Chapter 157. The Root Is Revealed

Chapter 157 - 157. The Root Is RevealedHanekawa closed his eyes and activated his "Mind's Eye" technique, scanning everything within a 10-kilometer radius. In the original story, it was mentioned that Danzo Shimura's Root captured Konan, but the exact location was never revealed. The only option now was a methodical, area-by-area search. Fortunately, Konan wasn't in immediate danger. "Nothing here," Hanekawa said, opening his eyes. "Let's move to the next location." "Let's go!" Tsunade nodded slightly. The five of them sprinted through the rain as quickly as possible, while Yahiko and Nagato headed in a different direction. Using the Akatsuki base as the center, the search team split into two groups—one headed north, the other south. Additionally, many Akatsuki members had also been dispatched to search in all directions. Their skill levels were lower, so they were less likely to succeed, but there was still a chance. --- "Something's off over there!" Hanekawa said half an hour later, his spirit lifting. "Did you find her?" Kurenai asked eagerly. She had a good impression of Konan, her senior, and sincerely hoped she would be okay. "Not yet," Hanekawa replied, leaping forward. "But this might be a clue." Before long, they arrived at the location. It was originally a valley, but now it was a scene of destruction. The ground was sunken and cracked, with fissures everywhere. All the trees and vegetation were buried, and faint traces of explosive tags were visible. "This is Earth Release jutsu," Tsunade said after scanning the area, a look of surprise crossing her face. Most of the Hidden Rain Village's ninjas specialized in Water Release, as the constant rain in the Land of Rain enhanced its power. Of course, it wasn't impossible for them to use Earth Release. However, an Earth Release user capable of altering the landscape like this would have to be a jonin-level ninja. Tsunade couldn't recall any Earth Release jonin in the Hidden Rain Village. Hanekawa's thoughts churned. In the original story, Danzo's Root operatives had disguised themselves as Hidden Stone Village ninjas when they attacked the Akatsuki. "These fragments belong to Konan's explosive tags," Hanekawa said, pointing to some remains on the ground. "I've seen them before." "Good," Tsunade said without hesitation. "They must be nearby." She jumped into the air, scanning the surroundings. Moments later, she landed. "This way," Tsunade said gravely. "I found some tracks." Though the Root operatives were meticulous, Tsunade's experience and sharp instincts as one of the Legendary Sannin allowed her to notice subtle clues. Hanekawa suddenly thought of an old saying: An elder at home is like having a treasure. Of course, he'd never dare say this to Tsunade—it'd be a death wish. Following Tsunade, Hanekawa observed the surroundings. He recalled the tracking techniques taught at the ninja academy. Every movement leaves traces—be it indentations on the ground, bent grass, or the direction of fallen leaves. However, in rainy conditions like this, such clues were even harder to spot. --- "We're here," Tsunade said, coming to a stop. Hanekawa raised his head and saw a mountain in the distance. It wasn't very tall, bald, and barren, offering a clear view of the surroundings. With his mental "zoom lens," Hanekawa easily spotted a camp at the mountain's base. Two ninjas stood at the entrance, unmoving in the rain. They appeared dutiful, but their lack of natural behavior gave them the eerie vibe of puppets mechanically following orders. This was the essence of Root ninjas. Once someone joined the Root, they were brainwashed by Danzo Shimura and reduced to mere tools obeying his commands. However, these Root members were currently dressed in Hidden Stone Village uniforms, complete with Stone Village forehead protectors. "The Hidden Stone?" Tsunade murmured, confused. "Why would the Stone Village capture Konan?" Unlike Hanekawa, who already knew the truth, Tsunade hadn't yet made the connection to the Root. "There are eight of them in total," Hanekawa said, closing his eyes and using his Mind's Eye. "All of them are strong." Root, nominally a part of the ANBU, only recruited members handpicked by Danzo. Every one of them was a prodigy. In other words, these eight were either jonin or elite chunin—ordinary chunin wouldn't qualify to join the Root. "With that kind of strength, it does resemble the Stone Village," Tsunade said after a moment's pause. "Here's the plan: Duy and I will draw their attention head-on. Hanekawa, Kurenai, and Rin, you'll rescue Konan." "Yes!" they responded in unison. --- "Who's there?" The moment Tsunade and Might Duy revealed themselves, the two Root ninjas standing guard noticed them immediately. "I won't tell you anything!" one of the guards shouted coldly. Might Duy shouted, "Leaf Strong Whirlwind!" In an instant, his body disappeared, transforming into a whirlwind as he launched a spinning kick toward the two Root ninjas. "...?" Tsunade's face immediately turned strange. Although she hadn't planned on hiding their identity, she couldn't help but feel the urge to comment. What kind of ninja shouts out their technique's name so honestly during a fight? And not just the name—he even added "Leaf" to it! In her mind, Might Duy was probably the least suited ninja for infiltration missions. At that moment, the falling rain seemed to freeze for a second, and a terrifying water dragon formed in the air. The torrent of water crashed down from above, directly hitting Might Duy. Unable to dodge in time, he was swept into it. Tsunade dashed forward in a flash, striking the water dragon with a punch that shattered it. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade!" After being rescued, Might Duy felt slightly ashamed. Without hesitation, he roared, "Eight Gates, open!" A surge of air erupted around him, and a green energy aura enveloped his body. This signified that he had opened the third gate. "Leaf Strong Whirlwind!" Like a cannonball, Might Duy smashed into the Root ninjas. Tsunade followed closely behind. Boom! The two Root ninjas were simultaneously sent flying, crashing into the mountain wall and leaving two large craters. The commotion immediately alerted the remaining six Root ninjas in the camp. Five of them quickly emerged, their eyes narrowing slightly when they saw Tsunade. For a brief moment, they hesitated, but thoughts of Danzo Shimura strengthened their resolve. The rain grew more chaotic as chakra twisted the raindrops into streams of water. The ground trembled, and countless earth spikes shot out like spears, aiming for Tsunade and Might Duy. Without warning, scorching flames surged forth, resembling red fire dragons. The five Root ninjas weaved hand signs in unison, unleashing a chaotic barrage of ninjutsu that turned the battlefield into utter pandemonium. --- "Gate of Pain, open! Gate of Limit, open! Gate of View, open!" Sensing intense danger, Might Duy activated his ultimate move without hesitation. "Morning Peacock!" This was the first S-rank mission of his life, and he was under the command of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. His youth demanded victory! Tsunade was just about to evade the incoming ninjutsu when she saw Might Duy charge straight into the fray. In the blink of an eye, he reached the five Root ninjas. An uncountable number of punches created shockwaves in the air, and his incredible speed generated flames from friction. The sky lit up with blazing fire, as brilliant as a peacock spreading its feathers. The Root ninjas' combined ninjutsu shattered into pieces under the relentless assault. Screams followed one after another. Blood mixed with rain, dyeing the downpour crimson. In the original story, Might Guy's first use of Morning Peacock had obliterated a Kisame Hoshigaki clone with 30% of his chakra. Considering Kisame's massive chakra reserves, even 30% far exceeded that of most jonin. In other words, Morning Peacock had the power to instantly defeat jonin-level opponents. --- "What incredible power!" Tsunade couldn't help but marvel. Of the five Root ninjas, one was killed on the spot, one was gravely injured, and the remaining three were seriously wounded. There were only a handful of ninjas capable of such results. Tsunade could count them on one hand: Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Legendary Sannin, Sakumo Hatake, and Minato Namikaze. However, the greater the power, the greater the cost. "No need to use Morning Peacock again. Leave the rest to me." Tsunade's face was expressionless as she lifted her leg. Heavenly Kick of Pain! The ground beneath her cracked like a spiderweb. --- Meanwhile, three figures moved into the camp under the cover of Morning Peacock's fiery display. "There's an enemy inside that tent," Hanekawa whispered, pointing to a nearby tent. "I'll hold them off. You take the opportunity to rescue Sister Konan." "I'll go with you," Kurenai quickly volunteered. "Too many people will only get in the way." Hanekawa gently patted her hand. "I can handle this." At his current strength, he was comparable to a jonin—not just any jonin, but one proficient in various jutsu. His overall ability was in the upper-middle tier. If he activated Lightning Cloak, he could reach the level of an elite jonin. His main limitation was his not-yet-fully-developed body and chakra reserves. "Be careful," Kurenai said, worried but not arguing further. Hanekawa glanced at Tsunade and Might Duy in the distance. Even the two Root guards who had been knocked away earlier had rejoined the battle. --- Transformation Jutsu! Hanekawa's body shifted, taking on the appearance of one of the Root guards. He stepped forward, lifted the tent flap, and walked in. The Root ninja inside was momentarily stunned. Illusion: Hell Seeing Technique! As soon as Hanekawa locked eyes with him, he clapped his hands together. The Root ninja's face turned slightly dazed. Rasengan! In an instant, Hanekawa used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before him, forming a spinning chakra sphere in his right hand and slamming it down. The Root ninja's clothes tore apart instantly, but instead of flesh, swarms of parasitic insects poured out. Hanekawa's heart skipped a beat. No wonder this Root ninja hadn't joined the battle outside. Beyond guarding Konan, his identity as an Aburame clan member made his secret techniques too recognizable. The insects that came into contact with the Rasengan were crushed, but more surged forward, flying toward Hanekawa. Chidori Current! Hanekawa's eyes sharpened. Withdrawing his hand, he channeled chakra, releasing countless streaks of lightning in all directions. The parasitic insects were enveloped by the electricity, turning charred and lifeless as they fell in masses to the ground. Secret Technique: Insect Sphere! seaʀᴄh thё ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Root ninja recovered quickly, retreating a step and raising his hands. Countless parasitic insects surged forth like a black tide. Despite being burned by the lightning, they clung to Hanekawa's body, determined to bite down even at the cost of their lives. In moments, the lightning around Hanekawa dimmed considerably. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique! Hanekawa exhaled a massive fireball. The searing heat swept through the insects, incinerating them in a wave of twisting flames. Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon! The Root ninja immediately created a chakra-infused cocoon to hatch even more parasitic insects. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the ninja's distraction, Kurenai and Rin freed the bound Konan. The Root ninja sensed something was wrong and turned around. Seeing Konan being rescued, he quickly waved his hand, sending swarms of insects flying toward them. Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall! Hanekawa didn't give him the chance. A wall of earth rose, blocking the insects and shielding Kurenai, Rin, and the unconscious Konan. Kurenai slashed through the tent with a kunai, and she and Rin carried Konan out, retreating at full speed. "Damn it!" Seeing Konan escape, the Root ninja's face twisted with rage. Hanekawa wouldn't let the opening go to waste. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he closed the distance and threw a punch. The Root ninja instinctively commanded his insects to form a defensive barrier. Superhuman Strength! Hanekawa's punch shattered the insect shield and struck the ninja's body. Though the insects absorbed some of the impact, the sheer force sent the ninja flying, sliding across the ground until he crashed into the mountain wall. Dance of the Crescent Moon! Hanekawa drew his Thunder-Fire Blade and charged forward. The Root ninja struggled to rise but was skewered by three Thunder-Fire Blades. Blood pooled beneath him as his life faded away. --- "How is she?" Hanekawa approached Kurenai and Rin. "I've already checked her. She's fine," Rin said, placing her hand on Konan's forehead. "She's just unconscious from overusing her chakra." Meanwhile, Kurenai used chakra to control the rain, creating a vacuum zone around them. "That's good." Hanekawa sighed in relief and turned to look at Tsunade and Might Duy. The battle was nearly over. Though the Root ninjas were strong, they were up against Tsunade and Might Duy. Tsunade hadn't even needed to use her Yin Seal, indicating she felt no pressure. As for Might Duy, who had opened the Sixth Gate, he was decimating everything in his path. Hanekawa shifted his focus back to the Root ninja he had just killed. With a wave of his hand, he used chakra to pry open the ninja's mouth, revealing the curse seal on his tongue. It was the infamous Root Tongue Curse Seal. Danzo Shimura used this seal to prevent Root members from leaking information. Unless he died, the curse wouldn't fade. A few minutes later, Tsunade and Might Duy's battle concluded. "Sensei." Hanekawa waved to Tsunade. "What is—" As Tsunade walked over and prepared to speak, she froze at the sight of the curse seal. "He used the Aburame clan's secret techniques," Hanekawa explained, pointing at the dead parasitic insects nearby. "That old bastard... What is he up to now?!" Tsunade's face darkened with anger. "I suspect Danzo has made a deal with Hanzō," Hanekawa continued. "Seal their bodies." Tsunade took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "I want to see how he explains this." "Understood." Hanekawa retrieved a storage scroll. While storage scrolls couldn't hold living beings, corpses were another matter entirely. He sealed all eight Root ninja bodies into the scroll. --- "She's awake!" Kurenai's voice called out suddenly. Hanekawa turned instinctively to see Konan regaining consciousness. __ New entry: This Danzo Is Weird Patreon.com/rashta Be a member so you can read: New. 440 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird 1. 300 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)