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"In just 0.5 seconds?"
"Stepped on dozens—no, hundreds—of times?"
It wasn't that they didn't understand the art of taking root; it was that the execution of such extreme physical feats was beyond comprehension.
After all, whether it's ninjutsu or taijutsu, the power of a technique is often proportional to the difficulty of mastering it.
And while a few powerful jutsu—like the Multi Shadow Clone Technique—have deceptively low difficulty thresholds, they come with enormous risks. Naruto Uzumaki himself was nearly crippled by the chakra drain of using it improperly in his early years.
So when the Root ninja had first spoken, Aburame Yūnui was already prepared to dig in. Yet even then, what he saw shook him to the core.
Stepping on the ground dozens of times in 0.5 seconds?
What kind of physical conditioning is that?!
At that moment, standing before them, Ye Dou no longer resembled a man—he was more like a beast in human form. A ferocious, humanoid monster whose movements defied nature.
Ye Dou, of course, had no idea what they were thinking.
The moment his shadow clone threw a smoke bomb to obscure the battlefield, he had already locked onto the Root agents' positions with precision. Even blinded, his body moved on instinct.
He didn't hesitate. In his hands—a kunai, a blade, senbon—all launched without warning.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A storm of deadly projectiles cut through the smoke, transforming into streaks of silvery death.
"Damn it—how many hidden weapons does this guy carry?!"
Yūnui's expression twisted. He couldn't even estimate the number—hundreds at least, possibly more. And this wasn't even the first barrage. Earlier waves had been even denser.
Had this guy raided a ninja tools shop before the battle?!
It was madness.
Without hesitation, several Root ninja formed a line and performed hand seals in perfect sync.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Walls of hardened earth surged up from the ground, shielding them just in time as the incoming hailstorm of weapons slammed against the barriers.
Pffft-pffft-pffft!
Shuriken, kunai, senbon—all struck the walls in a metallic fury. Dust filled the air.
Behind the earthen defenses, the Root ninjas remained grim, praying the barrier would hold.
It did—barely.
As the dust settled and they released their chakra, the walls crumbled back into the soil.
But relief lasted mere seconds.
Because the weapons scattered on the ground… began to rise again.
They floated—impossibly—twisting and coiling like a serpentine dragon made of steel.
"Stop him—NOW!" Yūnui shouted, voice cracking.
As the smoke fully cleared, Ye Dou's figure emerged again. Even without any tricks or illusions, his presence was terrifying. His left hand now morphed into a claw-like gesture, controlling the airborne weapons like a puppeteer.
This wasn't genjutsu. It wasn't chakra strings. It was something far worse.
"Can we even survive a second or third wave of this?"
There was no time to think.
The Root squad surged forward with coordinated killing intent, attacking from all directions.
"Ye Dou!"
"I know." His voice was cold, his expression unreadable.
As the enemy closed in, Ye Dou stopped manipulating the weapons. Instead, he tapped the ground lightly with the tip of his blade.
It was almost nothing—like a dragonfly landing on water.
And yet—
CRACK!
The advancing ninjas were struck by an unseen force. Their bodies convulsed, then plummeted like stones, crashing into the ground as spiderweb cracks radiated beneath them.
"Gravity Blade: Chaos."
Ye Dou stood firm, one hand gripping his weapon, his hair flowing in the turbulence. He was a lone demon amidst a crumbling battlefield.
And then, from the darkness, his shadow clone—still untouched—sprang forth again. With merciless precision, it launched ninja tools at the immobilized enemies, finishing off those crushed by gravity.
The night sky lit up once more, painting Ye Dou's silhouette in crimson light—like a Shura risen from the depths of war.
"This…"
From the rear ranks, the remaining Root ninjas flinched. Pupils contracted, and their instincts screamed the same thing:
Retreat.
They were terrified.
Truly terrified of being slaughtered.
Despite their elite training, they still had no idea what techniques this "murderer" was using. Was it a kekkei genkai? Some unique form of ninjutsu? They couldn't even be sure.
But what they did know was that they had lost too much.
Too many lives.
Too many unknowns.
Too many regrets.
Without another word, Ye Dou lifted his blade again and dashed toward the retreating ninjas.
He had no intention of leaving loose ends for Shimura Danzo.
"AHHHH—!"
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