Root's Methods

After becoming a member of the Anbu, Ling's pace of life suddenly sped up. Aside from daily training, he also had to carry out all kinds of classified missions. Late that night, he had just completed a border patrol and was about to return to his dorm when the system's warning suddenly sounded.

[Tracker detected]

[Number: 3, distance: 50 meters]

[Identification: Root Organization members]

Without letting anything show, Ling changed his route and turned into an alley. In the vision of his Sharingan, three figures wearing bird-faced masks were closing in fast.

"They really never give up."

He deliberately slowed his steps and stopped at a corner. The three Root members immediately surrounded him in a triangular formation.

"Lord Danzo wants to see you," the leading Root member said in an icy voice.

"And if I say no?"

"Then don't blame us for using force."

The three formed hand seals at the same time, working in perfect coordination. But under the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, their movements looked as if they had been slowed down.

"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"

Ling struck first. The genjutsu power of his Two-Tomoe Sharingan threw the three Root members into a brief stiffness. He seized the chance to rush in front of the leader, his kunai pointed straight at the man's throat.

"Tell Danzo to stop getting ideas about me."

Just as he was about to leave, an explosion suddenly came from the distance. Immediately after, the Anbu's emergency communication charm began to vibrate.

"All Anbu members, assemble at Training Ground Three immediately! We have intruders!"

Ling's gaze sharpened, and he immediately used Lightning Flash Body to rush to the scene. The three Root members exchanged a glance, then quickly vanished into the shadows.

***

Training Ground Three had already fallen into a sea of fire. Several Anbu were fighting a group of mysterious ninja, and every ninjutsu the enemy used was something they had never seen before.

"Who are these people?" Ling landed beside Kakashi.

"Intruders from an unknown force." Kakashi's Sharingan was fixed on the battlefield. "Their target seems to be the Scroll of Seals repository."

Ling immediately joined the battle. With the aid of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, he quickly noticed something abnormal—these intruders' chakra flowed in a way completely different from ordinary ninja, more like some kind of artificial product.

[Artificial chakra traits detected]

[Identification: Clone Ninja Technology]

The system's analysis jolted Ling. This technology should not have been developed yet.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Net Binding!"

Lightning turned into a great net that dropped over the enemies. But the other side seemed resistant to Lightning Release and easily broke free of the restraint.

"Useless," one intruder sneered. "Our bodies have undergone special modification."

At that moment, Ling noticed that all of these intruders had the same mark on their arms—that was the emblem of the Root Organization!

"Teacher Kakashi, they're Danzo's men!"

Kakashi also noticed the detail, and his face instantly darkened. "Danzo actually dares to attack the Anbu..."

Once the intruders saw their identities had been exposed, they immediately changed tactics. They no longer aimed to seize the Scroll of Seals and instead began attacking indiscriminately.

"Look out!" Ling pushed an injured Anbu aside, but he himself was caught in the explosion.

Amid the smoke, he saw a familiar figure—Sasuke had actually come to the battlefield too!

"These guys..." Sasuke's Sharingan was already activated. "Their chakra is disgusting."

The two brothers stood back-to-back, their Two-Tomoe Sharingan spinning at the same time. This was their first time coordinating in real combat, yet they displayed astonishing tacit understanding.

"I'll take the left." Sasuke's Chidori began to cry out.

"I've got the right." Ling's Lightning Release gathered on his blade.

Lightning intertwined, and the two brothers moved through the enemy formation like two bolts of lightning. With the cooperation of their Sharingan, every attack they made struck the enemies' vital points with precision.

"So this is... the power of the Uchiha..." an intruder murmured before he died.

The battle soon ended. But just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the last intruder suddenly self-destructed, and the violent shock wave sent Sasuke flying.

"Sasuke!"

Ling caught his younger brother in time, only to discover that at some point, a bizarre curse mark had appeared on his arm.

[New curse mark detected]

[Effect: slowly erodes will]

[Removal method: blood of the caster required]

Ling immediately understood that this was Danzo's plot. He wanted to control Sasuke to threaten him.

"Teacher Kakashi, please seal off the news immediately," Ling said in a low voice. "No one else can know about this."

Kakashi understood at once and immediately arranged for the Anbu to clean up the scene. Ling quickly took Sasuke back to the Uchiha Residence.

In the medical room, Ling tried to use the Four Symbols Seal to suppress the curse mark. But this was a curse mark specially made by Danzo, and ordinary methods were difficult to make work.

"I have to go find Danzo..." Ling clenched his fists.

But at that moment, the system's prompt gave him new hope:

[Mangekyo Sharingan resonance detected]

[Suggestion: use ocular power to forcibly purify the curse mark]

Ling immediately tried. Under the gaze of his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, the curse mark on Sasuke's arm began to slowly fade. Although it could not be completely removed, at least the erosion had been suppressed.

"Brother..." Sasuke weakly opened his eyes. "What were those people?"

"Enemies who shouldn't exist," Ling said softly. "Rest well. I'll handle this."

After leaving the medical room, Ling's face instantly darkened. Danzo had already crossed his bottom line. This hidden struggle had to come to an end.

That night, he came alone to the outskirts of the Root Organization base. In the vision of his Sharingan, the entire base was protected by a powerful barrier.

But Ling noticed that on the eastern side of the base, there was a faint chakra fluctuation—that was the barrier's energy node.

"Found the weak point..."

He slipped in without a sound, ready to teach Danzo a lesson he would never forget.

(Chapter Forty-One, End)