"How dare you impersonate a Konoha Anbu? Kill him!"
Naraku shouted with fury. His team of eight included not only elite bodyguards but also three prodigious youths from other clans—future successors of noble lineages.
Due to the influence of the Will of Fire, even within the Uchiha clan, many respected the legacy of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Simply ordering them to attack someone dressed as a Konoha Anbu might provoke hesitation. So Naraku crafted a reason—to spur them into action.
Inuzuka Manjumaru and Kurama Kaori exchanged uncertain glances.
Though nominally assigned as Naraku's escorts, along with Uzumaki Taki, they were in truth little more than allied witnesses.
Naraku's personal guard captain, Uchiha Zensui, and three elite guards charged forward immediately, showing no hesitation.
Zensui noticed his comrades still rooted in place and barked:
"What are you standing around for?! Move out!"
Then he led the charge into battle himself.
Seeing their allies engage, Manjumaru and Kaori cast aside their doubts, drew their weapons, and joined the fray.
Uzumaki Taki, a medical-nin and sensor-type, quickly disappeared from sight to gather intelligence and provide field analysis.
Naraku's guards wore the distinctive uniforms of the Konoha Military Police Force, instantly recognizable even to the Root.
Reinforcements joined the battle with a surprise opening attack—Fire Release ninjutsu.
Dozens of Phoenix Sage Fire Techniques soared through the air and exploded on impact, setting off chain reactions of fire across the battlefield.
Caught off guard, several Root members were knocked unconscious in the blast.
Root went all-in, focusing their efforts on Uchiha Ruofeng, wary of the towering blue Susanoo. The bodies of three comrades reminded them that this opponent's power was fatal.
Fifteen Root agents surrounded Ruofeng, attacking like wild hounds, darting in and out. But they made one fatal error: neglecting perimeter vigilance. And now, they paid for it.
Aburame Ryoma, leading the Root operation, immediately recognized the danger.
"Split into two squads! First and second squads, maintain suppression! Third and fourth, intercept the reinforcements!"
"Yes, sir!"
Highly trained, the Root members moved in sync. Fifteen split into coordinated groups—some maintaining the siege, others intercepting new threats.
Ruofeng's Susanoo struck left and right. Many hits landed on Substitution Jutsu (Kawarimi no Jutsu) or shadow clones, but he still managed to kill three early on.
Afterward, the Root shinobi kept their distance. Though Ruofeng struck with devastating force, his attacks failed to land cleanly again.
Several ridgelines on Tieling Mountain were leveled under Susanoo's blows, but the Root shinobi—nimble and evasive—took minimal direct damage.
They swarmed like flies, stalling him, gradually draining his chakra reserves.
Ruofeng's strength was reaching its limit. Every cell in his body screamed. His chakra was nearly spent.
"Urgh!"
He groaned in agony. Susanoo's armor flaked away, weapons evaporated, and the giant dissolved into a glowing blue, unclothed humanoid form.
That too began collapsing—muscles vanished, blood vessels disintegrated, and all that remained was a glowing skeleton.
Within the spectral ribcage stood Ruofeng—beside him, the broken body of Uchiha Chihuo, nearly cleaved in two at the waist.
"Brother Chihuo must be returned for a proper burial! I won't let you desecrate his body!"
"RAAAAH!"
Blood streamed from Ruofeng's Mangekyō Sharingan as he let out a furious, grief-fueled roar.
The skeletal Susanoo pulsed, and chakra surged outward once more. It reformed into a 20-meter-tall, ethereal warrior—nude and glowing blue.
Then, even that evolved.
A torrent of chakra enveloped the entity, forming a complete suit of glowing armor. In seconds, the skeletal form transformed into a majestic armored Susanoo—towering nearly forty meters tall.
Twin chakra swords materialized in its hands.
"He's expelling all his remaining strength in a final stand."
Aburame Ryoma analyzed the situation calmly, a veteran of many battles.
Though Ruofeng had reached his limit, he was more terrifying now than ever. The giant swung both swords, kicking up massive wind tunnels with each strike.
Root agents switched entirely to evasive tactics—Body Flicker Technique and constant substitutions kept them alive, barely.
The terrain suffered most—hills flattened, ridges cleaved.
"Is this the power of the Uchiha…?"
Ryoma dodged again, watching Ruofeng twist space with Kamui, making brief spatial warps. He knew time was running out—for both sides.
The Root's plan remained the same: guerrilla encirclement, wear him down, keep him surrounded like prey.
"He's almost finished! Just a little more! HOLD!"
Ryoma was obsessed with the chance to seize Ruofeng's Mangekyō Sharingan. Letting this moment slip by was unthinkable.
But now reinforcements had entered the battlefield, and they brought fresh chakra and relentless Fire Release jutsu.
Large-scale Great Fireball Techniques —some over 10 meters wide—lit up the field. Smaller fireballs peppered the area, all of them with explosive detonation on impact.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the mountain. Root agents were attacked from behind as they continued their siege. Even split into groups, they struggled to contain the growing threat.
Still, Root agents were nothing if not relentless. Raised under Danzō Shimura's brutal conditioning, they fought with precision.
"Ninpō: Hidden Mist Jutsu (Kirigakure no Jutsu)!" ×3
Thick mist rose over Tieling Mountain.
This was no coincidence—Root had a countermeasure for fighting Uchiha. Deprive them of vision.
The fog grew dense, blinding both Naraku's reinforcements and Root's own men.
Though it restricted everyone's vision, it served its purpose—delay, disruption, and disorientation.
Explosions echoed within the mist, muffled but relentless.
From the rear of the battlefield, Uchiha Naraku observed it all. He had seen Ruofeng's Susanoo degrade, reform, then fully armor up again.
Naraku could tell—Ruofeng was burning the last remnants of his life.
In a flash, Naraku used Body Flicker Technique and vanished into the fog.
Emerging in the heart of the mist, he raised his left hand. Two diamond-shaped seals glowed on his palm.
"Meiton: Kyūketsukō!"
A powerful suction force exploded from his hand. The fog twisted and coiled, then was completely absorbed—like ocean water pulled into a whirlpool.
In less than 30 seconds, the entire battlefield was clear again. The thick fog had been annihilated.
The absorbed Water-nature chakra now circulated within Naraku. Forming a quick series of hand seals, he exhaled a torrent of water.
The water swirled and took shape—lengthening into the form of a monstrous dragon.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
A towering 60-meter water dragon formed, scales churning with force. Naraku leapt onto its head, surfing its momentum as it roared forward.
Aburame Ryoma, startled, yelled:
"Konoha Anbu are on a covert mission! Are you committing treason?!"
Riding atop the water dragon, Naraku roared back:
"Your disguise is too perfect! You've clearly stolen top-secret intel! I won't let you escape today!"
Naraku willed the dragon to accelerate—rushing directly toward Ruofeng.
"Stop him!" Ryoma screamed.
Root members had no time for jutsu. They drew blades and charged, attempting to intercept the massive jutsu with taijutsu and kenjutsu alone.
But how could mere blades stop a colossal water dragon, 60 meters long and nearly 8 meters thick?
Ryoma watched in despair as the tide turned before his eyes. Ruofeng, who was moments from defeat, had been rescued.