Mist filled the forest, making it difficult to see.
Yusuke had his Sensory Ninjutsu running at full power. His chakra spread like invisible threads through the surroundings, sensing even the slightest movement.
The Shadow Clones posing as "Hyuga Aya" and "Inuzuka Go" stood on either side of "Kushina," shielding her as they warily watched the area.
They had traveled barely ten miles from camp when they entered a dense stretch of forest flanked by steep slopes. There, at the edge of Yusuke's senses, several chilling chakra signatures suddenly stirred.
"This old bastard really is up to something." He stopped. In the mist ahead, ten figures slowly emerged like ghosts, blocking the path.
At their head stood Shimura Danzō.
Leaning on his trademark cane, he watched Yusuke with a cold eye, as if looking at a dead man.
Nine elite Root operatives wearing different animal masks stood beside him. They were ramrod straight, their killing intent almost tangible.
The chakra signatures of all nine Root operatives had reached the level of an elite jonin. Three had even surpassed ordinary elite jonin and reached the level of top-tier elite jonin.
"Yusuke, it's been a long time."
"Hand over this member of the Uzumaki Clan and whatever you obtained from the Uzumaki Clan."
"I might consider letting you die quickly."
Danzō's low, hoarse voice broke the forest's silence, pressing down on them with unquestionable authority.
Yusuke stopped and swept his gaze over Danzō and the nine elite Root operatives behind him.
Looks like this is going to be a tough fight. Yusuke thought to himself.
At his words, the Shadow Clones posing as "Hyuga Aya" and "Inuzuka Go" immediately stepped forward.
They shielded "Kushina" completely, taking up standard combat stances.
"Lord Danzō, in such a hurry? You can't even be bothered to keep up appearances?"
"What an ugly way to grab what you want."
Yusuke's lips curled into an undisguised sneer.
Danzō narrowed his one eye, a cold glint flashing in it. He said no more, merely giving a slight wave of the hand that gripped his cane. "Stubborn fool! Kill him!"
At his command, the nine elite Root operatives vanished from where they stood.
"Protect 'Kushina'!" Yusuke ordered, his voice cold.
The Shadow Clones posing as "Hyuga Aya" and "Inuzuka Go" immediately responded.
"Hyuga Aya" took up the opening stance of the Gentle Fist, while "Inuzuka Go" and "Haimaru," also formed from chakra, growled as they charged the enemies on the left.
Yusuke's real body swung his greatsword, lightning flaring, and charged head-on at the densest cluster of enemies on the right.
The battle turned white-hot in an instant.
"Clang!"
Yusuke's greatsword crashed against the short blade of a Root elite jonin. Lightning raced along the blade, numbing the man's arm.
But another enemy's kunai was already slipping silently toward Yusuke's ribs.
Yusuke shifted his footing and barely evaded it, then swept his greatsword around to drive back a third attacker.
"Genjutsu: Mist Servant Technique!"
He split his focus and cast a genjutsu on the nearest enemy.
Sword afterimage after sword afterimage filled the man's vision, and his movements faltered.
Yusuke seized the opening. His greatsword struck like a venomous snake, lightning flashed, and the blade pierced straight through the man's chest!
"The first." Yusuke's cold voice rang out.
On the left, the Shadow Clone posing as "Inuzuka Go" roared and fought with reckless abandon. He and his dog used Gatsuga, taking an enemy down with them before dissolving into white smoke.
Almost at the same time, the Shadow Clone posing as "Hyuga Aya" was dispelled by two enemies working together.
"Heh, I see. Shadow Clones? Clever." Danzō let out a hoarse laugh and thumped his cane against the ground.
Killing intent practically hardened in his one eye.
Yusuke's strength had exceeded his expectations, and his careful planning made it all the more certain that Danzō had to kill him here.
"Take him alive."
"I want to see how long you can hold out!" Danzō's voice was icy.
Seeing that his plan had been exposed, Yusuke dispelled his remaining Shadow Clone to avoid wasting chakra.
The pressure on him surged. The eight remaining Root shinobi worked together even more smoothly, their attacks coming in like a tide.
Yusuke fought while retreating. Lightning and flames flickered on his sword, and every swing carried a fierce attack infused with chakra nature transformation.
"Flying Thunder God!"
Spotting an opening in the attack of one elite jonin, Yusuke hurled a specially made kunai and instantly appeared at the man's flank.
"Pfft!"
His greatsword traced a vicious arc. The elite jonin clutched his spurting throat and fell.
"The third." Yusuke's icy voice rang out again, like the King of Hell calling out names.
"What? Flying Thunder God Technique!" Shimura Danzō's expression darkened. "You actually learned the Flying Thunder God Technique."
It was an S-rank forbidden technique. He hadn't expected this boy to learn it.
The six remaining Root shinobi, including two elite jonin, attacked with even greater ferocity, throwing caution aside and fighting as if their lives depended on it.
Three murderous attacks locked onto Yusuke from different angles.
They came from the two Root elite jonin and a jonin skilled in speed and assassination.
One attacked head-on, wielding a short blade in each hand, both wrapped in Wind Release chakra. His blades became a storm of flashing steel.
Another crept behind Yusuke and silently thrust a short blade toward his back, the angle viciously precise.
The third leaped high into the air, finishing his Hand Seals. "Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Several high-pressure spheres of wind howled down, blocking Yusuke's escape routes and even covering the landing points of his two Flying Thunder God Kunai.
Yusuke's pupils contracted. The killing move was vicious.
With his body as it was, taking that attack head-on would leave him dead or crippled.
But it wasn't the time to use Incursio, either. He couldn't be sure he could kill everyone within Incursio's maximum duration of two and a half minutes.
"Genjutsu: Cicada Time-Gap!"
He instantly cast genjutsu on the enemies in front of him and above.
The elite jonin ahead saw his vision blur, and his thrust faltered for an almost imperceptible moment.
The shinobi above, maintaining the Wind Release technique, also suffered a momentary disruption in the flow of chakra sustaining his Hand Seals.
Now!
Rather than clash head-on, Yusuke took advantage of the tiny opening created by the genjutsu and slipped sideways like a loach.
At the same time, he threw another specially made kunai at the Root elite jonin behind him.
The elite jonin attacking from behind knocked the incoming kunai away.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Whirr!
Yusuke vanished again and appeared at the kunai's landing point. But this time, his opponent was ready.
"Not so fast." The elite jonin followed like a shadow and slashed at Yusuke almost the instant he appeared.
No wonder he'd been assigned to ambush Yusuke—he was simply too fast!
"Clang! Clang!"
Yusuke hurriedly parried with his sword, sending sparks flying.
The tremendous force numbed his arm and drove him back again and again.
He tried to open up the distance once more, but the other two shinobi had already recovered from the genjutsu.
They joined the three remaining ordinary jonin to encircle him. Their attacks swept in like a tide, giving him no chance to catch his breath.
Yusuke relied on his exceptional reflexes and the Flying Thunder God Kunai to keep moving, but he was still in constant danger.
His chakra was draining rapidly. Several wounds had opened on his body. None were fatal, but the blood kept flowing, and his movements were beginning to slow.
"Pfft!"
One ordinary jonin let Yusuke cut his arm, but managed to drive a kunai into Yusuke's left shoulder.
Yusuke grunted and struck back, killing him with a single swing.
But the price was that his back was left completely exposed.
"Got you!" A cruel glint flashed in the elite jonin's eyes as he thrust his short blade straight toward Yusuke's heart.
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