"Zenshu's laboratory."
In a secret base, Obito Uchiha—wearing an orange mask—was swinging the weapon in his hand.
Hearing White Zetsu's report, he turned his head to look.
"That clan that joined Konoha over two years ago? Hmph. Just a bunch of fools."
Although Obito acted dismissive, the hands that stopped swinging his weapon indicated he wasn't completely unconcerned.
He thought of the man he had encountered before—who looked like the one named Toji Fushiguro, but whose voice and abilities were completely different.
He originally thought Zenshu had ulterior motives for joining Konoha. Even thinking that during the Nine-Tails incident, the other party would likely take the opportunity to strike.
Unexpectedly, he actually helped Konoha. And now he was dead.
"Let's go see what kind of scheme that old thing was cooking up."
A transparent swirl suddenly appeared in Obito's eye. He vanished.
The next moment, he appeared at the top of that small hill—looking down at the Root ninjas below and the barrier between the two large trees.
Almost the instant he appeared, Obito's brow furrowed deeply.
"What a strange structure."
White Zetsu looked at his expression and transmitted his voice with some surprise.
"What? Even you can't open it?"
The Mangekyo Dojutsu Obito had awakened was most adept at opening spaces.
Obito shook his head slightly and spoke softly.
"It's not that I can't open it. But I can't open it silently. The other party seems to have specifically designed some technique that will trigger directly if forced open."
"I'm not sure if it's a self-destruct."
His Kamui ability was extremely strong. In the original timeline, he could even forcefully open Kaguya Otsutsuki's Amenominaka dimensions.
But when entering Konoha, he would be detected by the Sealing Team.
The two exchanged a silent glance. Ideas formed quickly in their minds.
One sank into the ground. The other vanished in a distorted swirl from his eye.
In the dim courtyard, Zenji sat cross-legged behind the doorframe. Before him was a wooden corridor. The courtyard featured a miniature landscape with rocks and water.
Four dark figures vaulted over the wall. The leader—Tatsuma Aburame—landed and instantly locked his gaze onto Zenji.
"Zenji. Come with us."
An irrefutable tone rang out from Tatsuma Aburame's mouth.
Zenji sat on the floor, unmoved. Instead, he smiled faintly with a calm face.
"Take me away? On what grounds?"
"Root's orders. You have no room to refuse."
"Oh. But Lord Hokage just told me recently to rest for a while. Besides his personal orders, I can ignore any others."
Zenji revealed a mocking smile.
Looking at the somewhat familiar face of the leader, he quickly recalled who the other party was.
This unexpected sentence made Tatsuma Aburame pause. Numerous thoughts instantly popped into his mind.
This place is close to the Hokage Building. Tricking him into leaving is the best option.
Recalling the intelligence Lord Danzo had provided, Tatsuma Aburame immediately made a decision.
"Ryomen Sukuna and Orochimaru have been conducting human experiments. Murdering multiple ninjas and villagers."
"We suspect you are involved in this matter. Come with us immediately for investigation."
As he spoke, he had already approached to within ten paces of Zenji.
A little closer, and he was confident he could instantly subdue the target.
However, not having seen that ninja killer all this time made him somewhat uneasy.
Although it had only been a short two years, the reputation of that ninja killer had actually spread throughout Konoha—and arguably the entire ninja world.
Because his mission completion rate so far was one hundred percent. Without a single failure.
"That sounds quite reasonable. But I don't know since when Root ninjas could bypass the Hokage and act independently."
Zenji rested his chin on one hand. Coldness filled his eyes.
As soon as these words came out, the four instantly knew they were exposed.
Tatsuma Aburame instantly reached out his hand toward Zenji. Minuscule black insects flew out, rushing forward like a cloud of black smoke.
SMACK.
The sound of clapping hands rang out from behind. A red torrent erupted.
Striking later but arriving first, it shot out from Zenji's side and directly hit the insect swarm.
The red laser was only blocked for a moment before it dissolved the black insects.
Tatsuma Aburame hurriedly dodged. The red laser swept past his ear.
How is this possible?
He was astonished internally. He looked vigilantly at the shadow inside the room.
His Kikaichu could devour chakra. How could they be destroyed so easily?
That thing isn't chakra?
Choso walked out with a gloomy look in his eyes. His face turned cold as he looked at these four ninjas.
"Young Master. Should I kill them?"
Choso's entire body radiated a bloody aura.
The chakra enveloped the surroundings like a tangible domain.
Making one feel as if they were in a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses.
"I want them alive."
Just as Zenji's voice fell, the originally tense atmosphere instantly shattered.
Choso brought his hands together. The blood converted from chakra rapidly expanded in his vessels.
A blood-red laser erupted, sweeping directly across.
Three Root ninjas couldn't even dodge before they were cut in half at the waist.
Their bodies split in two and fell to the ground.
The next moment, they turned into piles of insects that flew apart—gathering above the courtyard and covering the sky like a dark cloud.
More insects surged from Tatsuma Aburame's body, flying toward the swarm above.
The black insects, gathered like a cloud, instantly poured down as if losing balance.
Overwhelmingly covering Choso.
Secret Technique: Insect Sphere.
A massive number of insects enveloped the enemy, frantically devouring chakra. Rapidly rendering the target incapable of resistance.
"Hmph. Your guard has already lost the ability to resist. I advise you to behave and not ask for trouble."
Tatsuma Aburame walked toward Zenji with a cold voice.
He didn't want to cause too much commotion. But if forced, he absolutely wouldn't show mercy.
Zenji sat there without moving. Instead, he looked at him with a mocking gaze.
This made Tatsuma Aburame instantly vigilant. His mind realized something was wrong.
Where were his three subordinates?
A buzzing sound of wind rang out.
A giant axe chopped down from above.
In the nick of time, Tatsuma Aburame dodged. The axe smashed into the ground.
BOOM.
The strong air tremor directly blasted a large crater where the axe fell.
This muscular man's eyes were blood-red.
Another Root ninja holding a short sword—also with blood-red eyes—charged at Tatsuma Aburame.
Red light? That thing has a mind-control effect?
Several guesses instantly flashed through Tatsuma Aburame's mind as he looked to the other side.
Red light radiated from within the black insect swarm, infecting it at an extremely fast speed.
The next moment, the swarm dispersed. Revealing Choso inside.
A massive number of blood-like insects floated around him. The few remaining black Kikaichu were being devoured.
Then—just like the Aburame clan—he extended his palm forward.
Blood rapidly spewed from his hand. Each drop scattered and transformed into a red version of the Kikaichu, surging toward the dumbfounded Tatsuma Aburame.
Death Painting Fifth Stage: Symbiosis of Gu Souls.
Derived from the phenomenon of corpses breeding insects and ants, it allowed one's own chakra to grant blood a minuscule spirituality.
Forming controllable, tiny entities.
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