Instant Kill!

Uchiha You stood where he was, in no hurry to make a move.

He merely watched the three of them in silence.

"Root ninjas."

"No emotions, no weaknesses, unafraid of Genjutsu."

"That does sound pretty good."

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Unfortunately."

"Are you afraid of viruses?"

The three Root ninjas felt a chill run through their hearts at the same time.

The fox-masked ninja roared:

"Move!"

The crow-masked ninja forcibly formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Vacuum..."

The technique had not yet been completed.

Uchiha You's right eye shifted slightly.

White Umbrella: Cellular Reconstruction.

His body instantly erupted with terrifying speed.

Under the stimulation of his ocular power, his muscle fibers were temporarily strengthened, while his skeletal endurance, neural reactions, and chakra output all rose simultaneously.

Bang!

Uchiha You vanished from where he stood.

The next second, the crow-masked ninja was sent flying, smashing through a large tree.

His mask shattered.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

His chest had caved in, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

How could he be this fast?

He had not even seen Uchiha You move.

Taking the opportunity, the wolf-masked ninja swung his blade from the side.

The sharp gleam of the blade slashed straight for Uchiha You's neck.

Uchiha You neither dodged nor evaded, instead reaching out with his left hand to seize the blade directly.

The sharp ninja sword sliced open his palm.

Blood flowed out.

A hint of delight flashed through the wolf-masked ninja's eyes.

But in the next moment, his expression changed.

The wound in Uchiha You's palm was healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Even more terrifyingly, a strand of black-red chakra spread backward along the ninja sword and instantly invaded his arm.

The wolf-masked ninja felt his entire right arm go numb.

His muscles felt as though countless tiny insects were gnawing at them, making him grunt in pain.

Uchiha You said indifferently:

"Not a bad sword."

"Too bad its owner is too weak."

Crack!

He tightened his five fingers, crushing the ninja sword outright.

Then he threw a punch.

The wolf-masked ninja took the blow to the chest and crashed into the stream like a cannonball.

Water exploded upward.

Blood swiftly dyed the stream red.

Watching this, the fox-masked ninja finally felt fear.

This was not an ordinary Mangekyo Sharingan.

This Uchiha's ocular technique was far too bizarre.

They had not even had time to fully unleash their ninjutsu before they were already being suppressed.

And the most terrifying part was that Uchiha You had not gone all out from beginning to end.

He seemed to be testing his abilities.

The fox-masked ninja felt a chill in his heart.

At that moment, he suddenly understood.

They were not hunters.

They were test subjects.

The fox-masked ninja made his decision at once and formed hand seals with both hands.

"Secret Technique: Sealing Self-Destruction!"

Once a Root ninja failed a mission, he could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands.

It was an order Danzo had carved into their bones.

But just as he formed the seals, his body suddenly stiffened.

In Uchiha You's left eye, a black umbrella-like pattern slowly revolved.

"Did I say you could die?"

The fox-masked ninja's pupils contracted violently.

His body came to a stop against his will.

The Pathogen Chakra within him was like countless threads, forcibly taking control of part of his nervous system.

Although it still could not completely control a Kage Level powerhouse, it was already enough for a Jonin-level Root ninja like him.

Uchiha You walked toward him step by step.

"Don't be in such a rush."

"I still have questions for you."

The fox-masked ninja stared fixedly at Uchiha You, his voice hoarse.

"Lord Danzo... won't let you go..."

Uchiha You smiled.

"What a coincidence."

"I had no intention of letting him go either."

As soon as he spoke, he reached out and pressed a hand against the fox-masked ninja's head.

The Mangekyo Sharingan slowly turned.

Genjutsu and Pathogen Chakra invaded simultaneously.

The fox-masked ninja's body trembled violently.

A vast number of fragmented memories were forcibly read by Uchiha You.

Root Base.

Danzo's orders.

The mission in the Land of Water.

A forged death scene.

And...

Surveillance records concerning Shisui Uchiha.

A moment later, Uchiha You withdrew his hand.

The fox-masked ninja collapsed to the ground, his eyes vacant as blood flowed from his nose and mouth.

Uchiha You's expression turned completely cold.

"Just as I thought."

"Danzo has already set his sights on Shisui's eye."

He had originally planned to wait a little longer.

Now, however, it seemed time was more pressing than he had imagined.

If he moved too slowly, then by the time he returned to Konoha, Danzo might already have dug out one of Shisui's eyes.

At that thought, killing intent flashed through Uchiha You's eyes.

He lowered his gaze to the three Root ninjas.

The crow-masked ninja still had one breath left.

The wolf-masked ninja was still struggling in the stream.

The fox-masked ninja was already finished.

Uchiha You raised his left eye.

"Black Umbrella: Pathogen Outbreak."

The next second.

The Pathogen Chakra within all three of them detonated at once.

Their chakra pathways ruptured, their chakra ran wild, and their internal organs were corroded.

Before the three Root ninjas could even scream, they completely lost all signs of life.

The forest fell silent once more.

The stream flowed gently onward.

Only a faint scent of blood lingered in the air.

Uchiha You raised his hand. The wound in his palm had already healed completely.

He murmured to himself:

"White Umbrella's recovery speed is even faster than expected."

"Black Umbrella's corrosion is also lethal enough against Jonin-level opponents."

"Not bad."

"At the very least, it is more than enough to clear out Root trash."

After saying that, he raised his hands and formed seals.

Fire Release burned away some of the traces at the scene.

Then he casually took out a scroll he had prepared in advance and placed some false intelligence on the fox-masked ninja.

Since Danzo wanted to forge his death.

Then he did not mind forging Root's deaths as well.

An attack by rogue ninjas from the Land of Water.

Konoha ANBU killed in action.

Uchiha You's whereabouts unknown.

How reasonable.

How perfect.

After handling the scene, Uchiha You was about to leave.

But at that moment, his footsteps suddenly halted.

Deep within the forest.

There were two gazes upon him.

One was sharp and carried the scent of blood.

The other was cold and sinister, carrying familiar spatial fluctuations.

The Mangekyo Sharingan in Uchiha You's eyes slowly faded, yet the corners of his lips gradually lifted.

They had come.

Just as expected.

Akatsuki.

At this point in time, anyone who could appear here with such an aura...

He had already guessed who they were.

Standing by the stream, Uchiha You's calm voice carried into the dense forest.

"You've watched for so long."

"Aren't you coming out?"

The leaves rustled.

The next moment, two figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

One carried the Kubikiribōchō on his back, his black robe patterned with red clouds swaying slightly in the wind.

The other wore a spiral mask, his tone frivolous yet concealing an ice-cold chill deep within.

"Oh my."

"I never expected that simply passing by would let us witness something so interesting."

Uchiha You looked at the two of them, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Juzo Biwa.

And...

Obito Uchiha.

No.

He should be called now—

Tobi.

Or perhaps he preferred to call himself—

Madara Uchiha.

"Akatsuki."

"You came at just the right time."

Juzo Biwa grinned, one hand already resting on the Kubikiribōchō.

"The mighty Uchiha Clan, hunted down by Konoha's ANBU."

"How ironic."

Uchiha You raised his eyes to look at him.

"Hidden Mist Rogue Ninja."

"You dare mock the Uchiha while carrying a broken sword?"

The smile vanished from Juzo Biwa's face.

Killing intent suddenly surged through the air.

Uchiha You slowly raised his hand, scarlet eyes appearing once more.

"Your sword and your life."

"I'll take them."