Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Total Annihilation of the Pursuit Squad!

"Monster...!"

The Root Jonin couldn't suppress the fear that surged from his very nature as he watched the massive figure slowly materialize behind him.

A gigantic, snow-white lizard-like creature, several dozen meters long, had appeared silently behind him. He was now suspended in mid-air, immobilized by the creature's long tongue.

"Chubimaru, intensify the paralysis effect!" Uchiha Takashi ordered calmly.

Yes, this colossal being was another of his summoned beasts.

The First Summit Giant Lizard: Chubimaru! While it didn't possess the short sword of Gamabunta, the shedding ability of Manda, or the splitting and healing capabilities of Katsuyu, it had its own unique traits.

First was its camouflage! Its snow-white scales could change color to blend seamlessly with the surrounding environment, with the effect being more pronounced in complex terrains.

Its tongue carried a paralyzing effect. While it wasn't particularly strong against targets of similar size, for humans—even ninjas—it was overwhelming.

A natural hunter! The First Summit Giant Lizard was exceptionally suited for this kind of jungle ambush.

This was also why the remaining Root ninjas let out a single scream before falling silent.

They were all ambushed by this 'invisible' summoned beast.

Chubimaru was different from Taiichi.

Not only was it larger in size, but it was also more adept at using chakra and had special abilities.

Even facing the legendary Sannin's summoned beasts head-on wouldn't be a problem.

If it were Taiichi, reaching the level of the Sannin's summoned beasts would still take time.

"Yes, Lord Uchiha Takashi!"

Chubimaru's tongue quickly secreted saliva, which had a potent paralyzing effect, causing the Root Jonin to lose consciousness swiftly.

"Uchiha... Uchiha Takashi... Lord Danzo will avenge us!"

Those were the last words left by the opponent.

With the opponent dealt with, the entire pursuit squad from the Root was annihilated.

It wasn't that they were unprepared.

From the Root's perspective, even though Uchiha Takashi had shown considerable strength during the Chunin Exams, he was still just at the level of a Special Jonin, relying more on unique taijutsu for surprise attacks.

Facing a capture squad led by a Jonin with four Chunin in support, failure seemed impossible.

But who could have foreseen Uchiha Takashi's rapid increase in strength, not to mention the devastating weapon that was Chubimaru?

"In the past, I kept a low profile to avoid trouble, but now I can't even lie low without being provoked. Do they really think I'm a pushover?"

Looking at the unconscious Root Jonin, Uchiha Takashi muttered to himself.

Indeed!

In the past, staying low-key was to avoid trouble.

But now, if he didn't dare to stir things up, what was the point of all his efforts?

Whoever dared to mess with him, Uchiha Takashi would retaliate against them. He had no intention of sacrificing everything for the village's so-called 'Will of Fire.'

The 'Will of Fire' was just a slogan, not something to deceive oneself with.

Even dogs wouldn't believe in such a thing.

Just look at the ever-growing Hokage faction within the village, and it's clear that this concept is merely a tool to manipulate civilian ninjas into serving the Konoha hierarchy.

But repeat a lie a thousand times, and it becomes the truth.

The Ninja Academy's 'Will of Fire' course was a mandatory exam, and it had indeed misled many.

A special mention goes to the Uchiha clan, who seemed to be more easily swayed the stronger their talents were.

What a tragedy!

As Uchiha Takashi vented his dissatisfaction, Chubimaru used its tongue to swallow the unconscious Root ninjas.

Don't get the wrong idea! It had no interest in 'cannibalism.'

Instead, it was storing these Root ninjas in its belly to be regurgitated when Uchiha Takashi needed them.

Ninjas were valuable experimental material.

Previously, Uchiha Takashi obtained his experimental subjects through Uchiha channels.

Now, he had to 'fend for himself.'

And while he used to only use Genin as test subjects, Chunin and Jonin were beyond his reach.

But with these Root ninjas, he now had a wealth of high-level experimental subjects.

Even knowing that these Root ninjas were brainwashed and innocent at heart.

But so what?

Chapter 64: Annihilation of the Pursuit Squad!

Uchiha Takashi wasn't exactly a saint; he didn't care about the details as long as he knew their hands were stained with blood. He set aside personal morals and embraced a life of mischief.

As long as he had no morals, he didn't have to worry about being criticized for lacking them.

Now that he had gained the power to protect himself, he began to revert to some of his pre-transmigration personality traits.

A joker, a contrarian... and so on.

These traits would be self-destructive without power, but with power, they became a unique charm.

"Fire Style: Fireball!"

Seeing several experimental subjects swallowed and taken away by Chubimaru, Uchiha Takashi began to clean up the scene.

Although he couldn't completely hide the incident, he could at least prevent the Root from knowing the details of the battle.

Cleaning up traces was part of the academy curriculum.

Even though Uchiha Takashi had been a slacker before, it didn't mean he hadn't remembered this knowledge.

"Hmm, at this moment, saying something like 'Let the flames consume everything' would be fitting!"

Watching everything being engulfed by flames, Uchiha Takashi nodded in satisfaction, maintaining his Flame Cloak as he leaped away.

He hadn't deactivated the Flame Cloak, worried about leaving behind scents or traces, and it also served as protection against poisons, insects, and other underhanded tactics.

Ninjas aren't just warriors; they have a myriad of methods, and many have died from carelessness.

Of course.

It was only because Uchiha Takashi's chakra had greatly increased, and with the aid of the Flaming Fist tool, that he could maintain the Flame Cloak throughout.

Two hours later! Several figures appeared on the still-warm battlefield.

"Too late!"

The leading ninja, who wasn't wearing a mask, looked surprised at the battlefield turned to scorched earth by the flames.

He had only come to check because the capture team lost contact, and now it seemed something unexpected had happened.

"Should we pursue the target?"

A Root ninja beside him asked.

"No, we have another important mission. The capture operation is suspended, and I will explain to Lord Danzo!"

The leading ninja shook his head.

They had another important mission and couldn't delay the village's task for the Root's mission.

"Understood!"

The Root members naturally had no objections.

And so, the group disappeared from the scene.

On the other side, Uchiha Takashi had already found the convoy.

It was a caravan composed of several horse-drawn carriages, escorted by a team consisting of one Chunin and three Genin.

"Who goes there!"

Uchiha Takashi's arrival was detected by the leading Chunin.

However, upon seeing the Konoha ninja headband on Uchiha Takashi's forehead, he didn't attack immediately.

"I am Konoha Chunin Uchiha Takashi, ordered to escort the convoy!"

Uchiha Takashi presented the mission scroll to prove his identity.

Killing Root members was one thing, but mandatory missions issued by the village had to be completed unless he intended to defect.

Such thoughts had once been tempting to him.

But after witnessing the harsh reality of the ninja world, he no longer entertained such ideas.

Konoha might be dangerous, but it wasn't more dangerous than the ninja world. Moreover, the knowledge, jutsu, and materials available in Konoha couldn't be easily obtained elsewhere.

For instance, the materials for making the Clarity Potion.

If he weren't in Konoha, it would be nearly impossible to gather them in the other four great ninja villages, at least not for an ordinary person.

Not to mention places outside the five great ninja villages! In those areas, being able to sustain life was already fortunate, and commercial development was just a dream. Or rather, even if commerce thrived, it had little to do with ninjas.

With the headband and mission scroll, the Chunin named Yamashita Satoru relaxed.

Through their exchange, Uchiha Takashi understood why the other didn't recognize him.

During the joint Chunin exams, Yamashita Satoru had been on a mission outside, so he didn't know him.

Moreover, the village had been suppressing his fame. Apart from those present at the arena, most people had only heard his name, and even fewer knew much about him.

Konoha's leadership was quite adept at controlling information.

Back then, even the White Fang fell victim to this.

(End of Chapter)