Traps

Fugaku could not see the ANBU members' faces, but the change in their eyes told him their expressions were grim.

Someone had slipped close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation without any of them noticing. For ANBU members, that was a serious failure. If he had been an enemy, they might already be dead.

"We need to confirm your identity. The survival of the Land of Fire is at stake, so we can't be too careful."

Fugaku nodded. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, and a powerful aura surged from him. The ANBU members tensed and instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.

The less capable among them felt that they could never defeat him.

Fugaku's gaze swept slowly across the group. Each ANBU member grew dizzy, a pair of spinning Sharingan reflected in their mind.

For a brief moment, every one of them fell into an illusion. If Fugaku had been an enemy, he could have finished them off then and there.

Illusions crowded the ANBU squad leader's mind.

"Tell me about your squad."

"I'm Fire Wolf, captain of the Eighth ANBU Squad under the Hokage's direct command."

Fire Wolf stopped himself mid-sentence. "You caught me in a genjutsu the instant our eyes met. Fugaku Uchiha truly lives up to his reputation."

The other ANBU members put away their weapons one after another. The way they looked at Fugaku had changed. They had heard of his exploits before, but the stories had never meant much to them.

Now that they had met him, a single glance had shown them the gulf in their abilities.

"What's the situation in the Land of Rain?"

The ANBU squad leader was silent for a long moment before answering. "The Wind-Earth Allied Forces have broken through the defensive line Konoha built in the Land of