Secret Technique: Great Heavenly Stench of Creation!
A peculiar stench filled the air, spreading rapidly. The Root members instinctively wrinkled their noses in disgust.
Then, in the sky, a mysterious aura began to coalesce, forming into the shape of dark, ominous clouds.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Following a series of indescribable explosive sounds, something unspeakable began to fall from above.
Plop. Plop. Plop plop plop!
At first, it was a light drizzle, but it quickly intensified, turning into an unstoppable downpour. The falling objects cascaded down like dumplings rushing to dive into boiling water.
"What is this?"
The Root members, unaware of the danger descending upon them, stood frozen in place, staring up at the sky.
Until... the sticky substance splattered all over them.
Upon closer inspection, it resembled the contents of a seasoning packet for instant noodles—but the smell was entirely different!
Their pupils trembled. Their breaths caught in their throats.
"It's... It's shit! It's SHIT!!!"
One of the Root members collapsed to the ground, rolling frantically in an attempt to rid himself of the filth clinging to his body.
But then, something even more horrifying happened. The excrement began to squirm, morphing into small, round, and strangely adorable creatures. They started crawling toward him!
"It's alive! The shit is ALIVE!!!"
"Hehehe, let's play together!"
The little creatures giggled innocently as they climbed up the Root member's bare skin, gathering around his neck. They formed a sphere, completely encasing his head.
"Mmmph! Mmmphhh!!!"
The suffocating sensation of drowning overwhelmed him. He struggled desperately, but the more he fought, the more the creatures forced their way into his mouth and nose. Eventually, he stopped moving, lifeless—whether from suffocation or choking was unclear.
The little "cuties" burrowed into his body, then emerged again, somehow larger than before.
One by one, the other Root members met similar fates.
"I can't die here! Not like this—not to these things!"
Shimura Homai turned and bolted, desperate to escape.
Seeing this, Tobi formed a new hand seal.
Secret Technique: Filth Syrup Trap!
This technique was inspired by the Leaf Village gatekeeper Izumo Kamizuki's Water Syrup Trap Technique. However, instead of using chakra-infused water with high viscosity to immobilize enemies, this version utilized chakra-infused filth with almost zero friction!
Thud! Shimura Homai slipped and fell, skidding across the slimy surface of excrement.
Splat!
The filth, of course, was also alive. It folded in on itself, much like the skin of a soup dumpling, wrapping Homai tightly inside.
Trapped within the filth, Homai's eyes burned with determination. She pressed her hand against the summoning seal on her arm.
Boom!
A container appeared. Using the last of her strength, she broke the seal on its lid.
As it turned out, Homai, the leader of this operation, had prepared a vessel containing venomous insects as her ultimate trump card.
The poisonous insects spread throughout the filth slime's body.
Splat!
The slime creature burst apart.
Homai crawled out of the mess, battered and bruised, and fled toward the distance without looking back.
"Hmm?" This turn of events caught Tobi off guard.
Inside Tobi's body, the slime creature spoke:
"Tobi, Tobi! Part of my body was suddenly invaded by an external consciousness!"
Tobi asked, "Can you trace the source of that consciousness?"
The slime replied, "Yes, I can."
Tobi said, "Good. Sync your perception with mine. I need to pinpoint their exact location."
The slime responded, "Understood, understood!"
Homai staggered as she ran. Just beyond the high walls of the Hyuga Clan's training grounds lay the forested hills behind the Leaf Village. If she could reach them, she believed she'd be safe.
Whoosh!
But Tobi blocked her path.
Homai pleaded, "Can't you just let me go?"
Tobi replied, "That depends. Are you willing to cooperate?"
Homai asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Tobi said, "You and your group managed to infiltrate the Leaf Village without being detected. Someone must have helped you. Who is your contact?"
Homai hesitated. "If I tell you, will you spare my life?"
Tobi replied, "That depends on whether you're telling the truth."
Homai dropped a bombshell: "It was the Nara Clan's head, Shikaku Nara!"
Tobi:
Homai continued, "Yes, it was Shikaku Nara! He approached us not long ago, seeking our help to force the Fifth Hokage to step down and seize control of the Leaf Village! We're just pawns in his game!"
Tobi said skeptically, "Slinging mud, are we?"
Homai insisted, "If you don't believe me, hand me over to the Leaf's interrogation unit—Ibiki Morino! Let him use any means necessary to question me and see if I'm lying!"
Whoosh!
From the shadows, a tendril of darkness extended, connecting to Homai's feet.
A calm, composed voice followed:
"Lies aren't scary. What's scary is when you start believing them yourself."
Shikaku Nara leapt down from the high wall and greeted Tobi.
"Tobi-san, we met once before in Amegakure, didn't we?"
Thud!
Tobi knocked Homai unconscious and asked Shikaku, "Do you have anything to say in response to her accusations? I trust you, but I can't rule out the possibility that you're being controlled."
Shikaku replied, "Of course, that's a reasonable assumption. When someone points fingers at you, it's hard to defend yourself. I'll voluntarily request to be detained by the ANBU. But first, assuming my innocence, I'd like to propose a theory."
Tobi said, "Go on."
Shikaku explained, "The fact that she dared to suggest being interrogated by Ibiki means she genuinely believes what she's saying.
"If I'm innocent, then Aburame Ryoma's venomous insects alone couldn't achieve this. The only genjutsu capable of such manipulation is Kotoamatsukami."
Tobi asked, "Are you saying—"
Shikaku confirmed, "Yes. Uchiha Shisui must have been resurrected via Edo Tensei by Aburame Ryoma. During his time in Root, Ryoma was close to Orochimaru, so it's plausible he learned the technique. Additionally, Ryoma, as a key figure in Root, would have known the location of Shisui's body after Danzo's pursuit.
"Based on this, I've made my judgment. Please relay this to Naruto through White Zetsu's clones."
Tobi nodded. "I will."
Shikaku continued, "Their plan was to use Kotoamatsukami to control this woman, have her lead the Root members in infiltrating the village, and use those horrific venomous insects to subdue Hinata. Then, they arranged for her to 'fall into our hands' and falsely implicate me. This way, I'd be neutralized as well, giving them an even greater advantage."
Tobi asked thoughtfully, "So what do you think should be done with her?"
Shikaku replied meaningfully, "Hand her over to Ibiki for interrogation. It'd be best if the Yamanaka Clan assisted as well. The enemy went to great lengths to frame me, which means they must be desperate to take the Hokage's seat. Since that's the case, how could I bear to disappoint them?"
Tobi stared at him deeply. "You're not planning to—"
At that moment, Hinata arrived, accompanied by Akamaru.
Shikaku's gaze grew profound. "I have an idea, but I need everyone's approval—especially Hinata's."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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