"Put down the knife!"
Naruto's voice came through the water mirror, but the experimental officer did not stop.
Sasuke raised his left eye. Black flames passed through the water mirror and landed on the edge of the stone platform. The experimental officer stumbled back several steps, his knife tip grazing the child's clothes as it fell.
"You can burn things here?" The experimental officer looked at the black flames on the back of his hand, his expression changing.
"You're welcome to keep testing me."
Sasuke stepped forward.
"Make that cut, and I'll burn off your arm. Move again, and I'll burn off your head."
The experimental officer stared at the black flames and raised his hands to form hand seals. The iron cages around the stone chamber lit up at once, and sealing patterns appeared on the necks of the shinobi inside.
"Then do it."
He grabbed a Kumogakure shinobi by the hair and pressed a kunai to his throat.
"Everyone here has explosive tags on them. Burn me, and they all die."
A's voice came from the edge of the summit venue.
"Don't you dare!"
"Lord Raikage, when you sent us in here three years ago, you never asked whether we dared."
The Kumogakure shinobi raised his head.
"Forget about me. Save the children first."
A lunged forward, and Darui immediately reached out to stop him.
"Lord Raikage, the passage isn't open yet."
"Move!"
"Sasuke said we can't trigger the seals prematurely."
A turned to glare at Sasuke.
"Do you have another way?"
"Yes."
Sasuke looked at Neji.
"Find the explosive tags' main formation."
Neji activated his Byakugan, his gaze passing through the water mirror's projection and sweeping across every wall of the stone chamber.
"Northwest corner, behind the third pillar. There's also a chakra thread connected to the