Root's Vermin Dare to Provoke Me? Exterminate Them!

Uchiha Xuan and Orochimaru's late-night "secret meeting" had been sufficiently discreet, and the contents of their conversation were shocking secrets capable of overturning Konoha.

But in the end, they had underestimated one man—and the dark force in his hands that could infiltrate anywhere.

That man was Shimura Danzo.

And that force was the "Root" he had only recently established, dedicated to handling all his dirty work!

Ever since Uchiha Xuan had publicly humiliated him last time and forced him to personally visit and "invite" Xuan out of retirement, Danzo's wariness and killing intent toward Xuan had climbed to their peak.

In his eyes, Uchiha Xuan's existence was no longer merely a threat to the Uchiha clan. That brat's unfathomable "prophetic" ability, his immeasurable strength, and his utterly uncontrollable arrogant personality were all like poisoned thorns viciously lodged in Danzo's heart.

What unsettled him even more was Xuan's frequent contact with Orochimaru.

One was Uchiha's monstrous prodigy; the other was Sarutobi's disciple and a genius.

If these two unstable elements joined forces, who knew what trouble they might cause!

Thus, when he received his subordinate's report that Orochimaru had secretly entered Uchiha Xuan's residence late at night, the taut string in Danzo's mind finally snapped.

He could wait no longer!

He absolutely could not tolerate an Uchiha beyond his control—one who even showed signs of surpassing the Hokage in prestige—continuing to live in this village!

"I'll explain things to the Hokage myself."

Within Root's dark, damp underground base, cold killing intent flickered in Danzo's single eye.

"I will tell him that after Uchiha Xuan secretly met with a ninja of unknown identity, he attempted to defect and was accidentally killed by my men during the process of 'stopping' him."

He issued the final order to the squad of Root ninja before him, dressed in black and wearing featureless masks.

"I want you to eliminate the target by the cleanest and most efficient means."

"Remember, make it look like an 'accidental death.' For example, a training mishap or chakra deviation. Or an attack by rogue ninja who slipped into the village."

"In short, leave behind no evidence pointing to Root."

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

The Root squad captain knelt on one knee, his hoarse voice devoid of emotion.

"Go." Danzo waved his hand. "Uproot this tumor threatening the village's safety... completely!"

The night was dark as ink.

After ending his conversation with Orochimaru, Uchiha Xuan did not immediately return to his room.

Alone, he walked along the secluded path leading back to the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

This path was the one he took home after training every day. Dense woods lined both sides, making it one of the few surveillance blind spots within Konoha Village.

In the past, this place had been peaceful.

But tonight, the air carried a faint, nauseating scent of blood and killing intent.

"You've followed me all the way here. Aren't you coming out?"

Xuan stopped beneath a large tree and spoke without turning around, his voice calm, as though he were merely talking to the air.

"Do I have to invite you out?"

The surroundings remained deathly silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"Heh. Root's vermin really do love hiding in sewers."

Xuan let out a disdainful sneer.

He wasted no more words and suddenly stomped his foot!

"Sage Art: Life Sensing!"

An invisible wave instantly spread outward from him!

Within his radar-like Sage Jutsu perception, every living creature lurking in the surrounding forest became as impossible to hide as fireflies in the night.

"Five, six, seven... Heh, you really think highly of me. You sent a full ten people."

A cruel curve formed at Xuan's lips.

Since you delivered yourselves to me to die, don't blame me for being ruthless.

"Attack!"

The Root squad captain hidden in the darkness knew they had been exposed and immediately gave the signal.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Ten black shadows sprang out from all directions at once like ghosts!

They made no sound, moving as swiftly as lightning. The short blades in their hands flashed with deadly cold light beneath the moon.

Silent Killing Technique!

This was the assassination technique Root ninja excelled at most!

Faced with this deadly encirclement, enough to make even any jonin's scalp go numb, Uchiha Xuan showed not the slightest trace of panic.

He could not even be bothered to activate the [Golden Flame Divine Eyes] that had just completed their evolution.

Because he did not need his strongest trump card to deal with this bunch of vermin that could not stand the light.

He merely slowly rolled his wrists, producing a crisp series of cracking sounds.

A chilling coldness flashed through his deep black eyes.

"That old dog Danzo has really given me quite the surprise."

A cruel smile curled across his lips.

"Perfect. I'll use you test subjects to try out the little technique I recently developed from the system."

He slowly raised both hands and formed an extremely simple hand seal, one that had never appeared in the Ninja World before.

The Sage Body chakra within him resonated wondrously with the earth beneath his feet.

He murmured softly, yet his voice was like the verdict of death itself, clearly reaching every Root ninja's ears.

"Sage Art: Wood Release..."

"Cutting Technique!"