28 - No Masks in Hell

The Akatsuki members who had appeared were in a rough state, too. Their faces were covered in soot from chasing through the wildfire.

Yet, compared to the exhausted Root members, they were undoubtedly still at an advantage, waiting in ambush.

At this moment, Sanda, feeling overheated, had taken off his shirt, revealing his defined chest and abdominal muscles. He swiftly formed four hand signs and drew his sword from behind him.

With the sword's draw, flames ignited. Fire coiled around the steel like a serpent as he slashed forward, sending blazing crescents hurtling toward the Root ninja, Kishi.

"What kind of technique is this?!" he stumbled back.

Sanda was the first Akatsuki member to acknowledge and follow Shin. Since then, Shin had generously shared his swordsmanship insights with him.

Later, when he acquired Uchiha clan jutsus, he also taught Sanda many Fire Release techniques. Once, Shin casually suggested that Sanda try channeling flames along his blade to intensify his strikes—a thoughtless suggestion he didn't expect Sanda to master within days.

Now, whenever he unleashed his self-created Flame Sword technique, even the well-traveled Root ninja were left dumbfounded.

But as the Root ninjas reached their last stand, they retaliated. Kyō, the most ruthless member of the group, locked onto Shin. 

"So you're the brat scheming against us?!"

He tore off his mask, shaking off sweat before rushing toward Shin with a roar. The discarded mask clattered against a burning branch, quickly becoming another victim of the inferno.

Root members were forbidden from removing their masks during missions to protect their identities, but Kyō was going all out, intent on silencing Shin.

As he charged, he began forming hand seals, his fingers moving with deadly precision. But just before he completed the final seal, Shin appeared suddenly before him, as if by teleportation, bathed in the glow of distant flames.

It was genjutsu.

Shin preferred subtle illusions that misled his opponents rather than killed them outright. By distorting Kyō's sense of distance, he had left his target severely disoriented.

His blade slashed downward, catching the Root ninja off guard due to his misjudgment of distance. Now he faced a difficult choice: should he gamble on completing his hand seals, risking whether his jutsu or his enemy's sword would be faster?

In the end, Kyō couldn't afford the gamble. Shin's swordsmanship was too swift and fierce in close quarters. Kyō had no choice but to abandon his hand seals, pulling back while reaching for a kunai to parry Shin's strikes.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

A series of sharp clashes echoed through the forest. Kyō backed up step by step, blocking Shin's strikes with his kunai. His boots crunched on burning leaves, each step taking him closer to the surrounding inferno.

"You must be the stray brat from the Shimura clan that Danzō-sama has been looking for, huh?" Kyō's sneer didn't quite mask the strain in his voice.

After exchanging multiple blows, his expression grew tense. His arms trembled with each block, the force of Shin's strikes growing stronger rather than weaker. Forced to draw a second kunai to defend with both hands, he couldn't help but ask.

"What kind of sword style is this? You're no Shimura clan member!"

After a few more exchanges, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he squinted to avoid the stinging sweat. His desperate attempts to gain distance failed, and his tone shifted from suspicion to outright fear.

"Damn it, you really mean to kill me?!"

"Stop! Torune, help me!"

Torune, unable to approach through the wall of flames separating them, launched a Wind Release jutsu from afar.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!"

However, as an Aburame, most of his strength lay with his insects, making his regular ninjutsu less effective.

Just as expected. An Aburame in a forest fire... how desperate he must be.

Shin paid no attention to the incoming wind bullets. The attack struck his left shoulder, piercing it without a flinch as he pressed his attack. Blood sprayed from the wound, immediately evaporating in the intense heat.

Shunk!

The blade cleaved into Kyō's left shoulder, mirroring Shin's injury. But while his shoulder wound was shallow, his blade sank deep into Kyō's scapula, piercing his chest.

Kyō's pupils dilated, the firelight reflecting in his dying eyes. A memory surfaced, and he finally recognized the sword technique Shin wielded.

"This is... White Fang's... but how...?" Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

Shin, who had never met Konoha's White Fang, smiled brightly as he withdrew his sword, adding insult to injury.

"The late White Fang sends his regards to all in Root. Did you think of this day when you spread those rumors to drive him to his death?"

Even Root mistook the sword style... His was feral, wasn't it? Let them believe what they want. It doesn't hurt me anyway.

Blood spurted from Kyō's chest. His final words as he fell were a weakened, "Who... are... you?" His body hit the scorched ground with a dull thud, steam rising where his blood met the hot earth.

The remaining Root members watched their elite operative fall.

Facing life or death, Torune forced his bugs to attack all the Akatsuki members. But the Akatsuki members responded with a unified shout that rang through the burning forest:

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

For the first time in his life, he cursed the Uchiha clan's signature technique. The massive fireballs merged with the wildfire, creating a hellish inferno that turned night into day.

He recalled his bugs; only a few were scorched, but his body was wracked with pain as he felt their agony through their connection. The insects buzzed angrily in his body, their usual order dissolving into chaos. They protested, refusing to work under these conditions and even threatening to turn on him if he didn't retreat from the inferno.

"First time my insects have ever betrayed me," Torune muttered.

In selecting this blazing battlefield, Shin had been spot on. Without the wildfire, the few Akatsuki members might have stood no chance against Konoha's elite and Root's top commander. The smoke and heat had turned what should have been a one-sided massacre into their advantage.

Damn it! At least… I must first take down the weaker ones before handling the Shimura and the swordsman! Despite the desperate situation, Torune devised a strategy.

However, the next moment brought a greater despair. Shin pressed his right hand to his wounded shoulder, healing himself with a soft green glow. Then he extended his left hand to the injured Kazuya beside him, commanding him in a brusque tone.

"Bite my hand, now."

Though puzzled, he obeyed instantly, trust overriding confusion. "Yes, captain!"

The others watched in shock as his injuries visibly healed. Steam rose from his closing wounds, adding to the supernatural atmosphere of the scene.

Torune's heart sank—his enemies could heal themselves at will.

He looked around, his gaunt cheeks twitching slightly, his throat bobbing as he struggled to swallow. The situation had deteriorated beyond control.

There had been twelve of them on this mission.

One of them had gone out during the day and hadn't returned; most likely, he had already met with disaster.

Four others had been injured recently by an explosive tag trap in the forest, and then trapped in a wildfire; they were likely burnt to a crisp by now.

Two others had become separated during the attempted breakout, and Torune dared not hold out hope for their survival. The last he'd seen of them, they were disappearing into the smoke-filled forest, pursued by shadows.

Then, just seconds ago Kyō was killed right in front of him by a single slash from the enemy.

Now, only four remained of the twelve-member squad from Root. Each of them was wounded, faces blackened with soot, and breathing heavily.

Before they set out, Torune never would have imagined that under his leadership, they would suffer such terrible losses in a small country like the Land of Rain. The intelligence reports had been thorough, detailed—and completely inadequate.

He thought he had prepared enough, but now he realized he had underestimated Akatsuki.

Danzō-sama, you should be glad he isn't truly a member of the Shimura clan. This child is more ruthless and more capable than you.

No matter how much he regretted it, he had to shoulder his responsibility as commander. Someone must survive to report back. Someone must warn Konoha—Danzō-sama!

"I'll hold them off. You all find a way to break through and get down the mountain!"

"Someone has to make it back to the village with the intelligence and report to Danzō-sama!"

Torune intended to sacrifice himself alone, but before he could finish speaking, Kishi tore off his mask, discarded it, and quickly made hand signs.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"

Discarding his mask and breaking Root's strict code, Kishi responded with his actions: he didn't intend to return either. The massive dragon of flame roared into life, merging with the surrounding inferno to create an even more terrifying spectacle.

Root ninjas were blindly loyal, but they never lacked the courage to sacrifice. Their only mistake was following an ambitious, scheming leader who lacked true ability.

This wasn't something ordinary Root members could choose. The flames reflected off Torune's sunglasses, hiding the emotion in his eyes.

For a moment, he felt his eyes grow moist behind his sunglasses. The heat from the surrounding fire provided a convenient excuse for any tears that might escape.

He turned to Fu and shouted, "Go!"

Fu didn't hesitate. He grabbed the last remaining chunin and fled.

Kishi wildly clashed with Sanda, while Torune turned his attention to Shin.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!" The jutsu tore through the burning air, distorting the flames in its path.

One clean hit. That's all I need.

Torune knew he had to stop this Ame ninja here. This opponent wasn't just skilled; he also had highly effective healing techniques.

Shin jumped, evading the wind sphere while making hand signs to return fire.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

Normally, this technique only created a gust of wind with little destructive power. But now, with burning branches all around, he maximized his use of the environment. Ashes and embers filled the whirlwind, enveloping Torune in a storm of burning debris.

"Damn it!" Blood trickled down Torune's arm where a burning branch had struck him.

He cursed, forced to abandon his offense and switch to defense.

"Earth Style Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!"

A bowl-shaped earth dome rose from the ground, covering Torune and shielding him from the fiery vortex around him. Inside the dome, his hands were already forming new seals.

Seeing his opponent forced into a defensive jutsu, Shin didn't grow complacent but instead grew vigilant. With the dome blocking his view, he quickly predicted that Torune would attempt something sneaky in that moment.

He immediately used the Body Flicker, moving next to Ajisai, the least self-sufficient of his group, scooping her up as he leapt away.

At that moment, Torune burst from the ground, using the Headhunter Jutsu to appear under Ajisai's feet, his arm stretched up and black insects swarming around it.

If Shin hadn't reacted quickly and predicted Torune's move, Ajisai would have been at the mercy of his insects.

Mid-air, she shuddered at the relentless power of these elite jonin.

"Watch yourself!" Shin shouted, throwing her aside.

Thrown abruptly, Ajisai landed on her backside, her pants catching fire from the embers on the ground. She rolled quickly to extinguish the flames, biting back a yelp of pain.

Despite the pain, she shot him a quick glare before retreating to a safe distance.

Seeing his ambush fail and the target escape, Torune had no choice but to fall back and continue his duel with Shin.

Shin remained calm, slipping between burning trees and leaping over smoldering logs, turning the environment to his advantage. After several fierce exchanges, he suddenly gave Torune a gentle smile.

"Do you think your companions have escaped?"

He knows? He knew all along we were stalling? Was it deliberate?! 

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Fu and the chunin with him had barely escaped the fire, tumbling and running all the way down.

Not daring to rest, Fu quickly took out a scroll and recorded the events and intelligence from their encounter. His hands shook as he wrote, but his training kept the characters legible.

Then, using ninjutsu, he created three copies of the scroll: one for himself, one for his companion, and one to give to a large dog he summoned.

Although it wasn't a ninja hound, the dog was quite intelligent. It watched him with understanding as he prepared the message.

After feeding it two soldier pills, Fu placed a scroll in the pouch at its side and pointed toward the border.

"Run that way! Go back to Konoha and deliver it to Danzō-sama!"

Watching the summoned dog race off, Fu finally exhaled deeply, slumping down and telling his companion, "Alternate guard shifts and rest a bit." His burned skin cracked painfully with every movement, but they needed to recover some strength.

His chunin companion, even more severely burned, sighed in relief and collapsed onto the ground. We made it... we actually made it out alive...

Though still smoldering and in tattered clothing, they felt a fleeting sense of relief, believing they had narrowly escaped death. 

But in the next moment, Fu's expression changed. He sensed that his summoned animal had died—just now, with no warning.

He turned towards the border.

Under the moonlight, a tiny elephant stepped elegantly out to the tip of a branch, a feat that would seem impossible if not for her chakra control. Her trunk held a bloodied kunai, and fresh blood stained her grey hide.

The scroll that had been entrusted to the dog now hung from its tail like a trophy.

There was something strange about how naturally she moved through the trees, as if she'd been hunting in them for years.

"Good evening~," Ayumi greeted cheerfully. She flicked a piece of mango into her mouth with her trunk, the casual action making the scene even more surreal.

"Your dog ran fast, but not fast enough."

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