In the mountain ravine, dozens of Root ninjas clad in Kirigakure attire surrounded Kakashi Hatake. To Kakashi, this scene felt eerily familiar.
Moreover, facing fellow Konoha-born shinobi stirred a sense of melancholy in him. He adjusted his mindset, preparing for the battle ahead.
The Root members, however, did not immediately attack. There were still unresolved doubts.
That woman from earlier—she was gone. Even her chakra signature had vanished!
There was only one explanation: like Shinchu, she had been obliterated without a trace.
But there was another issue—Kakashi Hatake. According to intelligence, he had lost his Sharingan. So why did he still have it, and not just one, but both eyes?
Perhaps the previous intel was incorrect. No matter. As long as they avoided direct eye contact with him, there was nothing to fear.
"Exactly. It's not like we haven't fought against the Sharingan before. During the Uchiha massacre, I personally killed several of them," one of the Root members muttered.
"This mission is to capture him alive. Make sure not to accidentally kill him!" another member warned.
"With that mindset, we might end up being the ones falling into a trap!" someone else retorted.
At this moment, the leader of the operation, Shinraku Tanuki, spoke up.
"Captain?" The Root members turned to him in surprise.
Shinraku Tanuki's voice was low and steady. "Despite the overwhelming numerical advantage, his first instinct wasn't to flee but to stay and fight. That means he's confident in his abilities."
"And that woman—was she really blown to bits? If that were the case, why hasn't he shown any significant emotional reaction? When we first appeared, he immediately shielded her with his body."
The Root members began to sense something was amiss.
Shinraku Tanuki continued methodically, "It must be some kind of technique. So don't underestimate him. Kakashi Hatake was twice considered for the Hokage position. Approach this with the intent to kill, even though our objective is to capture him alive!"
"Engage from a distance. He's not an Uchiha, and having transplanted two Sharingan, he can't sustain combat for long. Wear him down until his chakra is depleted—that's when we'll secure victory!"
"Understood!" The Root members nodded, fully convinced by his analysis.
Shinraku Tanuki turned to one of his subordinates. "Dingmao, you've infiltrated the Kirigakure ANBU before. Use that technique to obscure his vision and neutralize the Sharingan!"
The ninja named Dingmao formed a seal with two fingers.
Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique!
Thick mist rose in the mountain valley, shrouding the area in a dense fog, obscuring visibility.
Another Root ninja asked, "Captain, should we cut off his escape route?"
Shinraku Tanuki pondered briefly before replying, "No need. Leave him a way out. It might relax him mentally, making him less likely to fight us to the death. Besides, we can use the terrain here to our advantage."
"Understood!"
"Move out!"
The Root members launched their assault.
As figures emerged from the mist, Kakashi's gaze turned cold. "At this point, I've resolved myself—even if it means killing my fellow Konoha shinobi."
Root members clinging to the mountain walls released chakra from their feet to maintain their footing. Forming hand seals, they initiated the attack.
Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Massive rocks came crashing down. The mist concealed the falling debris, but the sound was unmistakable.
Kakashi couldn't see the attacks coming, but his sharp ears picked up every movement.
He rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the falling rocks.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the dust settled, shuriken whizzed through the air, slicing toward him.
Kakashi's hands moved swiftly, forming seals.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Bang!
A sturdy earthen wall rose before him, intercepting the incoming shuriken.
The Root ninjas retaliated by hurling kunai affixed with explosive tags at the wall, detonating it. Simultaneously, others flanked him from the mountain walls, keeping their distance while pelting him with projectiles.
Dodging with precision, Kakashi's mind raced. "So that's their strategy. Even with superior numbers, they're sticking to long-range attacks to wear me down. They know I have the Sharingan and are using it against me. The one leading these guys is no ordinary figure."
"If this drags on, it'll be bad news. Time to end this quickly!"
Zzzzt! Kakashi ceased his evasive maneuvers. His right eye morphed into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Every attack that came his way passed harmlessly through his body!
As the earth wall crumbled, Kakashi flicked a kunai from his sleeve and charged through the fiery aftermath of an explosion.
"!?"
The nearest Root ninja froze in disbelief as Kakashi emerged unscathed from the blast. Before he could react, a blade pierced his chest, extinguishing the light in his eyes.
Even in death, he couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Swish! Kakashi moved past the falling corpse, his kunai slashing the throats of several more Root members in a fluid motion.
"!?" A ninja to the side, abandoning orders to capture him alive, swung his blade at Kakashi's head in desperation.
Swish!
The blade passed through Kakashi's head without resistance, as if slicing through air.
"So that's how it works... This ability really is something," Kakashi murmured. As the blade exited his body, he grabbed the attacker's wrist, disarming him. A swift leg sweep sent the ninja crashing to the ground.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several more blades stabbed through Kakashi's back, impaling the fallen ninja in front of him instead!
The attackers were Root members who had leapt from the mountain walls in an aerial ambush.
The mist had obscured their vision earlier, but now they saw it clearly.
"Our attacks... pass right through him! They go straight through his body!!"
But by the time they realized it, it was already too late.
Slash!
Kakashi's figure blurred as he evaded the blades. With the stolen sword in hand, he unleashed a wide arc.
Shhhk! Shhhk! Shhhk!
Blood splattered everywhere.
"Aaaargh!"
The screams echoing from the mist sent chills down the spines of the remaining Root members on the outskirts. "What the hell is happening!?"
Beneath his mask, Shinraku Tanuki's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists tightly, staring into the dense fog.
Shhhk! Shhhk! Shhhk!
Having learned from past battlefield lessons, Kakashi methodically delivered finishing blows to the fallen enemies, ensuring none would rise again.
"This Hidden Mist Technique... It's more of a hindrance than a help," he muttered, stabbing the blood-soaked blade into the ground.
"No choice. Time to clear things up."
His right eye gleamed as the Kamui's spiraling vortex activated. Simultaneously, he formed hand seals, unleashing a fire jutsu.
Fire Release: Storm Dance!
Fwoooosh!
Ordinarily a moderate fire technique, it expanded into a raging inferno as the Kamui's distortion amplified it, engulfing the mountain ravine in flames.
"Ahhhh!"
The blazing storm not only dispelled the mist but also caught over a dozen Root members in its fiery grasp, their screams of agony echoing through the valley.
Shhhk!
Kakashi withdrew his blade and strode forward without hesitation.
Shinraku Tanuki barked an order: "Makuren! Use that move!"
Whoosh!
A female Root member emerged—Yamanaka Makuren, a member of the Yamanaka clan who, unlike Yamanaka Fu, had willingly joined Root out of admiration for Danzo's ideals.
She formed a familiar hand sign, her fingers aimed at Kakashi from afar.
"Hmm? That hand sign... Could it be—" Kakashi's pupils contracted.
"This ends here, Kakashi Hatake!" Yamanaka Makuren sneered.
Ninjutsu: Mind Transfer Jutsu!
But seconds later, her face twisted in shock. "What!? Why didn't it work!?"
The Heavenly Amaterasu, an ocular power immune to all forms of mental control, required no active activation to function.
Originally the ability of Fugaku Uchiha's right eye, it had been inherited by Obito and now resided with Kakashi.
Covering his right eye, Kakashi murmured, "So that's the other ability of this eye..."
To the others, the situation was incomprehensible.
"Makuren! What are you doing!? Control him now!" Shinraku Tanuki shouted.
"I don't believe this!" Yamanaka Makuren attempted the jutsu again.
"Perhaps this power only works in Mangekyo form. Better eliminate her completely to ensure no future threats."
Zzzzt! Kakashi's left eye shifted into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, locking onto Yamanaka Makuren's neck.
Kamui!
Crack!
The spiraling vortex tore through space, severing Yamanaka Makuren's head and dragging it into the dimension.
Her headless body collapsed, blood gushing from her neck, limbs twitching uncontrollably.
A deathly silence fell over the battlefield.
"What... in the world... is that?"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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