Chapter 101: Uchiha of Root
That Uchiha's judgment was spot on. Compared to projectiles, the advantage of ninjutsu lay in its post-cast control—and that control could be incredibly flexible. Dodging thrown weapons was one thing, but dodging ninjutsu was a whole different beast.
The Uchiha did use his Great Fireball Technique to successfully obscure Ishiro's vision.
But by then, Torrential Rain Technique was already close. Uncertain of which direction his target might dodge, Ishiro chose to scatter the water pressure lines, expanding the attack range and lowering the density.
Originally, his jutsu had about twenty pressure lines all concentrated into a single square meter. But now, he fanned them out to cover an area of over ten square meters.
Sure enough, a muffled grunt followed.
Ishiro knew he had scored a hit.
Without hesitation, he used seal-less Body Flicker to evade the incoming Great Fireball.
As he observed the enemy's condition, he immediately began forming hand seals for Violent Water Wave.
The Uchiha had been hit by two water pressure lines, one in the leg, the other in the shoulder—neither fatal.
That was the pressure line's drawback—great penetration, but low damage. Even after cutting through the Great Fireball, its power hadn't lessened, but its wounds weren't debilitating. The enemy was just bleeding heavily and had no time to treat it.
In a one-on-one, Ishiro could just drag things out and win. But reinforcements were on the way, and he couldn't afford delays.
As expected, the Uchiha ignored his wounds and charged again, preparing another ninjutsu.
Torrential Rain had caught him off guard, but Violent Water Wave was familiar. He predicted it correctly and countered with a wide-range Fire Release.
The moment water and fire clashed, thick steam filled the area—a battlefield tailor-made for the Uchiha.
Because Sharingan wasn't affected by the mist, but Ishiro's vision was badly obscured.
As soon as the jutsu ended, Ishiro cast Mind-Body Disturbance Technique—a one-seal Yin Release move.
The speed of the cast startled the Uchiha, and while he resisted it almost instantly—thanks to Sharingan's resistance to genjutsu—that fraction of a second was enough for Ishiro to pull away.
As he retreated, he formed more seals—this time for Earth Flow Wall.
The earth rose just in time to block a wave of shuriken. Because it went up fast enough, the Uchiha's second-stage trick shots also failed to land.
So fast, the Uchiha thought. Casting a wall in under a second? This guy's ridiculous. Water Release, Earth Release, Body Flicker, Sensory Ninjutsu… and he's no slouch in mobility or sealing speed. Who is this guy? Why haven't I seen his file before? Iwagakure? Kirigakure?
He's got a sword too… a bluff? Or can he really use kenjutsu? If he hasn't gone close, maybe he's wary of our Uchiha taijutsu. Very cautious…
As the wall blocked his view, the Uchiha decided not to rush in. Ishiro's jutsu speed was just too fast. Until he could fully track him with his Sharingan, it was too risky.
His caution was justified—two seconds later, the Earth Wall exploded into rock fragments, flying at him in a concentrated blast.
Had he pressed forward, he might've had no time to dodge.
But he wasn't safe. He had expected Ishiro to appear from the wall's side—not turn the defensive wall into a trap.
He was too focused on watching the edges and failed to predict this.
There was no time to counter with ninjutsu. He had to rely on his kunai and Sharingan to deflect the fragments.
He managed—barely. More injuries, but still alive.
Yet that wasn't the end.
Because Rock Fragment Technique required no maintenance, Ishiro had been forming seals while the Uchiha was dodging.
By the time the Uchiha finished deflecting debris, another wave of Torrential Rain was already flying at him.
This time, there was no Great Fireball to block it.
A roar of unwillingness echoed across the battlefield—just before ten-plus water pressure lines pierced him.
Two hit vital points.
Just like that, this unnamed Uchiha jōnin fell—bitter and full of regret.
He still had so many trump cards—genjutsu, taijutsu, enhanced fire ninjutsu, and his famed shuriken techniques.
But that's how battles between shinobi often ended—your strongest technique might die with you, never unleashed.
Just like Ishiro hadn't used Camouflage, genjutsu, or Light-Weight Boulder Technique in this fight.
If he had died, he would've felt just as bitter.
This Uchiha's body would've fetched a hefty reward if brought back. But Ishiro didn't have time.
From a safe distance, he threw three kunai to check for signs of life. The body didn't respond.
Because the second pursuer was nearly here.
Fortunately, the area was now filled with thick mist—meaning the incoming Root ninja couldn't see clearly.
The Root captain had heard the Uchiha's earlier scream but didn't believe he could've died so easily. He still had confidence in the Uchiha's prowess.
So, despite his personal dislike, as team leader, he couldn't ignore it. Without hesitation, he dashed into the mist.
And this was exactly what Ishiro had been waiting for.
—
The Root captain burst into the fog and saw a bizarre scene: the Uchiha, preparing to cast Great Fireball, while Ishiro stood motionless—clearly under genjutsu.
Strange, he thought. Didn't he just scream in pain a second ago? Now he's about to finish him off?
Still, the tide had clearly turned in their favor, so he relaxed a bit.
But being a Root ninja, he didn't let his guard down completely. He kept watching Ishiro, ready for sudden resistance.
That's when he felt it.
Killing intent—from the Uchiha's direction.
He turned—and saw a massive fireball barreling toward him.
What?! Betrayal? Is the Uchiha trying to kill me?
It wasn't an unreasonable thought. Root and the Uchiha had always had a tense relationship. This Uchiha had never hidden his dissatisfaction either.
The captain reacted quickly. While retreating and forming seals, he shouted:
"Uchiha Tō, are you betraying Lord Danzō?!"
But it was too late.
The fire engulfed him. Though he used Water Release to escape, he was already severely burned.
Ishiro wasn't careless. He immediately followed up with Mind-Body Disturbance, then Torrential Rain, shattering the man's limbs.
As the captain collapsed, Ishiro landed and knocked him unconscious with a knifehand strike.
He stood there for a moment, catching his breath. Then activated sensory ninjutsu.
"Just as I thought…"
The last Root member was retreating—faster than before, likely using a speed-enhancing jutsu. He hadn't come to help—he was running home.
Ishiro sneered but didn't pursue. Let Danzō believe Uchiha Tō had turned traitor—that would be useful.
He sealed Tō's body into a scroll, tidied the battlefield, and carried the unconscious Root captain away.
Two jōnin from Root. One a three-tomoe Sharingan user. Not a bad haul.
But this was just a bonus. His main mission in the Rain Country was far from over.
—
In a quiet place, Ishiro laid the Root captain down and cast an interrogation genjutsu—a technique he'd picked up while escorting caravans.
The man was still half-dead and unconscious. The genjutsu worked easily.
Ishiro didn't bother asking about Danzō—Root operatives couldn't answer that.
He asked only one question: "Besides Uchiha Tō, how many other Uchiha came to the Rain Country?"
The Root captain trembled, then, under pressure from the genjutsu and chakra overload, answered:
"None."
Then his body convulsed—and went still.
Whew…
Ishiro let out a deep breath. The captain had already been near death when the fire hit him. That he lasted this long was surprising.
But at least Ishiro got the answer he needed.
Only one Uchiha had come.
That meant his plan could still proceed.
Still, he would need to be even more careful. Root had lost two jōnin—they were bound to respond.
Even if he had framed Uchiha Tō for betrayal, he couldn't be sure Danzō would believe it.
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