Thousands of Konoha ninjas fell alongside the crumbling earth into a pit about 30 meters deep.
The enormous chunks of earth hit the pit floor first, breaking apart into smaller fragments with thunderous crashes, filling the subterranean space with choking dust.
Most of the Konoha ninjas managed to stabilize themselves and land safely, but some fell hard onto the pit's floor, many sustaining severe injuries, and others losing their lives.
This massive crater was created by Ye Zi's Inorganic Reincarnation technique, with Minato's Wind Style Rasengan accelerating the process. Without Minato's attack, the ground might not have fractured and collapsed so quickly.
Ignoring the aftermath, Ye Zi exited the village from the eastern side, deactivating Sage Mode as he resurfaced.
Creating that enormous pit had nearly drained all his Sage Chakra, but it successfully trapped Konoha's forces for the time being.
Ye Zi turned to glance coldly at the outer wall of Konoha one last time before veering toward Orochimaru's location.
The assault on Konoha was complete. His next step was to escape with Kotonoha's body and regroup at the Iwagakure stronghold. From there, they would quickly relocate their base.
In terms of results, the operation had destroyed roughly 30% of Konoha, killed approximately 700–800 ninjas, and inflicted a devastating blow to the village. For a Great Shinobi Village, replacing so many ninjas would demand immense resources and effort.
Still, Ye Zi regretted not being able to eliminate any of Konoha's top-tier combatants. But it didn't matter much, he had successfully retrieved Kotoe and gained valuable intelligence about Konoha's capabilities. In return, his own abilities, along with Edo Tensei, had been exposed.
Yet Ye Zi didn't mind. With Sage Mode now in his arsenal, he was prepared to push forward with the plan to collect the tailed beasts. Once everything was settled, his next target would be Nagato.
The Rinnegan was his for the taking, but there was no rush. For now, he intended to utilize Nagato's abilities to expedite the collection of the tailed beasts. Once that was complete, claiming the Rinnegan would be a matter of timing.
Ye Zi sped along a forest path, eager to regroup with Orochimaru. The trees on either side of him blurred as he moved at high speed.
Suddenly, his instincts flared. He halted abruptly and leaped backward, drawing his blade, Chijin, midair.
Thunk, thunk…!
Dozens of kunai embedded themselves into the ground where he had stood just moments before.
"An ambush…? Who is it?" Ye Zi thought, gripping his blade tightly as he cast a cold gaze ahead.
Rustle, rustle…
One by one, figures clad in either white or black cloaks appeared before him. Each wore a mask, they were members of the Anbu.
Counting them, Ye Zi noted there were 26 in total.
Being a former member of Root, Ye Zi instantly recognized that these were not the Hokage's Anbu but rather Danzo's operatives.
"Danzo, huh?"
Ye Zi's expression remained unreadable as he scanned the 26 Root operatives before him.
Though his chakra reserves were nearly depleted, he felt no fear facing such opponents.
For a ninja skilled in taijutsu and kenjutsu, even with minimal chakra, raw skill and precision could still pose a deadly threat.
When none of the Root members responded to his question, Ye Zi raised his blade horizontally. If they wouldn't answer, then he'd drain their lives to replenish his chakra. If he could restore enough, perhaps he'd even double back for another strike at Konoha.
Clang…!
The clear sound of blades being drawn rang out as all 26 Root members unsheathed their swords in unison.
Root, as Danzo's faction, was known for its brutal and merciless training methods, which often clashed with Hiruzen's philosophies. Root operatives were trained to excel in silence, stealth, and efficiency.
Danzo's interference was evident in the past when Iwagakure demanded Konoha surrender Ye Zi. Even then, had Hiruzen been more resolute, Danzo wouldn't have been able to dictate the outcome.
When Ye Zi had tried to leave Konoha to forge his own path, it was Danzo who intercepted him with Root operatives, intent on exploiting Ye Zi's potential for his own ends.
If Danzo hadn't stopped him back then, today's scenario might have been vastly different.
Having spent years within Root, Ye Zi understood the unit's tactics. Mastery of kenjutsu and throwing techniques was a prerequisite for all Root operatives. They often relied more on such skills than on ninjutsu.
However, when it came to kenjutsu and taijutsu, none of them could match Ye Zi.
"Senior Raiga, your chakra must be nearly depleted by now, right?" A slightly youthful voice among the Root operatives spoke calmly. "And we're aware that your Spirit Transformation Technique allows you to steal chakra."
"Do you think we'd give you the opportunity to do that?"
Another Root member chuckled darkly and added, "I've always admired you, Ye Zi—oh no, I mean Senior Raiga. After all, your mission completion rate in Root was a staggering 99.5%, with only one failure. Quite terrifying, really. I doubt anyone could ever match your level of excellence."
The emphasis on the honorific dripped with sarcasm, and though his words sounded like praise, a subtle mockery lay beneath them.
"If I could be the one to cut down Senior Raiga, it would be an irresistible honor," joked another member, wearing a pointed-eared fox mask.
"So this is what Root has become, fond of spouting pointless chatter?" Ye Zi's icy gaze flickered. These talkative individuals must have joined Root after his departure from Konoha.
Back in his time, Root operatives were trained to execute missions with minimal words and maximum action. They would never waste time with their enemies like this, though admittedly his identity might be the reason for their verbosity now.
"Is that so? Then, Senior Raiga, my apologies, but may I ask you to die here?" sneered the Root member at the forefront.
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Zi abruptly appeared in front of him. The razor-sharp blade of Chijin was already pressed against his throat.
"Are you talking to me?"
Ye Zi's cold, unrelenting gaze pierced through the small eyeholes of the white mask, meeting the terror in the operative's eyes behind it.
Slice!
A swift, clean motion. The Root member's head flew into the air, and blood spurted from the severed neck.
This wasn't merely a cut, it was a clean decapitation.
The speed and efficiency of the execution sent a chilling alarm through the remaining twenty-five members.
They had assumed that Ye Zi, with his depleted chakra, was akin to a tiger on its last legs. But even a weakened tiger was no match for a group of mere cats.
After dispatching the first member, Ye Zi swiftly formed seals, channeling what little chakra he had left to activate the Spirit Transformation Technique.
He needed to replenish his chakra, and fast.
Seeing Ye Zi initiate the technique, the Root members scattered and quickly assumed formation, attacking from all directions to prevent him from stealing chakra.
But even without activating Lightning Release Armor, Ye Zi's kenjutsu alone was enough to deal with this rabble.
Ye Zi's spirit form and his physical body moved in separate directions. The Root operatives, panicking at the sight of his spirit form, desperately dodged to avoid being drained of their chakra.
Meanwhile, Ye Zi's physical body used unrelenting kenjutsu to close the gap with his enemies. With each swift move, he eliminated another Root member in a clean, efficient strike.
This display of raw skill deepened the fear in the remaining operatives. Ye Zi's reputation as a "legend" within Root was clearly well-earned.
Despite their use of ninjutsu and throwing weapons, Ye Zi's speed even without his Lightning Release Armor made him untouchable. He skillfully evaded their attacks and struck with surgical precision whenever an opening appeared, dispatching one enemy after another.
Finally, his Spirit Transformation Technique succeeded in draining the chakra of one unfortunate Root member.
The oppressive sense of danger thickened, engulfing the remaining dozen or so operatives. No matter how cautious they were, it seemed impossible to escape Ye Zi unscathed.
At that moment, Danzo arrived with reinforcements, a group of seventy-six additional Root members.
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Currently on Chapter 488 - The Moment of Death