Beheading

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

The grass rustled twice in the distance. Uchiha Katsumi and the two Root operatives drew Kunai from their waists. One of the Root members even reached into his tool pouch, slipping his fingers inside.

The faint pattern of an Explosive Tag was visible. The three held their breath and watched the grass. Suddenly, a large white rabbit twitched its nose and hopped out.

The three immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they were on Uchiha territory. Although all three were elite jonin, they knew full well—

If anyone discovered them, there was little chance they'd get away. So they had to stay on high alert at the slightest rustle.

If they were discovered, they had to eliminate the person immediately and then pluck out their eyes for good measure. They'd heard that one of their colleagues had once given Lord Danzo two Sharingan and become one of his favorites. He no longer had to risk his life in battle.

So the Root operatives had come to accept one thing: if they got their hands on a Sharingan, they would earn Lord Danzo's favor, leave Root, and reunite with their families!

If Viper weren't currently a Uchiha Clan spy—and if relations between the village and the Uchiha Clan weren't so tense—the two Anbu would definitely have taken Viper's head and plucked out both his eyes.

"It's just a little rabbit. What a relief." One of the Root shinobi even took a carrot out of her pack.

The little white rabbit didn't approach the carrot right away. It watched the three of them first, and only went over to nibble once it was sure they meant no harm.

Suddenly, the Root kunoichi holding the carrot brightened. She picked up the rabbit and stroked it for a while.

Viper and the other man smiled faintly at the sight and were just about to resume their conversation when the woman shuddered.

She looked into the rabbit's eyes. They were red, but their pupils had the pattern of Uchiha Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan. In just a second, the Root kunoichi lost control of her body.

Her consciousness was trapped inside her, and she could only watch helplessly as someone else controlled her body.

The kunoichi, who had been petting the rabbit, set it down. It hopped toward the woods and soon vanished without a trace.

She slowly got to her feet. Since she was wearing a Root animal mask, the two men couldn't see her expression change.

She quietly walked up to the male Root operative. He teased her, "All done, Fox?"

"You're still as fond of little animals as ever. Viper just told me what's happening today. The Uchiha are about to rebel, and there's no time to lose, so..." Before he could finish, a Kunai stabbed through his back and into his chest.

The male Root operative's pupils contracted. He turned his face to the side and looked at Fox out of the corner of his eye.

"Why... why?" he asked in a trembling voice. He couldn't understand. He had always treated Fox well, and the two of them had worked together for three years. They'd always been in perfect sync.

Why would Fox kill him? His heart was filled with despair. Gritting his teeth against the pain, the Root operative pulled out the Kunai and turned to face Fox.

But he found tears welling beneath her mask. Confused, he removed Fox's mask and saw a blood-red pattern in her pupils, one he'd never seen before.

He realized Fox was being controlled. But with his heart pierced, there was no chance he'd survive. He gave Fox's beautiful cheek one last caress.

"Looks like this is my fate. You have to live." With that, his eyes glazed over, and he died in Fox's arms.

Inside the Consciousness Space in Fox's mind, she struggled as hard as she could, but she couldn't return to her body. All she could do was watch herself kill her comrade.

Viper was stunned. He stared at Fox in confusion. "Fox, why did you kill Gray Wolf?" He had seen how Gray Wolf felt about her.

How could such a loving couple end up killing each other?

Fox said nothing. Gray Wolf had removed her mask, and her breathtaking face was now fully exposed to Viper.

Fox tossed Gray Wolf's body aside, then charged at Uchiha Katsumi. One step, two steps, then she accelerated.

Uchiha Katsumi was stunned, but after seeing what had happened to Gray Wolf, he wasn't about to sit back and wait to die! He drew the katana issued by the Uchiha Clan and swung it at Fox.

Clang!

Fox's Kunai collided with Uchiha Katsumi's katana, sending sparks flying!

"Fox, have you lost your mind? You killed Gray Wolf, and now you're trying to kill me! Don't forget, we all serve Lord Danzo!" Uchiha Katsumi frowned.

Fox ignored him. She formed Hand Seals with both hands. "Body Flicker Technique!"

A gust of wind swept by, and Fox appeared behind Viper. Seizing her chance, she thrust her Kunai toward Uchiha Katsumi's heart!

Poof!

A cloud of smoke appeared. The spot where Uchiha Katsumi had been standing was now occupied by a wooden post!

Substitution Technique!

"Die!" A crazed look appeared in Uchiha Katsumi's eyes. He didn't know why Fox had turned on them, but he understood that if he didn't fight back, he'd be the one to die.

He couldn't die. Absolutely not! Uchiha Katsumi held nothing back. His strike was powerful, but he'd made one miscalculation.

Fox's lips curled upward. An Explosive Tag was pinched between her index and middle fingers! Uchiha Katsumi went pale. He had already seen Fox channel chakra into the tag.

The tag's black markings began to turn red. Then came the sound of an explosion!

Boom!

Flames soared into the sky, swallowing Fox and Uchiha Katsumi in a brilliant blaze.

The explosion also caught the attention of the Uchiha patrol. Three Uchiha jonin rushed toward Naka Shrine.

The scene

Fox had been blown to pieces, with body parts and fragments scattered across the ground. Uchiha Katsumi, meanwhile, had lost half his body, and his internal organs were exposed.

He was stunned. Why had this happened? Why? Why had Fox gone mad? As he neared death, he lamented that his life was coming to an end here.

Uchiha Izuna emerged from the woods. He held a katana, its tip pointed at the ground, and walked toward Uchiha Katsumi with a calm expression.

"How does it feel to be killed by your own comrade?" Uchiha Izuna taunted.

At the sound of his voice, Uchiha Katsumi turned his head toward him. Suddenly, he understood. So that's how it is.

He coughed twice. "I lost. But I'm curious—how did you know I was a traitor?"

"Ask the Sage of Six Paths after you die." Uchiha Izuna couldn't be bothered with him. Gripping the katana with both hands, he drove it into Uchiha Katsumi's throat.

Uchiha Katsumi gave a muffled groan, a trace of relief in his eyes.

Uchiha Izuna's expression darkened. He twisted the katana and slashed!

Whoosh!

Uchiha Katsumi was beheaded.