First Clash

"Since you're with Root, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

As soon as Uchiha Yu finished speaking, the mysterious ninja quickly retreated and sped off into the distance.

There was no denying that ninjas were fast!

Uchiha Yu didn't waste any time either. He immediately followed.

Using the Earth Dragon Hiding Technique to race underground, he was every bit as fast as the Root ninja!

After chasing him for several kilometers, the Root ninja reached a forest.

This is my chance!

Uchiha Yu grinned. This was the perfect opportunity to kill the Root ninja!

If he let the man report back, the Uchiha Clan Massacre would be just around the corner!

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!!"

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

In an instant, vast torrents of flame and water appeared out of nowhere.

A massive fire dragon and water dragon burst forth from them!

The Root ninja sensed something was wrong and hurriedly turned around.

"Who's there?"

What kind of opponent could use ninjutsu on this scale?

This was a forest! There wasn't a source of water anywhere nearby, not even a stream.

And yet someone had used Water Release on such a massive scale!

The Root ninja hurriedly leaped to the side. The fire dragon and water dragon exploded behind him!

The Root ninja was sent flying by the shock wave. He slid across the ground for quite a while before crashing into a tree.

The tree creaked and snapped in two.

"Who are you? A traitor from the Uchiha Clan?"

The Root ninja gritted his teeth as he struggled to his feet.

But what he saw left him utterly dumbfounded: standing before him was seven-year-old Uchiha Yu!

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Is My Dad. You can call me Uchiha Is My Dad."

Uchiha Yu smiled without the slightest courtesy.

The Root ninja froze. He muttered the name to himself, then his face suddenly turned livid with rage.

"You little brat! You're dead!"

He pulled out a kunai and charged straight at Uchiha Yu.

So what if he was just a brat? Now that he'd seen me, he had to die here!

Even innocent civilians couldn't be spared!

Root had to get things done cleanly and efficiently. That was what Danzo had always taught them.

Uchiha Yu smiled and immediately swung his fists, engaging the Root ninja in close combat.

With his mastery of Konoha-Style Taijutsu, Uchiha Yu could be called a taijutsu expert.

The Root ninja, kunai in hand, was no match for him at all!

After several exchanges, Uchiha Yu caught the Root ninja by the shoulder and twisted. Crack!

The shoulder popped right out of its socket and hung limp at his side.

"Argh!"

The Root ninja shrieked and stumbled back several steps, clutching his shoulder as cold sweat poured down his face.

It was dislocated!

"Are you really just a kid?"

The Root ninja stared at him in disbelief.

If a seven-year-old child had already reached such heights in taijutsu,

then "genius" alone wasn't enough to describe him!

The Root ninja snorted. He pressed one hand against his shoulder and applied a little force.

Crack!

His shoulder popped back into place.

At the same time, he formed Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Root ninja took a deep breath, then spat out a huge torrent of flames!

"The Great Fireball Technique was invented by the Uchiha Clan. You're just a clumsy imitator!"

Whether or not his opponent understood the idiom, Uchiha Yu focused his chakra in his throat.

A massive ball of flame shot from his mouth!

The terrifying chakra granted to Uchiha Yu by his Sage Body was beyond what ordinary ninjas could match.

Though Uchiha Yu hadn't fully matured yet and couldn't wield power on the same level as Senju Hashirama,

if an ordinary ninja had a mere bucket of chakra, Uchiha Yu had a whole barrel, while Senju Hashirama had an entire tank.

There was still a gap between them!

The enormous fireball surged more than ten meters into the air.

It engulfed the Root ninja's fireball completely!

Then it slammed straight into the Root ninja's chest!

The Root ninja shrieked as his body flew backward. He rolled across the ground several times.

Most of his clothes had been burned to ash. His hair and eyebrows were completely scorched away, and burns covered his entire body.

"How could a snot-nosed kid..."

The Root ninja couldn't believe Uchiha Yu was this powerful.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld."

Uchiha Yu slapped both hands against the ground.

In an instant, a vast swamp appeared beneath the Root ninja's feet and swallowed him up.

In just a few seconds, the swamp had swallowed half his body.

Uchiha Yu walked up to the Root ninja with a cold smile.

"You Root guys sure have nerve, strolling right into our compound like you own the place."

Uchiha Yu looked down and planted a foot on the ninja's head.

The Root ninja froze. "How did you know we were—"

Before he could finish, Uchiha Yu reached down and searched him from head to toe.

A few minutes later, Uchiha Yu pulled his hand back with a look of disgust.

"Do Root ninjas leave home without money? You're so broke. Can't Danzo treat you a little better?"

Uchiha Yu shook his head with a helpless sigh. The Root were all Danzo-trained, loyal-to-the-death operatives. There was no way he'd give them money to spend.

What had he been expecting?

"Tell me, when are you planning to move against Shisui?"

Uchiha Yu patted the Root ninja's cheek.

"How do you even know about that?" The Root ninja's eyes widened.

Just how much did this guy know about Root?

After watching the Root ninja remain silent for a while, Uchiha Yu realized what was going on. He pried open the ninja's mouth and pulled out his tongue.

A black seal was etched at its base.

The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.

"Danzo really is ruthless with you. He doesn't even trust his own people."

Uchiha Yu knew there was no way to force anything out of him now.

He formed Hand Seals again.

The Root ninja sank completely into the swamp.

No body, no evidence!

I can put it off for a while, but not forever!

Uchiha Yu knew perfectly well that for every Root ninja who died, thousands more would come.

"This man's death will alert Danzo, but he's with Root. He deserved to die!"

"My excellence has saddled me with responsibilities no one my age should have to bear."

Uchiha Yu sighed and headed home.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Yu hoped the coup would succeed.

If Danzo died, it would do Konoha more good than harm.

The principles Danzo stood by were not only hidden from public view; they also threatened Konoha's fundamental interests to some degree.

And Sarutobi Hiruzen must have known full well that the Uchiha Clan would be wiped out.

For the Uchiha Clan as things stood, perhaps a coup really was the only way out.

Uchiha Yu let out a long sigh.

What else could he do?

Make money! Lots of money!

With money, he could grow stronger!

Who should he exploit tomorrow?