This was the place where Danzo conducted human experiments. It looked dark and sinister.
Like many others, he had once been one of Orochimaru's subordinates, responsible for recording data from those horrifying experiments. The room where I'd tied him up earlier had been used to store those records.
After Orochimaru defected, these people had been forced to take over in a hurry and continue the research.
He'd been trying to find information on Wood Release transplantation, which gave me the opening I needed.
Danzo only came here once every half month, and there were still several days before his next visit. Unless our research made a major breakthrough, he wouldn't show up early. When I asked him about anything else, he knew nothing.
Once I was sure I couldn't get any more information from him, the Sharingan in my eyes turned slightly, and he slumped limply to the floor.
To make sure my actions weren't exposed, I temporarily sealed his memories. As long as no one deliberately investigated, no one would notice anything unusual. Before leaving, I also made him look as if he'd grown exhausted from searching through the records and fallen asleep.
Now that I knew Danzo wasn't here, I quickly slipped away and headed for the next base.
As soon as Uchiha Chen arrived, he keenly sensed that the security here was several times stronger than at the previous base.
Uchiha Chen used Kamui to slip inside unnoticed, only to discover that the place was a huge training ground.
Numerous training areas of various sizes were arranged throughout the grounds. To his surprise, a group of children no older than ten or so were fighting each other fiercely, their young faces at odds with the violence of their battle.
A group of Root shinobi stood beside them, wearing masks and radiating a cold air. They merely watched in silence, as if judging the children's performance.
Whenever a child died, the others who were still alive would pick up the body and throw it into a deep pit.
Uchiha Chen moved closer to look. The pit was packed with bones. Some of the bodies had only just died and were still fresh; others had already begun to rot, and most were nothing but piles of white bones.
Even Uchiha Chen, who had already faced death twice, couldn't help shivering at the sight.
Just then, a faint call to assemble reached Uchiha Chen's ears.
Following the Root shinobi gathering in response, he easily spotted Shimura Danzō standing quietly on a set of steps.
Danzō stood there, gazing solemnly at the assembled shinobi. His voice was low and serious. "The Fourth Hokage has taken the Uchiha Clan's report at face value and believes shinobi from another village are trying to steal Konoha's Kekkei Genkai. The Anbu don't have enough people to patrol, so they've come to ask Root for support."
A superior smirk flashed across Danzō's eyes, but he said nothing more. Then he ordered, "The five squads will head out to provide support at once. Try to stay close to the Uchiha Clan."
As he spoke, he casually pulled a photograph from his sleeve and pointed to the man in it. "Keep an eye out for the man in this picture. If you find him, do your utmost to eliminate him without attracting anyone's attention."
With that, he handed the photograph to his deputy and had him pass it around. Once everyone had seen it, Uchiha Chen, who was still hidden around the corner, used his Sharingan-enhanced eyesight to make out the picture in the firelight shining through the wall.
He took a closer look and was astonished to discover that the man in the picture was none other than himself! At that moment, he felt a surge of resentment toward Shimura Danzō, whose every thought seemed bent on killing him.
"Yes, sir!"
The Root shinobi answered in unison. Danzō waved his hand, and the five squads vanished in the blink of an eye.
Only after confirming that everyone had left did Shimura Danzō let out a deep sigh.
Ever since the Fire Killing Squad had set out, a powerful sense of unease had inexplicably weighed on him. But strangely, given the three men's strength, they should have had a good chance of succeeding even on a difficult mission like assassinating Uchiha Fugaku.
Could Uchiha Chen really be stronger than him? Confusion filled Danzō's eyes.
So, when that unease had reached its peak just moments ago, the Fourth Hokage's orders had arrived at just the right time. Danzō had immediately sent his men to investigate.
If Uchiha Chen was already dead, they could pretend none of it had happened. If he was still alive, he was surely badly wounded, and the Root shinobi who had just set out could prove useful.
But at that very moment, a figure gradually appeared before Danzō's eyes.
The instant he caught sight of the figure, one thought flashed through Danzō's mind: Root had been infiltrated!
Chakra surged through his legs. He pushed off hard and appeared behind the intruder with the Body Flicker Technique.
The deputy who had been standing beside Danzō finally came to his senses. Chakra coursed through him, and he swiftly unleashed an A-rank Fire Release technique.
The blazing light illuminated the dim hall, making Uchiha Chen's figure seem all the more illusory.
Watching the intruder about to be destroyed, Danzō slowly sneered. "I don't know how you managed to get in here, but since you've come, you'll never leave!"
Then he prepared to calmly enjoy the sight of the intruder burning to a crisp.
Unexpectedly, Uchiha Chen didn't defend himself against the Fire Release. He simply turned around slowly.
In the next moment, his eyes met Danzō's, which were tinged with shock.
The flames burned behind Uchiha Chen, but beneath the force of his presence, they seemed like loyal servants guarding him.
Suddenly, the Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in Uchiha Chen's eyes, making Danzō's heart skip. Before he could react, he was already frozen in place.
Standing amid the tongues of flame, Uchiha Chen looked like an emperor, basking in their embrace.
After a long while, the flames finally died down. Uchiha Chen stood there without a scratch, as if the scorching waves had been no more than a gentle breeze.
Just then, the deputy, frantic with worry, rushed forward without hesitation and blocked Uchiha Chen's view. "Lord Danzō, this man has come with ill intentions. I'm afraid I can't hold him off with my strength.
Please leave at once, my lord. I'll do everything I can to buy you enough time!"
Before his voice had even faded, he gathered his chakra again, preparing to attack once more.
But at that critical moment, the unexpected happened. A faint "pfft" rang out, and blood suddenly gushed from the deputy's mouth.
The loyal subordinate's body went limp, and he fell to the ground.
In the final moments of his life, he saw the man he had always respected, Lord Danzō, kneeling before the invader, cringing and fawning on him.
The sight struck at his nerves. As his consciousness faded, he breathed his last.