught in a Genjutsu before he died. It must have been someone from the Uchiha Clan who rescued Shisui!"

A member of Root carefully examined the bodies, then swallowed hard and whispered.

Upon hearing this, Danzo's eyes closed slightly. When he opened them again, they were filled with chilling malice: "The Uchiha Clan! From now on, no one will ever know of this clan again!"

As his voice fell, Danzo turned and walked away, his expression appearing exceptionally sinister.