Chapter 3: Say Nothing

"How is this possible? Isn't he just a weakling, a failure discarded by his own clan? How can he awaken the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan?!" Aburame Torune's voice trembled as his usually emotionless face twisted in disbelief.

He and Yamanaka Fu, both elite operatives of Root and personally trusted by Danzo, had encountered many Uchiha in their line of work. They were well aware of the power of the Sharingan, but this… this was beyond anything they had expected.

"This chakra… it's suffocating," Fu muttered, exchanging a nervous glance with Torune.

"We can't afford to hesitate. Attack!"

"Shintenshin no Jutsu!" Fu's fingers flashed through a sequence of seals before pressing his hands together, sending his consciousness flying toward the enemy's mind.

Simultaneously, Torune took a deep breath, expelling a cloud of microscopic, deadly insects.

"Kikaichū no Jutsu – Nano-Sized Venom Cloud!"

The air itself seemed to darken, the poisonous insects spreading like a living plague.

"Qin Yu, watch out!" Shizune called out in alarm. "Those nano-sized insects are lethal! If you inhale even a tiny amount—"

"Relax." Qin Yu's voice was calm, his crimson Mangekyō spinning violently as his chakra surged.

A dense, oppressive aura radiated from his body, warping the air around him. The deadly mist, mere inches from his skin, was suddenly repelled as though hitting an invisible barrier.

Torune's smirk faltered. "Impossible! That venom should've reached him already—"

A deep, guttural hum filled the air, sending a primal shiver down their spines.

The skeletal form of Susanoo erupted from Qin Yu's chakra, filling the narrow cavern with a monstrous, spectral warrior. Its glowing ribcage encased him, and its hollow eye sockets burned with an unholy, crimson light.

The venomous insects—an unstoppable force against most shinobi—were instantly incinerated by the spectral flames emanating from Susanoo's form.

"What… what is this?!" Fu's voice cracked as he staggered back, his jutsu failing.

Torune clenched his fists, his mind racing. "No! You're under my genjutsu! You must be!"

Qin Yu smirked. "Have you forgotten? The Uchiha don't just specialize in fire-style jutsu. We are also masters of genjutsu."

Fu's body stiffened. His lips parted, but no sound came out.

Torune gasped. "No… it can't be… My body—!"

They both stood frozen, their muscles locked in place, their eyes wide with terror. The cavern around them twisted and warped as the truth set in.

Everything—the battle, the attacks, even their own movements—had been an illusion. They had been ensnared in Qin Yu's Tsukuyomi from the moment he had locked eyes with them.

Watching the two elite Root shinobi kneel, their faces vacant and twitching with madness, the other shinobi in the cave felt their blood run cold.

"This… This isn't just any illusion…" someone whispered. "He trapped them instantly… with no way out."

Another swallowed hard. "Two jōnin, taken out like that… This is terrifying."

They had all steeled themselves for death in battle, but to be toyed with like this? To have their reality shattered in an instant? It was beyond terrifying—it was inhuman.

Qin Yu sighed, his voice as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "They tried to kill me first. Isn't it only fair that I return the favor?"

He stepped forward, his crimson eyes locking onto the helpless Fu and Torune.

"Yes, Qin Yu is right." One of the other shinobi spoke up hesitantly. "Root operatives are ruthless. If we spare them, they'll just report back to Danzo… and we all know what that means."

"If we leave them alive, they'll become a threat to us later," another added. "They've already lost. We should—"

"No!" Shizune interrupted, stepping forward, her voice firm. "Danzo doesn't forgive. If you kill his men, he'll brand you a traitor, Qin Yu. He'll hunt you down, call you a rogue ninja. Do you really want that?"

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Qin Yu regarded her for a moment before chuckling. "You don't want me to have any trouble, huh?"

Shizune blushed slightly but nodded firmly. "I don't."

For the first time in the fight, Qin Yu's expression softened. Then, with a sigh, he waved his hand dismissively. "Fine. I won't kill them."

Relief flickered across Shizune's face.

"But," Qin Yu continued, his voice sharp again, "they don't get off completely free."

His Mangekyō Sharingan spun once more.

"The death penalty is avoided, but suffering is a different matter."

With a mere glance, Fu and Torune collapsed onto the ground, still alive—but their minds trapped in a never-ending illusion of fear and despair.

"Take them away," Qin Yu ordered.

The other shinobi hesitated, then quickly obeyed.

As they carried the broken Root operatives away, they exchanged wary glances.

Qin Yu had changed.

The man they had once thought weak had now taken command, demonstrated power far beyond their expectations, and even spared his enemies—though not without ensuring they would never be a threat again.

In that moment, they knew.

Qin Yu wasn't just another shinobi.

He was a force to be reckoned with.