The desolate forest on the eastern outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village.
The green leaves rustled in the breeze, and the clouds above stretched into tiered steps across the clear blue sky.
Ibiki Morino's high-collared windbreaker covered his face up to his cheekbones, leaving only the scarred upper half exposed, his jaw set firm.
Genma Shiranui leaned against a slender white tree, his back perfectly straight. A steel senbon spun lightly in his mouth, glinting with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.
Anko Mitarashi acted dismissive toward the Root ninja, but her hand had already slipped into the ninja tool pouch at her waist. Her so-called disdain was more of a mask for the faint fear stirring in her heart.
A ninja from the Uchiha clan capable of awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan would, at the very least, be a Jonin—possibly even an elite Jonin.
Could he be the proctor for this Chunin Exam, Yato?
Wasn't he a bit too young?
Then again, it's hard to say. A ninja's combat ability doesn't always correlate with age.
Whether it's physical training or mastering ninjutsu and genjutsu, everything hinges on having enough chakra to support it. The amount of chakra one has is an innate talent, completely unrelated to training.
So, age differences only show up in things like ninja skills, physical techniques, or the nature and shape manipulation of chakra.
If someone is born with exceptional chakra reserves and is a prodigy to boot, they could master in a glance what takes others years to learn. That kind of talent could produce an extraordinary ninja.
The Uchiha clan is a prime example.
Their chakra reserves can't compare to the Senju or Uzumaki clans, but they far surpass those of civilian ninja. Add to that the Sharingan's ability to enhance ninja, physical, and illusion techniques, and you've got the perfect recipe for genius ninja.
That's why the Uchiha clan is known for producing prodigies. Every ninja who awakens the Sharingan is, without question, a genius by outside standards.
Shisui Uchiha earned the nickname "Shisui of the Body Flicker" during the Third Great Ninja War when he was just a teenager. Itachi Uchiha, the S-rank rogue ninja who committed the unthinkable by slaughtering his entire clan, was only thirteen at the time.
Both were undisputed elite Jonin. If this guy was a genius on their level, he'd absolutely qualify to be the proctor for the Chunin Exam.
Under the gaze of those Sharingan eyes, Anko, Ibiki, and Genma didn't dare make a move, only speculating wildly in their minds about the stranger's identity.
Meanwhile…
Sasuke's crimson Sharingan swept left and right, scanning the three ninja who stood on edge. He kept his legs charged with Lightning Release to enhance his muscles, clearly wary of Anko and the others.
"Root—a special organization that protects the Hidden Leaf from the shadows, the Anbu of the Anbu. All official members are Special Jonin at minimum. With your skills, you're barely at the threshold to join Root."
Those were the exact words Hikari had told him after planting the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.
It was then Sasuke learned that the Lightning Blade wasn't in Hikari's possession but was held by the mysterious organization known as Root. Only by officially joining Root could he claim it.
Having already signed his life away, Sasuke wasn't about to let anything happen to his Lightning Blade.
With the Chunin Exam approaching, he needed time to get used to wielding such a powerful ninja tool.
No time to waste!
After getting Root's location from Hikari, Sasuke used Lightning Release to enhance his speed and raced to the organization's base. That's when he spotted these three waiting there.
He didn't rush in recklessly. Instead, he hid nearby, observing them. Through his Sharingan, he confirmed that Hikari's intel wasn't exaggerated—maybe even understated.
The chakra levels in these three were undeniably Jonin-tier.
They were likely just regular ninja guarding the base's entrance, not high-ranking members. If Hikari was Root's ceiling, these three were probably mid-tier at best. Sasuke might end up as the lowest rung in Root if he wasn't careful.
Only an organization this strong could help me grow stronger, faster!
The thought of claiming the Lightning Blade and obtaining a special Sharingan to rival Itachi's eased Sasuke's mind about joining this shadowy organization. He was filled with anticipation for Root.
Facing the still-silent trio, Sasuke recalled the code name Hikari had given him for Root. Raising his head slightly, he said in a low voice:
"Lord Yato sent me to retrieve the blade."
Ibiki froze for a second. From Sasuke's words, it was clear this three-tomoe Sharingan Uchiha Jonin wasn't the Yato they were looking for—he was just his subordinate!
A three-tomoe Sharingan meant a guaranteed Jonin. That meant this Yato was, at the very least, an elite Jonin—possibly even more.
The single mention of Yato carried a lot of weight. Ibiki's guesses about the mysterious figure were completely overturned, and his wariness grew.
"Retrieve the blade? What blade does Yato want?" Genma asked, his voice muffled by the senbon between his teeth. He didn't understand what Sasuke meant. What blade was Yato sending someone to get, and how did this tie into the Chunin Exam?
"What, do we have to hand over our weapons to enter Root?" Anko snapped.
Anko didn't bother with subtleties. She pulled a kunai from her pouch and twirled it in her hand, her expression cold but laced with unconcealed hostility.
Just to enter Root's base, they had to surrender their weapons? She hadn't even faced such restrictions when meeting the Third Hokage. Did this Yato think he was bigger than the Hokage?
"Hey, pretty boy, go back and tell Yato to come get it himself if he wants it!" Anko said, spinning the kunai through its ring before pointing it at Sasuke, flat-out rejecting the "Root ninja's" unreasonable demand.
Now it was Sasuke's turn to freeze.
Hikari had told him the process: report to the Root ninja, use her code name, register at the base, and then he'd get the Lightning Blade.
But this situation was nothing like what she described!
Yato was supposed to be Hikari's code name in Root. Why wasn't it working?
Was Hikari's status in Root actually not that high? Or were these people part of a rival faction within Root that had a grudge against her?
Sasuke's mind raced, but without key information, he couldn't piece together the full picture.
One thing he was sure of, though:
This group—especially the loudmouthed, purple-haired woman with the high ponytail—had some kind of hostility toward Hikari and was provoking him!
Sasuke's hand slid behind his back, gripping the handle of his long katana. With a slow, deliberate motion, he began to draw it.
The metallic scrape rang out as the blade came free, and Sasuke's crimson eyes glowed brighter, the three black tomoe spinning faster.
His Sharingan had just evolved, and he was itching to test its power. These enemies of Hikari were the perfect opponents to try it on!
Sasuke's silent drawing of his blade sent a chill through the trio.
"Typical Root behavior," Anko muttered.
The movement triggered unpleasant childhood memories. The kunai spinning in her hand stopped abruptly as she gripped it tightly, her eyes flashing with defiance.
Clang!
The blade shot out of its sheath, sparks flying!
Lightning Release surged through Sasuke's legs, and his body became a blur, charging at Anko like an arrow loosed from a bow, faster than before.
Anko was ready for the attack.
Her wrist twisted 360 degrees, muscles and bones contorting unnaturally, like a white snake mimicking a human arm.
Whoosh!
The kunai shot toward Sasuke's right eye at a bizarre angle.
But the three-tomoe Sharingan tracked its trajectory with cold precision. With the Sharingan's near-perfect dynamic vision, even the trickiest attack was child's play.
Without breaking stride, Sasuke tilted his head slightly.
Whoosh!
The kunai grazed his temple, cutting only a few strands of hair.
Boom!
Flames erupted around his blade, tracing an orange-red crescent in the air. The Sharingan locked onto Anko's evasion routes, and Sasuke slashed at her face.
Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!
Anko's eyes filled with firelight as her hands blurred through seals in front of her chest.
Tiger-Rat-Sheep-Rat-Tiger—five seals executed with practiced instinct, completed in an instant.
Secret Technique: Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand!
Hiss!
A torrent of venomous snakes poured from her loose sleeves, filling the space between them.
Slash!
A brilliant flame cut through the snake swarm, burning their blood to ash. The multicolored snakes were sliced in half, writhing on the ground.
Sasuke raised his blade to keep attacking, but the severed snakes—even just their heads—lunged at his legs, jaws open.
The Sharingan's dynamic vision was unmatched. The snakes' rapid strikes were like slow motion to Sasuke, who could even see the yellow venom dripping from their fangs.
This is like Shino's secret technique!
Sasuke had seen Shino Aburame fight before. This summoning style, relying on overwhelming numbers, was eerily similar to the Aburame clan's techniques.
His physical defenses were nowhere near Hikari's. If those snakes bit his leg, he'd be dead in seconds.
Watching Anko release more snakes from her sleeves, Sasuke made a snap decision. Lightning spread to his calves.
Clang!
His blade returned to its sheath. Wrapped in lightning, Sasuke leaped back, dodging the snake swarm. Midair, his Sharingan locked onto Anko as his hands flew through seals.
Danger!
Anko's instincts screamed. The snakes pouring from her sleeves faltered as she frantically channeled chakra for an Earth Release transformation.
But as Sasuke's seals neared completion, Anko's hands froze mid-motion, as if sealed.
What's happening?
Her eyes widened. The crimson three-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, like a red vortex.
Sharingan Genjutsu!
"Release!" Anko roared, disrupting the Earth Release chakra she'd been forming.
Bang!
The spinning Sharingan, the writhing snakes, and the seal-forming boy froze. The space around her shattered like broken glass, cracks spreading everywhere.
Everything collapsed. Anko's vision blurred, and the scene changed entirely. Her pupils contracted.
In the desolate forest, the ground was littered with charred, broken snakes. Thick black chains shielded her. The red-eyed boy stood with a flaming katana, lightning crackling at his feet, his Sharingan radiating cold killing intent.
"Enough! We'll follow Lord Yato's rules!" Ibiki shouted, clapping his hands together. Chains separated Anko and Sasuke, and a massive iron cage rose from the ground behind him.
Thick chains wove through the cage's gaps.
Summoning Technique: Torture Chamber!
Sasuke glanced at Anko, protected by the chains. Her face was pale with fear, and when his Sharingan met her eyes, she looked away, avoiding his gaze.
She'd figured out why she lost. The Sharingan's hypnotic and genjutsu abilities made it easy to trap someone in an illusion with just eye contact.
Sasuke had used genjutsu the moment he leaped back to dodge the snakes, faking seals for a Fire Release to trick her into stopping her snake technique.
Then, as the snakes paused, he closed in with his blade.
Anko had been focused on her Earth Release, unaware of his approach. Ibiki's chains had saved her, binding her arms and preventing seals, snapping her out of the illusion.
So this is the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, said to be invincible in one-on-one fights?
Terrifying!
Anko's face was ashen, bound tightly by the chains, her earlier defiance gone.
"We'll hand over our weapons," Genma said, spitting the senbon into his palm and raising a kunai to show compliance. He hadn't wanted to clash with Root in the first place. If not for Anko's insistence, he wouldn't have come near this mess.
After seeing Root's ninja in action, his resolve strengthened.
If Ibiki hadn't stepped in, Anko would've been taken down in one move. Genma would likely fare the same. Beating this guy would require all three of them together.
But this guy wasn't alone. If they kept fighting and other Root ninja showed up, they'd be overwhelmed and killed.
And for what?
It was just handing over weapons. Their fighting styles didn't rely heavily on ninja tools. Why pick a fight with Root's lunatics?
Clatter!
The chains sparked as they retreated into the massive cage. Ibiki dispelled his summoning technique, tossed his ninja tool pouch onto the ground, and spread his arms, showing he knew the rules.
They couldn't let Anko keep escalating.
Ibiki didn't know who this Yato was, but Danzo was no one to mess with. Attacking a Root ninja at their base was asking for death.
So, when he summoned the Torture Chamber, he didn't attack Sasuke. Instead, he bound Anko to protect her from being cut down and to avoid escalating the fight.
Sasuke flicked his flaming katana, sending a wave of fire that charred the writhing snakes.
Hiss!
The red-hot blade glowed like a branding iron. Sasuke stared coldly at the trio, sheathing his sword behind his back.
Root's internal dynamics seemed complicated. He wasn't even an official member yet, and he'd already fought one of their factions. He wondered how much pressure Hikari was under.
He glanced at Ibiki, who'd tossed his tools on the ground. Was this an organizational rule? Did the loser have to surrender all their weapons?
Guess fighting's pretty common in Root!
Clink! Clank!
As if confirming his thoughts, Anko and Genma tossed their ninja tool pouches onto the ground.
"Can we enter Root now?" Anko asked.
"Sure," Sasuke replied, maintaining his aloof demeanor, waiting for them to open the door to Root's base.
Finally, he was about to enter the mysterious Root. His heart swelled with anticipation!
Anko, Ibiki, and Genma waited silently as well.
The four stared at each other, their expressions growing increasingly puzzled. The forest fell into an eerie silence once more.