27 - Trapped Rats

Despite stirring up trouble and inflaming internal conflicts within Konoha, Shin hasn't let his personal training slip for a single moment.

Each night, he practiced until his muscles screamed and his chakra reserves ran dry. Power wasn't just about raw force—it was about maximizing what you possessed. Through constant practice, he transformed the system's insights into his own abilities.

Through this process, he discovered he had a natural talent for genjutsu. However, his approach to using it was quite different from most ninjas.

He never insisted on using it solely to harm or weaken the enemy; instead, he believed that deception itself was the goal. Why kill with illusions when you could break their minds instead?

There were many ways to kill an opponent without genjutsu, but to deceive and manipulate emotions—genjutsu was unparalleled for that.

He was especially skilled at blending illusion with reality. The best lies were wrapped in truth. The best illusions mirrored reality.

For instance, Shin instructed them to abandon their old techniques and use only jutsu from the Uchiha clan for this fight. This subtle suggestion cracked the mental defenses of the Root ninja.

As he faced the constant Fireball Jutsu and glimpsed those red eyes, his resolve finally broke. He screamed in desperation:

"Damn Uchiha! You'll never defeat Danzō-sama! Torune will unleash his insects to devour you. My team will gouge out your eyes, burn your body, and bury you within a stone pillar!"

The Root ninja felt he had no chance of survival—after all, the Sharingan was known as an unbeatable one-on-one power. Under the illusion's influence, he completely lost control and spewed every venomous curse he'd never dared utter.

Just as he tried to hurl more insults and strike at the Uchiha's very roots, a sharp pain shot from his tongue, quickly spreading to his entire jaw. The pain snapped him back to reality, and he saw only the quiet night under the moon—no sign of the Uchiha.

"What—"

He tried to speak, but by then the pain had turned into numbness and a void. He felt his tongue and throat rapidly decay, disappearing. Black, tadpole-like sealing symbols began flowing from his mouth, spreading down his neck.

Shin raised an eyebrow, slightly disappointed. Seeing this, he didn't hesitate and instantly used the Body Flicker, appearing in front of the Root ninja and stabbing him through the heart.

But death didn't stop the black seals, which continued spreading over the ninja's body, covering his face and head.

Ajisai and the others arrived, gasping in shock at the grotesque sight before them.

"What... what is this? It looks terrifying," she asked, still shaken.

Shin pulled his sword back, cleaning the blade with a single swipe. "This is the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, a secret technique of Root," he calmly explained.

"So this is the 'Root' you've been talking about?" Now it clicked for Ajisai and the others, finally understanding who their enemy truly was.

Kazuya shook his head in regret. "If it weren't for this strange seal he might have given us even more information."

Everyone nodded.

This is the true face of Konoha's darkness.

Shin's genjutsu was just as terrifying as the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal—easily manipulating the enemy's emotions and coaxing information out of an experienced Root ninja as though he were a puppet.

He didn't think much of it. He knew Root had fail-safe mechanisms, and the seal activation actually confirmed the truth of what the enemy had said before dying.

Ironically, it helped verify the reliability of the intelligence.

"No matter," he said, watching the last of the black marks settle into the corpse. "We gained a lot this time. We confirmed that the enemy leader is Aburame Torune, with likely fire-release and earth-release ninjas in the team."

After a pause, he added, "And judging by their refusal to retreat and our surveillance, this Root squad likely has no further reinforcements."

Despite the value of this intelligence, everyone's spirits remained tense.

"Even so, they're still incredibly strong. I've heard of Torune from the Second Shinobi World War," Kazuya muttered.

As one of the top commanders in Root, Torune held the privilege of using his real name instead of a code, making him quite well-known. Hearing his name, the group's morale dipped further.

But Shin merely smiled. "I've already thought of a way to deal with them."

They all turned, wide-eyed.

"Captain Shin, you already have a plan? That fast?"

"What should we do?"

When he spoke, his soft words chilled everyone to their core. "We'll burn down the mountain."

"Based on current intelligence, it appears the enemy team lacks any water release user. The Aburame clan's insects have an advantage in the forest, but a wildfire can entirely negate it."

But the team wasn't focused on the tactical brilliance.

Tanaka stepped forward, his hands trembling slightly. "There are villages at the base of the mountain. Even if no one gets hurt, those villagers rely on the mountain's game to get through the winter."

"Not to mention, if the fire spreads, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"The animals... the trees... everything," Ajisai murmured. "It's too dangerous."

Shin simply shrugged, his casual dismissal more frightening than any show of anger.

"Did you just meet me today? Since when did I ever care about the damage?"

To harm nature, people—it didn't matter to him as long as it didn't harm himself.

Finally, he declared firmly, each word falling like a hammer blow in the silence: "I don't care about body counts or damage. I only want to wipe out Root."

The intensity in his voice was unmistakable.

"Remember, timing is everything. One mistake and Root slips through our net." Tonight, we'll show Root what true darkness looks like.

Although they didn't understand why their captain harbored such animosity toward Konoha, their long-standing trust and obedience led them to follow his orders.

"I'll handle the firebreaks and manage the evacuation routes," Tanaka stepped forward. "No civilians will be caught in this."

Shin nodded in approval. We need witnesses to spread the tale, but none close enough to identify us.

Ajisai continued monitoring the situation in the mountains. "The mountain paths are clear. No civilians in the danger zone," she reported, fingers already forming the seals for her next technique.

Kazuya and Sanda accompanied Shin up the hillside to start the fire. 

Under the moonlight, Torune, who was in the temporary underground base within the forest, remained completely unaware of the impending blaze.

He was reading reports by lamplight, compiling the intelligence he had gathered during the day. Maps and scrolls were spread across his desk, each marking another piece of the puzzle he was trying to solve.

When he had first arrived in the Land of Rain, his focus was still largely on the battlefield between Konoha and Suna.

But as the local intelligence operations unfolded over the past few days, his initial resistance to this mission from Danzō had evolved into a growing sense of engagement. The pieces were coming together, forming a picture that grew more disturbing with each passing day.

"This organization really does pose a threat. Especially that young boy suspected to be from the Shimura clan—his methods are brutal, and his intellect is exceptional. It's hard to believe he's only in his teens," Ryoma muttered while scanning the data.

The Root member next to him, codename Kishi, chuckled, leaning against the cave wall. "That boy wouldn't happen to be Danzō-sama's relative, would he? Is he aiming to become the Darkness of the Rain?"

Danzō was known as the Darkness of the Shinobi, a somewhat self-bestowed title, but one that had gained respect within Root.

Ryoma gave an awkward smile and chose not to respond. The comparison left a bitter taste in his mouth.

As Root's commander, he had far more direct contact with Danzō than these subordinates, so he saw things with less bias. The old war hawk's flaws were all too apparent to those who worked closely with him.

To be honest, comparing them at the same age, this young boy would likely crush Danzō in terms of skill...

What was Danzō doing at 15 or 16? The answer was almost embarrassing to consider.

He was traveling with the Second Hokage on a mission to Kumo and, at a critical moment, chickened out, making a choice that left him regretful to this day. The story was known to few, but those who did know it could never look at Danzō the same way again.

As a longtime Root member, Ryoma refrained from criticizing his superior and chose to stay silent. 

Unfortunately, Kishi didn't catch the mood and continued chattering. "I mean, if that kid really is a lost member of the Shimura clan, maybe Danzō-sama should come here and adopt him. The kid seems like he'd fit right in with us here in Root, and he might even be able to take over for you someday, Ryoma."

Ryoma forced a weak smile.

But just then, he suddenly shot up from the desk, knocking over a pile of scrolls, startling Kishi. 

"What's wrong?" Kishi asked, instantly alert, hand moving to his weapon pouch.

Ryoma's face was grave, sweat beginning to form on his brow. "Get everyone up immediately! My insects just detected a fire outside!" This isn't a random forest fire. The pattern is too controlled.

Kishi's face darkened behind his mask, and he quickly vanished, going to wake each of the sleeping team members.

But by the time they were all awake, fully equipped, and gathered at the cave entrance of the base, they were confronted by an inferno.

Although the Great Fireball Jutsu had often been mocked as a technique that had never killed anyone in the original series, it remained a signature Uchiha technique—and it was very effective at setting the mountain ablaze.

In no time, the entire hillside was engulfed in flames and thick smoke.

Ryoma's expression was grim. The microscopic chakra network that allowed him to sense through his insects was collapsing as they fled from the heat. 

With their natural aversion to fire, the insects refused to work in these conditions, and if forced, they might even turn against him. So, his insect jutsu was severely hindered in this environment.

"We need to leave immediately! Retreat outside the fire zone! Be cautious—my insects can't help with surveillance in this situation!" Ryoma hastily ordered. The smoke was getting thicker, making it hard to breathe even through their masks.

He was the team's sensory ninja, but under these circumstances, his sensing range was actually lower than that of an ordinary ninja.

In the next moment, this vulnerability was seized upon by the hidden enemy.

A Root ninja leapt high, attempting to escape the flames, but just as he stepped onto a tree crown that hadn't yet caught fire, a powerful explosion consumed him in an instant. The blast lit up the night sky, momentarily outshining even the surrounding inferno.

Boom!

"Aaaah!"

The explosion, mixed with his screams, sent the other Root members' hearts plummeting. The body fell back into the flames, mask shattered, revealing the terror frozen on the ninja's face.

"Be careful! There are traps around us! The trees are rigged with explosive tags!" Fu shouted. "The whole mountain's rigged!"

Cold sweat trickled down Ryoma's forehead, evaporating almost instantly in the intense heat. Damn! It's a kill box. We've walked right into it.

The wildfire had restricted his insects, compressing his sensory range, and hidden traps had appeared all around them.

This calculated kill-zone was clearly laid out with precision and forethought by the enemy. Each explosion seemed perfectly placed to drive them toward even more dangerous areas.

Their underground base must have been compromised long before this. And he hadn't noticed a thing.

This explosion seemed to ignite a hidden fuse, as more explosions began erupting around them in succession.

From the shadows, Ajisai's fingers moved in precise patterns, triggering her carefully placed tags.

The fire blazed even hotter, and under the moon's gaze, thick smoke and raging flames filled every direction. The inferno had created its own wind, feeding itself, growing stronger with each passing moment.

"Damn it! Who is targeting us? Why so many explosive tags?" Kishi's eyes were red with rage behind his cracking mask, but there was nothing he could do.

Being only skilled in Fire Release, he was useless in this environment—any move he made would only add to the flames.

Yet, his careless question gave Ryoma a sudden realization.

"Explosive tags? Right, explosive tags! The intel mentioned a girl in Akatsuki skilled in making explosive tags!"

"Save your breath. Focus on finding an opening!"

Kishi was stunned, nearly stumbling as he dodged another explosion. "Are you saying that Akatsuki has set us up?!" 

Just moments earlier, he had been thinking of getting Danzō to adopt that boy. Now, the situation had taken a complete turn!

The other two Root members, code-named Fu and Kyō, also looked on in disbelief.

"How could this be? Just a few Ame ninjas can achieve this?" Kyō sneered, trying to maintain his composure. "Once we reach a less intense area, I'll personally tear off their heads!"

But as time dragged on... The confidence in Kyō's voice faded with each failed attempt at escape.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes passed... Each second felt like an eternity in the suffocating heat.

His smile grew stiff, his face soaked in sweat beneath his mask, the accumulating droplets forming a small stream.

"Why... can't we get out?"

For ten full minutes, they had tried to break through in all directions. Their chakra reserves were dropping rapidly in the intense heat.

Whether they went left, right, forward, backward, uphill, or downhill, they were met with the same unchanging sea of flames and explosive tag traps!

"The heat's becoming unbearable!" Fu gasped.

Finally, Ryoma understood that he had underestimated the madness and ruthlessness of the boy from the intel.

"That guy... he set the entire mountain on fire? Has he lost his mind?"

From his hidden position, Shin watched their deteriorating state. He signaled silently to his team, preparing for the final strike. "Wait for my signal," he whispered. "When they break, we break them further."

As if in response to Ryoma's murmur, a scream erupted behind him, further pressuring the Root team members' strained nerves.

"Now."

Seizing this moment of fatigue and imminent collapse, Shin and his team, who had been lying in wait, finally revealed themselves and struck.

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