Chapter 77
When Uchiha Itachi arrived, he was mentally prepared, but when he actually received the mission, he still couldn't help but hesitate and waver.
After a long pause, a resolute expression appeared on Uchiha Itachi's face, and he solemnly said:
"No matter how many people are in the stronghold, in this quiet of the night, I can catch them off guard and eliminate them silently!"
Itachi didn't know how many people were in that base, but even if there were many, Itachi estimated that it was no more than one or two squadrons of the Anbu, and probably no more than that.
"Good! It's best that you're so determined. It's midnight now."
Naraku's expression was indifferent. He glanced at the time on the wall, remained silent for a few seconds, and then continued:
"Depart from the entrance of Konoha in fifteen minutes. I will send two absolutely reliable people to assist you. This mission should be kept secret to avoid alerting the enemy. Go!"
Naraku had no intention of summoning the Anbu to assist him. He planned to send Ruofeng and Shisui to help Itachi. With two Mangekyo Sharingan users and Itachi who was suspected of having the Mangekyo, plus Naraku himself going with the Flying Thunder God Technique, there shouldn't be any problems.
Moreover, recruiting Anbu could easily lead to leaks. Although the Anbu are thoroughly vetted, espionage is something that must be guarded against.
The Sarutobi Clan and many other Senju clan leaders had secretly pledged allegiance to them. Given the Uchiha Clan's vast power and influence, it wasn't impossible for one or two disillusioned individuals to survive by selling information as spies.
With Shisui, Ruofeng, Itachi in front of them, and themselves, there was absolutely no possibility that the information had leaked.
"Yes, sir!"
Itachi received the order and disappeared from the room.
Naraku glanced at the breeze in the arena, walked to the window, and gazed intently at the departing figure of Uchiha Itachi, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Uchiha Itachi was incredibly fast, and soon arrived at the village entrance. Once there, Itachi stopped and jumped onto a telephone pole.
"Danzo, for the sake of Konoha's peace, please forgive me..."
Uchiha Itachi remembered the old man who had placed his hopes on him, the nameless hero who had secretly sacrificed for Konoha.
If Danzo succeeds, Konoha erupts into internal strife, then no one in Konoha can remain uninvolved. If the scenario in that dream reflects reality...
Uchiha Itachi, who was perched on a telephone pole, shook his head, a resolute look appearing on his face. He vanished from the telephone pole in Body Flicker Technique, arriving at the entrance of Konoha, where he waited quietly.
Brush!
About five minutes later, a man dressed in traditional Uchiha attire, a high-necked dark blue robe, descended from the sky.
"Teacher Ruofeng?"
Uchiha Itachi carefully examined the person in front of him. It was none other than Uchiha Ruofeng, the headmaster of the clan's Ninjutsu Academy. Itachi had been taught by Ruofeng in the Ninjutsu Academy when he was a child, so he respectfully called him "teacher".
Uchiha Ruofeng's face was solemn, his eyes radiating an eerie red light. After glancing at Itachi, he spat out two words through gritted teeth:
"Lead the way."
Itachi took out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was already 12:15, the time for the mission to gather and depart. The other person had not yet arrived. As a ninja, punctuality is a basic quality.
Itachi glanced at Uchiha Ruofeng, sensing that Uchiha Ruofeng gave him a completely different feeling than usual, and nodded, replying softly:
"Um"
Swish! Swish!
As soon as the words were spoken, the two figures vanished from the spot.
Uchiha Itachi led Uchiha Ruofeng through the forest for more than thirty minutes and were about to arrive at the Root's stronghold.
"Teacher Ruofeng, I've been to this base once before. I'll go down first to clear the way. If there's an explosion underground, then you can come down to provide support."
I'll assassinate them when it's late at night and everyone is asleep.
"Good"
Uchiha Ruofeng had a cold expression and spoke concisely.
Itachi sped up, gaining a lead of several body lengths over Ruofeng. The two hurried along and soon arrived in front of a tall, emerald-green tree.
Uchiha burst through the gap in the tree, his eyes Flash Cut red as he activated his Sharingan. Following the method he used when he followed Danzo into the base last time, he used unsealing talismans to break several barriers before leaping down from the cave entrance.
Uchiha Itachi planned to infiltrate first. If he woke up the people inside and caused a commotion, he could send Ruofeng down to provide support. At that point, the disturbance to the barrier would be irrelevant.
As Uchiha Itachi glided through the passage, he pondered for a moment, then lifted his mask, put it on his head, and revealed his face.
After gliding through the tunnel for about half a minute, the ferret reached the underground.
"Who is it? Uchiha Itachi?"
The two guards noticed the commotion and saw that the person who came down was none other than Uchiha Itachi, the important figure Danzo had invited the Danzo before yesterday.
Pfft! Sizzle!
Uchiha Itachi's eyes glowed with an eerie red light. After briefly hypnotizing and controlling the two with his Sharingan, he drew his sword and slashed them with incredible speed, cutting their necks.
After being roused from the Genjutsu by fatal injuries, one clutched his neck while the other reached for his ninja tool pouch at his waist. Uchiha Itachi once again swung his longsword, severing both of their hands.
The two guards were caught off guard and failed to warn the guards immediately, resulting in their deaths.
After killing the two men, Itachi swiftly caught their falling hands and bodies with his feet, preventing them from making a sound as they fell to the ground.
Itachi's expression was icy. He pulled the mask off his head to cover his face and ran into the base.
Uchiha Itachi only run a short distance from the entrance when a faint light appeared ahead. He leaped out and arrived at the center of the base.
In front of the cave entrance was a cross-shaped wooden bridge, with a small plaza-like facility in the middle. Uchiha Itachi stood at the cave entrance and looked around. There were dozens of similar facilities on the walls of the base, like the cave Itachi was in.
Itachi ran along the wall and rushed into the nearest cave. After running a few steps, he found that the cave was a rest room, where two boys were fast asleep with their eyes closed on the bed.
Pfft! Sizzle!
Uchiha Itachi stepped forward and killed two Root trainees with two slashes. Blood seeped under the bed, and Uchiha Itachi returned the way he came.
At the cave entrance, Uchiha Itachi charged into the nearest cave again. Seven or eight caves followed, all the same as the previous ones, filled with sleeping boys, all ninjas trained by the Root. Itachi showed no mercy and killed them all.
Uchiha Itachi frowned slightly beneath the mask. Killing these people would be effortless, but they weren't his primary target.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Inside the cave, Kunai and Shuriken suddenly shot out. Uchiha Itachi swung his longswords in both hands, slashing away all the Kunai and Shuriken. What came into view were two young ninjas.
Two young ninjas formed hand Hand Seals with indifferent expressions while opening their mouths.
"There is an entry..."
Pfft! Sizzle!
The two tried to shout that there were intruders to wake up the members of the organization and put them on guard, but they were controlled by Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan Genjutsu and were beheaded in an instant.
Uchiha Itachi moved with incredible speed, catching the two bodies and heads, and gently setting them down without making a sound. At the same time, he became cautious, not searching or examining them, but dragging the two corpses into the cave, then returning through the same route to the next cave.