The Root's Gaze

That same evening, in the forest on the outskirts of the Uchiha clan grounds.

The sun was setting, and the golden afterglow filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows upon the ground. This forest was a frequent training ground for the Uchiha, but today, it felt unusually quiet.

Six-year-old Xingye came to the depths of the forest alone, planning to test the capabilities of his Byakugan.

Although he already possessed the Byakugan, he had never truly used it. The Byakugan granted by his Otsutsuki bloodline was even more powerful than that of the ordinary Hyuga clan; it was said to be able to see further and pierce through deeper chakra flows.

Xingye stood beneath a large tree, took a deep breath, and slowly activated his Byakugan.

In an instant, his field of vision underwent a world-shaking transformation.

A 360-degree omnidirectional view, with no blind spots. Everything within a radius of several kilometers was clearly presented before his eyes—trees, rocks, small animals, and even the flow of chakra beneath the earth.

So this is the power of the Byakugan... Xingye marveled. Truly the pinnacle of reconnaissance-type bloodline limits.

Just as he was immersed in his newfound power, the Byakugan suddenly captured three abnormal chakra flows.

In the nearby woods, three people were hiding behind tree trunks, their chakra suppressed to the minimum, undetectable to ordinary ninja. But the Byakugan could clearly see their silhouettes and the uncomfortable aura they exuded.

Root... Xingye sneered inwardly.

These people wore special attire and masks, their chakra carrying a distinct intent to kill. They were not ordinary ninja, but members of Root—the elite Anbu unit directly under the Hokage, and Danzo's sharpest blade.

Xingye did not immediately expose them, instead pretending to be unaware as he continued to "test" the abilities of his Byakugan.

He deliberately revealed a few openings, such as pretending not to see a certain direction or slowing his movements. These were baits to lure Root into making a move.

As expected, the Root members took the bait.

Seeing Xingye's "unprepared" appearance, they believed this to be an excellent opportunity. Thus, all three launched an attack simultaneously.

"Move!" the leader of the Root members hissed. Three figures lunged out from behind the trees, the kunai in their hands flashing with cold light.

The corners of Xingye's mouth curled up slightly as his Sharingan activated instantly.

The three-tomoe Sharingan clearly captured the movement trajectories of the three men, while the 360-degree vision of the Byakugan ensured there were no blind spots. Xingye's body moved like a phantom, easily evading every attack.

"What?!" The Root members were shocked.

Their attacks had missed, and Xingye's figure had already appeared behind them.

"You want to kill me?" Xingye's voice was soft, yet carried a chilling murderous intent. "The reason?"

The lead Root member calmed himself; he knew this child before him was no simple target.

"We are merely conducting a routine patrol and approached to confirm after discovering suspicious individuals," the Root member said. "Why do you possess such strength?"

"Suspicious individuals?" Xingye scoffed. "I am training near the Uchiha clan grounds; what is suspicious about that? You, on the other hand, wearing Root attire and carrying weapons, are clearly here to do me harm."

The Root member fell silent. He could not deny it, for that was indeed the truth.

"Since we have been discovered, there is no other way," the Root member said coldly. "Today, you must die here."

With that, the three launched an attack simultaneously.

This time, they held nothing back.

Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and hidden weapons—the all-encompassing assault descended like a storm. Any ordinary Chunin facing such an attack would undoubtedly die.

But Xingye was no ordinary Chunin.

The powerful physical constitution brought by his Otsutsuki bloodline, combined with the insight of his three-tomoe Sharingan, made Xingye feel as if he were toying with three children. He easily dodged all their attacks and began his counter-assault.

Lightning-style chakra adhered to his hand-blade, emitting a "zizzing" electrical sound.

Lightning Style: Chidori Sharp Spear!

Xingye's hand-blade instantly pierced the chest of one Root member, the powerful current pinning him to the spot.

"Ah—!" The Root member let out a miserable scream before collapsing to the ground, motionless.

The other two Root members were struck with terror; they had not expected this six-year-old child to possess such terrifying strength.

"Retreat!" the lead Root member ordered decisively.

But how could Xingye let them leave so easily?

"Want to leave?" Xingye sneered. "Since you've come, leave something behind."

He activated his Lightning Style again, his speed surging as he instantly caught up to the two fleeing Root members.

Lightning Style: Chidori Current!

The current spread like a net, enveloping the two Root members. They lost the ability to act under the electric shock and collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

The battle ended in less than a minute.

Three Root Jonin had been easily defeated by a six-year-old child.

Xingye retracted his Lightning Style and walked over to the fallen Root members, looking down at them from above.

"Go back and tell Danzo," Xingye's voice was cold. "If you dare to send people to monitor or attack my Uchiha clan again, next time, I will not be so polite."

Having said that, he turned to leave.

But the system notification sounded once more.

[Defeated Root members, lootable traits available]

Xingye felt a stir in his heart, and the system interface immediately displayed the talents of the three Root members:

Root member A: [Earth Style (Green)] [Stealth (Green)] [Assassination Technique (Green)]

Root member B: [Water Style (Green)] [Medical Ninjutsu (White)] [Intelligence Analysis (Blue)]

Root member C: [Wind Style (Green)] [Taijutsu (Blue)] [Anbu Tactics (Blue)]

Xingye selected [Earth Style (Green)], [Stealth (Green)], [Anbu Tactics (Blue)], [Taijutsu (Blue)], and [Intelligence Analysis (Blue)].

[Plunder successful] [Obtained talents: Earth Style (Green), Stealth (Green), Anbu Tactics (Blue), Taijutsu (Blue), Intelligence Analysis (Blue)] [System prompt: Some entries have been upgraded] [Earth Style (Green) → Earth Style (Blue)] [Stealth (Green) → Stealth (Blue)]

Xingye felt the new power surging within him and nodded in satisfaction.

It seems my entry library is becoming increasingly rich, he mused to himself. Earth Style, Stealth, Anbu Tactics... these are all incredibly useful talents.

He did not kill the two surviving Root members, choosing instead to let them return to deliver a message. Killing them would only enrage Danzo and lead to more severe consequences. It was better to let them live and bring fear to Danzo.

Xingye left the forest and returned to the Uchiha clan grounds.

He went straight to his father's room to report what had happened today.

After listening, Fugaku's face turned livid.

"Danzo! That old bastard actually dared to attack my son so blatantly!" Fugaku slammed the table in anger. "We must strike back!"

"Father, calm down," Xingye analyzed coolly. "We cannot confront Danzo directly right now. His strength is formidable, and the power of Root should not be underestimated. If we act now, it will only plunge Konoha into civil war, which is disadvantageous for our Uchiha clan."

Fugaku took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Then tell me, what should we do?" Fugaku looked at his son, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. He had never imagined that his six-year-old son could possess such mature thoughts.

"Endure for now and accumulate strength in the shadows," Xingye said. "At the same time, we can proactively approach Danzo and exploit his ambition. What does Danzo want? He wants power; he wants to control Konoha. If we can make him believe that our Uchiha clan can be his ally, he might stop his hostility toward us."

"An ally?" Fugaku sneered. "A man like Danzo only believes in interests, not allies."

"Then give him enough interest," a cold glint flashed in Xingye's eyes. "For example... some false intelligence, or... some things we intentionally let him obtain."

Fugaku was stunned. He looked at his son as if he were truly seeing him for the first time.

"Xingye, your idea..." Fugaku took a deep breath. "Is excellent. But the risk is high; if Danzo discovers we are using him, the consequences will be severe."

"That is why we must be even more careful," Xingye nodded. "Father, trust me, I have it under control."

Fugaku was silent for a moment, then nodded heavily.

"Fine, I will listen to you. But remember, if the situation turns, stop immediately. I will not let you risk your own life."

"Yes, Father," Xingye bowed respectfully.

After leaving his father's room, Xingye returned to his own.

He stood by the window, gazing at the distant Hokage Building, his eyes flickering with a complex light.

"Danzo, Third Hokage, you are locked in a power struggle, while I am laying out my plans in the dark," Xingye muttered to himself. "In this game of chess, who wins and who loses is still hard to say."

Meanwhile, far away in the office at the Hokage Building, Danzo received the report from his Root members.

"Xingye... to have such strength at six years old..." A flash of killing intent crossed Danzo's eyes. "He must be dealt with as soon as possible. Otherwise, he will become a threat to me."

"But he is not strong enough yet; I can observe him for a while longer," Danzo calmed down. "Once he grows to a certain level, I will eliminate him in one fell swoop."

"Furthermore..." a glint of greed appeared in Danzo's eyes, "if the power within him is truly as strong as the legends say, I might be able to make use of him."

What Danzo did not know was that Xingye was also planning to use him.

The game of chess between the two, played in the shadows, had only just begun.