Beyond the Reach of Even Shadows

Shisui raised his head.

"Fugaku, do you suspect they're targeting the clan?"

"I can't be sure."

Fugaku walked to the window and looked toward Hokage Rock in the distance.

"Lieyang never returned after carrying out his mission. The village's answer was that contact had been lost during the mission."

"But after he went missing, Root began leaving the village frequently."

"ANBU surveillance of the Uchiha Clan Compound has also become tighter than before."

Shisui's gaze sharpened slightly.

"You think the two are connected?"

"At the very least, it's possible."

Fugaku turned around.

"Shisui, starting today, keep an eye on Root."

"Especially the movements of Danzo's direct subordinates."

"Where they go, how many people they take, and when they return—I want to know immediately."

Shisui fell silent for several seconds.

"If we're discovered, the higher-ups will think the Uchiha are prying into village secrets."

Fugaku's voice turned cold.

"They haven't been watching the Uchiha for just a day or two."

"Now, large numbers of ninja are dying outside the village without explanation, yet we don't even know what happened."

"If the target this time really is Uchiha clansmen, who can guarantee that the next one won't be you? Won't be me?"

Shisui had no rebuttal.

"I understand."

"I'll investigate Root's movements."

"Don't act rashly."

Fugaku instructed, "Only relay information. Do not make direct contact with them."

"Yes."

Shisui left the archive room.

Fugaku looked again at the list of missing persons on the table.

Beneath the peace, an invisible scent of blood had already drifted into Konoha.

In another mountain forest within the Land of Fire.

A man wearing a spiral mask stood on scorched ground, looking down at a corpse with its throat cut open.

Black Zetsu and White Zetsu slowly emerged from the tree trunks.

White Zetsu looked around.

"Another battlefield."

"This is already the fourth one we've found."

"All the dead are Konoha ninja, and every battle ended quickly."

Obito crouched down and ran his fingers across the corpse's wound.

"The blade struck very accurately."

"The attacker was fast. They weren't given a chance to form hand seals."

Black Zetsu finished examining the traces left around them.

"There was Lightning Release, Fire Release, and Earth Release."

"The chakra traces left across several battlefields belong to the same person."

Obito stood up.

"A battle of this scale happened within the Land of Fire, yet Konoha hasn't released any news."

"And they're still continually deploying manpower outward."

White Zetsu asked with a smile, "Could it be some powerful rogue ninja?"

"An ordinary rogue ninja wouldn't be worth Konoha paying such a heavy price."

Obito looked in Konoha's direction.

Several successive groups of elites had left the village.

There were no enemy corpses at multiple battlefields.

Every Konoha ninja had died.

No matter who the two sides were, this had already exceeded the scope of an ordinary pursuit mission.

"Keep investigating."

Obito ordered the Zetsu.

"Confirm who Konoha is hunting."

"And find out who exactly caused those battles."

The Zetsu's bodies sank back into the tree trunks.

"Leave it to me."

The seventh day after defecting.

Inside a cave far from any road.

Uchiha Lieyang sat cross-legged on the ground.

Thump!

His heart pounded heavily.

The first stage of the Gene Lock opened instantly.

There was no threat of death.

No enemy forcing him.

His mind, will, and bodily instincts converged in the same instant, easily smashing through that genetic shackle.

This was the fifth time he had opened the lock voluntarily.

It was also the third day since he had mastered opening it freely.

The sounds around him abruptly became clear.

The wind rustling leaves outside the cave, a distant stream crashing against rocks, the Shadow Clone Technique lowering its breath as it observed the original body—every subtle change entered his perception.

Lieyang did not act immediately.

He maintained the unlocked state and controlled the flow of chakra throughout his body.

Vast chakra enveloped his muscles, organs, and meridians like an invisible buffer, continuously weakening the damage caused by forcibly releasing his potential.

Ten breaths.

Twenty breaths.

Only when his body neared its limit did Lieyang voluntarily withdraw.

The absolute calm rapidly faded.

Numbing soreness and tearing agony surged through his muscles.

His body trembled slightly, but he did not collapse, much less fall unconscious as he had the first time.

The Shadow Clone Technique had been watching his condition the entire time.

A moment later, it grinned. "The fifth attempt succeeded."

"This time, even your heartbeat didn't go out of control."

Lieyang slowly adjusted his breathing.

"The chakra buffer is more effective than expected."

The Shadow Clone Technique picked up the record scroll.

"A week ago, your total chakra reserves were only at the level of an ordinary special jonin."

"Now, they've reached four times what they were then."

"Your physical strength and mental power have also been continuously improving."

Lieyang's expression remained calm.

This virtuous cycle had now completely taken shape.

Chakra formed an energy buffer, weakening the Gene Lock's backlash.

Repeatedly opening the Gene Lock continuously broke through genetic restraints, squeezed out life's potential, and tempered both body and mind.

A stronger body and mind would then produce chakra of higher quality and greater quantity.

In turn, chakra repaired injuries and stabilized every transformation.

Once the cycle was established, the rate of improvement far exceeded ordinary training.

The Shadow Clone Technique looked at the records, unable to hide its delight.

"Four times the chakra."

"At this pace, it won't be long before your chakra reserves alone surpass those of most jonin."

Lieyang shook his head.

"The improvements are most noticeable in the early stages."

"When the body breaks through its limits for the first time, the potential that had accumulated within it is released in large amounts."

"Once the first stage of the Gene Lock is developed to its limit, the rate of growth will naturally slow."

The Shadow Clone Technique put away the scroll.

"There are still the second, third, and fourth stages."

"This is only the beginning."

Lieyang did not argue.

The Gene Lock had never been about simply strengthening the body.

When truly opening it, one's mind, will, memories, and even every cell's instinct to survive had to be condensed into a single point.

Only by achieving such unity at the level of life's origin could one break free of the limits.

Even the first stage was already like this.

Every stage that followed would only be harsher.

Lieyang rolled his shoulders.

The numbing pain and searing agony were rapidly fading under the nourishment of chakra.

After opening it voluntarily five times, his body had already adapted to the backlash.

His constitution now far surpassed that of ordinary ninja without bloodlines. In terms of vitality alone, it was already enough to rival the average level of the Uzumaki clan.

A faint sound of air being cut suddenly came from outside the cave.

The Shadow Clone Technique responsible for keeping watch entered through the cave entrance.

"Someone's coming."

"How many?"

"Three."

"Root?"

"They aren't wearing identification markings. Their manner of movement is the same as before."

Lieyang stood up.

After a brief rest, more than half of his stamina had already recovered.

"You deal with them."

The Shadow Clone Technique raised a brow.

"The original body isn't making a move?"

"No need."

Lieyang walked out of the cave and headed alone in the opposite direction.

The Shadow Clone Technique raised a hand and ran it over its forehead protector.

A slash ran through the center of the Konoha symbol.

It drew its ninja blade.

Blue-white currents surged from its palm, swiftly covering the blade.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Flash!"

Violent lightning condensed tightly along the blade, becoming a thunderous edge that constantly spat arcs of electricity.

Ahead in the forest, the three Root ninja also spotted it.

"Only one."

"It could be a Shadow Clone Technique."

"Restrict its movements first. Don't let it get close!"

The Root ninja on the far left had just brought his hands together.

Lightning exploded.

The Shadow Clone Technique vanished in an instant.

That ninja's pupils suddenly contracted.

He couldn't see it!

His eyes simply could not catch the direction of the opponent's movement!

"Left!"

The captain shouted a warning based on his senses.

Too late.

A blue-white blade flashed from the left.

The first Root ninja's hands froze before his chest mid-seal, while his head had already flown from his body.

Blood sprayed out.

The other two retreated at once.

"Spread out!"

Lightning erupted beneath the Shadow Clone Technique's feet once more.

It did not move in a fixed straight line.

Its form veered continuously between tree trunks, rocks, and branches, each change of direction so fast that only afterimages remained.

Just as the Root captain locked onto the front, danger closed in from behind and to the side.

He hastily raised his Kunai.

Clang!

The Kunai collided with the lightning blade.

Violent electricity surged into his arm in an instant.

His fingers went numb.

The Kunai fell from his grasp.

With a twist of its wrist, the Shadow Clone Technique slid its blade along the man's arm guard and sliced straight through his throat.

The second man fell.

The last Root ninja's scalp went numb.

He had not even managed to see the enemy's full movements.

Two of his comrades were already dead!

He could not fight at close range.

Nor could he remain here any longer.

He turned and rushed into the forest, his left hand reaching for the communication scroll in his robes.

But lightning lit up the path ahead first.

The Shadow Clone Technique appeared before him.

The Root ninja's pupils contracted sharply. He forcibly changed direction, slashing upward at an angle with his ninja sword.

His blade struck only an afterimage.

The Shadow Clone Technique had already brushed past the side of his attack.

Blue-white lightning flashed through the woods.

The third Root ninja stiffened in place, a bloody line piercing through his heart appearing across his chest.