In the dim light of dusk, the mysterious figure standing on the tree appeared even more terrifying than during the day! However, Sasuke and Neji were trembling—not out of fear, but from excitement!
They knew that if they didn't confront this man head-on and allowed fear to consume them, this shadow would haunt them for the rest of their lives, like a parasite clinging to their bones.
"This time, I won't let you win so easily!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, and his dark eyes turned scarlet in an instant.
Neji activated his Byakugan, his brow furrowing suddenly. "He's…"
Swish!
Just as Neji was about to say something, the mysterious figure moved. With a piercing whistle, he charged directly at Uchiha Shinji, who had quietly retreated behind Sasuke and Neji.
"Total Concentration!"
Seeing the enemy come straight for him, Shinji activated his "Breathing Technique" to its fullest and met the attack with the last kunai from his ninja pouch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, a series of harsh metallic clashes echoed, accompanied by sparks as the kunai collided at the dark riverside.
Something's wrong—he's not Orochimaru!
...
How is this possible!?
In the blink of an eye, both Shinji and the mysterious figure realized something was off.
Shinji had initially assumed that the assailant was Orochimaru and had been prepared to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan if necessary. But after engaging, he realized that while the opponent was strong, he wasn't nearly as powerful as the mysterious figure from earlier in the day. This was clearly an imposter.
The Root ninja disguised as the mysterious man was equally surprised. During the day, he had easily knocked Shinji down several times, so when he received this mission, he didn't think much of it, expecting it to be a simple task. But to his shock, the boy who had been so easy to handle earlier was now unexpectedly difficult to deal with.
He's one of Danzo's men!
...
Did he hide his strength during the day and let me bring him to the base on purpose?
In that split second of combat, both fighters came to several realizations.
"Don't be afraid, he's not the same mysterious figure from earlier!" Neji called out, then, without waiting to see if Sasuke would follow, charged into the fray, forcibly joining the battle.
Based on the significant difference in chakra levels, Neji had already concluded that this was an imposter.
"I don't care if he's real or not!" Sasuke, unwilling to be left behind, also joined the fight.
In an instant, the duel between two became a chaotic brawl of four!
Shinji, pushing his "Breathing Technique" to the limit, took on the brunt of the enemy's attacks, while Sasuke and Neji used their dojutsu to coordinate their efforts.
In the three-on-one battle, the situation temporarily reached a stalemate.
This was a huge boost of confidence for the three. They had prepared for the worst, but now, to their surprise, they were holding their own.
Though the cost of this stalemate was clear—the wounds on Shinji's body were steadily increasing.
As he lost more blood, Shinji's breathing began to falter, and maintaining the "Breathing Technique" became increasingly difficult.
"The target is only me. Danzo wants me dead! But why? Did I expose myself, or is he just killing me out of spite?"
Despite the increasingly dangerous situation, Shinji kept his cool and analyzed the scenario.
In his mind, Danzo's attack was likely out of frustration. If he had truly been exposed, Danzo would have had him captured alive to extract his secrets, not simply sent someone to assassinate him.
After fighting for a while, Sasuke and Neji also noticed that the mysterious figure's sole target was Shinji.
They assumed this was because Shinji was the strongest among them, which only fueled their anger.
Neji managed to remain calm in the face of danger, keeping his composure.
Sasuke, on the other hand, couldn't contain his frustration. "You bastard, don't underestimate me!"
"Damn it!" The Root shinobi disguised as the mysterious figure cursed silently.
He hadn't anticipated that, aside from Shinji, who had clearly been holding back earlier, Sasuke and Neji had also made such rapid improvements.
During the fight in the Forest of Death earlier, these two had been hindered by nervousness and fear, leading to sloppy movements and overreactions.
But now, all those mistakes were gone.
Neji's Gentle Fist had become more precise, with each move perfectly executed. Sasuke's taijutsu had also visibly improved, even faintly resembling Shinji's style.
Realizing he couldn't afford to drag this out any longer, the Root ninja steeled himself, enduring one of Neji's Gentle Fist strikes, sending Sasuke flying and then knocking Neji back.
With Sasuke and Neji temporarily incapacitated, he charged at Shinji, ready to finish the fight quickly.
From Shinji's labored breathing, he could tell the boy was nearing his limit. After all, an eight-year-old's physical stamina had its limits.
Shinji hadn't expected his opponent to be so ruthless, sacrificing an arm to swiftly take out Sasuke and Neji. In response, he darted towards the small forest by the river, intent on escaping.
"Trying to flee!? Where do you think you can run to?" The Root shinobi scoffed inwardly and immediately pursued.
"Shinji can't hold him off alone. I'm going to help!" Neji called out as he scrambled to his feet and followed them into the woods.
Sasuke, having been struck in the ribs due to his aggressive, open attacks, struggled to catch his breath. But seeing Shinji and Neji still fighting, his pride wouldn't let him lie there. Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, he too staggered after them into the forest.
Inside the small forest, Shinji raced forward, thinking of a strategy.
Though the area was secluded, it was still within the village. As long as he could create enough noise, it would attract the attention of the village shinobi.
Looking back, he saw the Root shinobi closing in, about to catch up. He thought to himself, "Stay calm. If I break out of the forest, I'll use Fire Release. That should be enough to draw the attention of other shinobis."
Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.
He had just passed a large tree, and perched on one of its branches were two Anbu, watching him quietly, showing no intention of intervening as he was chased.
In that moment, Shinji realized that Danzo's actions might have been tacitly approved by the village.
He didn't know the reason. It could be that the village leadership wanted to appease Danzo in exchange for not pursuing Sasuke, or they simply wanted to placate Danzo after the vault theft.
Either way, it was clear that the village wasn't actively intervening in Danzo's grudge against him.
The two Anbu were likely there to protect Sasuke, which explained why they had to stay nearby.
Understanding this, Shinji quickly abandoned his previous plan and no longer hoped for help from the village. Instead, he turned around and hurled the last kunai in his hand at the Root ninja chasing him.
Clang!
The Root ninja blocked Shinji's kunai with his own and smirked. "Did the brat figure something out after seeing those two Anbu? Ha, just another insignificant Uchiha—how dare you defy Danzo-sama. Now, you'll pay for it…"
Swish!
The Root ninja's thoughts froze as he suddenly realized his head was no longer attached to his body.
As his vision blurred, he noticed a thin wire stretched across the path he had just crossed.
Had it not been for the blood still dripping from the wire, he might not have even noticed it.
"Did that wire… slice my head off?"
With that final thought, the Root ninja's vision faded as he closed his eyes.