"Shadow Clone Technique!"
After breaking through the encirclement, Natsume immediately used the Shadow Clone Technique, creating five clones that fled in several different directions.
No one should underestimate this B-rank Shadow Clone Technique.
It was a jutsu created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama, specifically to counter the Uchiha Clan, and it was different from the many other Clone Techniques.
It could use chakra to create solid clones.
They were so lifelike that even the Sharingan could barely see through them!
It was certainly effective for escaping.
With ease, the clones drew away most of the pursuers behind Natsume.
"Crack—"
Two cracks rang out.
Thanks to the unique ability of his left Mangekyō Sharingan,
Natsume had easily taken out two pursuing Anbu Ninja.
In a battle between ninja, the most important things were catching your opponent off guard and knowing more than they did.
And the special ability of his Mangekyō Sharingan was one of Natsume's most important trump cards.
So whenever he struck, it was a single, fatal blow!
Natsume would never let anyone who had seen his eyes' unique ability live long enough to reveal it.
He certainly wouldn't be like some hotheaded idiot,
who showed off his eyes' abilities at every opportunity, yet couldn't kill a single person...
That was also why, during the earlier battle,
he had only used Susanoo and hadn't used either eye's unique ability.
There had been too many people around then. Natsume couldn't kill them all.
Besides, from a purely visual standpoint, Susanoo was much more impressive.
After taking out the two pursuers, Natsume continued running.
The Uchiha Clan's compound was already near the edge of the village.
In no time,
Natsume broke through the encirclement, dashed out of the village, and plunged into a dense forest.
At the same time,
the burning pain in his eyes forced Natsume to dispel Susanoo.
On top of that, his chakra was nearly depleted, and his body was exhausted.
There was no doubt about it: Natsume was at the end of his rope.
But if he had dared to openly defect, how could he have done so without making preparations?
Soon,
Natsume slipped into a tree he had chosen in advance and concealed himself among its dense leaves.
He sat cross-legged, slowing his breathing as he prepared to restore his chakra.
With a turn of his right hand, three "pills" glowing faintly appeared in Natsume's palm.
They were all "gifts" he had obtained through the system's paid gacha.
After eating them, he could quickly replenish his chakra and heal his injuries.
They were quite similar to the pills of the Otsutsuki Clan.
They were also what gave Natsume the confidence to unleash his full strength and go head-to-head with Fugaku.
Soon, all three "pills" were down.
In just over ten seconds,
Natsume had recovered more than half his chakra. It was astonishingly fast.
And there were no side effects at all, making them far better than those bland, awful Soldier Pills.
After recovering much of his stamina and mental energy, Natsume didn't leave right away.
Instead, he sent out another Shadow Clone to keep fleeing along the road.
As for his real body, it stayed hidden in the dense woods,
waiting for the right moment.
He had guessed that the old bastard Danzo would inevitably covet his Mangekyō Sharingan.
And so he would pursue Natsume relentlessly.
When that happened, it would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of the "root of all evil"!
Thanks to Danzo, Natsume and the entire Uchiha Clan had spent the past ten years living in Konoha
in constant misery and torment.
So, if he got the chance,
he would definitely try to cut the bastard down in one stroke!
Time passed, second by second.
In just a minute,
Natsume watched three groups of Anbu Ninja rush past, pursuing his Shadow Clone.
Finally,
a dozen or so seconds later, two ninja dressed like Root came running from the distance.
One of them was leading a Ninja Dog with an exceptionally keen sense of smell.
They seemed to be relying on the dog's abilities to track Natsume precisely.
Soon, the two stopped beneath the tree, apparently noticing something.
The next moment,
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
Several objects whistled through the air.
Three Kunai shot into the leafy branches where Natsume was hiding, forcing him to leap out and reveal himself.
Natsume landed "clumsily."
He panted faintly, his face pale, looking utterly drained.
He hurriedly drew a Kunai and stared at the two Root ninja, his expression grave.
He acted out the look of someone "completely spent" to perfection.
Just then,
a figure with a cane and narrowed eyes slowly emerged from the shadows behind the trees.
"Danzo!"
Natsume shouted angrily, his eyes filled with hatred.
"What a cunning little brat! You used Shadow Clones to draw away most of the pursuers and hid your real body here."
"Too bad you still couldn't fool me!"
Danzo let out a contemptuous snort, looking rather pleased.
In his eyes,
this self-important little brat was still far too green.
And by drawing away the other Anbu Ninja, he had made it all the easier for Danzo to capture him.
All he had to do was take the brat's eyes and dispose of the body.
"How did you find me?"
Natsume panted, furrowed his brow, and asked in deliberate surprise.
"That's not something you need to know."
"Your talent far surpassed my expectations. You even surpassed Itachi. At such a young age, you awakened the Mangekyō and Divine Power!"
"Too bad you're still too young. You actually went head-to-head with that fool Fugaku."
"By now, your chakra and ocular power must be exhausted, right?"
"In that case, I'll be taking those Sharingan!"
Danzo sneered, looking utterly confident.
At the same time, he quickly issued a cold order without the slightest hesitation.
"Attack!"
"Be careful not to damage those Sharingan!"
The next moment,
the two Root ninja shot forward, charging straight at Natsume.
Both were among the best in Root, with few among the jonin who could match them.
Of course, they were nowhere near as strong as Fugaku, the head of a clan.
And they were certainly no match for the "Divine Power" of Susanoo.
But capturing or killing a ten-year-old boy who had run out of chakra was well within their abilities.
Too bad for them.
This time, they had picked the wrong opponent.
Just as the two were about to reach Natsume,
"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"
In an instant, this high-level genjutsu sprang into action.
Centered on Natsume, it shrouded the entire area within ten meters.
It forcibly stripped the two Root ninja of their sight.
Then,
"Mangekyō Sharingan: Left Eye: Setsuna!"
"Second Stage: Fourfold Speed Boost—Activate!"
In the darkness,
Natsume activated his left Mangekyō's unique ability, and his speed instantly quadrupled.
It was almost as fast as a high-level Body Flicker Technique.
With a Kunai in hand, he flashed like a streak of light,
covering more than ten meters in an instant.
Meanwhile, the two Root jonin had been blinded by the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique and were overcome with fear.
All they felt was a chill at their throats.
Then they collapsed heavily to the ground, lifeless.
Their throats slit in an instant. One fatal strike!
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