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[Naruto: Infinite New World]
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In a dimly lit chamber, a man named Shimura Danzo, leaning on a cane, stared intently at Suzumebachi with his uncovered left eye, which was filled with a chilling, intimidating light. Coldly, he asked, "Who is Sōsuke really?"
Feeling as if he were being watched by a terrifying beast, Suzumebachi trembled as he woke up.
Recognizing the person before him, he took a deep breath to calm his inner turmoil and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. I demand to see the Hokage! Even if you need to interrogate me, it should be done by the Interrogation Squad."
"The Root has the authority to arrest and interrogate any ninja who poses a threat to Konoha," said a masked Root ninja standing beside Danzo.
Walking up to Suzumebachi, the Root ninja explained in a monotone, "We have been observing you for some time. For over twenty years, you never interacted with Sōsuke. However, recently, you have repeatedly visited Konoha Hospital to observe him secretly. An hour ago, you even met him at the memorial stone."
"What is your purpose? Who is Sōsuke really?"
This was Konoha, and the Root's capabilities allowed them to monitor daily happenings in the village. Initially, their main investigation target was Sōsuke, who had recently gained fame in the medical field.
To outsiders, this was seen as Sōsuke finally showing his accumulated potential. But for the Root, any unusual activity was evaluated from an extreme perspective.
At first, they followed standard procedures to investigate Sōsuke. If nothing suspicious was found, it would be dismissed. If there were minor issues, they could use them as leverage to recruit him into the Root, making him contribute to Konoha's prosperity.
During this process, they discovered Suzumebachi was also observing Sōsuke. The sudden connection between two seemingly unrelated individuals was significant.
Given Suzumebachi's position within Konoha's intelligence unit, the Root prioritized investigating him, leading to the current situation.
Understanding the Root's methods and their ruthlessness, Suzumebachi abandoned any hope of leniency.
"I do not know this so-called Sōsuke," he said while discreetly activating the unique mark of the Hagoromo clan within his body. Silently, he thought, 'Forgive me, clan leader. It is my fault for implicating you. And... forgive me, my son.'
"24, read his mind," Danzo commanded.
Noticing the firm determination in Suzumebachi's eyes, Danzo knew they had caught a significant target. Ordinary torture wouldn't work, so he opted for directly extracting information from Suzumebachi's mind.
Danzo anticipated significant revelations about who they had captured. A spy from one of the other four major ninja villages? Or perhaps a hidden agent of Orochimaru?
"Hmph! Regardless of who it is, no one enters Konoha without my permission!" Danzo thought, looking coldly at Suzumebachi.
Yamanaka Kaze, removing his mask, placed a hand on Suzumebachi, ready to use the Yamanaka clan's secret technique to extract information from his mind.
At that moment, Suzumebachi looked up, his gaze seemingly stretching through the thick walls toward his distant home. He smiled, and then—
Boom!
Suzumebachi activated the Hagoromo clan's unique mark, the Scythe and Hammer Seal. Instantly, red flames fueled by his chakra engulfed his body.
'Clan leader, flee!' he mentally shouted as his vision was consumed by the flames. Before anyone could intervene, the man known as Suzumebachi was completely incinerated, leaving no trace behind.
"Hmph!" Danzo snorted, his cane striking the ground heavily.
"Chakra self-immolation, similar to the suicide methods used by the ANBU. He was indeed a significant target!" he declared.
"Capture Sōsuke immediately! Also, arrest everyone closely associated with Suzumebachi and bring them to the Root."
"Yes, sir!" All the Root ninjas, including Kaze, knelt and then swiftly departed.
Left alone in the chamber, Danzo eagerly anticipated what kind of revelations this operation would yield.
However, it wasn't long before—
Boom!
A violent explosion echoed from above.
Danzo frowned, "What is going on?"
The unique Scythe and Hammer Seal of the Hagoromo clan was initially designed by Gensou for the clan's intelligence personnel as a means of avoiding torture and preventing the leakage of information through self-termination.
Additionally, the seal served as a warning mechanism. When fully activated, it alerted other marked clan members within a five-kilometer radius.
This ability was meant to prevent the entire intelligence network from being uprooted due to one person's exposure. During the period of the Hagoromo clan's great split, to ensure all members retained a sense of their identity, the elders decided to apply this seal to the entire clan, making it a generational inheritance.
Like Samui, Suzumebachi also bore the Hagoromo seal. When the seal fully activated, marking his death, Gensou, who could also receive the signal, paused and gazed towards the distant, secluded forest in the west of Konoha.
That area wasn't a residential zone for Konoha's inhabitants. Given the short separation time, even if Suzumebachi wanted to commit suicide immediately for his son's future, he wouldn't use such an obvious spy termination method.
So, there was only one possibility: Suzumebachi encountered an unexpected situation, forcing him to activate the seal to protect the secrets in his mind and signal Gensou to flee.
"Flee? Hah."
Gensou shook his head. In such a short time, they had forced Suzumebachi to choose self-termination. Such harsh and reckless actions could only come from one place in Konoha.
"Even though he called me clan leader, although a 'disloyal child,' he ultimately upheld his principles."
"If a clan leader ignores the death of his clansman under his watch, what kind of leader is he?"
With this thought, Gensou's form flickered and vanished, moving towards the direction where Suzumebachi's life ended.
"Rest in peace. Your clan leader will handle everything."
(End of Chapter)