"Yakushi Nonou."
"Come with us."
Yoru took a deep breath and spoke in a low, steady voice.
Yakushi Nonou's body trembled, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, but she didn't dare make any move to respond.
She, of course, knew Uchiha Yoru's reputation—his name shook the entire ninja world, shining like the sun at its zenith, revered by all!
But…
She also knew the terror of the Root organization all too well.
Even if she wanted to save those children, even if she wanted to tell Uchiha Yoru the whole truth, or even act as a witness to this heinous crime, as he suggested…
How could she ensure the safety of those children?
Behind her were the lives of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of innocent orphans…
Aburame Ryoma glanced back at her.
He seemed to see through her hesitation.
He sneered coldly, "Uchiha Yoru, you can't take her."
"Yakushi Nonou may be the director of Konoha's orphanage in name, but she's also a member of Root. If you want to take her by force, you'll need permission from both Lord Danzo and the Hokage!"
"Otherwise…"
"You'll have to step over my dead body!"
Aoki and Yamakaze both scoffed in unison.
"You think we wouldn't dare?!"
Yoru almost found it amusing.
"Aburame Ryoma, where did you get the delusion…"
"That I wouldn't kill you?"
"Or perhaps another delusion…"
"That I can't kill you?"
Ryoma sneered back, "Uchiha Yoru, I know you're reckless and fearless, and I don't doubt you could kill me. But…"
"You don't understand how Root operates."
"Even if you kill me, you won't achieve your goal."
"Forget taking Yakushi Nonou—even if you did, you'd never get any intel about Root from her, let alone from me."
"My body is tied to countless secrets. If I die, not only will many truths stay buried in the shadows forever, but more importantly…"
"Many lives will die with me, all as my funeral escort!"
In an instant, Nonou's face paled dramatically!
Aoki and Yamakaze caught the threat in his words, their hearts jolting as their eyes practically blazed with fury!
Aburame Ryoma had likely linked his life to the orphanage children through some kind of secret curse seal—if he died, they would all die too!
This was beyond monstrous!
But considering he was one of Root's leaders, working alongside Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo, it wasn't surprising.
Aoki and Yamakaze trembled with rage but didn't dare act rashly, turning to look at their captain.
Killing Ryoma would mean the deaths of all the children.
Not killing him meant he'd smugly refuse to leak any Root intel.
Nonou's face was ashen, like a flickering candle in the wind, on the verge of collapse…
She looked at Yoru, lost and lifeless, like a walking corpse.
Yoru took a deep breath.
"Threatening me."
"Fine, Aburame Ryoma. You're the first person bold enough to try."
"You don't want to live, and you don't want to die? Then I'll make you unable to live or die."
Yoru's words were a feint.
His real move had already begun while he spoke.
Mangekyo Sharingan…
Activate!
In an instant, his right eye transformed into a blood-red six-pointed star, spinning faintly, radiating ferocious, untamed ocular power that locked onto Ryoma's eyes!
Ryoma wasn't unprepared.
But Yoru's activation was faster, subtler, and more unstoppable than he could have imagined!
Magatsuhi-no-Kami!
Buzz—
The Mangekyo Sharingan's technique, Magatsuhi-no-Kami, descended upon the ninja world for the second time since utterly defeating Uchiha Shisui!
Before Ryoma could react, he was trapped in the Mangekyo Sharingan's illusion world…
His expression turned vacant, as if his soul had been stripped away.
Even Orochimaru would fall instantly to Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan.
What chance did a mere Aburame Ryoma have?!
In that moment, Ryoma was plunged into an endless hell, engulfed by relentless red lotus flames that scorched the heavens and earth, consuming his entire body!
Every fraction, every inch, every corner, every cell burned with the ferocious heat of the red lotus flames, transforming his lifetime of sins into karma, only to be incinerated by the flames!
This was an unstoppable fire of retribution!
In that moment, Ryoma's lifetime of sins played like a reel in the purgatory world—his crimes were monstrous, his evil boundless…
Following someone like Shimura Danzo, how many atrocities had Ryoma committed, how many inhumane acts had he carried out? His sins were too numerous to record!
Compared to him, Uchiha Shisui was just a naive fool!
And because of this, the pain Ryoma endured now was unimaginable.
His body and soul burned simultaneously, roasted inch by inch—not just bone-deep agony but a torment that pierced his heart and soul.
"Aaahhhh!"
The Root members watched as Uchiha Yoru's Mangekyo Sharingan unleashed its power. In the next instant, their leader, Lord Ryoma, let out a blood-curdling scream, his mouth gaping so wide it seemed his soul might spill out!
"Lord Ryoma…"
"What… what is this?!"
But Yoru controlled the Mangekyo's power, restraining Magatsuhi-no-Kami from reaching its full force.
Otherwise, Ryoma would have been incinerated instantly.
He meant what he said.
He'd promised to make Ryoma unable to live or die, and he would.
Under the flames of Magatsuhi-no-Kami, Yoru's ocular power forcibly shattered the countless curse seals Danzo had placed on Ryoma.
The most critical was, of course, the Tongue-Binding Curse Seal.
And the many barriers, restrictions, seals, and runes set in his mind…
All were reduced to ashes under the flames!
Thus, Yoru saw the whole truth…
Including the forbidden jutsu Ryoma had been ordered to research…
Edo Tensei!
Yoru spoke gravely, "The children are spread across three of Root's secret bases."
"The one ahead is one of them."
"Aoki, Yamakaze, these people all need to die."
"Yes, Captain!"
In an instant.
Yoru became a god of thunder, slaughtering seven or eight Root ninjas in a flash!
Then, like a bolt of lightning, he stormed into the Root's secret base.
Aoki and Yamakaze roared, charging at the last three or four Root members.
Nonou hesitated for a moment, then turned and followed Yoru, rushing into the Root's secret base…
As for Aburame Ryoma, he remained trapped in the endless agony of the soul-scorching flames, unable to escape, never able to escape…
Unable to live, unable to die!