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Root moved quickly, arriving at the border by noon.
There were two squads in total, all wearing animal masks and black cloaks, except for the leader.
However, the leader's identity shocked Shūichi Hoshita to the core.
Orochimaru!
Snake Bastard!
Has he(she/it?) already joined Root this quickly?
Upon seeing Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze immediately stepped forward and bowed in respect. "Orochimaru-sama."
"Minato…"
Orochimaru's gaze swept over the prisoners on the ground. "Are these the only ones?"
Minato replied, "Two from Sunagakure, two rogue ninja, and the rest are villagers from that village."
Orochimaru nodded, then turned his eyes toward Shūichi Hoshita and his two companions, showing a look of interest.
But whether it was Shūichi, Shisui Uchiha, or Sanyō Kurama, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.
The cold, menacing aura that Orochimaru exuded, combined with his gaze, gave the three of them the feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.
Nevertheless, the three had no choice but to step forward and bow. "Orochimaru-sama!"
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze and, with a smile, looked at Minato. "You have some impressive students."
A genius from the Uchiha clan, a member of the Kurama clan, and a renowned civilian prodigy—Orochimaru had already reviewed their profiles before arriving.
"Minato, lend me one of your students to guide us to that village."
Orochimaru's words made Minato's expression change slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Orochimaru added, "Minato, you need to stay here to ensure these prisoners don't escape. I only need one person to lead the way. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Minato found himself unable to argue and instead looked at Shūichi and the other two with concern.
At that moment, Shūichi, Shisui, and Sanyō felt the deep malice emanating from Orochimaru.
Evil!
So evil!
Fucking Snake Bastard!!
As Shūichi looked at Orochimaru's smiling face, he also sensed the twisted amusement hidden beneath it.
With the arrival of Root, the fate of that village seemed all too predictable.
Whoever went to lead the way would undoubtedly witness something horrific.
Perhaps even…
Suddenly, Shūichi noticed Orochimaru's gaze settle on him, causing his heart to pound.
At that moment, Shisui stepped forward. "Minato-sensei, I'll guide Orochimaru-sama."
Sanyō let out a quiet sigh of relief but then felt a pang of shame.
Shūichi didn't try to step forward and instead watched as Minato nodded in agreement. Shisui then led Orochimaru and his men away.
Sanyō hesitated as if wanting to say something but remained silent.
...
The wind howled as Shisui Uchiha led Orochimaru and the others to the mountain north of the village, reaching the location in under an hour.
"That's the place," Shisui said.
Orochimaru looked down at the village below and smiled. "Are you planning to plead for them?"
Shisui was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "According to the information we gathered earlier, during several raids into the Land of Fire, the able-bodied men from this village all participated. This was something Sunagakure orchestrated."
"They may have been forced at first... but no matter the reason, everyone must pay the price for their actions."
"But the elderly, the women, and the children are innocent."
Orochimaru smiled at this. "Konoha is peaceful, and to win over the Land of Rivers, it will not harm the innocent."
Shisui's face brightened with relief.
However, Orochimaru's tone shifted as he added, "But if they resist, then there's nothing to be done."
Shisui's heart sank as he looked down at the village, at the elderly and women working in the fields, and at the children playing. He suddenly made a decision. "Orochimaru-sama, please leave this matter to me."
"They're just ordinary people; there's no need for Root to intervene."
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Of course."
Shisui took a deep breath, then leaped into the air like an eagle, diving down toward the village.
Watching Shisui's figure, Orochimaru couldn't help but remark, "The Uchiha clan... they're so naive."
Then he issued an order: "Don't let anyone leave."
"Yes!"
The Root ninjas responded in unison and immediately vanished.
In the village.
Shisui drew his sword and swiftly entered a villager's home, slaying two men who were drinking inside.
Blood splattered, staining the walls.
One after another, Shisui's actions were swift and decisive.
When he encountered children, he used genjutsu to put them all to sleep.
In less than five minutes, all the able-bodied men in the village had been slaughtered by Shisui.
Then he moved on to the men working in the fields.
This time, the situation could no longer be hidden. Screams erupted, and villagers began fleeing in panic, but the men in the fields couldn't escape Shisui's pursuit.
After killing the last man, Shisui, now drenched in blood, looked at the Root ninjas who had entered the village to knock out the fleeing villagers and at the bodies strewn across the ground. His Sharingan grew even more vivid and sinister.
Orochimaru noticed this and was surprised. "He's showing signs of awakening the two-tomoe Sharingan…"
Although he hadn't started researching the Sharingan, Orochimaru was familiar with this bloodline limit.
He knew how the Uchiha awakened their eyes.
According to the reports, Shisui had awakened his single-tomoe Sharingan after the death of his squad leader and another comrade.
But he hadn't expected Shisui to show signs of further awakening over a group of bandits and villagers he didn't even know.
"Interesting…"
Orochimaru smiled to himself, then approached and said, "You did well."
"Leave the rest to us. You may return."
Shisui's eyes returned to normal, and he sheathed his short sword, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama!"
However, before leaving, Shisui couldn't help but ask, "Orochimaru-sama, what will happen to these villagers?"
Orochimaru smiled. "They will be handed over to the daimyo of the Land of Rivers as evidence of Sunagakure's misdeeds."
Shisui was completely reassured by this and bowed again before leaping away.
Orochimaru watched Shisui leave. A moment later, a Root ninja appeared before him and respectfully asked, "Lord Orochimaru, the task is complete. What are your orders?"
"Take all the children to Laboratory Number Two, and have the bodies preserved and sent to Laboratory Number Three."
The Root ninja immediately complied. "Understood!"
Orochimaru hadn't lied to Shisui; these villagers would indeed be handed over to the daimyo of the Land of Rivers—but only their names.
He was confident that the daimyo, eager not to provoke the Land of Fire and Konoha, would hand the villagers over to him for disposal.
So, was it really a lie?
...
Before returning to the Land of Fire, Shisui stopped by a river to wash away the blood and rid himself of the scent. Only then did he rejoin Shūichi and the others, who didn't notice anything unusual.
(End of Chapter)
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