Underground, Old Mine Town.
Red warning lights flashed frantically.
Yet all three Explosive Tag nodes that should have been remotely detonated had gone dark.
The remaining Root faction members froze.
The "Konoha Purification Plan" they had prepared for years had been forcibly severed the instant it activated!
At the deepest level underground.
Owl looked at the three severed chakra lines on the jutsu array, and his expression finally changed.
"How is that possible?"
"The remote detonation chain was cut off?"
The Root Ninja beside him spoke with a trembling voice:
"It was Uchiha Shingetsu!"
"Him again!"
Owl whipped around.
"Shut up!"
Yet even his fingers were trembling slightly.
Uchiha Shingetsu.
That name had now become the nightmare of the remaining Root faction.
Danzo had fallen because of him.
The Root stronghold had been exposed because of him.
The attempt to seize Shisui's eye had failed because of him.
The Masked Man's plan had been intercepted because of him.
And now, even their final purification plan had been severed by him.
Owl gritted his teeth.
"Since remote detonation has failed, execute the second plan."
"Everyone, defend the core chamber to the death."
"Burn all the documents."
"Dispose of any test subjects we can't take with us."
"Uchiha must never get their hands on Root's final files!"
The Root Ninja replied in unison:
"Yes!"
But just as they turned, Tekka's wild laughter rang out from beyond the corridor.
"You still want to burn them?"
"Go on, try burning one!"
Boom!
Fire Style exploded.
Shouldering a long blade, Tekka was the first to charge into the underground hall.
Behind him, Shisui, Itachi, Fugaku, the Anbu, and the joint Ino-Shika-Cho squad pressed forward in full force.
Protected behind Shisui, Shingetsu's face was pale, but his eyes were frighteningly cold.
Blood still stained the corner