They didn't dare to be careless at all. After all, they didn't have their usual forces with them now. Their top priority was protecting Lord Danzo, and they couldn't afford even a moment of negligence.
They were exposed in the open, while the enemy lurked in the shadows—an undeniable disadvantage.
Moreover, the assassin's strength was undoubtedly formidable.
Not only did he possess an exceptional ability to suppress his chakra signature,
but he had also eliminated a skilled ninja in an instant. His combat ability was clearly enough to warrant fear.
At that moment, Kazuki had already concealed himself once more using the Stealth Mask, completely erasing his presence.
Hidden nearby, he silently observed the situation, making no reckless moves.
His previous attack had been swift and decisive—
a single strike that left Danzo filled with fear.
Objective achieved.
Kazuki calmly formulated his next move.
His current strength was sufficient—
in a direct taijutsu confrontation, he could hold his own against an elite opponent.
In an ambush scenario, he was more than capable of instantly eliminating a Jōnin.
However, with Danzo's guards now fully on alert, a direct assault was no longer a viable option.
Kazuki's greatest asset was still the Stealth Mask's ability to completely suppress his presence.
A frontal assault would be reckless.
Instead, as an assassin, his true strategy was to continuously pressure and unnerve Danzo, keeping him on edge.
So long as he could delay Danzo's actions, it would be enough.
The Kazuki currently lurking nearby was merely a shadow clone.
His true body, wearing another Stealth Mask, was already on the move—
heading straight for the Uchiha clan district.
Stealth Mask Effects:
Fully transform into another person for 3 minutes.Completely suppress chakra presence and become undetectable for 10 minutes.
Usage Restriction:
Cooldown Time: 1 minute (During cooldown, the mask's abilities cannot be activated).
If Kazuki were to directly steal a Sharingan from the Root ninja, his identity would be exposed in an instant.
The Root operatives were highly skilled, often stronger than standard Jōnin, and possessed countless secret techniques.
Even with the Stealth Mask, escape would be difficult.
Thus, there was only one method for him to acquire a Sharingan—
he had to impersonate Shimura Danzo and take it in plain sight.
That meant Kazuki had less than three minutes to complete his mission.
Uchiha Clan District
"Lord Danzo, why have you come here?"
A Root commander immediately approached, bowing respectfully upon seeing "Shimura Danzo" approaching from the distance.
"I've come to oversee the progress," Kazuki replied, his voice steady and authoritative.
The Root commander reported promptly,
"Lord Danzo, we have retrieved nearly all the Sharingan-bearing corpses from the Uchiha clan. Almost all of them are accounted for."
"However, we have yet to locate the body of Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head."
"Oh? Is that so?" Kazuki narrowed his eyes, his voice turning icy.
"Then why are you wasting time standing here? Find it immediately. Every last Uchiha Sharingan must be collected!"
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
"Where are the collected Sharingan? Take me to them."
Kazuki's Stealth Mask perfectly replicated Danzo's appearance.
For three minutes, even a Kage-level shinobi wouldn't be able to see through his disguise.
However, while his appearance, chakra, and presence mimicked Danzo,
his mannerisms and decisions could not.
The Root commander hesitated, his brows knitting together.
Something felt... off.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what.
He raised his head, only to realize that Danzo-sama had arrived at the Uchiha compound alone. Unable to contain his surprise, he asked:
"Sir, what about your guards?"
Kazuki's expression remained unfazed as he replied coldly, "What? Do I need to report my security arrangements to you?"
The Root squad captain immediately lowered his head. "My subordinates would never dare."
Kazuki's gaze sharpened as he continued, "Then remember this—I will place a seal on all of you. Do not ask what you shouldn't. Do not speak of what you shouldn't."
The moment those words fell, the captain's doubts dissipated instantly.
Even the Curse Mark of Absolute Obedience… There was no mistake—the person standing before him had to be Danzo-sama.
A wave of frustration surged in his heart. What was I thinking, questioning Lord Danzo? If he angered Danzo, the consequences would be severe.
Hurriedly, he bowed and said, "Lord Danzo, I will take you to see the Sharingan collection immediately. Please follow me."
Following the Root ninja, Kazuki soon arrived at the storage room where the Sharingan were kept.
Inside, dozens of freshly extracted Sharingan were immersed in a special preservation fluid infused with Hashirama Senju's cells.
"Lord Danzo, these are all the Sharingan we've gathered so far," the Root captain reported respectfully.
"Hmm."
Kazuki nodded indifferently before issuing his command.
"These Sharingan… I will personally take charge of them from now on."
The captain hesitated. Danzo-sama's behavior seemed somewhat off today. After a moment, he cautiously asked:
"Lord Danzo, aren't we supposed to report this to the Hokage first? Shouldn't we transport them to the base as per protocol?"
Kazuki stiffened for a brief moment. But his expression quickly returned to normal.
His eyes turned icy as he stared at the Root ninja.
"Are you questioning my orders?"
A suffocating silence fell over the room.
The Root captain's heart trembled with fear. Cold sweat formed on his forehead as he dropped to one knee.
"I wouldn't dare, my lord! I spoke out of turn—please punish me as you see fit."
Kazuki scoffed and reprimanded him coldly.
"Then quit wasting time and handle the corpses. If you delay any further, you'll regret it."
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
The Root ninjas responded in unison. None of them dared to obstruct Kazuki any longer.
He knew he couldn't linger. The mask concealing his identity as Shimura Danzo would only work for a limited time.
Every passing second increased the risk of exposure.
He strode toward the stored Sharingan.
A faint silver light flickered in his palm, and in the next instant, all of the Sharingan disappeared into his storage ring.
Hah…
Kazuki exhaled quietly. With the Sharingan in his possession, half of his mission was complete.
But he couldn't afford to relax.
Escaping in front of the Root operatives would be a true test.
"I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going to see the Hokage now," he ordered before turning to leave.
As he approached the Uchiha compound's gate—
Mutation!
Whoosh!
A flare shot up into the distant sky.
The Root operatives stiffened in shock.
That signal flare…
Wasn't it the emergency distress signal that Danzo-sama himself carried—only to be used in dire situations?
Yet, Danzo-sama was standing right here.
Then how…?
Slowly, their gazes turned toward Kazuki.
His heart sank. Damn it!
A flood of information rushed into his mind—his shadow clone's memories.
The clone he had left behind to delay Danzo had been discovered and killed.
And the real Danzo had realized something was amiss.
He must have deduced the true target—
The Sharingan stored within the Uchiha compound.
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