Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Backlash!

The sound of explosive tags being ignited.

Two explosive tags hidden on tree branches had just burned out.

Boom, boom!! Two consecutive massive explosions instantly engulfed the area in flames and thick smoke.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Several kunai with explosive tags attached shot directly at the remaining Root members.

"How dare you..."

The leading Root Jonin was furious beyond measure.

He hadn't anticipated that the other party would dare to strike first.

After all, they bore the name of the 'Anbu,' a unit directly under the Hokage.

Attacking them was akin to village betrayal.

Even the proud Uchiha never dared to make a move against them, so it was no wonder this Root Jonin was so shocked.

Boom, boom!

The power of explosive tags was equivalent to high-level Fire Release, leaving no doubt about their potency.

Aside from being expensive, they had no drawbacks.

Even the Root ninjas could only temporarily avoid their sharpness.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The sound of a summoning technique echoed through the smoke.

"Watch out for the summoned beast!"

The Root Jonin warned his subordinates.

That crow summon wasn't weak, but this was a ninja battle; as long as it wasn't given the chance to use 'Sunset,' there was nothing to worry about.

However, when the explosion's firelight and smoke cleared, Taiichi was nowhere to be seen in the sky.

"Ah!"

A sudden scream erupted from the side.

It was a Root ninja who had been trying to circle behind Uchiha Takashi.

"What did you do?"

The Root Jonin drew a kunai and used the Body Flicker Technique to rush at Uchiha Takashi in the trees.

Uchiha Takashi shrugged, his expression mocking, "Who knows!"

Even with a Jonin in his face, he wasn't as worried as he used to be.

Before he grew stronger, Jonin were like fathers, but now that he had grown, he was the one in charge.

It's just a Root Jonin, deal with him.

Whoosh! Intense flames erupted from his gauntlets, wrapping around him like a light veil.

Flame Cloak!

This was a technique Uchiha Takashi had recently developed.

By directly converting chakra into controllable flames with the Fist of Flames, he saved the hand-seal process for the Flame Cloak.

Thankfully, he had the Fist of Flames! This ninja tool was tailor-made for him, with countless applications.

In the Flame Cloak mode, he could hold his own against a Jonin for a while using the Golden Crow Flow Technique.

"Fire Mist Technique!"

Uchiha Takashi habitually scattered lime.

But the Root had considerable intel on him and knew the effects of this move, so the Root Jonin performed a backflip, not only avoiding the lime but also shooting several kunai mid-air.

As Uchiha Takashi dodged the kunai, the opponent landed on a tree trunk several meters away, completing a hand-seal.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"

The Root Jonin puffed up his cheeks and spat out several pale blue transparent spheres.

A B-rank Wind Release! It was also a technique Danzo excelled at; getting hit would turn one into a sieve.

Uchiha Takashi's mind wasn't as reckless as Sasuke Uchiha's, who would just take hits head-on. He leaped to dodge.

His speed might not match the Vacuum Sphere's flight speed.

But by focusing on the opponent's head, he could roughly judge the direction of the Vacuum Sphere's attack and dodge in advance.

It's fair to say, after previous life-and-death experiences and training with Minato Namikaze, the fastest in the ninja world, his combat experience had grown significantly.

In a one-on-one!

Uchiha Takashi might not be the opponent.

Because what the Root excelled at wasn't combat, but assassination.

Killing machines! You think that's just an exaggeration?

From the moment they met, Uchiha Takashi noticed the opponent using several secret poisons.

Fortunately, he had recently received knowledge from Tsunade and concocted antidotes; otherwise, he would have been poisoned long ago.

Chapter 63: Backlash!

Whoosh, whoosh! A series of Vacuum Spheres were launched, chasing after Uchiha Takashi's agile figure.

Even trees so thick that several people would need to join hands to encircle them were easily pierced by these Vacuum Spheres.

Not to mention flesh and blood.

Even steel would be effortlessly shredded by such power.

Given Uchiha Takashi's speed, it seemed impossible for him to continually evade the attacks.

But who said the Flame Cloak didn't have another use?

Whoosh! Intense flames suddenly burst from Uchiha Takashi's palms, instantly boosting his jumping speed. Not only did he dodge the incoming Vacuum Spheres, but he also swiftly maneuvered to the opponent's side.

Golden Crow Fluid Technique: Solo Execution! His body spun rapidly in mid-air, and with the momentum, his right leg came crashing down heavily on the opponent.

Bang! The Root Jonin was slammed into the ground.

Uchiha Takashi had developed various unique uses for the Flame Cloak.

Enhancing mobility was the most crucial aspect.

The effect was astonishing!

The moment he used it, he caught the Root Jonin completely off guard.

"Uchiha Takashi, are you planning to defect from the village?"

The Root Jonin stood up from the crater he was smashed into, questioning loudly.

Ninjas are like 'mini-superhumans'; with chakra enhancing their resilience, they can withstand a lot. Unless it's a piercing attack, it's tough to kill with blunt force.

"And yet, you from the Root attack a Konoha Chunin without the Hokage's orders, and that's not considered treason?"

Uchiha Takashi stood on a tree, looking down at the Root Jonin, using his words to attack the opponent's spirit.

In battles between ninjas, no tactic is off-limits.

Mental assaults are also a strategy, which is why during prolonged battles, they often resort to verbal jutsu.

Hearing Uchiha Takashi's retort, the Root Jonin's mind wavered slightly.

He hadn't expected Uchiha Takashi to know so much, and by the time he snapped back to reality, a kunai was already flying towards him.

Whoosh! Faced with the kunai at such close range, the Root Jonin quickly dodged, letting the kunai embed in the ground beneath him.

Sizzle! But before he could counterattack, he heard the sound of burning.

Attached to the tail of the kunai was a lit explosive tag.

Boom! The violent explosion engulfed the Root Jonin.

Cough, cough!

On a tree dozens of meters away.

The figure of the Root Jonin appeared.

However, his mask was damaged, and a portion of his uniform was missing, showing that escaping the explosion wasn't easy.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind.

Damn, so much money! Whether it's kunai or explosive tags, they're not cheap.

Especially explosive tags, which cost tens of thousands of ryo each, and these high-quality ones produced by the Uchiha are even more expensive, fetching a hundred thousand ryo on the black market.

Yet the opponent had used quite a few just now.

It was like money was no object, catching them completely off guard.

Before he could catch his breath, he heard a voice from above.

"Fire Fist!"

A figure clad in a thin veil of red flames, like a deity, descended from the sky, gathering a massive amount of flames into his right fist.

Bang! The punch, enhanced by flames, shattered the tree trunk, with the wild flames raging.

The display was grand, but the effect was lacking.

Ninjas never lack powerful jutsu, but they often lack jutsu that can hit the target.

Just like the Fire Fist now.

If it could hit, even a Kage-level ninja might not withstand it.

But a Kage-level ninja, even if faced with it a hundred times, would never be hit.

"Wind Release: Gale..."

The Root Jonin, who had jumped away, formed seals in mid-air, preparing to counterattack with a jutsu.

But just as he finished the seals, he found himself unable to move.

And Uchiha Takashi, clad in a veil of flames and standing on the burning tree, looked over with a hint of mockery.

A trap!

That last attack was merely a cover; the real killer move was elsewhere.

At this moment, the Root Jonin had fallen right into it.

(End of Chapter)