Chapter 8 Root 2

As they reached a narrow ravine, Hiro suddenly stopped, pulling Mikoto close. "Listen, when I give the signal, jump into the river and let the current carry you downstream," he instructed.

"What about you?" Mikoto asked, her voice tense.

"I'll be right behind you," Hiro promised, though he wasn't entirely sure how he'd follow. But he had an idea, risky as it was.

The Root ninjas were almost upon them. Hiro quickly activated his Shinigami Grace, knowing it was his last resort.

Even if he died, he would automatically be resurrected. It was only yesterday that he discovered he could use it on himself.

"Now!" Hiro shouted, shoving Mikoto off the edge. She hesitated for a split second before trusting him and leaping into the river below.

The Root ninjas arrived just as Mikoto disappeared into the water. Hiro turned to face them, kunai in hand, his Sharingan blazing. "You're not taking her," he said defiantly.

The leader noticed the one-tomoe Sharingan in his eye.

"Another Uchiha... It seems I'll be praised for killing not one but two Uchiha tonight."

In a flash, he threw a series of shuriken, forcing the Root ninjas to dodge.

Using the distraction, Hiro activated the Shinigami Veil one last time, vanishing from sight as the ninjas converged on his position.

Confused, the squad leader growled in frustration. "Find him!"

But Hiro was already moving, slipping past them undetected.

He silently followed Mikoto's path and leaped into the river, letting the current carry him away. The Root ninjas searched the area in vain, unable to find any trace of their targets.

Downstream, Hiro surfaced and swam to the riverbank, pulling himself up beside Mikoto, who was already waiting, soaked but alive.

"Are you okay?" Mikoto asked, her voice trembling with concern as she watched Hiro pull himself onto the riverbank beside her.

Hiro nodded, though his breaths were ragged, his body exhausted from the encounter. "We're safe... for now," he replied, trying to catch his breath.

But even as the words left his lips, his senses screamed that the danger wasn't over.

Before either of them could fully recover, the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches echoed through the trees.

The Root ninjas had found them, their relentless pursuit finally paying off.

"Damn it," Hiro cursed under his breath. He quickly scanned their surroundings.

They were on the edge of a steep cliff, the river they had just escaped from raging far below. There was no easy way out this time.

Mikoto, already weakened from their previous encounter, struggled to rise to her feet.

Her Sharingan was still active, but it was draining the little chakra she had left. The strain was evident in her trembling hands.

"Hiro, you can go. They're here for me," she said, her voice wavering.

He didn't answer her, instead pushing her back.

"Shut up and get away from here," he snapped. He knew if he died, he could always find another body, but for her, death was final. He couldn't use Shinigami Grace on her again—it only worked once.

"I'm not leaving you," Mikoto shot back. But before they could argue further, the Root ninjas emerged from the trees, their animal masks reflecting the moonlight.

The squad leader stepped forward. "This ends here," he declared coldly. "You can't escape us."

Without hesitation, the Root ninjas launched their attack. Hiro and Mikoto barely had time to react as the air filled with kunai and shuriken, their deadly projectiles aimed with precision.

Hiro moved on instinct, deflecting the incoming kunai with his own, but one of the Root ninjas appeared beside him in a blur, forcing him into close combat. 

Mikoto, meanwhile, struggled to fend off another assailant, her weakened state making it difficult to keep up.

As Hiro parried a strike aimed at his throat, he noticed Mikoto was in trouble. One of the Root ninjas had managed to slip past her defenses and was about to land a fatal blow.

Without thinking, Hiro dove toward her, shoving her out of the way just as the ninja's blade came down. The sharp edge sliced into Hiro's side, drawing a gasp of pain from him, but he didn't falter.

"Hiro!" Mikoto screamed, her voice filled with fear as she saw the blood staining his clothes. Her hands trembled, her thoughts becoming chaotic. 

Is he also dying because of me? Am I the reason he'll die? But there was no time to tend to his wound. The Root ninjas were relentless, their attacks coming from all sides.

Hiro gritted his teeth against the pain and pushed himself to his feet, using his body as a shield to protect Mikoto. "Stay behind me!" he ordered, his voice filled with urgency. 

He could feel his strength waning. Though this pain is unbearable, as a man, I've got to do what needs to be done.

The squad leader watched the scene unfold, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "He's protecting her with his life," he muttered. "Focus on Mikoto Uchiha. He's just some random Uchiha. Take her out, and he'll fall."

The Root ninjas adjusted their tactics, forming hand seals in quick succession. 

One ninja unleashed a torrent of fire with a powerful Katon jutsu, sending flames roaring toward Hiro and Mikoto. Hiro countered with a defensive Water Wall jutsu, barely managing to extinguish the incoming fire. 

But the ninjas weren't done. Another Root member slammed his hand on the ground, summoning earth spikes that erupted from the ground, forcing Hiro and Mikoto to leap away to avoid being impaled.

Hiro knew he couldn't hold them off for long, not in his injured state. But he had one last ace up his sleeve.

With a determined breath, Hiro activated the Shinigami's Favor. 

Immediately, a dark aura surged around him, the air growing thick with ominous energy. His pain vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold, deadly clarity.

It was the same feeling he had experienced when he resurrected Mikoto—a connection to an otherworldly power that defied explanation.

His chakra turned pitch black, swirling around him like a living entity, hungry and vengeful. His Sharingan, spinning wildly in his eyes, began to morph. 

The single tomoe in each eye suddenly split, forming a second tomoe. The power coursing through him was overwhelming, intoxicating, and terrifying all at once.

The Root ninjas hesitated for a fraction of a second, sensing the change in Hiro's aura, but it was too late.