Chapter 213: Using Breathing Techniques in Front of Me?

Words : 1837 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

The investigation into the true mastermind behind the Uchiha incident was real—but in the short term, it was just a cover. This operation's true goal was to capture Danzo. “Captain…” “What’s the situation? Are they still there?” Kyoichi turned to Hyūga Hei. Hei was a member of the Hyūga branch family and had only recently joined the ANBU. He activated his Byakugan and scanned the area. After a moment, he reported urgently, “They’re still there, but they’ve started to move—looks like our approach tipped them off.” “Find their escape tunnels and seal them off. I’ll attack from this side. The rest of you make sure none of them slip through.” “Yes, sir!” The squad scattered. “Send out the kikaichū. You all hit them head-on and apply pressure. I’ll cut off their escape from the rear.” The Root base was hidden deep within the mountain, hollowed out and riddled with traps and mechanisms. Ordinary ninja entering would be as good as dead. But ANBU weren’t ordinary ninja. The Aburame quickly released their kikaichū, which flew off to disable various traps. As they pushed from the front to draw pressure, Kyoichi— “Sir, how do they have so many people? I thought Root squads were limited to seventeen members?” “Since when has Danzo cared about regulations? He’s practically turned Root into an underground kingdom outside the ANBU’s authority. That’s why we must bring him in.” Kyoichi sneered. Just killing Danzo? No—that wouldn’t be enough. He wanted to break him. If he simply killed the man, those old fossils might still feel sympathy, thinking he’d gone too far. So… He would expose every one of Danzo’s crimes in broad daylight. Let the old guard choke on their own silence while he executed justice. “Let’s go.” Kyoichi motioned for Hyūga Hei to lead the way. Hei walked in front, slightly uneasy. “Sir, you’re going in alone?” “One’s enough. Do I need more than that to take on Danzo? As for the others—if they want to run, let them. It doesn’t matter.” Of course… Kyoichi knew very well: no one from Root would dare to run. Everyone in Root had been branded with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, and under constant coercion and hardship, they had no choice but to serve Danzo. But still… No matter how many small fry you have, they’re still just small fry. Even if they tried to pull the same stunt Iwa-nin did to exhaust the Third Raikage to death, it just wasn’t going to happen—not when he had Samehada and a Chakra Absorption Technique. Lately, he had been improving that technique. While it hadn’t yet evolved into a full absorption-type ninjutsu, its efficiency had increased significantly. Against Root’s few dozen people? Even if Iwa-nin themselves showed up… He still wouldn’t be afraid. Hyūga Hei, on the other hand, lacked that confidence. He kept wanting to speak up, to offer a warning, but Kyoichi was too assured. And so—he didn’t dare say anything more. Because… Kanda Kyoichi’s strength—he’d certainly heard of it. But… Was it really that formidable? He had his doubts. “When the time comes, hide. No need to come out and help—I can handle it alone.” “Uh…” “That’s an order.” Kyoichi could tell he was afraid. But that was normal. Not everyone was built like him, with well-rounded capabilities. Hyūga Hei was considered an outstanding ninja among the Hyūga branch house, but in truth, the entire Hyūga clan had no one who could be called Kage-level. Their floor was high—but with no path to the Tenseigan, the ceiling of the Byakugan and Gentle Fist was very low. What was more bizarre— The Hyūga clan still carried themselves like they were elite. Ninjutsu? Don’t need it... Gentle Fist was more refined, wasn’t it? And yet, after all these years, the Hyūga clan remained just as they had always been. Not a step forward. Not a shred of progress. Well… That was their family business. If even Hiashi Hyūga wasn’t worried, Kyoichi sure as hell wasn’t going to be. Hyūga Hei continued tracking Danzo’s movements. Eventually, he brightened. “Sir! There’s a pit up ahead—it looks like it’s very close to their tunnel system.” “Where?” “That valley right there.” No sooner had he spoken than whoosh!—Kanda Kyoichi vanished from beside him, and by the time he looked again, he was already far ahead. That speed! Even his Byakugan could barely trace it. That’s gotta be as fast as the Flying Thunder God, right? He simply had no frame of reference for anything faster. And it wasn’t just him. Even Danzo hadn’t expected it. “Danzo-sama! They’re attacking from that direction. The men we left behind to stall them—” “Their sacrifice is necessary for Root.” Danzo said coldly. He was furious. Never in his wildest dreams did he think Kyoichi would strike so decisively—bringing all the operational ANBU units to surround Root’s base, wrapping it in three layers, inside and out. Fortunately, he still had a secret escape route. Damn you, Kanda Kyoichi! Tsunade and that snake, working hand in hand— Even if he killed Kyoichi, it would probably get swept under the rug. He knew Hiruzen Sarutobi far too well. The man was overly tolerant. Once, Danzo saw that as a useful trait. Now, it seemed that same trait worked just as well—for others. But ever since Tsunade’s return and Kyoichi’s rise as ANBU Captain, all of Danzo’s scheming had come to nothing. And what he truly hadn’t expected— Was that the other party would be this ruthless. The next second, his surprise turned to shock— Kyoichi came alone. BOOM! A thunderous blast collapsed the front tunnel, sending chaotic air currents howling through the passage. Root ninja skilled in Earth Release quickly stepped up to reinforce it with earth release jutsu. However— An instant later, all the surrounding walls turned to sludge. Then came a growing rumble from the front. “Clear out!” Danzo barked and rapidly formed hand seals. Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves! Blades of wind shot from his mouth, slicing through the collapsing dirt above as he launched himself through the passage. Outside, he saw a tiger-masked ninja standing ahead. Danzo couldn’t help but scoff. “Kanda Kyoichi… I didn’t expect you to make a move on me. But what gave you the courage to come alone and block my entire Root squad? Aren’t you afraid of ending up like the Third Raikage?” “Oh?” Kyoichi removed his mask, meeting Danzo’s gaze—and smiled. Smiled at Danzo’s delusions. “The Third Raikage faced the combined might of Iwagakure’s elites, Ōnoki, myself, and Minato. And you? You think you deserve to be mentioned in the same breath?” “Hmph, clever with words.” Danzo sneered, but behind the sneer, he signaled for his men to move in. He wasn’t fool enough to fight Kyoichi one-on-one. That would be suicidal. A true tactician used his resources wisely—like now… With sheer numbers. Root’s shinobi charged forward. “I didn’t want to kill comrades, but if you insist on courting death—don’t blame me.” Kyoichi closed his eyes. And then— The sword flashed. The wind howled. The slash came without sound or warning. The blade left its sheath, and in the next breath, several figures collapsed to the ground. Danzo was just about to launch another jutsu. Vacuum Bullets fired from his mouth toward Kyoichi. But— Kyoichi’s body turned pitch black. Then, a layer of ice armor formed over it. Vacuum Bullets? At best, they shattered the ice—never breached the Earth Release spear defense layered underneath. And Kyoichi had added yet another shell of Wind Release chakra over that. So… Danzo, thinking he’d landed a hit, was briefly pleased. Then his face froze. No damage? What a joke! Wind Release was known for its cutting power, and his Vacuum Bullets had been compressed and refined for maximum penetration. Ordinary techniques couldn’t withstand them. Even with ice armor— There should’ve been some injury. Something didn’t add up. But Danzo refused to believe it. And besides—he had no other option. Only one path remained: fight. He pulled out a shuriken. Wind Release: Shuriken! If Vacuum Bullets failed, he’d just add even sharper jutsu. Or— He hurled the shuriken and instantly formed seals. Summoning Jutsu! And then— At the moment he completed the summoning, Danzo’s hair stood on end. A terrible, suffocating sense of danger surged over him. He leapt back. Just as— Baku appeared behind him, letting out a long, shrill howl as it extended its trunk toward Kyoichi. Danzo’s tactic had been to combine Wind Shuriken with Baku’s technique to launch a surprise assault that would severely wound Kyoichi. But the result— His shuriken passed straight through Kyoichi’s body. A clone? He hadn’t sensed anything at all… Danzo’s heart sank. Then he thought of Shisui Uchiha’s variant Body Flicker Technique—a high-speed movement combined with clone illusions used for misdirection and assassination. He went on high alert. Drew his blade—and slashed behind him— CLANG! The sharp ring of steel-on-steel echoed. So fast… Danzo took a deep breath, activating every fiber of his body. Breath Activation Technique. Thanks to Kyoichi’s widespread instruction, many had learned it—Danzo included. However... “You’re using the Breath Activation Technique against me?” “Heh. Who told you to be so generous?” Danzo sneered. Popularizing ninjutsu? Naive... Techniques like this—ones that served as hidden trump cards—were usually guarded like forbidden arts. Only a fool would share them with others. And yet— Kyoichi’s voice rang out from a different direction. “No, I’m just laughing at your naivety. The fact that I made it public means I already have stronger methods. You didn’t even consider that possibility—and still thought using Breath Activation would let you stand against me?” The next instant— Twin blades drawn. One slash unleashed a razor-sharp high-pressure water blade. The other—a streak of cutting wind that lingered in its wake. And above them— A flying ice blade descended from the sky. Three strikes—simultaneously. Baku might’ve been powerful when paired with Wind Release, but its bulky size made it slow and awkward to turn. If it couldn’t face Kyoichi head-on with its snout, it was practically useless. The three blades landed. A shrill, pained cry echoed. Baku was dead. Danzo felt no sorrow—only a trace of resignation. A summoned beast was just a tool. But... Even with that tool, he hadn’t been able to do a damn thing. All he could do was watch as Kyoichi butchered Baku—and now, the threat hadn’t passed. Baku was gone. He was next. As for the rest of Root? Against such terrifying speed, none of them could even hope to catch up to Kanda Kyoichi—much less lend any real support. All they could do now was cheer from the sidelines like useless spectators. Danzo drew his blade and exhaled a Vacuum Blade. He knew—when facing an opponent like this— There was no escape. Only one option remained: Fight with his sword and wager it all on survival.

Chapter 213: Using Breathing Techniques in Front of Me?

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