With Death, the Seal Vanishes

The setting sun hung low, and dusk had fallen.

The fate of annihilation that had originally belonged to the Uchiha Clan had instead been transferred to the Sarutobi Clan.

The dying Sarutobi clan head lay on the ground, glaring furiously at the blood-red sky, unwilling to close his eyes even in death.

Before long, Uchiha Sihu received a report from his subordinates that a group of ninja had arrived outside. He hurriedly led men out to confront them, only to discover that they were from the Ino–Shika–Cho Clans. Their leader was Konoha's publicly acknowledged foremost strategist, Nara Shikaku.

Unease rose in Uchiha Sihu's heart. Why had they come? Could it be the clan head...?

Before he could worry for more than two seconds, Nara Shikaku announced his purpose from afar. "Haha, Elder Sihu, we were sent by Clan Head Fugaku to lend you a hand."

Hearing this, Uchiha Sihu's stiff expression eased slightly.

"I see." Uchiha Sihu nodded.

"Enough small talk. Let us get to work."

Nara Shikaku looked toward the Sarutobi Clan compound, his gaze icy.

Since he had decided to accept the olive branch extended by Uchiha Fugaku, he naturally would not hesitate.

Who would refuse the chance to rise further?

While Sarutobi Hiruzen had held office, let alone becoming the Hokage's aide, he had not even had a chance to become a Hokage advisor! He had always held some resentment over that.

Therefore, he felt no psychological burden whatsoever about wiping out the Sarutobi Clan.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza nodded to Uchiha Sihu in greeting, then took the lead and charged in with their clansmen.

They helped the Uchiha ninja swiftly finish cleaning up the battlefield.

With the Ino–Shika–Cho Clans joining in, the Sarutobi Clan's destruction accelerated greatly. As corpse after corpse fell, a crimson stream even formed across the ground.

Yet neither Nara Shikaku nor Uchiha Sihu changed expression.

They had both lived through the Ninja World Wars. Their hearts were as cold as fishmongers who had slaughtered fish at the docks for twenty years; how could this move them?

Over here, the Hyuga Clan, Aburame Clan, and Inuzuka Clan also charged into the Shimura Clan compound like ravenous wolves, raising their blades and cutting down whoever they saw without a word.

The Shimura Clan members had not even figured out what was happening. Their chunin and jonin had all rushed toward the signal flare.

"Who are you people?! Such audacity! Do you know where this is?! Just wait until Lord Danzo—"

Hyuga Hiashi could not stand it any longer. He used Body Flicker to appear before the man and killed him with a single palm strike. "Too noisy."

My Byakugan is this obvious. Are you blind? And you still ask who I am?

These Shimura Clan people were far too arrogant.

"Kill them all! Show no mercy!"

Hyuga Hiashi shouted in embarrassed fury.

Root Headquarters.

Danzo's capable lieutenant, Aburame Ryoma, underwent a drastic change in expression.

His face darkened, killing intent bursting from his eyes as he asked, "Are you certain this information is true?"

The Root ninja kneeling on one knee wore a miserable expression. "Absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes."

He had blended into the crowd and seen Lord Danzo's head. At a complete loss, he had hesitated before deciding to run back and report it.

Thoughts raced through Aburame Ryoma's mind. Within Konoha Village, who would dare murder Lord Danzo?

This was utter nonsense! But...

He thought of a way to immediately verify whether the news was true.

He grabbed his subordinate's jaw, pulled off his mask, and barked, "Open your mouth. Stick out your tongue!"

The Root ninja obediently stuck out his tongue. When Aburame Ryoma saw the clean tongue coating, his pupils trembled. The Tongue-Curse-Shadow Seal was gone!

The Tongue-Curse-Shadow Seal was a sealing ninjutsu exclusively used by Root, a curse mark meant to prevent people from revealing confidential intelligence.

As long as someone subjected to it tried to speak of a designated matter, their entire body would become paralyzed. They would be unable to speak or move.

Danzo had placed this curse mark on the tongues of every Root member, using it to restrain his subordinates and prevent them from divulging his secrets.

There was only one circumstance in which the Tongue-Curse-Shadow Seal would disappear: the caster's death!

"Lord Danzo is truly dead!"

Upon learning this, Aburame Ryoma was so shaken that he did not even notice the parasitic insects within his body crawling out from beneath his cloak!

The Root ninja did notice. Through the loose cloak, he could see densely packed insects crawling all over Aburame Ryoma's body, making his scalp tingle. Some insects even tried to crawl toward him along Aburame Ryoma's arm!

He was terrified, yet he did not dare move.

Root's hierarchy was strict. Defying a superior would bring severe punishment, and the inability to resist had practically become muscle memory.

Gathering his courage, he reminded him, "Lord Ryoma, what should we do?"

Aburame Ryoma was one of the few Root ninja permitted to use his actual name as a codename. He was deeply trusted by Danzo.

Aburame Ryoma seemed to snap out of a dream. He released the Root ninja, struggle flashing through his eyes as his hands clenched into fists, loosened, then clenched again.

Seeing Lord Ryoma let go, the Root ninja instinctively retreated two steps and heaved a sigh of relief. Noticing Lord Ryoma's movements, he was slightly astonished. This was his first time seeing the taciturn and decisive Lord Ryoma like this, as though he were making an extremely difficult choice.

He did not dare breathe too loudly and waited at the side for Lord Ryoma's orders.

Lord Danzo was dead. Lord Ryoma was now Root's highest commander.

After a moment, Aburame Ryoma turned around, as though he had made some kind of decision.

"Go summon Aburame Torune, Yamanaka Fu... and Yakushi Nonou as well. Tell them I have something very important to discuss with them."

In a room somewhere within Root Headquarters.

Yakushi Nonou's lovely body lay on the bed, her heart filled with conflict.

She had once been a Root member who served Danzo, an elite intelligence ninja codenamed the Wandering Miko. She had traveled through many countries and stolen countless critical secrets.

Later, because she could not achieve the ruthless coldness Danzo required, she took the opportunity to retire and became the headmistress of an orphanage in Konoha Village.

There, she cared for a group of orphans who had lost their parents in battle.

But with so many children, the daily expenses were imaginable. The small amount of wealth she had saved from her past missions was quickly exhausted.

Yesterday, she had resolved to seek out her former superior, Lord Danzo, to ask for some money. Yet she had not expected Danzo to use it to threaten her into returning to service.

On one side was pressure from her former superior; on the other, the orphanage had no money, and the children would starve to death.

Helpless, she agreed. Danzo had also been straightforward, giving her the money immediately and allowing her one day to return and settle everything before coming back. He did not seem worried that she would go back on her word.

Only after she had returned and arranged everything did she come back to the familiar Root Headquarters.

I probably won't be able to go to heaven after I die.

Yakushi Nonou stared at the yellowed fluorescent lamp and thought, I wonder where Lord Danzo will send me? I haven't seen Kabuto anywhere in Root Headquarters either...

Kabuto was a bright, clever child. Two years ago, Lord Danzo had taken him into Root, and there had been no news of him since.

Just as her thoughts ran wild, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"Lady Miko, Lord Ryoma says he has something very important to discuss with you."