The thriving roots certainly live up to their name.
The roots buried deep in the darkness provide ample nutrients to the leaves towering above, allowing this massive tree to flourish... Or so it seems. In reality, the roots hidden underground may have contributed to the tree's growth, but more often than not, they've been drawing the tree's nutrients to strengthen themselves. For more chapters visit N0velFire.ɴet
While the roots in the darkness grow stronger, the towering tree above gradually withers.
Danzo, in his pursuit to cultivate the "Roots" organization, continuously extracted fresh blood from the ninja academy, taking prodigies from various clans. He used curse seals to suppress their uncertain futures, transforming these geniuses into obedient hunting dogs.
All of this was supposedly done under the guise of benefiting the village. However, in reality, Danzo was merely feeding his own desires, devouring the village's very lifeblood.
To this day, even after a new leader took control of the hidden roots in the darkness, it continues to direct its malice toward part of the great tree, beginning yet another self-destructive act.
The conflict between the Uchiha clan and Root is nothing more than a self-harming act for Konoha!
Of course, this might not be such a bad thing. In Sōgen's view, if this situation could sweep away the decaying roots hidden in the dark, it would be a good thing for both the Uchiha and the village. Otherwise, simply taking down Danzo would still feel incomplete.
To resolve the issue once and for all, one must uproot the entire problem.
Sōgen swung his sword through the enemies blocking his way and arrived beside Shisui.
"No time for chatter. Go protect the Hyuga clan head. Ensure your own safety while doing your best to keep him alive. If it's absolutely necessary, you can use Susanoo, but unless you encounter that person I mentioned, don't reveal your eye's powers."
Sōgen whispered these orders to Shisui so only the two of them could hear.
The Kotoamatsukami, a powerful genjutsu, required a long cooldown between uses, but Sōgen had used Samehada to help restore Shisui's chakra, allowing his eyes to recover and use the technique again in a short period of time.
But if possible, Sōgen preferred not to reveal Kotoamatsukami's power too early.
Although it wasn't omnipotent, if used wisely, Kotoamatsukami could be a game-changer.
Shisui solemnly nodded.
Unlike before, Shisui didn't ask unnecessary questions, no longer worrying like a Hokage or clan head despite being just a Uchiha jonin. After years of Sōgen's subtle influence and the recent events, he had finally shed his naivety.
He didn't know what Sōgen's ultimate goal was, but he knew that obeying his orders at this moment was enough.
With Shisui's support, the previously perilous situation for Hyuga Hiashi eased, giving him a moment to catch his breath.
He turned his gaze toward the distant forest, where a massive swarm of insects was approaching like a dark cloud.
Behind the insect swarm, Sōgen could sense the chakra of Aburame Ryoma closing in. It seemed like he had been marked as a priority target for elimination. Sōgen squinted his eyes, unfazed, even breaking into a pleased smile.
Taking down the leader first is always a smart move! With Danzo gone, if Aburame Ryoma is also eliminated, Root will become a headless chicken. No matter how fierce they are, they will be disorganized and unable to mount an effective resistance.
"Let's start with a greeting, then!"
As the insect swarm quickly approached from the sky, Sōgen formed a single "Tiger" seal.
Most Fire Release jutsus ended with the "Tiger" seal, but in Sōgen's hands, all of his Fire techniques had been simplified. A single "Tiger" seal was all he needed to cast any Fire jutsu at will.
In fact, for Sōgen, even forming hand seals wasn't necessary to unleash Fire jutsus.
He just hadn't encountered an opponent strong enough to force him to fight without them. Keeping some tricks hidden, like his ability to cast jutsus without seals, might come in handy one day.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
This was Sōgen's favorite Fire jutsu.
Its overwhelming destructive power and wide area of effect made it his go-to technique.
He unleashed a massive wave of scorching flames, swallowing the forest and the approaching insect swarm. The thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of insects lasted less than a second in the fiery inferno before being completely evaporated...
Sōgen sensed something unusual.
No matter how small the insects were, they had flesh. After their bodies were burned dry, there should have been remains burning in the fire. But instead, they had been completely evaporated, as if they were made entirely of water.
The image of the dark insect swarm flashed through Sōgen's mind, and suddenly, he had a suspicion!
"Ninja Art: Mind-Body Confusion Technique!"
An unexpected attack came from the sky.
Two figures stood atop a massive black eagle, launching their attack while Sōgen was busy burning the insect swarm. The middle-aged man on the eagle unleashed an invisible wave of mental energy that fell from above, aiming straight at Sōgen.
Unfortunately for them, the heat of the fire had forced the eagle to fly high, so Yamanaka's attack took a bit of time to reach him. Despite the impressive range, it was useless if it couldn't hit the target.
Thanks to his Sharingan, Sōgen had already sensed the subtle movement of the mental energy and easily dodged it. However, the eagle wasn't carrying just one person. In the next moment, a rain of attacks followed, with countless black birds diving down toward Sōgen.
Sōgen threw his shuriken.
The black birds shattered, turning into drops of ink that fell to the ground.
"Ink? Pseudo-Beast Art? So this is…"
Sōgen murmured, analyzing the nature of the technique as he deflected the birds with his sword. Soon, he made his conclusion, "This must be a Yang Release technique, right?"
Within these ink birds, Sōgen sensed refined Yang chakra.
Animating ink into creatures, even temporarily, involved the essence of Yang Release. In truth, this secret art touched on the deeper principles of Yang Release.
Thanks to Samehada, Sōgen had gained a deeper understanding of Yin and Yang chakra, which allowed him to recognize their distinct properties. Otherwise, even a Sharingan or Byakugan would only see the chakra within the ink birds, not their true nature.
"Root certainly has its share of talent."
Sōgen looked up at the black eagle soaring in the sky.
A thought formed in his mind.
He had experienced firsthand the complexity of studying Yin and Yang Release. Yin Release had been easier to grasp due to the Sharingan, a natural manifestation of Yin energy. Samehada had also aided him in unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan, the ultimate expression of Yin Release.
But Yang Release had been more elusive.
Although he had considered "borrowing" techniques from the Akimichi clan, their Yang Release secrets were tied to their body-expansion techniques, which required a large physique to master. Picking a fight with the Akimichi clan didn't seem worth it.
After all, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had a bond that went back over 300 years—messing with one meant messing with all three.
Sōgen wasn't afraid of facing them, but he would only do so if the reward justified the trouble.
"Pseudo-Beast Art... a Yang Release secret art. Looks like my luck isn't bad after all."
As he dodged the aerial attacks while running through the forest, Sōgen had already decided to capture the user alive. He wasn't interested in the technique itself—having it would just be another skill in his toolkit.
What intrigued him was how the technique explored and applied Yang chakra.
"They're flying too high! Looks like I'll have to use Susanoo…"
Before Sōgen could finish his thought, a sharp pain shot through his feet. Looking down, he saw countless tiny insects swarming up from the grass, biting at his flesh and burrowing into his body.
Sōgen realized he had unwittingly stepped into a carefully laid ambush. The aerial assault had been a distraction to lure him into this trap.
Insects like these would typically be detected by the Sharingan when they moved, as their chakra would flare up. But when they remained still, their minuscule chakra signatures made them nearly undetectable.
It was a trap meticulously designed for him!
"Secret Art: Insect Sphere!"
Emerging from the ground, Aburame Ryoma finally revealed himself. The silent man didn't waste words, immediately commanding his insects to gather from the surrounding area. In an instant, a dark cloud of insects swarmed toward Sōgen.
With so many insects, they could devour Sōgen down to his bones in seconds.