Sasuke Captured! Root Blocks the Way!

The lead ANBU did not spare her another glance. He simply gave a curt order: "Take him away."

Sasuke was dragged forward by force.

The ANBU left.

Sasuke was gone.

Silence returned to the dense forest.

Naruto lay motionless on the ground, his left hand clenched into a fist and pressed hard against the earth.

Sakura sat where she was, arms wrapped around herself, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

She no longer sobbed. Tears streamed silently down her face, and she looked utterly hollowed out.

"Why..." Naruto's voice came muffled through the dirt, shaking uncontrollably. "Why am I so weak... And why does it always... always end like this..."

He could not go on.

Only ragged, stifled breathing remained in the silent forest.

Sahiro Uchiha sped through the forest, treading over broken branches without disturbing a single fallen leaf.

His Sharingan spun rapidly in the darkness, tracking the chakra traces lingering in the air.

He was less than two kilometers from Sasuke and the others.

A faint rustle came from ahead, almost imperceptible, but it did not escape his senses.

Zuo Hao stopped abruptly in midair and landed on a thick branch.

Around him, figures emerged soundlessly from the shadows of ancient trees.

One, five, ten, twenty.

ANBU wearing gray-white animal masks appeared among the treetops, from behind trunks, and even out of the soil. They surrounded Sahiro completely, sealing off every angle without leaving a single gap.

This was a Root formation, not a standard ANBU patrol formation but a carefully arranged killing trap.

Zuo Hao's pupils narrowed slightly. His expression did not change, but his fingers had already curled, ready to reach for the ninja-tool pouch behind him.

Their leader stood on a treetop opposite him. He removed his mask, revealing a refined but cold face.

Yamanaka Fū.

Zuo Hao recognized him.

"Sahiro Uchiha." Yamanaka Fū's voice was as calm as still water. "Come with us quietly. Don't resist for nothing. We've already taken Sasuke Uchiha."

The words struck Sahiro's heart like an ice pick.

But his face betrayed nothing. He merely tilted his head and asked lightly, "You're saying you took Sasuke?"

"Lord Hokage's orders. Your younger brother was bitten by Orochimaru and marked with a Cursed Seal. He needs protection," Yamanaka Fū said with a straight face. "As his older brother, you should cooperate with us."

Zuo Hao suddenly laughed.

"The Third Hokage? Protection?"

"Since when did Root start protecting people? Does that old bastard Danzo think he hasn't gotten enough blood on his hands?"

Yamanaka Fū's pupils contracted slightly.

For an instant, the air seemed to freeze.

The two Root ninja behind him already had their hands on their kunai.

But Yamanaka Fū raised a hand and stopped them.

"I know you don't trust us, Sahiro. But the greater good comes first. We have your brother. Cooperate, and he won't suffer. Refuse..." He paused, his voice still calm as water. "I'm sure you understand."

The three tomoe of Sahiro's Sharingan turned slowly. He stared straight into Yamanaka Fū's eyes, searching for the slightest opening.

At the same time, he spread his senses in every direction, calculating the position, breathing, heartbeat, and muscle tension of every Root ninja around him.

Twenty of them. All elite.

Yamanaka Fū was a sensory and mental-technique ninja. His Mind Body Switch Technique could seize control of anyone's body in an instant.

And hidden in the shadows... Zuo Hao's pupils abruptly shrank.

There was another chakra signature, almost nonexistent, so faint it seemed to blend with the whole forest, like the breathing of leaves.

Torune Aburame.

The man whose body swarmed with deadly poisonous insects was lurking nearby.

A chill ran down Sahiro's spine.

He knew from the original story how terrifying that man was. Nanoscale poisonous insects covered his entire body. One touch meant death, and even Orochimaru would not approach him lightly.

Two against one, plus eighteen Root elites.

Fighting them alone was not hopeless, but he would pay a steep price.

More importantly, they had Sasuke.

"Well? Have you decided?" Yamanaka Fū asked patiently. "We don't have much time to waste here."

Zuo Hao slowly lowered his hand and made a show of relaxing.

"Fine. I'll go with you. But on one condition: I confirm Sasuke is still alive first."

Yamanaka Fū considered it, then nodded. "I can take you to see him. But you'll surrender all your weapons and ninja tools."

Zuo Hao slowly bent down, unfastened the ninja-tool pouch on his back, and tossed it to the ground.

Then he drew the kunai and shuriken from his waist and stuck them into the soil by his feet, one by one.

His movements were slow and obedient.

Yamanaka Fū watched the whole sequence, and the corner of his mouth seemed to lift slightly. But the smile vanished almost before it appeared.

"And the three custom kunai hidden at the back of your waist," Yamanaka Fū said evenly. "There's no use hiding them from me. My senses have locked onto every ninja tool on your body."

Zuo Hao went still for an instant.

He raised his head. The Three Tomoe of his Sharingan turned slowly in the shadows as he stared at Yamanaka Fū for a full three seconds.

Then he gave a lazy smile, pulled three black custom kunai from the back of his waist, and casually tossed them to the ground.

"Enough?"

Yamanaka Fū did not answer at once.

He took a few steps forward and stopped five paces from Sahiro, looking him up and down as though inspecting a piece of merchandise.

The silence stretched for a moment.

"Sahiro Uchiha," Yamanaka Fū said suddenly. His tone had changed. It was no longer businesslike, but carried a faint, icy mockery. "Do you know what the Uchiha Clan is in Konoha's eyes?"

Zuo Hao did not answer.

"Your clan was a threat from the start. The Sharingan is far too dangerous. You know what happened that night, don't you?"

He paused, as if checking Sahiro's expression.

"That night, your clansmen slaughtered one another until blood ran like a river. In the end, only you and Sasuke were left. But what difference does that make? One of you awakened the Sharingan and still couldn't protect his little brother. The other is lying there, unable even to stand."

Yamanaka Fū did not raise his voice, but every word was a poisoned needle aimed precisely at Sahiro's most vulnerable spot.

"With Uchihas like you, what difference does it make whether the clan was wiped out or not?"

The air went still.

Zuo Hao remained where he stood, unmoving. But his fingertips trembled slightly.

"If you ask me, the Uchiha bloodline should have been wiped out completely," Yamanaka Fū said, the faintest curve touching his lips. "Otherwise, another monster that should never exist might crawl out in ten or twenty years."

The Root ninja behind him let out low chuckles.

They did not bother to hide their laughter.

"That Sasuke brat is even more pathetic." Yamanaka Fū dropped the pretense entirely and stepped forward. "Orochimaru bit him once, and he rolled around on the ground like a dog."

"Even Sakura from your team is stronger than he is. At least that woman knows how to cry. He can't even manage that."

"You Uchiha brothers are both worthless, each worse than the other."

Silence stretched for three breaths.

Then Sahiro laughed.