CHAPTER 32
They didn't dare to be careless at all. After all, they no longer had the numbers of the Root ANBU surrounding them. Their primary duty was to protect Shimura Danzo, and even the slightest lapse in vigilance could mean failure.
They were in the open, while the assassin lurked unseen—a dangerous disadvantage.
Moreover, the enemy's strength was unquestionable.
Not only did he possess exceptional stealth capabilities, concealing both his presence and chakra signature, but he had just eliminated a Root operative—an elite shinobi personally trained by Danzo—effortlessly. His abilities warranted fear.
At this moment, Kazuki,
having once again activated the Stealth Mask, concealed his breath and chakra signature completely.
He remained hidden in a nearby position, observing carefully without acting rashly.
His prior strike had been swift, precise, and devastating.
Danzo was already gripped with paranoia—mission accomplished.
Kazuki considered his next move.
While he had formidable combat skills, capable of holding his own against an elite jōnin in direct confrontation,
his real strength lay in ambush tactics. A well-placed sneak attack could eliminate even a jōnin instantly.
However, after his recent kill, Danzo's guards were fully alert, making further direct action difficult.
Kazuki's greatest advantage now lay in his Stealth Mask's unique ability to erase his presence completely.
Engaging in direct combat was too risky.
Instead, he would apply relentless psychological pressure—forcing Danzo to remain on edge.
Delaying Danzo's movements was all he needed to do.
At this moment, the Kazuki here was merely a shadow clone.
With intermittent attacks, he could instill enough fear to keep Danzo preoccupied,
ensuring the Uchiha Massacre's aftermath remained unresolved.
Meanwhile, his real body, wearing another Stealth Mask, was already en route to the Uchiha Clan's compound…
Stealth Mask's Effects:
1. Complete transformation into another person for 3 minutes.
2. Total suppression of presence and chakra for 10 minutes.
Limitation:
Cooldown Time: 1 minute. During this period, switching disguises is impossible.
If Kazuki attempted to steal a Sharingan while his aura was concealed, removing it would instantly expose his identity—inviting suspicion and hostility from the Root operatives.
These operatives, handpicked by Danzo, were stronger than ordinary jōnin and possessed dangerous techniques. Even with his Stealth Mask, escape would be difficult.
Thus, the only viable strategy was impersonation.
Disguising himself as Shimura Danzo was the only way to take the Sharingan in plain sight.
He had less than three minutes to accomplish this.
---
In the Uchiha Compound:
"Lord Danzo, why are you here?"
A Root commander, upon seeing Kazuki disguised as Danzo, immediately saluted with deep reverence.
"I came to check on the progress," Kazuki responded calmly.
The commander reported,
"Lord Danzo, we have collected nearly all Sharingan-bearing corpses from the Uchiha Clan. Only the body of Uchiha Fugaku remains missing."
"Oh? Is that so?" Kazuki narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold.
"Then find it immediately! Every Sharingan must be secured!"
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
"Where are the collected Sharingan? Take me there."
The Stealth Mask had flawlessly transformed him into Shimura Danzo,
and even a Kage-level shinobi wouldn't see through it in three minutes.
However, while his disguise replicated Danzo's chakra signature and appearance,
it couldn't mimic Danzo's mannerisms.
The Root commander hesitated.
Something felt off—but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
He raised his head, only to realize that Danzo-sama had arrived at the Uchiha district alone, without his usual security detail. His heart tensed as he hesitantly asked:
"Lord Danzo, where are your guards?"
Danzo, wrapped in his dark robe with his right eye concealed behind bandages, gazed at him sharply. His voice carried a chilling authority as he snapped, "Why? Do I need to report my security arrangements to you?"
The Root captain immediately bowed his head, suppressing his unease. "My apologies, my lord. I meant no disrespect."
Danzo exhaled coldly, his patience wearing thin. "I will seal your tongues as a reminder—speak only when necessary, and do not question what you shouldn't."
A shiver ran down the Root captain's spine. The words alone were enough, but the implicit threat of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal—a technique known to bind Root operatives to absolute silence—was unmistakable. His doubts evaporated instantly.
The curse seal alone proved that the man before him was indeed Danzo Shimura. He cursed himself inwardly. How could he have even momentarily questioned his leader's identity? If Danzo took offense, he would suffer a fate worse than death.
He quickly straightened and said, "My lord, I will escort you to the collection point for the Sharingan at once."
Danzo followed, and soon they arrived at a secured underground chamber within the Root facility. Inside, dozens of freshly harvested Sharingan floated in a preservation solution mixed with Hashirama Senju's cells—an essential component that helped sustain their power.
"Lord Danzo, these are all the Sharingan we've collected from the Uchiha casualties," the Root captain reported with utmost reverence.
Danzo nodded curtly before giving a sharp command. "These eyes—hand them over to me for safekeeping."
The Root captain hesitated. Something felt off. Danzo's behavior was uncharacteristically urgent. He hesitated, then asked cautiously, "My lord, should we not first report this to the Hokage? These eyes were meant to be secured at our base—"
Danzo's gaze turned glacial. His voice dropped to a dangerously low tone. "Are you instructing me on what to do?"
A tense silence fell over the room.
The captain's face drained of color as he immediately dropped to one knee. Sweat beaded at his temple as he stammered, "Forgive me, my lord! I overstepped! Please punish me as you see fit!"
Danzo snorted derisively before barking, "Enough. Get rid of the bodies. If you delay, there will be consequences."
"Yes, Danzo-sama!" The Root operatives echoed in unison. None dared question him further.
Danzo moved toward the storage containers, his movements precise. With a flicker of silver light, he swiftly sealed all the Sharingan into his personal storage ring.
He exhaled quietly. The hardest part of his mission was done. But the true test lay ahead—escaping under the eyes of the ever-vigilant Root operatives.
"I will leave the rest to you. I must report to the Hokage," he announced, turning toward the exit.
However, just as he reached the gates of the Uchiha district—
Whoosh!
A signal flare burst into the sky.
For a heartbeat, the entire Root unit froze.
That flare… It was the emergency signal Danzo-sama carried—a distress call that would only be used in dire circumstances.
Yet Danzo stood before them, unharmed.
A creeping suspicion flickered through the operatives' minds. If Danzo was here… then who had sent the signal?
Realization struck like a thunderclap. Their eyes snapped to the man standing in front of them.
Kazuki's pulse quickened. This is bad.
In an instant, memories flooded his mind—his Shadow Clone, the one sent to stall Danzo, had been destroyed. The message carried back to him upon its dispelling was clear: Danzo had broken free.
Worse yet, Danzo had discovered the deception.
His real target—the stolen Sharingan—had been exposed!
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