Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 237 Taking the Knife?

The desolate forest in eastern Konoha.

The green leaves rustled and swayed in the forest, and the clouds in the blue sky were blown into steps.

With his trench coat collar turned up high to the sides of his cheekbones, Ibiki Morino calmly lowered his chin, revealing only the upper half of his scarred face.

Genma Shiranui leaned against the thin, white tree trunk with his back completely straight, gently turning the steel senbon in his mouth, which shimmered with a metallic luster under the sunlight.

On the surface, Anko seemed disdainful of the Root ninjas, but her hand had already obediently reached into the ninja tool pouch on her side. Her so-called disgust was actually more to cover up the faint fear in her heart.

A Uchiha clan ninja who can awaken the three-tomoe Sharingan must be at least a Jonin, and it's not impossible for them to be an elite Jonin.

Could he be the chief examiner of this Chunin Exams—Yamato?
Isn't she a little too young?

However, it's hard to say for sure, as a ninja's fighting ability is not actually related to age.

Whether it's taijutsu training or ninjutsu and genjutsu practice, a sufficient amount of chakra is required. The amount of chakra is an innate talent and has nothing to do with acquired training.

Therefore, the age gap will only be reflected in aspects such as endurance, physical skills, and changes in nature and form.

If someone is born with strong chakra and is also exceptionally talented, they can learn ninjutsu that would take ordinary people many years to master, and become proficient in it after just one look. That would make it entirely possible for an extraordinary genius ninja to emerge.

The Uchiha clan is a typical example.

Their chakra reserves are naturally incomparable to those of the Senju and Uzumaki clans, but far superior to those of ordinary ninjas. In addition, the Sharingan's abilities enhance ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, meeting the criteria for the birth of a genius ninja.

This is why this clan is extremely prolific in producing geniuses; every ninja who awakens the Sharingan would undoubtedly be considered a genius ninja in the outside world.

Uchiha Shisui earned the title of "Shisui of the Body Flicker" during the Third Shinobi World War, when he was only a teenager. Uchiha Itachi, the S-rank rogue ninja who committed a heinous crime, was apparently only thirteen years old when he killed his entire clan.

Both of them are undisputed elite Jonin. If the other is also such a genius, he is fully qualified to be the chief examiner of the Chunin Exams.

Faced with the Sharingan's gaze, Anko and the other two dared not make any rash moves, only guessing wildly about the other's identity in their minds.

at the same time.

Sasuke's crimson Sharingan darted left and right, scanning the three who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy. He maintained his Lightning Release technique to activate his leg muscles, clearly wary of Anko and the others.

“Root—a special organization hidden in the shadows to protect Konoha, the ANBU within the ANBU. All its official members are special Jonin. With your strength, you can barely reach the threshold to join Root.”

These are his original words after being planted with the seal of the tongue-twisting calamity.

At the same time, he also learned that the Thunder Blade was not in Gray Glass's hands, but in that mysterious organization called 'Root'. He could only take the Thunder Blade after he officially joined Root.

Having already signed the contract of servitude, Sasuke naturally didn't want his lightning blade to suffer any more accidents.

The Chunin Exams are about to begin, and he will need some time to get used to mastering this powerful ninja tool.

It's better to do it sooner rather than later!
After obtaining the address of the Root organization from Hui Li, he activated his cells using Lightning Release and rushed to the organization's base, where he found the three people waiting.

He didn't rush over recklessly, but instead hid to the side and quietly observed.

After observing with his Sharingan, he realized that the information revealed by Hairi was not exaggerated, and he even felt that it might be too conservative.

There is no doubt that the chakra within these three individuals is at the Jonin level.

The ninja guarding the base gate is unlikely to be at the top level of the organization; he is most likely just an ordinary ninja. If we consider Hui Li as the ceiling of Root, these people are at the middle level. He might really end up as a floor tile in Root.

Only a powerful organization like this could help me become stronger so quickly!

Thinking about the lightning blade he was about to obtain, and the special Sharingan comparable to Itachi's, Sasuke's anxiety about selling himself into the dark organization finally eased, and he was filled with anticipation for this mysterious Root organization.

Faced with the three still silent individuals, Sasuke recalled the Root codename that Hairi had told him, and with his head held high, he softly said:
"Lord Yamato sent me to fetch the sword!"

Ibiki Morino paused for a second. Judging from his words, this Uchiha genius Jonin with the three-tomoe Sharingan was not the Nightfall they were looking for, but just one of his subordinates!

A three-tomoe Sharingan is a sure sign of a Jonin, so this Yamato is conservatively estimated to be an elite Jonin, or even more...

The amount of information revealed by the other party's address was considerable, completely overturning Morino Ibiki's guesses about the other party, and making him increasingly wary.

"Take a knife? What kind of knife does Ye Du want?"

Because he had a senbon needle clenched between his teeth, Genma Shiranui's voice was somewhat muffled. He didn't understand what the other person meant; what sword did Yoru Watari send to retrieve, and how was this related to the Chunin Exams?
"What, do we have to hand over our weapons to you for safekeeping just to enter the Roots?"

Hongdou had no such ulterior motives. She took out the kunai from her pocket and played with it in her hand, her expression cold and undisguisedly hostile.

They were only entering the Root base, yet they were being forced to confiscate their weapons. She had never been subjected to such restrictions when she met the Third Hokage. Did a mere Yoruichi have more airs than the Hokage?
"Handsome young man, go back and tell Ye Du that if he wants it, he can come and get it himself!"

With her fingertips passing through the ring behind the kunai, Anko twirled the kunai, directly rejecting the unreasonable request from the 'Root ninja' in front of her!

This time, it was Sasuke who was confused.

After meeting the Root ninja, give the code name Hai Li to enter the base and register. Then you can get the Lightning Blade. This is the process of getting the blade that Hai Li told him personally.

But the situation now seems completely different from what she described!
'Night Crossing' should be Gray Glass's code name in the Root, so why wouldn't it work?

Could it be that Hui Li's position within the Root organization is actually not high, or that this group of people belongs to other factions within the Root organization and has conflicts with Hui Li?
Sasuke's brain was working at lightning speed, but due to a lack of key information, he couldn't deduce the full picture.

But there was only one thing he was certain of:

This group of people, or rather this arrogant woman with purple hair and a high ponytail, harbors some kind of hostility towards Hui Li and is provoking him!

bass--

With one hand pressing down on the hilt behind his back, the long, slender katana slung across his shoulder slowly came out of its sheath.

The metal clanged together with a sharp, metallic sound. Sasuke's eyes gleamed red, and the three black tomoe spun faster and faster.

His Sharingan had just evolved, and he was worried about not finding a suitable opponent. Now he could use this group of enemies from the Gray Glass to test the power of the Three Tomoe!
Sasuke's silent action of drawing his sword sent a chill down the spines of the three.

"The roots are indeed all like this."

Forced to recall her less-than-pleasant childhood memories, the kunai that was constantly spinning in Anko's hand stopped instantly. She held it in her palm instead, her brows furrowed with an unyielding wildness!
Clang!
The sharp blade was suddenly drawn, exploding into a shower of sparks!

With his Lightning Release in a semi-activated state surging in his legs, Sasuke's body suddenly transformed into an arrow, instantly rushing towards Anko at an even faster speed than before.

Red Bean was prepared for the surprise attack.

Her wrist, which was holding the kunai, suddenly rotated 360 degrees, and the skin, flesh and bones twisted, making it look completely unlike a human arm. Instead, it resembled a white snake mimicking an arm!
Whoosh!
A whooshing sound suddenly rang out as a kunai shot towards Sasuke's right eye at an odd angle.

The three-tomoe Sharingan coldly watched the kunai's trajectory. Before the Sharingan's near-perfect dynamic vision, even the most cunning attack angle was nothing more than a toy. Without pausing, Sasuke slightly tilted his head to meet the incoming kunai.

Whoosh!
The sharp tip of the kunai grazed Sasuke's temple, severing only a strand of hair.

boom!
Explosive flames coiled around the blade, drawing an orange-red crescent moon in the air. The Sharingan locked onto Anko's surrounding space for dodging, and Sasuke slashed at Anko's face with his sword.

Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!
Red Bean's eyes were filled with firelight, and her hands were frantically forming hand seals in front of her chest, leaving afterimages!
The five hand seals—Yin-Zi-Wei-Zi-Yin—have become so familiar that they are second nature to the human body, and can be completed in an instant.

Secret Technique: Hidden Shadow Serpent Hands!
Hiss!

From the loose cuffs, a swarm of venomous snakes surged forth, filling the remaining space between the two.

bass!
A dazzling fiery slash shattered the rain of snakes, the foul-smelling blood was burned to ashes by the fire technique, and the colorful snakes were torn in two and fell to the ground writhing wildly.

Sasuke was about to raise his sword to continue slashing when he noticed that the broken venomous snakes at his feet, even with only their heads remaining, were still opening their mouths to bite his calves.

The Sharingan's dynamic vision is incredibly powerful. The snake's rapid attacks, which it is so proud of, are completely slow motion in Sasuke's eyes. He can even see the yellow venom flowing from the fangs.

A secret technique similar to Shino's!
Sasuke had seen Shino Aburame's fighting style before. This method of summoning creatures to win by sheer numbers was exactly the same as Aburame's secret technique. His physical defense was far inferior to that of Hairi. If he were bitten on the calf by a poisonous snake, he would probably die in a few seconds.

Seeing the red bean constantly releasing venomous snakes from its sleeve, he instantly made a judgment, and lightning spread from his feet to his calves.

Clang!
With his blade sheathed, Sasuke, crackling with lightning, instantly leaped back to dodge the swarm of snakes, his body soaring into the air. His Sharingan locked onto Anko, and his hands rapidly formed hand seals in front of his chest.

not good!

Red Bean felt a sudden alarm bell ringing in her heart. The venomous snake that had been surging from her sleeve paused, and she frantically mobilized her chakra to perform an Earth Release transformation.

Seeing that Sasuke's hand seals were nearing completion, Anko frantically tried to form hand seals, only to find that her arms were as if they were sealed, completely unable to move.

what happened?
Her eyes widened in shock, and the crimson three-tomoe jade pendant spun wildly before her, like a red vortex.

This is... a Sharingan genjutsu!

"untie!"

Ignoring her immobilized hands, Anko roared and disrupted the Earth Release chakra that had already been converted within her body.

boom!
The spinning Sharingan, the dense swarm of twisted snakes, and even the boy forming hand seals all froze in place. Then, space reversed and exploded with countless cracks, like shattered glass!

Everything shattered with a crash, and the scene before Hongdou's eyes completely changed, causing her pupils to contract sharply.

In the desolate forest, broken and charred venomous snakes littered the ground. Countless dark chains protected her. The red-eyed boy raised his flaming single-edged sword, his feet treading on thunder and lightning, his Sharingan gleaming with a chilling killing intent.

"Let's stop here! We are willing to abide by Lord Yoru's rules!"

Ibiki Morino clasped his hands together, and chains separated Anko and Sasuke. Behind him, a giant steel cage rose from the ground, with thick chains climbing through the gaps in the cage.

The Art of Spirit Communication: The Torture Chamber!
Sasuke looked at Anko, who was protected by chains. Her beautiful face had turned pale with fear, and she lowered her eyes and dared not meet his gaze the moment his Sharingan swept over her!
She has come to understand why she was defeated.

The Sharingan possesses abilities such as hypnosis and genjutsu, and it is extremely easy to fall into a genjutsu once you make eye contact with it.

The opponent clearly used an illusion technique on her the instant she jumped back to avoid the snakes, pretending to be forming hand seals to release a fire jutsu, in order to deceive her into stopping the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.

Then, the instant the snakes stopped, he drew his knife and closed in.

At that time, she was performing Earth Release: Nature Transformation and was completely unaware that the other party had launched a surprise attack. In the end, it was obviously Morino Ibiki who protected her in time with chains. Because of the chains binding her, she could not raise her arms to form hand seals, and only then did she realize that she had been hit by a genjutsu.

Is this the Sharingan that the Uchiha clan is known for being invincible in one-on-one combat?

It's terrible!
Hongdou's face was as pale as paper, and she was tightly bound by iron chains, no longer possessing her former arrogance.

"We can surrender our weapons!"

Genma Shiranui spat the senbon he never stopped drinking into his palm, and raised the kunai in his other hand to indicate his willingness to cooperate. He never wanted to go against Root in the first place, and if it weren't for Anko's insistence, he wouldn't have gotten involved in Root's mess.

After witnessing the methods of the Root ninjas, his resolve became even stronger.

If it weren't for Ibiki Morino's timely rescue, Anko would have been killed in a single move. He would likely have suffered the same fate. To defeat them, all three of them would have to work together.

However, the opponent was not a lone wolf without any power. If they continued fighting and other Root ninjas came to their aid, the three of them would definitely be ganged up on and killed.

The key point is that it's completely unnecessary!

It's just a matter of handing over weapons, right? Their fighting style doesn't really require ninja tools, so why bother arguing with these Root lunatics?

Wow…

Sparks flew as the countless iron chains rubbed against each other, gradually retreating back into the giant prison. Morino Ibiki released the summoning jutsu, took out his ninja tool pouch from the lining of his trench coat and threw it on the ground, spreading his arms wide as if he knew his place.

We can't let Hongdou cause any more trouble.

He didn't know who that ninja named Yamato was, but Danzo was not someone to be trifled with. To gang up on Root ninjas in front of Root was definitely asking for trouble.

Therefore, after summoning the torture chamber, he did not attack Sasuke. Instead, he tied Anko to the spot, both to protect her from being cut in two and to avoid causing trouble by ganging up on her.

With a flick of his flaming katana, the flames detached from the blade and charred the writhing venomous snake.

hiss~
The scorching red blade was like a branding iron. Sasuke coldly stared at the three of them, then slowly sheathed the blade with his hands behind his back.

The situation within Root seems quite complicated. Before even becoming a formal member, they had already slaughtered a group of ninjas from a certain faction. I wonder how much pressure Ash is under.

He looked at Ibiki Morino, who had thrown his ninja tools on the ground. Was this a rule within the organization? The loser had to leave all their weapons on the ground?

It seems that internal fighting within the organization is quite common!

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding...

As if to confirm his guess, Anko and Genma Shiranui also threw their ninja tool pouches on the ground:
"Can we now enter the root region?"

"can."

Sasuke maintained his aloof and unapproachable demeanor, waiting for the three of them to open the door to the Root base.

He was finally about to enter the mysterious root, and his heart was filled with anticipation!
Anko, Ibiki Morino, and Genma Shiranui were also waiting silently.

The four stared at each other, their expressions gradually turning to confusion. An eerie silence fell over the forest once more!

(End of this chapter)