They were coming.
Sensing the Root operatives closing in, Kaze decisively abandoned Shisui's corpse and opted for a tactical retreat.
While this incident hadn't been part of his original plan, it had permanently solved the problem that was Shisui the traitor.
And on top of that, he had secured Kotoamatsukami for himself—a considerable harvest.
But most importantly…
This area was covered in barriers set up by the Uchiha clan.
The movement of those Root operatives had surely drawn the attention of Fugaku and the other clansmen by now.
They wouldn't have time to remove Shisui's body.
If things went smoothly, Shisui's death might even be used to target Danzō.
With that in mind, a new plan began to form in Kaze's head.
Not long after he vanished, the four Root ninja pursuing Shisui arrived at the scene.
Partly because one of them was a sensor-type shinobi.
And partly because Kaze's final fire jutsu—the Majestic Destroyer Flame—had lit up the sky like a beacon.
Drawing them right to the spot.
"That's…"
The Root operatives had anticipated a fierce battle upon catching up with Shisui.
What they didn't expect was to find him collapsed in a pool of blood.
His chakra—completely and utterly gone.
He was dead.
"Shisui?"
The team leader's voice was grim. Concerned this might be some sort of trap, he glanced over at the team's sensor-nin.
The sensor shook his head.
Only then did the leader draw the longsword from his back and cautiously step forward.
In three quick strides, he was beside the body. Crouching, he inspected Shisui's wounds.
The arteries in his neck had been completely severed.
Even someone like the legendary Tsunade wouldn't have been able to save him from such injuries.
But judging from the depth and angle of the cut—it didn't look like suicide.
A sinking feeling spread through the captain's chest.
He quickly flashed a hand signal.
The other three Root operatives stepped forward and turned Shisui's body over.
"The left eye… it's missing."
With one glance, the Root captain saw that Shisui's left eye had the same caved-in appearance as the right.
Just to be sure, he pulled back Shisui's eyelids.
Empty sockets.
"Someone took Shisui's Sharingan."
"Could it have been someone from the Uchiha clan?"
"Or… maybe someone from the Anbu under Lord Hokage?"
Two of the Root ninja exchanged guesses about what really happened.
This place was near the Nanga Shrine.
The area was filled with Uchiha clan barriers—ordinary people wouldn't come here.
So it had to be either an Uchiha clan member passing by or an Anbu ninja assigned to watch the Uchiha's territory.
"Although Shisui lost one eye to Danzo, he didn't lose much of his combat ability."
"You all saw his use of the Great Fireball Technique and Susanoo earlier."
The Root captain analyzed this as he drew a sharp breath, shocked.
Whoever took Shisui's eye was definitely a powerful opponent.
The key point was...
From when Shisui slipped away to when they found his body, less than two minutes had passed.
"Did you sense anyone else's chakra?"
The captain asked again.
"No."
The sensor ninja shook his head helplessly.
Though skilled, his sensing range was limited; beyond fifty meters, it was hard to pinpoint chakra precisely.
"Setting aside travel time and the opponent's retreat, the actual fight probably lasted less than a minute…"
"In under a minute, they killed Shisui—the one known as the 'Body Flicker'."
"If Shisui hadn't been willing to die, that opponent's strength must be terrifying."
"Even if we caught up with that guy, I doubt we'd get Shisui's eye back."
"Not to mention, we don't even know who he is or which way he went."
The captain sighed while explaining his thoughts.
"So, what do we do now? Should we handle Shisui's body?"
Another Root ninja asked quietly.
After all, Danzo only ordered them to retrieve Shisui's eye; he never said what to do with the body.
"This…"
The Root captain lowered his head and cast a glance at the fallen Shisui. His eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered silently.
Failing to retrieve Shisui's left eye would mean their mission was a failure.
Returning empty-handed would be even harder to explain.
On the other hand…
Shisui was a hero who had made his name during the Third Great Ninja War.
Although taking action against Shisui was an unfortunate necessity, the captain deeply respected this outstanding ninja.
Destroying Shisui's body right here… that was something he couldn't bring himself to do.
But leaving the body behind was equally unacceptable.
This was near Nanga Shrine.
It wouldn't be long before some Uchiha arrived.
If they found Shisui's body here, it would only complicate matters further.
"Anyway, take Shisui's body back to Lord Danzo first."
"Let him decide what to do."
The Root captain ordered, and one of the men hoisted Shisui's body onto his back.
They then used Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall to cover the bloodstains.
Only after ensuring everything was perfectly concealed did the Root ninja choose to retreat.
What they didn't know was…
The Mind Network system that Kaze built using the Resonant Thunder Fruit far exceeded ordinary sensory abilities.
Their every move was being secretly observed by Kaze.
Especially when he saw them carrying Shisui's body, preparing to report back to Danzo.
Kaze decided to lie in wait along their retreat path.
"Who are you people?"
Before long, Kaze confronted the four Root ninja, deliberately wearing an expression of utmost surprise.
When he saw Shisui's body, his eyes widened larger than a bull's, his dark pupils trembling slightly.
"Shisui?"
"What did you do to Big Brother Shisui?!"
Kaze sucked in a sharp breath and immediately questioned the Root ninja.
For a moment, the four were caught off guard by Kaze's sudden appearance.
Especially the sensor ninja among them.
Fearing a run-in with the Uchiha, he had pushed his sensing to the extreme.
Yet, unexpectedly, they had still encountered someone from the Uchiha clan!
Judging by Kaze's reaction, this guy's relationship with Shisui was anything but ordinary!
This was bad…
The Root captain swallowed nervously, his throat working as he swallowed spit.
No matter how you looked at it, everything Danzo had done was a dark secret.
If exposed, the fallout would be uncontrollable.
"We're only carrying out orders. Please don't get in our way,"
The Root captain said in a low voice, hoping Kaze would understand and let them pass.
(T/N: What a hassle? I had to rework this entire chapter again. Anyway hope you all enjoyed this chapter.)
50 Stones = One Extra Chapter
100 Stones = Two Extra Chapters
200 Stones = Three Extra Chapters
Keep the power stones coming.